[Dixielandjazz] High Society (Picou Obbligato)

[Tom Duncan]

Steve Barbone writes on Wed, 04 May 2005
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] High Society (Picou Obbligato)
:snip::
>>>"As another aside, those who listen to Charlie Parker, hear Bird do the
first 2 bars of the Picou (or Dodds) versions on countless performances of
various bop songs. He loved to quote "Picou".

Bird knew exactly where he was coming from, much to the surprise, perhaps,
of many who dislike his playing."<<<

Frederick Jackson Turner, historian of the American Frontier, wrote:

"Each age tries to form its own conception of the past. Each age writes the
history of the past anew with reference to the conditions uppermost in its
own time."

Steve is dead on about Bird quoting the High Society 2 bars. On a recent
vacation, I talked with a talented young sax player in the British Virgin
Islands who was playing smooth jazz during the dinner hour. When he found
out that I liked "real jazz", he added "A Train" and "Take Five" to his next
set and used the High Society quote. When I asked where he had heard it, he
said, "Charlie Parker on Ko-ko." He was intrigued to learn that Parker was
harking back to Alphonse Picou, so it stretched his history from about fifty
years to a hundred years.

Regards,

Tom Duncan