With his latest album Bird Calls alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa pays tribute to his great hero Charlie Parker. The young jazz musician composed new pieces for which he was completely inspired by Parker’s work. He used a melody or solo of the jazz legend for each composition. The saxophonist recorded the pieces last year, in Brooklyn, and at that same time the Charlie Parker Project saw its live première at the Newport Jazz Festival. Mahanthappa, whose parents are Indian, finds his inspiration mainly in progressive and South Indian classical music. In 2010 he made his debut with the album Samdhi, that was widely acclaimed. In subsequent years he regularly worked with Screaming Headless Torsos’ guitarist David ‘Fuze’ Fiuczynski. Mahanthappa will be accompanied to the North Sea Jazz Festival by a top-notch lineup that includes drummer Rudy Royston, pianist Adam O’ Farril, guitarist Francois Moutin and pianist Matt Mitchell.
