In the words of a correspondent, these jazz greats “represent the triumph of individual talent, creativity and perseverance.” This is true of Bird and most jazz artists who “woodshed” intensively to develop their skills. Bird would play 15 hours a day, and he worked at least 4 years practising. He described his playing as always trying to find the pretty notes. He kept hearing the music that he wanted to play in his head and eventually got it through his alto saxophone. Bird is one of the definite creators of bebop along with Dizzy Gillespie. A number of other artists who were coming along at the same time jammed in various places, quickly growing into the new music, innovating, and extending it in their own ways. They all acknowledge Bird and Diz as the major creative forces. Jazz itself is a truly major musical innovation and bop opens up the rhythmic and harmonic possibilities. Bird’s music is happy, light-hearted, and also deeply blues-influenced. He was an incredible improviser, constantly inventing new variations, played with amazing technical skill and often rapidity. Today much of what he recorded has been transcribed and, even at that, is a large challenge to play for many musicians. Bird tread his own musical path without compromise.

http://youtu.be/Clp9AeBdgL0

The Best of Michael S. Rozeff