words & music by Phil Morrison
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| Charlie Parker (Bird) & Dizzy Gillespis (Diz) |
Here is a style of music that we offer you
It was created by musicians who we are indebted to
They were true pioneers....
And the songs they played will last throughout the years....
Even now they can be heard
Around the world they know the names of Dizzy and the Bird
(Rap/Verbal Verses)
Taste it! enjoy! - it's food for the soul
The masters came and sang their song
Armstrong, Duke...the list goes on
Miles, Sarah, Bird & Diz
Respect it people...tradition lives!
2)Race music, jazz, hip-hop, funk
Check out Horace - groove on Monk
Tatum, Blakey, Prez & 'Trane
Creative giants fed the flame
Wynton,Branford, the Brecker brothers
The torch is now passed on to others
3)Ray Brown, Blanton, Pettiford, LaFarro
Durham, Mitchell, Rodney, Navarro
Congress says...a national treasure
Dolphy, Moody....dig King Pleasure
Clifford, Bud, Mingus, Max
It's our culture...know the facts
4)Roots in Africa...feel that spirit
Moves your heart when you hear it
Dexter, Ammons...tenors talkin'
Percy, Pederson...basses walkin'
Movin', groovin' - what's in a name?
Bebop, blues...the roots are the same
5)Oscar, Milt...just down home swingin'
That eternal groove is what they're bringin'
Payton, Redman, McBride & Green
Burnin' young lions are new on the scene
While Chick & Herbie contemporize
Reachin' the young...opening eyes
6)Garner, Shearing, Wilson, Waller
Bechet & Bix...who's to follow
Strayhorn writes - Hodges plays
An era gone...their spirit stays
Whitfield, Scofield, Metheny, Malone
But Wes Montgomery still holds the throne
(2nd Vocal Chorus)
Back in the forties when this music had begun
You never knew how great this music would eventually become
Very few would accept it....
New York City was the place where they would play
And even there some would reject it
This classic music Bebop that should always be respected
7)Elvin, Tony, Higgins, Haynes
Webb, Jones, Rich & Payne
Bishin', bashin' - snares & toms
Brushin' with feathers...droppin' bombs
Gomez, Sam, Buster, Ron
Your BASSic bottom's goin' strong
8)Cedar, Barry, Bishop, Barron
Evans, McCoy, Jarrett, McPherrin
Garland, Flanagan, Kelly with Miles
Ornette & Desmond...opposite styles
Henderson, Lavano improvise....
Phineas Newborn would mesmerize
9)Griffin, Konitz, - Rivers, Lateef
Shorter, Woods, Byas & Heath
Swingin', singin' saxophone
Giant Steps...In A Mellow Tone
Coleman Hawkins paved the way
For Sonny Rollins to have his say
10)Benny Carter standing tall
Stitt, Getz, Cannonball
Basie's band - pure hard swing
Dig Freddie Green do his thing
Chambers, McClean, Philly Joe
New York City was the place to go
(3rd Vocal Chorus)
Look at the kinds of music that they teach in school
And you will find that classic European seems to be the rule
We need Jazz to be taught there
It originated in the USA
So let's preserve this worthy art
Paying tribute to the ones who paid their dues right from the start
11)Cassandra, Diane, Tierney & Krall
Nat and Ella ...the standard for all
Hartman, Eckstine.... Nancy, Dinah
Dee Dee, Betty...nothing finer
Carmen, Christy, Connors, O`Day
Check out Billie Holiday
12)Sun Ra, Cecil, Ayler, Shepp
A peek OUTSIDE is what you get
Shaw, Little, Rodney, Blue
Donaldson, McPherson, Haig & Drew
Al, Zoot, Hinton, Slam
You say "let's"...they say "jam"
13)East coast groove - way out west
Hampton Hawes passed the test
Wardell, Edwards, Morgan, Land
Criss, Clark and the Vinegar man
Jamal, JJ and Mulligan too
Brubeck, Baker and the MJQ
14)Can`t no-one say that jazz is dead
Throughout the world this music spread
Grappelli, Toots and Marian knew
Airto, Flora and Zawinul too
Brazil, Europe and even Japan
Where Sadao and Toshiko had a band
15)BB and T-Bone ... singing the blues
Brothers and sisters - payin' dues
Here at home they faced rejection
'Cause they wore the wrong complexion
Who defines what music`s "Legit"
Is "jazz" a word that doesn't fit?
16)Remember those who came this way
To move the hearts when they play
We named a few - there's many more
It's serious music we can't ignore
Neglected in its land of birth
But it's respected around the earth!!
(4th Vocal Chorus)
Now that you've heard this composition that we've played
Please remember who the masters were-the history they made
Let's expose them to others
It's our culture and we look at them with pride
They were sisters and our brothers
Deserving recognition that so long has been denied
.....PHILANTHROPY!
(c) 2001 Phil Morrison
(Click below to hear song on youtube)
(click below to hear song on broadjam)
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