Charlie Parker Reveals His Secrets to Musical Greatness | Rare Interview with Paul Desmond

In this 1954 conversation with saxophonist Paul Desmond, legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker discusses the profound significance of music in his life and reveals his practice methods for achieving greatness.
Full audio interview & transcript » bobreynoldsmus...
#CharlieParker #PaulDesmond

[@cameronlewis1218]

This short interview taught me a lot. The “legend” of Charlie Parker is that of a man who could barely put a sentence together because he was so obsessed with drugs. Even Ken Burns’ Jazz documentary seemed that way. But this interview shows a thoughtful well-spoken man…

[@candacelaughinghouse9270]

Consider why so many died young due to drugs. It was not due to a lack of morale. The oppressive society they lived in plus the newness to substances that altered a person’s mental and physical self made sense. Also, you didn’t listen to this interview bc even though Miles Davis said he was completely selfish, he definitely used complete sentences. This video is closed captioned, too.

[@daryljohnson3896]

As great as he was, what i don't hear is one iota of ego... that's the mark of a real genius, he doesn't even recognize how good he is!

[@marcusalli8778]

,The gifted person only wants to Show how good they are,there is no reason to brag,or boast about what you can do,You Show it.

[@adriandelgado8709]

Another great example of your argument is Michael Brecker… the man was one and if not the best tenor sax player and he was such a simple soul… that’s what makes them so great in my opinion, the humbleness behind him being a great musician

[@normanspurgeon5324]

So true- he refuses to jump on the pride band wagon.

[@atombomb31458]

desmond interviewing parker.......does it get better than that???? this is a great find.thanks.

[@sbmcgonagle9671]

(Late to the party!) Desmond didn’t have the blistering speed of Parker (or if he did, he restrained himself), but although somewhat subdued, Desmond could also virtuosically (is that even a word?) tell a compellingly lyrical and coherent story when he improvised. You are so right; what a great matchup!

[@rillloudmother]

"Schooling is one of the most wonderful things there's ever been." - Charlie Parker

[@boblevey]

Love that he mentioned the band he had with my old man, Stan Levey!!! A lot of people don’t know how important Stan was and how much swing he put into those early years of Bebop!!!

[@raulcaldeira8071]

The best bebop drummer for me, swings like hell , I first heard him on the for musicians only dizzy's album

[@jazzgitah]

Your dad was very kind and encouraging to me as a 25 yr old musician when I used to wait on him at Bill White's Foods for Health in Sherman Oaks. I remember he gave me his card. It was the coolest card ever. I still have it!

[@herz108]

Wow! that is a rare piece of history. Thank you for making that available. It is a shame Clint Eastwood didn't portray that side of Charlie Parker at all in his film.

[@matthewschwartz6607]

Did you like the movie? What did his friends think?

[@gabeeskridge8291]

Hollywood rarely portrays the real truth in anything. It's entertainment. You have to seek the facts.

[@Nclght]

A true sign of genius is being able to perfectly convey a thought by using the simplest of terms. Amazing interview.

[@MrResearcher122]

Two of my favorite Jazz men: Paul and Charlie. Both musicians with the sweetest and saddest notes known to man, yet with fine, and eloquent speaking voices. Thanks for the upload...just beautiful.

[@rustyjames4177]

That's crazy, it's like Einstein talking about the theory of relativity. I am still amazed to listen to that. Thanks a lot for sharing it.

[@bounderby99]

It's interesting that Bird answers the question about why there was such a sudden change in the direction on the music by saying that in the next 15 to 25 years someone might do something with it when guys like Trane and Miles were about to make a huge impact on the jazz world even sooner than that. It just goes to show that (as Bird said) there's not really a reason for such large changes in music, there are just creative people who are constantly looking for new ways to express themselves and new things to give to the listener

[@michaelbalogh1236]

and go beyond coltrane... michael brecker picked up the torch and RAN with it. and all of the disciples folling them. all of the great trumpet players before miles. and thousands still coming on...

