Parker is commonly considered the greatest bebop jazz musician. In terms of influence and impact, his contribution to jazz was so great that Charles Mingus commented that if Bird were alive today, he would think he was living in a hall of mirrors. Bird's talent is compared almost without argument to such legendary musicians as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, and his reputation and legend as one of the best saxophonists is such that some critics say he was unsurpassed.
A founding figure of bebop, Parker's innovative approach to melody, rhythm and harmony have exerted an incalculable influence on jazz.. Several of Parker's songs have become standards of the repertoire, and innumerable musicians have studied Parker's music and absorbed elements of his style.
Parker became an icon for the Beat generation, and was a pivotal figure in the evolving conception of the jazz musician as an uncompromising artist and intellectual, rather than just a popular entertainer. At various times, Parker fused jazz with other musical styles, from classical (seeking to study with Edgard Varese and Stefan Wolpe) to Latin music (recordings with Machito), blazing paths followed later by others.
Parker was known for often showing up to performances without an instrument and borrowing someone else's at the last moment. At more than one venue he played on a plastic Grafton saxophone; later, saxophonist Ornette Coleman used this brand of plastic sax in his early career. On one particular occasion before a concert in Toronto, Canada, he had sold his saxophone to buy drugs, and at the last minute, he, Dizzy Gillespie and other members of Charlie's entourage went running around Toronto trying to find a saxophone. After scouring all the downtown pawnshops open at the time, they were only able to find a Grafton, which Parker proceeded to use at the concert that night. This concert is documented on the album Jazz at Massey Hall. The album is considered one of the greatest live recordings in Jazz history.
Parker's battles with alcoholism and heroin addiction ranged from his teenage years until his death from pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer at thirty-four. The toll that the drug had taken on his relatively young body was quite profound - a doctor examining Parker's body estimated him to be around sixty years old.
During his lifetime, tribute was paid to Parker when a new nightclub in New York was named Birdland in his honour in 1949.Three years later, George Shearing wrote "Lullaby of Birdland", which was named for both Parker and the nightclub.
Other phenomena also occurred in the United States after the death of Parker, particularly the use of the term "Bird lives" in graffiti throughout New York hours after his death, and later as the title of a contemporary art piece of the same name, created by sculptor Robert Graham in 1999. Despite its widespread use, Ted Joans is usually credited with its inception.
Now's The Time
Charlie Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bring all of your fam'ly and I will bring mine
If I should bring my brothers, and you bring the others
Then I can sing a song like Jeru, just for you
Just for all the lovely people that you see in the road
We'll sing them a song in Jeruvian mode
If I can have a pref'rence, I'll even make ref'rence
Then if you'd be kind enough to tell me why you
write these extended bridges
can it be romance that always
haunts me in my reverie?
So why not come on over 'bout a quarter to eight
If you can come early I'll never be late
And now you're all invited, I hope you're delighted
To sing a little song like Jeru, just for you
just for me too
Gather around, tale to be told
Maybe it's new, maybe it's old, listen my friend
Blowin' away, doin' alright
Plain' all day, workin' all night, listen again
Movin' along, coverin' ground
Singin' the song, lovin' the sound, listen and then
blow together birds of a feather
Out playin' the blues and "I Got Rhythm"
All at once a moment came without a warning
Got so hot we had to cool it
Go for glory, tell you the story
Out payin' our dues until we found we were
assisting at an unexpected borning
'twas the birth of the Cool
So now I can tell you why I'm always
Trying to tell you, listen, come with me,
New York, and we're together in my reverie
So why don't you come over 'bout a quarter to two
Forget all the others, just me and just you
And while we're versifying
We'd better start trying
To write another song just for me
Just for you, one more Jeru
The song "Now's The Time" by Charlie Parker begins with an invitation to come together, to bring family and friends, and to share in the joy of music. The singer mentions Jeru, likely referring to Gerry Mulligan's composition "Jeru" which Parker recorded in 1949. The lyrics speak of singing a song in the Jeruvian style, which would be a cool, relaxed, and understated sound popular in the 1940s and 1950s.
The song then continues with the idea of storytelling, with the lyrics "gather around, tale to be told." This line suggests a sense of community and coming together to share stories and experiences. The lyrics go on to describe musicians playing and working tirelessly, with the occasional moment of brilliance where the music becomes hot and intense. This theme of dedication to music is a common one throughout Parker's works.
Later on in the song, the lyrics suggest a personal connection between the singer and the listener. The lines "Forget all the others, just me and just you," and "write another song just for me, just for you" imply a romantic connection, and perhaps the idea of writing a song together that represents their relationship.
