Two of the Quartets (one also known as The Quartet of Charlie Parker)
1947
Charlie Parker - Alto Sax
Erroll Garner - Piano
Red Callender - Bass
Harold "Doc" West - Drums
1952
Charlie Parker - Alto Sax
Dick Cary - Piano
Eddie Safranski - Bass
Don Lamond - Drums
Now's The Time
Charlie Parker Quartet Lyrics
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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.
Some interesting facts about "Now's The Time" include:
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
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 © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GERRY MULLIGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Matlock
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.
obnob
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?
Frenchie
@Cyanide Candy dude might be dead now. But yeah, he probably heard him during when he was still alive, but not necessarily live.
Ole Birger Pedersen
@Frenchie I never heard him live, but he was still alive when I srarted playing jazz. I was born in 1939.
coldwar1952
I never tire of listening carefully to Percy Heath play. He adds real, meaningful counterpoint to the melody, one either improvised or familiar. Almost a separate, definite direction. Dramatic effect by playing in front or behind the beat, wonderful. Paul Chambers would add much the same in a short time. Push the ear buds WAAAY in.
Wippi
Percy Heath is playing on this recording?
Wippi
Ohhh nvm just looked at the personnel, made sense when he started playing that solo towards the end cuz I thought it was curly Russell at first but u right
Adam Doyle Music
Man this is amazing. I've always been fascinated by his solo on this, a true legend. RIP Charlie
bobby sands
60, 70 years later he is still who all of the jazz artists listen to, transcribe, and idolize.
Marco Wilchisky
I usually refuse giving such general statements... and nobody has ever heard ALL the musicians in the world... but Charlie has to be one of the best, if not THE greatest musician of the 20th century. Revolutionary. Fresh to this very day.