This is a 3-CD set of Charlie “Bird” Parker’s most significant performances. The set covers the recordings he did for the Savoy and Dial labels from 1944-1948.
Parker to this day remains the greatest alto saxophone player in history. He revolutionized the instrument. Like John Coltrane on the tenor, there were no players around before him who were playing similar ideas or with similar technique.
Parker developed by adding furious practice to genius level talent. He based his approach not only using the blues so popular in Kansas City, where he grew up, but also by adding upper partials of chords to bridge chord changes. He worked primarily with Dizzy Gillespie in developing this new form of jazz, but also with others to move beyond the limitations of the swing era into the complexities of bop and post-bop playing. It’s arguable whether Parker is regarded as the last of the swing era sax players or the first sax player to move beyond. What is not arguable is his influence upon basically all sax players who followed. What is also not arguable is that his career was far too short. Parker died of old age and substance abuse in 1955, at the age of 35.
While many of these recordings have been available on obscure labels with even more obscure copyright status, it took a new incarnation of Savoy Jazz to put these recordings together, remix them and come up with a surrounding package which is informative and respectful.
His playing here is wonderful. He is on top of his game, able to put lots and lots and lots of appropriate notes into whatever song he's playing at whatever speed. His ideas show a thorough grounding in the blues as well as the chords and exceptional note choices are the norm, whatever he is playing. His sometimes plaintive, sometime edgy tone, usually without vibrato, always delivers his message, as does his supporting cast.
The cuts selected from the bands he led, were the ones that he thought worthy of issue.
Many of Parker’s most famous improvisations are here, including:
- A Night in Tunisia with the famous break
- Ornithology
- Now’s The Time
- Lover Man
- Parker’s Mood
- Cool Blues
- Relaxing at Camarillo
- Bird’s Nest (my personal favorite among the Dial recordings)
Each of these 3 CDs is well over an hour (63.26, 62.26 and 63.45, respectively) and includes a wide variety of tempos, although the rhythmic feel is primarily swing. Most of the 65 cuts are less than 3 minutes. Parker is usually the leader, although CD opens with 4 cuts, Parker’s first New York recordings, as a sideman in Tiny Grimes band and CD 2 has four cuts with Parker playing a solid tenor in a band led by Miles Davis.
On these recordings, with more than a dozen difference band configurations, Bird is joined by exceptional jazzmen including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Erroll Garner, Max Roach, Lucky Thompson, Howard McGee, Barney Kessel, Bud Powell, John Lewis and lots more.
I play selections from this CD for my alto saxophone students frequently.
This is an excellent example of the early phase of Parker’s all too short career and is an essential CD for sax students, players and fans.
Cut list:
DISC 1:
1. Tiny's Tempo
2. I'll Always Love You Just The Same
3. Romance Without Finance
4. Red Cross
5. Warmin' Up A Riff
6. Billie's Bounce
7. Now's The Time
8. Thrivin' From A Riff
9. Meandering
10. Ko Ko
11. Diggin' Diz
12. Moose The Mooche
13. Yardbird Suite
14. Ornithology
15. Night In Tunisia, A
16. Max Making Wax
17. Lover Man
18. Gypsy, The
19. Bebop A
20. This Is Always
21. Dark Shadows
DISC 2:
1. Bird's Nest
2. Cool Blues
3. Relaxin' At Camarillo
4. Cheers
5. Carvin' The Bird
6. Stupendous
7. Donna Lee
8. Chasin' The Bird
9. Cheryl
10. Buzzy
11. Milestones
12. Little Willie Leaps
13. Half Nelson
14. Sippin' At Bell's
15. Dexterity
16. Bongo Bop
17. Dewey Square
18. Hymn, The
19. Bird Of Paradise
20. Embraceable You
21. Bird Feathers
22. Klactoveesedstene
DISC 3
: 1. Scrapple From The Apple
2. My Old Flame
3. Out Of Nowhere
4. Don't Blame Me
5. Drifting On A Reed
6. Quasimado
7. Charlie's Wig
8. Bongo Beep
9. Crazeology
10. How Deep Is The Ocean?
11. Another Hair Do
12. Bluebird
13. Klaunstance
14. Bird Gets The Worm
15. Barbados
16. Au-Leu-Cha
17. Constellation
18. Parker's Mood
19. Perhaps
20. Marmaduke
21. Steeplechase
22. Merry Go Round
Thanks for reading. God bless!
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