Book Review – Chasin’ The Bird
By Ron Adkins
If Charlie Parker were to be remembered solely for his saxophone virtuosity, that alone would be an incredible legacy. But Bird was so much more. He was a quixotic soul, as deeply troubled as he was introspective and wise. He was unique. There will never be another like him.
No one ever saw, nor fully comprehended, the whole Charlie Parker, but writer and artist Dave Chisholm, in his graphic novel, Chasin’ the Bird: Charlie Parker In California, offers us a good glimpse.
Chasin’ the Bird was published with the blessing of the Charlie Parker Estate as part of the Centennial celebration of his birth. The book is currently making the rounds of the KCCK staff, and we highly recommend it to any jazz lover and everyone interested in the life of this icon.
Author Chisholm takes the truth – that no one fully knew every facet of Parker – and turns it into a metaphor. We learn little bits about his infamous, mysterious two years in California through a “chorus” of voices – from best friend Dizzy Gillespie to jazz photographer William Claxton to a young John Coltrane to Dial Records founder Ross Russell. Each of these people, and others, found themselves briefly in orbit around Parker in California. Each one tells their piece of the tale, adding a little to the picture of Bird as a whole.
Central to each of their tales is the great mystery of his California odyssey. Why did Bird disappear for several months? Where did he go? What was he doing? Like everything about Charlie Parker’s life, no one knew the whole story, and we can only learn so much. Some of the legendary music composed during this time does offer some clues. He wrote “Moose the Mooche” about his Los Angeles dope dealer, for instance, and newcomers to Bird will enjoy the story behind “Relaxin’ at Camarillo.”
If you don’t think of yourself as a comics person, don’t let Chisholm’s chosen vehicle for this tale turn you away. The author’s storytelling in words and images is what makes Chasin’ the Bird so brilliant.
Chasin’ The Bird is available from Z2Comics and your favorite local bookstore.