Items related to Blues for Bird
Synopsis
Blues for Bird is Martin Gray's stunning, one-of-a-kind biography of Charlie Parker. Written entirely in trimeter, Gray's epic biographical poem runs some 5,400 lines. The work chronicles the life of one of the twentieth century's most pivotal musical figures, from his humble beginnings in Kansas City through his pioneering of the breakthrough musical form of "bebop" to his early tragic death in the Park Avenue apartment of a European Countess.
Gray's poetry dances nimbly along in a way that echoes Bird's blazing, fast-fingered solos, and his marvelous use of language reflects the rhythms of jazz and the beat that lies at the heart of bebop. Indeed, Blues for Bird is like a piece of jazz itself: exciting, innovative and constantly surprising.
Blues for Bird not only functions as a primer on Bird, but as an introduction to the musical nature of jazz; it is a welcome addition to the library of any jazz or poetry aficionado.
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About the Author
Martin Gray is one of the world's foremost scholars of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poetry and the editor of the Penguin Classic annotated edition of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. Gray has published poems on Gilles Villeneuve, Amedeo Modigliani, and Jackson Pollock and has taught at several major universities across Canada. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Review
"A must for all Parker fans!" -- Howard Rumsey, the Lighthouse All Stars
"Brings out unsuspected mythic aspects of Parker, and the resonances set up in the poem are many and effective." -- Literary Review of Canada
"Focused, full of life, and incredibly well informed . . . Charlie Parker is so real that we can breathe him in." -- The Blindman's Rainbow
"Martin Gray's cadence is a perfect compliment to the poetry of jazz." -- Stan Levey, jazz drummer
"The nearly 300 page narrative should be dubbed the 'Bird Bible.'" -- allaboutjazz.com
"This is a collection that needs to be read, nay to be sung, by anyone claiming to love poetry." -- Iota Poetry Quarterly
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherSanta Monica Press
- Publication date2001
- ISBN 10 1891661205
- ISBN 13 9781891661204
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages288
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Blues for Bird
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Blues for Bird
Published by
Santa Monica Press, Santa Monica, CA, 2001
ISBN 10: 1891661205
ISBN 13: 9781891661204
Used
Softcover
First Edition
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BLUES FOR BIRD
Published by
Santa Monica Press, Santa Monica, 2001
ISBN 10: 1891661205
ISBN 13: 9781891661204
Used
Softcover
First Edition
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8vo. Pp: 286. Publisher's colour laminated paper covers. Illustrated throughout in black and white. Inscribed by author to Martin Bax with letter loosely inserted.ISBN: 1891661205 A very good copy, with spots to top and fore edge, in very good plus covers. Seller Inventory # C67903
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