[@michaelbalogh1236]

many different styles and sounds and ways to play the same horn, that's what makes us different!

[@desmorga6757]

Did not expect his voice to be so deep damn this is gold

[@cjgreen4331]

It really is

I do.

[@sbmcgonagle9671]

When Charlie Parker spoke (i’m specifically recalling the brief Symphony Syd interview), his voice was musical with a richness of timbre and hint of melody

[@theprocastination9697]

Today, August 29th, Bird turns 100 yo. Thank you, Charlie, for tour love for music, your discipline, and share It with the world!!! Your memory will ever survive while human kind it's still around. BEBOP

[@andreashoppe1969]

Wow… two of the greatest alto players ever talking to each other!

[@rj-it4mj]

Damn, just heard the voice of GOD discussing creation

[@athruzathruz]

Come'on dude! Tone it down a notch will ya!!!

[@saxpianotutorial7572]

If you're talking about Paul Desmond you're absolutely correct!

[@michaeldean9338]

@@saxpianotutorial7572 ??? I dig Desmond...but, BY ALL MEANS....explain that.

[@vintagepipesnightmares]

Dude it’s just music not curing cancer.

[@markpatterson8922]

Well he did this before anyone was curing cancer. :-) “Just” music? Music is who we humans are, it is one of our deepest connections to each other. To dismiss it that way is to swim in a shallow pool.

[@MrMusicguyma]

Fascinating to hear. To my ears, Desmond was the polar opposite of Parker in sound. Both were great players, highly intelligent and articulate bout music. Great to hear Charlie's answers.

[@harrispoor4495]

I first heard Parker in 1952 at the Hi Hat in Boston and have never forgotten it. I even got his autograph which was the first signature I ever got and now have a large collection of jazz autographs

[@Osnosis]

To have heard Parker live in person; I would almost sell my soul, but then I’d have nothing left for Trane. Privileged to have seen Brecker countless times, Bob Berg, Getz, and even Rahsaan, but no Turrentine.

[@paulgentile1024]

@@Osnosis you never want to have to sell your soul

[@TheNoobyGuy1]

This is absolute gold.

[@brucekuehn4031]

Beware of pain killers, fight opioid abuse, and never, ever try heroine. And Paul constantly smoked cigs and drank too much booze. Getting to their musical level involves a lot of hard work, but also be careful in your play! There are guys from this era that are still with us in their upper 80s and 90s. We need to celebrate them too.

[@Tusc9969]

They were different times and even geniuses have demons. Point is, you gots to put in the grind if you want to be great.

[@Erschophone]

Why - ONCE AGAIN, always coming back to this subject which distracts us ONCE AGAIN from the main subject which is the MUSIC.

[@williamcorgile9823]

Never knew this existed. Awesome hearing this cat talk without his horn.

[@Danox94]

Their style on alto couldn't be more different, yet you know it's them the second you hear their sound. Legends!

[@JulioARodriguez]

This interview blew my mind Thank you for sharing Bob!

[@bigeman25]

Masters, real grown folks talking.

[@Robbie521000]

This Cat took the long view far past the horizon. Parker knew he was good, but I don't think he wasted his time comparing himself to others, because if he did he would have realized that he was "The Master"! He would have realized that he was breathing creation, evolution and fire with that axe! He viewed music at it's simplest forms of melody, harmony, and rhythm and then he chased their limits! Funny, how modest he was. Bird spoke of what Cats would be doing with the music in 25/50 years; hell Bird we're still trying to just catch up to you Man! lol

[@joepalooka2145]

This is a really wonderful piece of history. His great intelligence is evident from the way he speaks. True genius like Charlie Parker is God-given and very rare. But it only develops with hard work, as in "Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration" and he sure proved that. Miles Davis said it best: "The history of jazz can be stated in four words: Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker".

