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Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve
Home > Complete List of "v-w" Artists > The Verve > Item 94
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Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve
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by Charlie Parker
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$149.98
At Amazon
on 9-8-2008.
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At the time this 10-CD set was issued, it may very well have been the best box set produced. And even considering the fancier packages and more complex concepts that have founded newer sets, the actual content of this release still holds up to the very best. Everything, from the quality of the players, song selection, performances, remastering, liner notes, discographical information, session notes and photographs is absolute five-star material. This set replays all the previously issued Verve material, plus over two hours of previously unissued tracks. The set includes a number of studio sessions, both with Parker's own combos, as well as guest appearances with other's orchestras and bands. Additionally, the discs are filled with historic live performances, beginning with the legendary "Jazz at the Philharmonic" shows of the mid-40's, and progressing through a 1950 show at Carnegie Hall. The new material includes alternate takes, partial takes and false starts, and complete, previously unreleased tracks. Over two hours of previously unissued material. The programming is mostly excellent, though the fragmentary pieces are better for study than for tracking through; The false starts and partial takes are fascinating from a musicological point of view, but less so if you just want to hear some great jazz. The bulk of this compilation is complete tracks, whether master takes or alternates, so the additional material is not much of a hinderence. ...The label was careful to preserve entire sessions/live performances on single discs, hence the varying lengths. Parker's development and excursions (e.g., into Cuban bop with Machito, playing with strings arranged by the likes of Jimmy Carroll) are well represented and displayed on this set. The opportunity to hear Parker's saxophone up against a variety of players and settings brings out more than one could get from any single session or live performance. The engineers have done an impressive job of handling material of this vintage. While most of the tracks don't necessarily have the depth of the 1950's Bluenote recordings, they are certainly not lacking in depth and clarity. Some of the high-end trumpet work is a bit shrill, but then again, a trumpet pushing it's upper reaches is a pretty shrill sound to begin with. A few of the tracks have a small amount of surface noise (assumedly these were transferred from discs where original master tapes could not be found), but nothing that gets in the way of the music. The session notes, intertwined with session commentary are invaluable. The personnel listings, as well as the solo-order listings help both expert and neophyte figure out who's playing. The anecdotes that are interspersed really help bring these sessions and performances to life. The photos are also well-picked and well printed. From solo shots of Parker with his sax to group shots including Dizzy Gillespie, a very young Buddy Rich (with Mitch Miller visible in the background), Ray Brown, Tommy Potter, Max Roach, a young, slightly nervous looking John Coltrane, a young Miles Davis, Red Rodney (lookin' like a mug out of a Warner Brothers movie), Barney Kessel, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges and many others. In addition to the detailed picture of Charlie Parker, this box provides a welcome introduction to Buddy Rich, drummer (as opposed to Buddy Rich, anachronicstic gold-chain wearing swing-band leader). His drumming on this set shows the same sort of power that later became his trademark, but it also shows him as a drummer rather than a band leader, backing a combo of players that were his equals, rather than his band. One of the other great moments in this set is hearing the crowd going completely out of their heads during the closing solo of the 1949 JATP version of "Perdido." Whether it's Flip Phillips (as it's thought to be) or Coleman Hawkins (as it's rumored to be--the crowd seems to be yelling for Hawkins to play, and the solo apparently quotes some familiar Hawkins lines, but none of the players remember Hawkins actually being onstage during this performance), the screaming and yelling of the audience is the sort of passion I've never witnessed at a jazz performance. You can feel the entire crowd just carried completely away. Amazing... especially the guy who yells "Go! Go! Go!" just like in the movies. Also surprising are the Charlie Parker with Strings tracks. For the most part the strings stay out of the way and let Parker play, though some of these tracks do sound a little bit like "dinner jazz." An expensive box set, but well worth the investment for anyone who really wants to get a deep understanding of Parker's work during this period.
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Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve
Available from Amazon
Price: $149.98
Updated on 9-8-2008.
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