Today's Jazz (Celebrating 70 Years): July 28, 1953 @ New York & Kansas City

July 28, 1953 “I remember you”
by Charlie Parker, Al Haig, Percy Heath & Max Roach at Fulton Recording Studios, New York City (Verve)

Charlie Parker, the founder of modern jazz. His technique of manipulating the alto saxophone at will according to the chord progressions of a song, the charm of his rich and solid tone, the diverse phrases unleashed incessantly like a spring, and his exquisite sense of timing—all these combined to create a one-of-a-kind style that left a profound influence on future generations.

The burst of high-speed phrases around the 52-second mark paved the way for later jazz giants like John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy, and just as the master Miles Davis started his full-scale career in Parker's band and inherited the evolution of jazz, it is an unshakable established theory that the majority of modern jazz began with Parker.

Before and after Parker, the musical style clearly changed from the swing jazz that had been mainstream until then. This recording is from 1953, the oldest among the songs introduced so far, because Parker passed away young in 1955. This period was just before recording technology underwent a dramatic evolution, and since he passed away young at the peak of his career as a performer during the monaural era, there are not many high-quality recorded works. However, performances like this one, where heart, technique, and body are in harmony, possess a compelling power and brilliance that never cease to captivate the ear, truly befitting the founder of modern jazz.

So, what makes it different from the jazz that came before? It has undergone a dramatic change from a music form centered on relaxed and elegant ensembles as dance music to the free-spirited "bebop" style of twisting out melodies through improvisation according to chord progressions. To put it another way, it has shifted 180 degrees from audience-oriented music to performer-oriented music that unfolds as the player desires. This was realized not only because of Parker's musical inspiration but also because of his transcendental technique to manipulate his instrument at will. Parker had a large repertoire of phrase clusters known as idioms, and the way he would instantly combine or layer them to unleash an overflowing stream of melodies reaches the level of a stunt or virtuosity.

Now, Parker's hometown, Kansas City, was also a key location for jazz that helped shape modern jazz. The region straddles Kansas and Missouri across the Kansas River, which is confusing, but the Missouri side is the city with the largest population in the state.

Naming musicians born in the Kansas City area, including these, we have tenor saxophone greats like Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster, starting with Parker.

It is said that the foundations of modern jazz were cultivated there during an era when people and musicians gathered, partly because it was a region where the serving of alcohol was tacitly approved during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and 30s. Count Basie, who represents Kansas City jazz, was not born in Kansas City, but against that backdrop, he built the opportunity to succeed there and produced numerous musicians such as Lester Young. If you are interested in Basie's collaborations with Ellington, please check out this article.

Here is a film by Robert Altman that depicts that era. Top-tier jazz musicians like Joshua Redman actually appear and perform. It shows a transition from a controlled big band style to a relaxed, after-hours jam session, which has become one of the foundations of modern jazz.

Charlie Parker was the darling of that era, born in such an environment. The intense impact that changed jazz continues to be an important foundation in jazz today.

Kansas City has continued to produce world-class musicians since then. In modern jazz, Pat Metheny, who continues to lead the jazz guitar world, is from that area.

Outside of jazz, it is also the birthplace of Burt Bacharach, one of America's leading singer-songwriters who sent out many jazz standards.

The lyrics for this song were written by Johnny Mercer. Not only did he produce many standard songs such as “Moon River” in collaboration with famous composers like Harold Arlen and Henry Mancini, but he also contributed to the development of the jazz world by launching the Capitol Records label and making musicians like Nat King Cole hits.

If you are interested in Capitol Records and Nat King Cole, please check out this article.

Finally, if you are interested in Max Roach's drumming on this track, please check out this great performance as well.