[@Andrewrucker100]

I hope the musicians heard that talent alone does not make you a great player. It’s the time commitment to practicing over and over, and woodshedding to near perfection. Want to stop hitting the wrong notes? Practice! Want virtuoso technique? Practice! Want speed and dexterity? Practice. At 11-14 hours per day of practice over a 3-4 year period, he put in the work!

[@normanspurgeon5324]

Great to hear Charlie on this cut. He refuses to get puffed up about his accomplishments. Its a shame there aren't more cuts like this.

[@michaeldean9338]

Say, Reynolds...thanks for this, brother! Never heard it before. Freakin' Parker and Desmond chatting.

[@alexandrefong4750]

Thanks so much for this. Gave me chills and left me elated. It's an amazing document of actual genius.

[@hydrogen.jukebox]

This is so awesome, I’m playing that #23 out of the Klosé book

[@AbqRealDeals]

I've never heard that name, "Klosé". I must try to track that book down. Thanks.

[@TheJofrica]

11 hours a day x 3-4 years = I think that theory about 10,000 hours is true

[@shiritzhaki5333]

But he practiced stuff he didn't already know every time. You can't play the same stuff for 10000 hours and think you're gonna get good

[@daryljohnson3896]

don't forget that at that point in time musicians had the luxury of not only practicing but jam sessions where you could work out those 10,000 hours of study

[@nukebuster]

he crafted the bebop genre

[@JayTheLane]

Probably more likely 20,000 plus hours if you go on four years.

[@wpdoyle]

One the things about Bird was his incredible humility. One of the 5 greatest American musicians in history. He played a major role in reshaping jazz, had countless acolytes who wanted to BE him, and yet never bragged. He just wanted to make music the best he could. A genius for the ages. Flawed, but such an incredible musical thinker. Without dope, what would he have accomplished in the coming decades?

[@jwmc41]

If you look at the jazz greats like Armstrong, Young, Beiderbecke and Teagarden they all had the same humility. It's almost as if they just did what they did and didn't know what all of us was about!

[@jwmc41]

.. what all the fuss....

[@chund.s.9730]

Charlie is great at technique but I'd prefer Paul to Charlie cuz his timbre was so soft and smooth just like a glass of Dry Martini. Charlie are nearly impossible to make close to his sound

[@PhilWilkinsonMusic]

11 to 15 hours a day studying, now that's not discipline that's pure passion. Two totally different things. You only have discipline if there's a definite assured reward at the end of it.

[@imannonymous7707]

Melody ..harmony and rythym ..... he was so humble and so true to the art

[@kimparker6628]

Thanks to all the nice folks.

[@TheFunkyKingston]

Bird quoted it so nice: "Music is melody,harmony and rhythm"...

[@dylanmorgan7900]

*Ben Shapiro has entered the chat*

[@rxw5520]

They’re talking about one of the major factors that ultimately knocked jazz music off its pedestal. Bebop was undanceable and stopped being something your average joe could readily understand, and it’s “beauty” as he puts it, was sometimes questionable to all except jazz musicians or adherents. Jazz began as music for the streets, for the average person, and the major innovations turned it toward more of a cerebral exercise, and lost the masses in the process to rock. The rest is history. I’d love to see jazz re-emerge as a popular genre of dance music as I really believe that’s the only way it’ll ever gain mainstream appreciation again.

[@AbqRealDeals]

Wonderful assessment. A lot of folks I know hear Bird and shrug, "I don't get it". Tragic.

[@ustwoalberts]

what comes out is that he was trying to make something beautiful , not innovate just for the sake of it .

[@bobreynolds]

Yup.

[@pfwed3443]

Everything he did served the music and sound first and foremost. My friend Jimmy, who met Bird and studied him throughout his life was in the hospital dying and he wanted to hear Slow Boat to China. Bird has such beautiful tone always but on that song, to my friend, in particular

[@audreyfraser1495]

bird was very articulate

[@TheSuperbeauty24]

So are you

[@alexwillats]

🤦🏽‍♀️

[@Ewerb7]

Wow! To hear the voices of these masters is like hearing the voice of God. Charlie and Dizzy invented bebop but Paul was such a cool player and Jackie became a hard bop player. Such a pleasure to hear this conversation. Historic.

