Feb.13, 2001- Buddha Loves Charlie Parker
by ©Tony Scott

Some years ago, in Milan, Italy, I met Masuhiko Tsuji-san, who is President of the Charlie Parker Jazz Society of Japan. How we met I don't remember but we ended up making a video of me talking about Charlie Parker and playing Blues for Charlie Parker, my musical requiem and prayer to Bird who is my prophet and in my life is equal to Jesus Christ in religion, Johann Sebastian Bach in classical music, Albert Einstein in theories of time and dimensions of our universe and all others who were supernatural in earth's history.

After a 14-hour airplane ride from London over Russia, China, Siberia, Japan; we arrived November 23, 2000.
I went as a guest of Masahiko Tsuji, who is a devoted Charlie Parker fan. He was a businessman who played alto sax in his dance band. He is now retired and devotes all his time organizing 'The Charlie Parker Society of Japan'. He goes to all the celebration of Charlie Parker in the USA.

He was so impressed me that I agreed to got to Japan for Bird 2000 - Bird's 80th Anniversary event, all expenses paid for 10 days for my wife Cinzia and me in exchange for playing Blues for Charlie Parker (my jazz requiem for Bird after his death March 12 1955 - Chan Parker chose me to be a part of family at the funeral, Chan, her brother Jim and me.)
I was thrilled to be chosen to play for . I also played Lover Man, Now's the Time and Scott Scat with Akira Omori (Japan #1 bebop altoist) Quintet. I spoke for 45 minutes about Bird, as I knew him, translated into Japanese. Japan is another planet... everything is different. Tokyo is a very long city with about 11 million people. Taxis are very expensive and the signs are in Japanese so you are forced to take a taxi unless you want to learn Japanese written language which is impossible for an American or European. But many unforeseeable things happened in 20 days after the first event 'Bird 2000' at Someday Club in November 25.

With the help of my oldest friend in Japan Masahiko Segawa I played at 2 other Jazz Clubs: Tokyo Tuc Club, with a young tenor saxist Kawashima Quartet and at Birdland, with old-timer clarinetist Kohji Fujika group.
I made a 1-hour digital video program (the first on the new digital system) for the #1 television in Japan: NHK. The title is Tony Scott, Jazz and Buddhism.
I spoke, played solo, in Tokyo and in Kyoto Temples, and, going to Shikoku Temple, played with the Buddhist monk Booze-san, singer and composer about 40 years old. His father is 82 years old. The Zen Buddhist temple, gardens, buildings and school are owned by the family and it is 600 years old. Booze-san and his younger brother Yuri speak English perfectly.
I was thrilled when Booze-san turned to me and said in perfect English: "Buddha loves Charlie Parker!" That alone was worth the trip to Japan.
Booze-san talked and sang some prayers for Bird not always playing prayers for Bird's soul, and during the morning rehearsal I started to improvise on clarinet with him. During the afternoon Ceremony the villagers all together sang prayers for Bird not realizing who Bird was, I played clarinet with them. I am always playing prayers for Bird and it is always difficult for me to know who Bird was; I only know I encountered one of the few chosen people who was part of the growth of man and civilization. I am sure he knew he was a part of mankind that began in Africa and eventually made a style of jazz so advanced that it has astounded all the people who have listened to jazz from the beginning. And because Bird was given the secret of bringing black jazz to its full growth and maturity. He is the prophet who is loved by all other prophets.

" Buddha loves Charlie Parker " was a quote by Booze-San, Japanese monk of Japan 20th century.
The other quote was what Tsuji said to me when I finished playing Blues for Charlie Parker as a clarinet solo piece at the first Someday Club concert: I said "Bird was here tonight" and Tsuji said to me "Bird was in you tonight." Thanks to Masa Segawa, jazz critic who was the first person to bring me to Japan in 1960.

Thanks to Mr. Oda of the Charlie Parker Society of Japan.
Thanks to Masuhiko Tsuji and Akiko, his wife.
Thank you to my dear old friend Masa Segawa.
Thanks to the many people and old friends and fans who came to say hello to me remembering my first time in Japan with a lot of memories, tapes, records and photos of 40 years before.
Thank to my wife Cinzia and Raphael helping this 79 years old man in this long trip.

My first trip to Japan was in 1960, and I stayed there until 1965. I lived in a Japanese house, studied Japan, music, made a lot of jazz shows, radio and television programs and concerts, and produced the first 'New Age' record titled Music for Zen meditation (Verve records), which has sold more than 500,000 copies world wide since 1965. It was recorded in Tokyo in 1964. The musicians were classical Japanese musicians who were also composers: Shinichi Yuize on koto (Japanese harp) and Hozan Yamamoto on shakuhachi (Japanese ancient flute). I showed them the way of improvising on Japanese scales, which had never been done in the history of Japanese classical music.

In 1963 at 5:00 AM a soup and noodle vendor with his 2 wheeled wagon and wooden clogs clip-clopped his way home drunkenly and stopped to talk to me:
"Ohio Gozaimas - Good Morning!…Sekai Musakashides - Life is difficult…Jikan Okanedes - Time is money."
I asked him to play his Chinese trumpet (like an oboe in sound with only 6 holes, no keys.) A melody is played to be heard only by hungry people who are still not asleep. Only 3 notes are used. Never more.
He looked everywhere and finally found the 'Charamara' as it is called. He made a loud sound to wet the double reed and played like a virtuoso, like a Charlie Parker.
I was paralyzed by his music. He threw the horn in the wagon grabbed the two wooden handles and ran drunkenly down the street and out of sight, but never out of my memory.
Was Bird's spirit there? I think so.

On December 8, 2000 we flew back through London where I could see my daughter Monica, pregnant, and his husband Raffaele, and have a nice interview for a music web site: 'whatmusic.com' and then to my home in Rome on December 15.
It took me two months to become accustomed to Europe again. My wife and I thank all our Japanese friends who helped us in every way to know and understand the modern Japan, and who gave to me a place to express my being and my music, and my love for Charlie Parker 'Bird'. Sayonara

by Tony Scott ©