Last Saturday (10th May) I went along to the Liverpool Philharmonic to an event that was part f the Writing on the Wall literary festival that is running at various venues in Liverpool at the moment. The event was entitled " The High Life and Low Times Of Charlie Parker ". Martin Smith, author, journalist and political activist, presented the evening in his own slightly bumbling but endearing and engaging way and music was provided by the excellent Gilad Atzmon quartet. For anyone who was not acquainted with the basic facts about Parker's life Smith's introduction must have served as a useful starting point. He managed to place Parker's career within the context of a racially divided United States and to give some insights into his character. The music on the night was excellent. Atzmon played two sets, the first set was interspersed with slides and a narrative provided by Martin Smith and consisted of interpretations of Parker compositions, the second was composed of Atzmon's own tunes. This guy is really worth checking out if you get the chance. I am not usually a fan of alto saxophone ( I prefer the tenor), but by the end I was won over.