[@yusufakalin9874]

Charlie Parker is love.

[@brittanyatterberry]

Huge fan of Paul Desmond with his silky sexy smooth playing 😩🙌🏾

[@annamations8393]

“Most likely, in another 25, maybe 50 years, some youngster will come along and take this style and really do something with it” Anyone thought of Phil woods?

[@iPoopWhereIWant]

No.

[@SuperAbril4]

nope; no one comes to mind

[@markpatterson8922]

Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Chris Potter, Melissa Aldana, yes Phil; next Tia Fuller and Grace Kelly...They all have taken off to beautiful places from where Bird brought them. As Jimmy Heath said, “Without you, no me.”

[@retrorex]

The two greatest alto saxophonists to ever walk the face of this earth conversing with each other....astonishing! Also heard John McClellan in there, too. He's the third voice.

[@juanlulourido548]

retrorex johnny hodges>p.desmond

[@petecornell2605]

Johnny Hodges was the original greatest alto guy. Bird was/is the Man...Cannon became the “new Bird” and carried the flame for 20 years. Paul Desmond was very nice, “the sound of a dry martini”, and you can hear his love and respect for Bird throughout.

[@davidsmart8594]

Thank you so much Bob....I've never heard this before!

[@juancpgo]

“Well, that was done with books, you know, naturally it wasn’t done with mirrors this time, it was done with books” - did he mean he learned that with music books and not by practicing in front of the mirror? I don't know what he means by “mirrors”..

[@bobreynolds]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_and_mirrors

[@juancpgo]

Bob Reynolds Oh I get it... thanks Bob. Love your posts.

[@alainjames9556]

Bird was just being modest. He learned by listening to Lester -Young - and some others to a lesser extent... He learned some exercises from books - that lick that he played from some book - but it was Lester that was his soul - plus the fact that he played and played and played. The "mirrors" quote is just to say that he worked and worked at what he was doing - and what he accomplished. It wasn't just a gift. He worked and worked at it more than anyone.

[@stevesilverman5296]

What he'd achieved was the result of hard work, as opposed to, say, accomplished with (smoke &) mirrors. Charlie's shorthand or slang would be my guess.

[@cavaleermountaineer3839]

LOVE these two. This is so priceless.

[@sbmcgonagle9671]

And boy, could he tell a story when he improvised. He (along with perhaps a couple of others) rewrote the rules of jazz harmony and pioneered a new way of playing on those changes. What’s even more astounding is that back when I was really listening to him (a half a century ago), I sometimes had to slow a track to half speed to really hear what he was doing. He was a once in a lifetime musician who’s life of tragedy breaks my heart, yet his music always lifts my spirit

[@voltagestorm1787]

And the one who kinda fits that description of some youngster he was referring to, I'd say is Cannonball Adderley. Very clean, very precise, and easy to understand

[@kiyaj850]

never thought i’d heard charlie parkers voice???

[@paulgentile1024]

"Well... that's the facts anyway"..

[@louisboyer3919]

two giants

[@cjgreen4331]

The deep voice, the dialect, the overalls, t AHHHHHHH, it's so old timey

[@qunticoqamiroquai1620]

WOW this is mind blowing, Charlie Parker really had some wise words, education is the key. It's funny how you can hear the personality in a alto sax, you know right off the bat when you her Paul Desmond sax, it just sounds different.

[@caryheuchert]

Two legends of the alto. Wonderful!

[@jasperchance3382]

Bird is so down to earth, he's not even debatable. Sure, he put in hours of practice and study, but he came out with something that was the work of some kind of superior entity.

[@allen6924]

That was deep. Schooling adds polish to innate talent. It's the greatest thing man has ever created., formal education is a key to growth.

