Jackie McLean "Bird Lives": A Pedagogical Analysis and Application

Abstract

Abstract: Jackie McLean composed "Bird Lives" in admiration of the legendary alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. First recorded on McLean's 1990 album, Dynasty, featuring the Jackie McLean Quintet, "Bird Lives" is a classic example of the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic sounds of the bebop era with a contemporary twist. This article provides practical approaches to learning to performing "Bird Lives" so that musicians and listeners of all ages are able to engage in the communal music making experience of the blues and to embrace the deep oral and aural traditions of the jazz idiom. "Bird Lives" presents learners with opportunities to expand their interpretive and conceptual understanding of bebop articulation and chordal substitutions through their improvisation. Whether performed in a chamber group or large ensemble format, the opportunities to swing, improvise, and create freely are limitless. By studying the innovative stylistic aspects of the bebop era through "Bird Lives" young musicians may begin to develop their own personal sound that reflects the most expressive aspects of the jazz continuum.