Overall, "Now's The Time" is a celebration of music, community, and connection between people.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't you come over 'bout a quarter to nine
Let's get together tonight at around 8:45 PM
Bring all of your fam'ly and I will bring mine
Let's make this a family gathering and invite everyone we know
If I should bring my brothers, and you bring the others
If I bring some people with me, and you bring some people with you
Then I can sing a song like Jeru, just for you
I can perform a song called Jeru just for you
Just for all the lovely people that you see in the road
This song is for all the wonderful people you meet in life
We'll sing them a song in Jeruvian mode
We'll play this song in a style similar to Jeru
If I can have a pref'rence, I'll even make ref'rence
If it's alright with you, I'll reference something in the song
To why you write a song like Jeru, just for you
I'll explain the reason for me performing Jeru for you
Then if you'd be kind enough to tell me why you
If you're willing to share with me
write these extended bridges
Why you include longer musical sections in your compositions
can it be romance that always
Is it because of romantic themes that
haunts me in my reverie?
I often think about in my daydreams?
So why not come on over 'bout a quarter to eight
How about we meet earlier, around 7:45 PM
If you can come early I'll never be late
If you arrive on time, I won't be delayed
And now you're all invited, I hope you're delighted
Everyone is welcome, and I hope you're excited about it
To sing a little song like Jeru, just for you
We'll play the song Jeru for you all to enjoy
Gather around, tale to be told
Come together, I have a story to share
Maybe it's new, maybe it's old, listen my friend
It might be something you haven't heard before or a familiar tale, but please listen
Blowin' away, doin' alright
Playing music, feeling good
Plain' all day, workin' all night, listen again
Performing music all day, working all night, listen once more
Movin' along, coverin' ground
Making progress, moving forward
Singin' the song, lovin' the sound, listen and then
Singing our music joyfully, loving how it sounds, listen closely
blow together birds of a feather
Let's play our instruments and make music together
Out playin' the blues and "I Got Rhythm"
Playing some classic blues and "I Got Rhythm"
All at once a moment came without a warning
Suddenly, a memorable moment happened unexpectedly
Got so hot we had to cool it
Things got intense, and we had to calm down
Go for glory, tell you the story
Let's go big and share what happened
Out payin' our dues until we found we were
Playing our music until we discovered we were
assisting at an unexpected borning
Witnessing the birth of something new and exciting
'twas the birth of the Cool
The start of a new, hip musical style
So now I can tell you why I'm always
I can finally explain why I'm always
Trying to tell you, listen, come with me,
Urge you to listen and join me on this musical journey
New York, and we're together in my reverie
Imagining being in New York with you by my side
So why don't you come over 'bout a quarter to two
How about we meet up later tonight, around 1:45 AM
Forget all the others, just me and just you
Let's focus on spending time together and forget about everyone else
And while we're versifying
While we're writing poetry or singing
We'd better start trying
We should make an effort and attempt to
To write another song just for me
Compose a song that's just for me
Just for you, one more Jeru
Another composition similar to Jeru, but for you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GERRY MULLIGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamesmatlock3847
I can't believe 43 people on YouTube actually gave this a thumbs-down (?)
This is pure genius; spun on a 12 bar blues form.
Within such a simple musical form and with only three instruments
It evokes a musical beauty that transcends time and space.
Charlie Parker - sax
Curley Russell - bass
Max Roach - drums
Please correct me if I have the personnel wrong.
There was a musician's strike in NTC in 1945 and it was difficult to find any documentation; but Curley and Max played on similar recordings Bird made in 1945. So I'm hazarding a guess it was them.
@marioguillen1675
Im taking a music class for college and this music is so good im glad my teacher put me on to this
@bobbysands6923
60, 70 years later he is still who all of the jazz artists listen to, transcribe, and idolize.
@obnob7230
First heard Bird as a teenager and at first didn't understand what I was listening to. He took my musical head apart and slowly reassembled it. Still digging it 60 odd years later.
@Cyanide_Candy
Were you actually there? Did you see Bird live?
@frenchie3035
@@Cyanide_Candy dude might be dead now. But yeah, he probably heard him during when he was still alive, but not necessarily live.
@olebirgerpedersen
@@frenchie3035 I never heard him live, but he was still alive when I srarted playing jazz. I was born in 1939.
@dwaynesbadchemicals
Didn’t really listen to Bird until my late twenties. He just grew on me. Such brilliance.
@lho3201
It was the time when it was recorded, it's still the time, and it will forever be the time
@elvythevelvy5543
So true friend
@olebirgerpedersen
The first blues I ever played on my new saxophone . I used to listen to all the Parkerrecordings I could get hold on and thanks to Radio Luxemburg Jazzhour late night I was able to listen a lot of jazz, new and old.