(1st Vocal Chorus-12 bar bebop blues tune)

 Here is a style of music that we offer you
 It was created by musicians who we are indebted to
 They were true pioneers….
 And the songs they played will last throughout the years….
 Even now they can be heard
Around the world they know the names of Dizzy and the Bird

1)Jazz! BeBop! –  more precious than gold
   Taste it! enjoy! – it’s food for the soul
   The masters came and sang their song
   Armstrong, Duke…the list goes on
   Miles, Sarah, Bird & Diz
   Respect it people…tradition lives!

2)Race music, jazz, hip-hop, funk
   Check out Horace – groove on Monk
   Tatum, Blakey, Prez & ‘Trane
   Creative giants fed the flame
   Wynton,Branford, the Brecker brothers
   The torch is now passed on to others

3)Ray Brown, Blanton, Pettiford, LaFarro
   Durham, Mitchell, Rodney, Navarro
   Congress says…a national treasure
   Dolphy, Moody….dig King Pleasure
   Clifford, Bud, Mingus, Max
   It’s our culture…know the facts

4)Roots in Africa…feel that spirit
   Moves your heart when you hear it
   Dexter, Ammons…tenors talkin’
   Percy, Pederson…basses walkin’
   Movin’, groovin’ – what’s in a name?
   Bebop, blues…the roots are the same

5)Oscar, Milt…just down home swingin’
   That eternal groove is what they’re bringin’
   Payton, Redman, McBride & Green
   Burnin’ young lions are new on the scene
   While Chick & Herbie contemporize
   Reachin’ the young…opening eyes

6)Garner, Shearing, Wilson, Waller
   Bechet & Bix…who’s to follow
   Strayhorn writes – Hodges plays
   An era gone…their spirit stays
   Whitfield, Scofield, Metheny, Malone
   But Wes Montgomery still holds the throne

                     (2nd Vocal Chorus)

                      Back in the forties when this music had begun
                      You never knew how great this music would eventually become
                      Very few would accept it….
                      New York City was the place where they would play
                      And even there some would reject it
                      This classic music Bebop that should always be respected
    

7)Elvin, Tony, Higgins, Haynes
   Webb, Jones, Rich & Payne
   Bishin’, bashin’ – snares & toms
   Brushin’ with feathers…droppin’ bombs
   Gomez, Sam, Buster, Ron
   Your BASSic bottom’s goin’ strong

8)Cedar, Barry, Bishop, Barron
   Evans, McCoy, Jarrett, McPherrin
   Garland, Flanagan, Kelly with Miles
   Ornette & Desmond…opposite styles
   Henderson, Lavano improvise….
   Phineas Newborn would mesmerize

9)Griffin, Konitz, – Rivers, Lateef
   Shorter, Woods, Byas & Heath
   Swingin’, singin’ saxophone
   Giant Steps…In A Mellow Tone
   Coleman Hawkins paved the way
   For Sonny Rollins to have his say

10)Benny Carter standing tall
   Stitt, Getz, Cannonball
   Basie’s band – pure hard swing
   Dig Freddie Green do his thing
   Chambers, McClean, Philly Joe
   New York City was the place to go

                     (3rd Vocal Chorus)

                      Look at the kinds of music that they teach in school
                      And you will find that classic European seems to be the rule
                      We need Jazz to be taught there
                      It originated in the USA
                      So let’s preserve this worthy art
                      Paying tribute to the ones who paid their dues right from the start
    

11)Cassandra, Diane, Tierney & Krall
   Nat and Ella …the standard for all
   Hartman, Eckstine…. Nancy, Dinah
   Dee Dee, Betty…nothing finer
   Carmen, Christy, Connors, O`Day
   Check out Billie Holiday

12)Sun Ra, Cecil, Ayler, Shepp
   A peek OUTSIDE is what you get
   Shaw, Little, Rodney, Blue
   Donaldson, McPherson, Haig & Drew
   Al, Zoot, Hinton, Slam
   You say “let’s”…they say “jam”

13)East coast groove – way out west
   Hampton Hawes passed the test
   Wardell, Edwards, Morgan, Land
   Criss, Clark and the Vinegar man
   Jamal, JJ and Mulligan too
   Brubeck, Baker and the MJQ

14)Can`t no-one say that jazz is dead
   Throughout the world this music spread
   Grappelli, Toots and Marian knew
   Airto, Flora and Zawinul too
   Brazil, Europe and even Japan
   Where Sadao and Toshiko had a band

15)BB and T-Bone … singing the blues
   Brothers and sisters – payin’ dues
   Here at home they faced rejection
   ‘Cause they wore the wrong complexion
   Who defines what music`s  “Legit”
   Is “jazz” a word that doesn’t fit?

16)Remember those who came this way
   To move the hearts when they play
   We named a few – there’s many more
   It’s serious music we can’t ignore
   Neglected in its land of birth
   But it’s respected around the earth!!

                       (4th Vocal Chorus)

                       Now that you’ve heard this composition that we’ve played
                       Please remember who the masters were-the history they made
                       Let’s expose them to others
                       It’s our culture and we look at them with pride
                       They were sisters and our brothers
                       Deserving recognition that so long has been denied

                       …..PHILANTHROPY!  
                      (c) 2001 Phil Morrison