Saxophonist Charles McPherson’s legendary jazz career began in earnest in the late fities and he continues to be vital and productive at the age of 85 . He’s a product of Detroit’s fertile music scene, where as a teenager he came under the influence of pianist Barry Harris. At 19, McPherson moved to New York and almost immediately started working with Charles Mingus. He played with the legendary composer/bassist/activist until 1972. In the late 1980’s, McPherson contributed to the score for Clint Eastwood’s Charlie Parker bio-pic “Bird.” In this conversation with Peter Solomon, McPherson reflects on how all of these experiences shaped his art, as well as his seminal influence, Charlie Parker. McPherson will perform at the Dakota on May 22nd. Details here.
