Accrochez-vous, on décolle vers Birdland !

Birdland, c’est le territoire, le pays de « Yardbird » ou « Bird », le drôle d’oiseau qu’était Charlie Parker. Birdland, c’est le club de jazz mythique naguère dans la 52ème rue de New York, rue où tous les « cats » (les musiciens émérites) ont convergé de Kansas City (Charlie Parker), Tampa (« Canonball » Adderley), de Caroline (Monk et Max Roach) …

Birdland, de Joe Zawinul, c’est d’abord une composition instrumentale pour son groupe Weather Report (« Bulletin Météo » !). Puis Jon Hendricks a composé des paroles qui célèbrent le temple de Parker et les Cats du club new-yorkais, le hissant au rang de l’Olympe du Jazz : au Birdland, ça swingue, ça claque, ça groove, ça bouge, ça palpite, ça crépite, ça pulse, ça vibre, ça coule, ça dégringole, ça décolle et puis ça dévale, ça tourbillonne, ça fusionne, ça résonne ! Vos pieds vivent leur vie et bougent tout seuls ; vos mains ? Elles ne vous appartiennent plus et tapent, frappent ; vos doigts claquent ! Vous êtes étourdis, envoûtés, soulevés, traversés, happés, emportés par la tornade be-bop, son souffle, son entrain, son éclat, ses volutes, ses fracas, ses envolées, ses cascades ! Vous êtes surpris par ses inventions, ses ruptures, ses tournures, ses volutes, enveloppés par son énergie, sa fièvre, sa sensualité !

Enfin, Birdland, c’est la chanson emblématique du groupe vocal Manhattan Transfer qui l’a brillamment chantée.

Il est temps de faire connaissance avec les 8 étoiles qui brillent dans le texte de la chanson : partez à la rencontre des Stars de la Constellation de Birdland, et lancez-vous dans « Jazz au trésor » !

Birdland – paroles

5000 light years from Birdland
But I'm still preachin' the rythym
Long gone uptight years from Birdland
And I'm still teachin' it with 'em
Years from the land of the Bird
And I am still feelin' the spirit
5000 light years from Birdland
But I know people can hear it

Bird named it, Bird made it
Bird heard it, then played it
Well stated Birdland
It happened down in Birdland

In the middle of that hub
I remember one jazz club
Where we went to pat feet
Down on 52nd Street
Everybody heard that word
That they named it after Bird
Where the rythym swooped and swirled
The jazz corner of the world
And the cats they gigged in there
Were beyond compare

Birdland, I'm singing Birdland
Birdland, old swingin' Birdland

Hey man, the music really turns you on
Really? Ya turn me around and turn me on

Down them stairs, lose them cares
Where? Down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king there
Down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Where? Down in Birdland
Miles came through, trane came too there
Down in Birdland
Basie blew, Blakie too
Where? Down in Birdland
Cannonball played that hall there
Down in Birdland, yeah

There will never be nothin' such as that
No more, skoo be wah, no more
Down in Birdland, that's where it was at
I know, ah ah ah ah ah, I know
Back in them days Bop was ridin' high
Hello, heh heh heh heh heh, goodbye!

How well those cats remember their first Birdland gig
To play in Birdland is an honor we still dig
Yeah, that club was like in another world
Sure enough, yeah baby
All those cats were cookin' on
People just sat and they were steady lookin' on
Then Bird, he came and spread the word
Birdland

Yes indeed he did
Yes indeed he did
Yes indeed he did
Yes he did Parker played in Birdland
Yes he really did
Yes indeed he really did told the truth way down in Birdland
Yes indeed he did, Yard bird Parker played in Birdland
Yes indeed he really did, Charlie Parker played in Birdland

Bird named it, Bird made it
Bird heard it, then played it
Well stated Birdland
It happened down in Birdland

Everybody dug that beat
Everybody stomped their feet
Everybody digs be bop
And they'll never stop

Down them stairs, lose them cares
Yeah, down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king
Yeah, down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Yeah, down in Birdland
Miles came through, trane came too
Yeah, down in Birdland
Basie blew, Blakie too
Yeah, down in Birdland
Cannonball played that hall
Yeah, down in Birdland

Down them stairs, lose them cares
Yeah, down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king
Yeah, down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Yeah, down in Birdland
Miles came through, trane came too
Yeah, down in Birdland
Basie blew, Blakie too
Yeah, down in Birdland
Cannonball played that hall
Yeah, down in Birdland

Down them stairs, lose them cares
Yeah, down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king
Yeah, down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Yeah, down in Birdland

Album : The Manhattan Transfer Anthology: Down in Birdland