Drifting on a Reed explained
"Drifting on a Reed" also known as "Big Foot", or "Giant Swing", as well as "Air Conditioning" is a classic Charlie Parker jazz bebop number.[1]
The number was among those played by Los Angeles artists such as Clifford Brown (trumpet), Max Roach (drums) and Harold Land (tenor sax) as part of the "hardening" of Jazz bop.[2] The track is commonly known as "Big Foot" but was first recorded on Dial Records as "Drifting on a Reed."
Notes and References
- Edward M. Komara The Dial Recordings of Charlie Parker: A Discography -1998 Page 27 "Unaware of how Ross Russell titled a given piece for its Dial issue, Parker sometimes called for the same piece with his own title. Hence "Drifting on a Reed" was called "Big Foot" by Parker, as he continued to do even in his Royal Roost ..."
- Max Harrison, Charles Fox, Eric Thacker The Essential Jazz Records: Modernism to postmodernism 2000 p. 95 "Land had joined Roach and Brown in Los Angeles, and he, along with other local figures, would play his part in bop's 'hardening' process; yet although Big foot (alias Giant swing, Drifting on a reed and Air conditioning), as a celebration of Parker, might have seemed an invitation to toughness, the tenorist gives the impression of holding the lineaments of his bop demon under fairly cool control...."
