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lyrics

Hail Charlie Parker, patron saint of the night
Peerless prince of Logic and Light
Got to New York, shook ’em on down
3 Deuces, Minton’s and Harlem uptown
Invented the future with fearless art
Braved new worlds, pulled old worlds apart

The club was full of smoke, you could smell the perfume
Narco men lurked at the back of the room
But from Carnegie Hall to gutbucket bars
Charlie carved a way through the dark to the stars
Melancholy Baby, How High The Moon
Autumn Leaves on Charlie Parker’s tomb

He came from Kansas City where something in the air
Made 'em swing harder than most anywhere
He sensed the unseen, embraced the unknown
And transcribed the night on alto saxophone
Cascade chorus, lucid refrain
The night burned bright in Charlie Parker’s brain

Like Einstein and Giacometti
When greatness called Charlie Parker was ready
He threw down with wit and razorblade style
Made it all up with Dizzy, Max and Miles
Can a sound change the world? Yes it certainly can
That’s Yardbird Parker up on the bandstand

Words and Music © Michael Tarbox

credits

from The Tarbox Ramblers - Songs For Robert Reuter, released February 4, 2022

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Michael Tarbox Boston

“Homemade rock and roll with a dose of rattlesnake venom and gospel-drenched howling.” -- All Things Considered

"Tarbox is the most evocative and distinctive blues-roots artist to come down the pike in ages.” -- The Calgary Sun
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