[@KenOri]

That and self actualization

[@allen6924]

@@KenOri you take it. It's not given. Anyone can educate themselves if you can read and we have free libraries. Someone more educated can help you through some of the more complex material but you should be able to understand the basics already.

[@KenOri]

@@allen6924 I say self actualization because of desire. Love / passion for your art will push you to self education. Educate your self in what? Many people who do music at least start for reasons outside themselves. They may see a performance, then the great response to that performance and say to themselves " I want to have that". That old adage do you have something to give to the world or do you want the world to give something to you comes into play here. Are you educating your self to cultivate the light inside you or because you like the energy you think you will receive. What MOTIVATES you to educate yourself is vitally important.

[@allen6924]

@@KenOri I know I did.. as a twelve year old boy I got a bass and I simply listened to the songs I liked and tried to figure them out by ear. Then I went to the library to look for books that explained some of the basics of what strings were called, and what notes were on them. then a friend got a guitar as a gift and wasn't interested in learning the instrument. He let me "borrow" it, and I found the Mel Bay guitar book at the library. It started simple, but took you all the way to advanced chords and melodies. I loved music, and just went from there. I learned chord voicings that most of the guys I was jamming with had no clue how to hear let alone play. So I took the education from that book with no teacher. by the time I took a lesson from a guy I was way more advanced than he was. So I've been self taught ever since. As in most things I learned over my life time. and more teachable because I'm prepared to be taught.

[@clarkewi]

Phenomenal to hear the master talk. So intelligent.

[@olebirgerpedersen]

Great players never speak about how good they are. They just play.

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks so much for posting.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

This interview shows the reasons for the meteoric downfall of "mainstream jazz". Parker was too young to understand that distancing an art form from people, from their real social and emotional needs, and isolating it for the sole enjoyment of "idiosyncratic artists alone" - inevitably leads to infertility, and the death of that art form. Most of jazz became unlistenable mess, but "voices within academia were praising it". The same happened in visual arts too; pictures became an utter mess, but galleries employed "art critics" to write books to help sell that incomprehensible, "highly idiosyncratic" stuff. Those who followed Parker's idea only accelerated the fall. Better idea was to take a more careful direction; artists like Stan Getz and the Cool Jazz wave did succeed in re-connecting to people to some extent.

[@KenOri]

This sounds like search your higher self vs keep it simple so (some) people can understand argument. Genius by it's very nature is voracious and selfish. It must contastantly consume. In this way this era of jazz was intentionally made for the esoteric few, not the exoteric masses

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

​@@KenOri Creativity that feeds the imagination of the observers / clients / listeners, never consumes itself, but enriches itself. That is why I wrote above, that when "artists" isolate themselves and create "stuff" only they appreciate in some weird way, the art form is dead.

[@KenOri]

@@zvonimirtosic6171 How can you affect an audience if you are not moved yourself? Energy, which art is made from, never dies. It is the very nature of creativity. Once its done, then its done. Time to create something else. Somebody somewhere will appreciate the effort ( even if done selfishly). Its the reason why we are talking about music that was made more than half a century ago with REVERANCE. Bebop needed to happen because the soul of mass appeal big band became dormant.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

​@@KenOri That's not true at all. If completely dismissing the public, artists begin to create sophisticated crap, that only "voices from academia" appreciates. That is the story of the 20th and 21st official "art" - art and music separated into two echelons, "higher" and "for the masses". Jazz unfortunately choose to be in the former group, so it became so complex and unlistenable that it was pleasing only to theoreticians. As a reaction to it, many popular music genres were born, but filled with amateurs who began pleasing the masses, but at the lowest denominator, and predominantly those who spend the most on music and merchandise (teenagers, younger adolescents). The middle-aged class of working men and women, who need a different type of music that is more compassionate to their needs, thus lost almost every genre that was there. So that is the problem when "artists began caring about themselves only" - the byproducts are consumerism and absurdity.

[@johnpageiii7893]

Wow. Great interview. Thanks for sharing!

