The Power of Photography #683

“You’ve got to learn your instrument. Then you practice, practice, practice.
And then when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail”
~ Charlie Parker

"Bird was widely acknowledged to be the supreme jazz genius of his time. He was also widely acknowledged to be the most self destructive. Drugs, alcohol, you name it. But somehow his musical talents prevailed over his worst excesses. When he was blowing, Bird, could effortlessly produce chorus after chorus of wondrous improvisations. He could turn standard tunes into amazing melodies no one had ever heard before”
~ William Gottlieb

 

One of the great portraits of Bird. The eyes say it all.
He is transported into another world, as are we.

July 8, 2022