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Chasing The Bird -Alto
Sensation
CHARLES MCPHERSON
Charles MCPherson is one of the paragons of pure, unadulterated
progressive jazz; impeccable and uncompromising. He has been compared
to Charlie Parker and although he has been a big influence, MCPherson
says that so has Lester Young, Charles Mingus, Art Tatum, Duke Ellington,
Barry Harris, John Coltrane and a lot of classical music, to some
extent. |
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But one can excuse people for thinking of Bird when
they hear his playing: it's fiery, driving and emotional. And not
for nothing was Charles chosen to play on the soundtrack of Clint
Eastwood's cult bio-film "Bird". Despite all of this, Charles MCPherson
is very much an individual and he has a strong sense of that, not
only in his music, but in everything he does. Born in Joplin, Missouri,
where the great swing bands originated...Bird, Buster Smith, Coleman
Hawkins, Ben Webster, Count Basie and others; MCPherson soon moved
to another fertile music environment, Detroit, where he started playing
the alto at age 11. He mastered it with the help of renowned pianist
Barry Harris and started playing professionally at the age of 19.
But perhaps the most significant event in Charles's career was
actually leaving Detroit, joining Charles Mingus, in New York. He
performed with Mingus for 12 years, constantly learning and reaching
for new dimensions. Something he still does today.
During that period he worked with a lot of the greats, such as
Johnny Coles, Toshiko Aklyoshi, Clifford Jordan, Jimmy Knepper, Jacki
Byard and Bobby Jones. He has since performed as one of and with many
more world jazz greats and has recorded as a guest artist with Art
Farmer, Barry Harris, Lionel Hampton, Kenny Drew, Toshiko Akiyoshi,
Sam Jones, Ted Harris and Bobby Jones. Charles MCPherson is still
"doing his own thing" in his incomparable style with more
fire than ever before . Lucky us. |
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