365 Days of Song Recommendations: Aug 29 [Charlie Parker edition]
Bloomdido—Charlie Parker
You might think it an impossible task to choose a single song as your favorite Charlie Parker cut. After all, the man’s impact transcends quantification, and he was a musical genius who delivered melodic innovation like Oscar Wilde dropped bon mots.
But I am that rare individual for whom this challenge is no challenge at all.
“Bloomdido.” I literally listen to it every single day. I have listened to it every single day for something like 13 years. Because that’s how long it’s been the text tone on my phone.
And you might ask yourself why someone would choose “Bloomdido” as a text tone, to which I counter, “why wouldn’t you?”
The track features the twin towers of Charlie and Diz at the front and champion Monk at the 88s. Curley Russell holds down the doghouse, and the silver-tongued Buddy Rich tips the skins. It’s a Mount Rushmore of be-bop.
Charlie Parker assumed mortal form on our planet on August 29, 1920. 101 years ago today. No brain was ever wired the same since first he blew.
Bless you Bird, for your immortal flight.
Lest you wonder, by the way, what it was, exactly, Parker did:
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“Bloomdido” is both the text tone on my phone, and the 240th song on the #365Songs playlist:
