![]() Baltzor explains: “Moran embodies so much of what we love about Charlie Parker: a sort of super-hip irreverence done at such a high level that no one can say shit.” Curtis expands upon that, saying: “Not only did he bring that fresh perspective, but he seamlessly integrated himself into the musical fabric of the band, surprising and inspiring us along the way. This relentless process of rehearsal – refining their group sound and approach, and redefining their source material – are both on full display on Freebird and, with the addition of Moran, the group is elevated to a higher plane. Then, not only did we have a new completely fresh sounding idea that was unmistakably be-bop, in its own deconstructed way, but through each process we developed a whole new concept for composition and improvisation in general.” We would find a rule, and stick with it until it presented musical challenges that we’d have to figure out, rehearse them to an almost hypnotic degree. Freebird is the full realization of this idea.īaltazor elaborates: “Each song is strictly based on a composition, or multiple compositions, by Charlie Parker. By displacing just one of the melodic phrases of Parker’s “Dewey Square,” their original interpretation “Dewey Circle” came alive and this concept was born. On that album, Walking Distance happened by chance upon the concept that would grow into Freebird. The quartet – comprised of alto saxophonist Caleb Curtis, tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Kenny Pexton, bassist Adam Coté, and drummer Shawn Baltazor – released their debut, Neighborhood, in 2015, which was acclaimed in Downbeat, AllAboutJazz and elsewhere. On Freebird, the listener is treated to a set of music, which covers a tremendous amount of musical territory, all with aplomb, irreverence and a distinctive group sound. One solution to this ubiquitous problem lies in the stunning invention of the NYC based quartet Walking Distance and their second album, Freebird, which features the resplendent piano playing of Jason Moran on a number of tracks.Īs the title suggests, Freebird almost literally unbinds Parker’s repertoire from the dregs of boring, staid covers of his work and into something modern, contemporary, humorous and ebulliently bursting with vitality so imaginative that one would be hard pressed to identify the source of inspiration in the first place. In the years since his death, his music has been covered incessantly, which in many ways, has robbed the music of its essential vitality. In France, it was released as a single on Jand reached number 30 on the charts.It’s almost trite to mention the indelible mark that saxophonist Charlie Parker left on the world of culture at large, and more specifically with the practitioners of jazz, the music that he redefined. The song remained in the Top 40 for seven weeks. ![]() It was released as a single on and went straight into the Top 40, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band then recorded the song in the studio in January 1973. "Free Bird" was first performed live on Octoat the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Ronnie Van Zant stated that the song was "a long fucking song to say fuck you". The song was written in response to criticism from fans who kept asking the band to play "Free Bird" even when they were playing other songs. The first part is written in C major and the second in G minor, before returning to C major for the end. The song is divided into three distinct parts, with a central instrumental jam section. It begins slowly with a lead guitar intro before moving into a faster tempo. "Free Bird" is a progressive rock song that lasts over nine minutes. It is considered one of the most famous songs of the band and was ranked #19 of the 500 greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. The song was written by Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins. The song "Free Bird" is a song of the American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
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