[@mattdevereaux4550]

The titans talk! I would make this obligatory listening for all aspiring instrumentalists. So glad that it has been preserved.

[@黒沼武志]

私の敬愛するバード。チャーリーはチャーリーパーカーからもらいました。( ◠‿◠ )

[@olafsteiner3446]

えええ？

[@benvizemusic]

Awesome interview. And awesome solo on Outlier!!!

[@nogoogleplus]

Thanks so much for sharing this!

[@renleblanc2993]

This is invaluable !

[@kasperbolding18]

Nice upload Bob, I really do appreciate it. - However, I wish i was able to shut off the music on your website & enjoy the interview. It's not that I don't wanna listen to your playing, but i sure as hell want a choice... I mean, when you get it shoved in your face like that, it's just plain annoying..

[@bobreynolds]

kasperbolding18 perhaps you have multiple tabs open? there is no music that plays automatically on my website.

[@kasperbolding18]

Bob Reynolds This is somewhat a mystery for me, but anyhow, no music anymore, so i guess im getting old.... Thank's allot for the interview, very interresting. - I'm sorry for the rant mate ^^ want me to delete it?

[@KonstaSedneff]

Wow😮, fanstastic record Many thanks 🎷🎷🎷

[@kevinlewellen1037]

This is gold. Thank you Charlie Parker!

[@69Harveyb1]

Thank you so much for this great interview! May I ask if there are any interviews of Earl Bostic?

[@AljoniMusiCo]

Plain talking here!

[@TG-wy7ck]

Hey! Thanks for uploading! Is this in the public domain?

[@LorenzHargassner]

Hey Bob! Where can one find the whole interview…? 🤔 Would be great if you shared it with us! 😊

[@bobreynolds]

That's as much as I had/have

[@bandicoot5412]

Precious, beyond the call.

[@simonsimon5124]

Bird's voice sounds more like tenor players voice...

[@sophiaperon]

Modern art = modern music = contemporary = fresh = NEW!

[@076657]

+Sophia Peron contemporary + 2016 = dubstep = garbage

[@carlosstamp853]

Thanks for the transcription!

[@hiddenblade999]

Straight up geniuses (Desmond too). We are not worthy!

[@marloncastropiano]

Treasure!!!

[@vividius7951]

when I was 12 years of age I worshipped these men like gods

[@boodabill]

Incredible.

[@Firebrand55]

Ross Russell's book on Parker quotes 19,000 hours to his 20's. Desmond sounds respectful to Parker but he was a great alto player; cool, light, graceful.....he can stand on the podium with Parker.

[@RanBlakePiano]

So great to hear conversation .bob,thanks for posting

[@jefolson6989]

Bird has an elegant and sophisticated voice and educated vocabulary. But I expected Paul Desmond to sound like that. He doesn't.

[@alexwillats]

🤦🏽‍♀️

[@skineyemin4276]

Mention Jackie Mclean in your title description.

[@crestonq]

Bird lives!

[@PabloVestory]

A Jewel

[@matthewlim5030]

Thank you! This is amazing

[@cccool4627]

Thx Charlie !! 😊

[@richiemilton8877]

Fascinating!

[@CrawfordKing]

11-15 hours practice a day 🤯

[@imbees2]

Violent change. Micro aggression.

[@theascendance]

Parker was a hard worker he showed us all that thir is no such thing has natural talent you just work hard!!! That's Charlie parker

[@man0sticks]

There certainly is such a thing as natural talent. It’s necessary, but not sufficient. Passion, dedication, hard work, sacrifice, are all essential, but it simply is not the case that we all start from the same level of innate ability.

[@brucethomson168]

I like the presentation as well. Great find.

[@SidLaw500]

History.A+

[@imbees2]

That’s the facts. Get over it.

[@breakfastplan4518]

charlie parker had zero ego.

[@zkalisz191]

Thank you!

[@gregoryswift9573]

I wanna see one of the PBS sketches over this