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Greatness Comes in Two’s
Pair of jazz giants play together
Saxophonist Charles McPherson
The March 11–14 gig at the Jazz Standard bringing out the Charles McPherson Quintet featuring Tom Harrell is all about pairs. The dates themselves will feature the pairing of one of the world’s best post-bop trumpeters (Harrell) and one of the world’s post-bop saxophonists (McPherson). McPherson, leading here and in bands for the past few decades, marked his career by playing (and pairing) with the Charles Mingus group (1960–1972). They say it takes two to tango, but these nights this pairing is going to take jazz to a whole new level.
What makes the collaboration between these two musical geniuses so special is that they are the respective leaders on their instruments in bebop jazz. Charles McPherson inherited the torch of bop jazz from his hero Charlie Parker. One of New York’s most famous jazz legends, Parker’s passion and sporadic yet intricate improvisation runs rubbed off on a young McPherson, who has spent the last fifty years perfecting the craft. The sax master is so revered as the heir to the Parker throne that he was featured playing Parker’s runs in the 1988 Clint Eastwood directed Parker biopic, Bird.
For his part, Tom Harrell is trumpeting gold. Revered throughout the industry as one of the instrument’s greats, Harrell is often noted for his melodic brilliance and inventive nature. Harrell and McPherson recorded First Flight Out (Arabesque) together in 1994 and have made a habit of bringing together their musical prowess ever since. Catching one of the March performances at Jazz Standard is your chance to see these two jazz titans playing in their prime.
For more information or to purchase tickets to see the Charles McPherson Quintet featuring Tom Harrell, please visit www.jazzstandard.com.