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.
Take Five
Charlie Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mere alcohol,
Doesn't thrill me at all,
So tell me, why should it be true,
That I get a kick out of you.
Some get a kick from cocaine,
I'm sure that if,
It would bore me terrifically,too,
Yet I get a kick out of you.
I get a kick every time I see you,
Standing there before me,
I get a kick though it's clear to see,
You obviously don't adore me.
Some get a kick in a plane,
Flying too high,
With some gal in the sky,
Is my idea of nothing to do,
But I get a kick out of you.
I get a kick, out of you.
The lyrics of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" by the Charlie Parker Quintet express the idea that the singer does not find pleasure in the typical vices of his time, such as champagne or cocaine. Instead, he finds joy in the simple presence of the person he is addressing in the song. In the first two stanzas, he dismisses the idea that drinking alcohol or using cocaine can bring him excitement. He admits that if he tried cocaine, it would not arouse his senses in the same way that the person he speaks to does. Despite the title of the song, the lyrics reveal that he doesn't get a kick out of external substances or activities. He gets it from being close to the one he loves, even if the love is unrequited.
In the third stanza, the lyrics intensify, and the singer declares that he gets extremely excited every time he sees the person he addresses, even though he knows that the feeling is not mutual. The final stanza returns to the idea of activities that other people find exciting, such as flying in a plane or having a romantic rendezvous. But again, the singer confesses that these activities do not give him the same level of happiness as the simple fact of being near the one he loves.
Overall, "I Get A Kick Out Of You" glorifies the power of love and connection over material pleasures, and presents an interesting perspective on the idea of addiction and excitement.
Line by Line Meaning
I get no kick from champagne
Champagne doesn't excite me or give me any thrill.
Mere alcohol
Plain alcohol with no special quality.
Doesn't thrill me at all
It has no effect on me or anything that makes me excited.
So tell me, why should it be true
Puzzled as to why some people get excited by champagne and alcohol.
That I get a kick out of you
Despite not feeling anything for champagne or alcohol, I feel excited about being with you.
Some get a kick from cocaine
Some people get high from cocaine.
I'm sure that if
I'm convinced that in case
I took even one sniff
I tried even the slightest inhalation of cocaine.
It would bore me terrifically too
It would be incredibly dull and unexciting for me as well.
Yet I get a kick out of you
Still, I feel energized and stimulated when I'm with you.
I get a kick every time I see you
I feel elated and enthusiastic every moment I lay my eyes upon you.
Standing there before me
Being in front of me and within my sight.
I get a kick though it's clear to see
It's evident that you don't feel fondly of me, yet I still get excited.
You obviously don't adore me
It's plain to see that you don't love me.
Some get a kick in a plane
Some people get thrilled by flying in a plane.
Flying too high
Flying up high in the atmosphere.
With some gal in the sky
With some girl seated beside you on the plane.
Is my idea of nothing to do
It's my concept of a boring and uninteresting activity.
But I get a kick out of you
Nonetheless, I feel delighted and thrilled being around you.
I get a kick, out of you
I feel elated and excited with you; you bring me joy.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kinoglaz777
This is not Charlie Parker, it's composed by Paul Desmond and performed by The Dave Brubeck Quartet on their 1959 album Time Out.
Charlie the Bird died in '55... unfortunately he's never been allowed to give his own version of this piece
Frank Haas
Thank you so much. You choose pretty kind & nice words for this uge mistake so not to say bullshit.
Christine Wujek
TheBiggestBoi h
kinoglaz777
@TheTekkitWizards
Oh, Jesus, you'll bet, me too. Would you ever imagine what he could do out of this?
Sometimes I try to transpose, in my mind, something like the "LoverMan" into this and get a bit of what would it have been.
TheBiggestBoi
I would KILL to hear Bird play this song.
Jed Wilborrow
I love this remake of Take Five. The slowed down tempo really make the song more sensual and give the sax time to standout and shine!
Beatriz Martino
Hemosisimo, lo he bailado, me ha emocionado tanto como en mis años juveniles, gracias, bellisimo recuerdo de aquellos buenos tiempos
Jessica Peñalver
Amo esta versión...
Agusthin Contreras
Es completamente imposible que Charlie Parker alla tocado esta pieza. "Take Five" fue grabada en 1959, 4 años despues de que fallecio Charlie Parker. Ademas se puede escuchar claramente que es Paul Desmond en el saxo alto, Escuchen el sonido liryco, ese sonido no es de el gran Charlie Parker.
Tofu Delivery
that style and that sound is unmistakably desmond, bird kicked the bucket before this song was written.