The song that celebrates the legendary jazz club Birdland, the famous New York venue on 52nd Street, named in honor of the saxophonist Charlie Parker, nicknamed “Bird.” The song talks about how, despite the venue having disappeared long ago and many years having passed, people can still hear the rhythm, spirit, and energy of the music and celebrations that took place there. Composed by the Austrian Joe Zawinul and recorded by his Weather Report for the 1977 album Heavy Weather, it is a tribute to the venue that he himself used to frequent in his youth. Although it is a piece in pure fusion style, the track achieved an unusual commercial success and became a jazz standard, entering the repertoire of many orchestras and soloists. The piece “was a revelation for many enthusiasts and for young musicians coming of age in the seventies. Critics pointed out that Birdland incorporated in its celebratory groove a history of jazz styles.” In the original version, Birdland is easily recognizable not only for its catchy melody but also for Jaco Pastorius’s introduction, featuring artificial harmonics played on his fretless bass.
Having become a staple of the group, it contributed to Weather Report winning a Grammy Award for the live album 8:30 in 1980. The Manhattan Transfer performed a vocal version with lyrics specially written by John Hendricks. The lyrics also allude to some jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk, who played at Birdland and helped shape the club’s rich history. This version was released in 1979 on the album Extensions and earned the group its first two Grammy Awards. Numerous other versions followed, including Quincy Jones’s interpretation on his 1989 album Back on the Block.
Now, let’s take a look at the lyrics: Bop (perhaps not a musician, but possibly referring to bebop), Max is Max Roach, the percussionist; Miles is Miles Davis, the trumpet; Trane is John Coltrane, the tenor sax; Basie is Count Basie, the pianist; Blakey is Art Blakey, the drummer; “Cannon Ball” is Julian Edwin Adderley, the alto saxophone.
A fun fact: in 1987, the song was used in an advertisement for Ramazzotti Amaro. PR
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