Live Charlie Parker ...

[Eric]

Howdy,

I have the live Savoy stuff, the Blue Note re-issues (4 if ya count the one with Dizzy and the Washington concert), the Uptown stuff and the Fantasy stuff. Oh yeah, and the one from Rockland Palace. But ... I have no idea where to go next. Obviously I do not have a huge hang-up on sound quality (although Bird on 52nd - Fantasy is almost unlistenable).

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Eric

Edited May 19, 2003 by Eric

[jazzbo]

Well, there will probably be some flack for this recommendation. . . but I recommend the Mosaic Benedetti box. Not only is there more fantastic Bird than you can shake a stick at, but you get a tremendous booklet as well, that among other things sets the record straight and reveals a very interesting and talented musician in Dean Benedetti, dispelling the awful BS that Ross Russell among others dished out towards him.

Sound is manageable I think if you can manage what you have. Brilliance minute after minute from Bird. History in a box.

[Eric]

I have thought about this one many time ... funny, not having it as a limited edition someone makes it easier to put on the "buy it later" list. You twisted my arm. Sold.

Eric

[Ed S]

I've thought about picking up the Mosaic Parker set many times but have not for the same reason as you. There's alway some set on the running low list that I purchase first. One of these days I'll simply have to pick this up.

[Rooster_Ties]

I've always been curious to hear that Mosaic Parker set. I don't have much Parker at all, but I'm just curious to hear some of it (the Mosaic), knowing how those recordings came to be.

[Alexander Hawkins]

GOM - absolutely with you on that one (if I'm thinking of the same date; is this the one where they play 'Ornithology' and 'Out of Nowhere', amongst other things?). Bird, Navarro and Bud. Wow. There is some fantastic playing on this; especially Fats on 'Out of Nowhere', if I remember. It would be facile of me to point out that Bird is magnificent here.

p.s. I am this close to pulling the trigger on that Mosaic..!

[Eric]

Oh yeah, forgot that I have that one too Found it on some French Sony issue or something about 10 years ago.

I just needed Lon to push me over the edge on the Mosaic set. I know $112 is not chump change, but I figure the booklet has got to be killer and how bad can the sound be? You know the Bird is going to be awesome ...

Eric

[Chuck Nessa]

Another Birdland date 3/31/51 with Bird, Diz, Bud, Potter & Haynes. I first had this on a Saga lp, then a Columbia lp and it must be out 15 ways now.

Don't ask when it will be available but, Uptown will has reached an agreement with Lorraine Gillespie to issue a May 1945 Town Hall concert with Diz, Bird, Al Haig, Curly Russell, Max Roach with guest appearances by Don Byas and Sid Catlett. The program is astounding, and it is very well recorded. Both Town Hall and Carnegie provided professional recording services, and this comes from the original acetates recorded at the concert This comes from the time between the Diz/Bird Guilds and the KoKo session. I think it is the earliest recording of Max with Bird.

[Chuck Nessa]

Sadly, I also just tipped Definitive/Jazz Factory/Fresh Sounds.

[SEK]

I'm looking forward to that Uptown release.

[jazzbo]

FANTASTIC NEWS! EVERY UPTOWN IS DA BOMB

[chris olivarez]

Not that I'm a fanatical audiophile ar anything but is there a Bird set out there with a decent sound?

[jazzbo]

What IS decent sound? For their time, I think there are quite a few Bird series that qualify. . . I like the sound of many of the Savoys, and the Clef/Norgran/Verve etc. sound pretty darned good. The HiHat stuff, the Montreal recording on Uptown, the Town Hall Concert recently on Blue Note. . .all decent live sound to my ears considering the time and circumstances.

Edited May 20, 2003 by jazzbo

[chris olivarez]

Something that captures at least satisfactorily the high and low ends of this awesome music. Don't get me wrong even on those recordings where Bird might not had been at his best you hear the work of one of the greatest geniuses any kind of music has produced. A case might be made for me picking nits on this one and I'm sorry but just about everything I've heard from Bird has sounded tinny. I have no quarrel whatsoever with the mans music I was just wondering if there was something out there that sounded sonically good. I confess to being wretchedly spoiled by the sonic quality of music that has been released either new or reissued in the last few years.If Bird hasn't had any of the sonic upgrades that's ok I'll support his music till ther day I die.

[Brad]

When it comes to Bird, sonic purity shouldn't be the criteria. You're going to find stuff with good sound but not like you'd hear from Rudy. The Verve recordings should be good however and since Verve sometime will be releasing the master takes of what's on the Bird box, I'm sure the sound will probably be somewhat better.

Somebody once said that when it comes to sound or the lack of great sound, the best filter for removing the bad sound is your ears.

Getting back to the original question, no one has mentioned his JATP work. There's some great Bird in that set. I'd recommend the whole set but if you just want Bird material, it's on the Verve box.

Other material I'd recommend is Charlie Parker and the Stars of Modern Jazz at Carnegie Hall, Christmas 1949 (Jass Records 16), Charlie Parker - An Evening at Home with the Bird - Savoy MG 12152 (SV-0154) and Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie - Diz ‘n Bird at Carnegie Hall - Roost (CDP 7243 8 57061 2 7).

[JSngry]

I just picked up a 2-CD set (on Ember) of Bird at the Open Door, 1953, I think. Sound is not airshot quality, but is "ok" for an amature location recording, certainly better than some things that have come out (am I the only one who found Stash's BIRD SEED literally unlistenable, even for a diehard Bird bootleg buff?). It's edited to (mostly) exclude all non-Bird notage, so if that kind of thing is problematic, I'd suggest steering clear. But that's the only reason - the playing is incredible. Something about Bird's later live playing really gets me. It seems like he's "left himself" and is playing with an omnisicient detatchment, free to effortlessy go wherever he wants whenever he wants, and doesn't have to expend any physical or emotional energy in doing so.

Some pretty profound stuff, I think, and highly recommended, with the above caveats.

[jazzbo]

Yeah, I agree wholeheartedly with that reserved high recommendation.

I'm miffed though with that release because. . .wouldn't they both fit on one cd? ARGH!

[JSngry]

Well, then it wouldn't be "deluxe".

[dave9199]

There's a couple of complete live Parker sets coming out this month (?). I saw them on the Jazzmatazz site.

[sidewinder]

Another firm recommendation for that Mosaic box. As previously mentioned, the booklet is a truly fantastic read (one of their best) and the music (short as many of the snippets are) really illuminates the genius that was Charles Parker. There's something almost hipnotic about this material ! To me, its this sort of set, unusual though it is, that really brings out the Mosaic label's particular strengths ..

[Tom in RI]

Live Bird, you buys your ticket and you takes your chances. I started picking up Bird boots on vinyl in the '70's and since they usually mixed sessions you could get great fidelity (relatively speaking) next to pretty indifferent sound. Pressings generally weren't too good either on these. One of these was Invincible Bird which included the session with Chet Baker and Sonny Criss, that has since been out on cd also, 4 tunes in good boot sound and exciting performances too. Another, Parktec 4627, included notes from "Dr. Claude Donkke" who was proported to have an additional 12 volumes to issue (this was part of the Boris Rose stuff I believe) and included a great sounding live Dance of the Infidels.

Jim, I agree on Bird Seed, I bought it and could not listen to it after several tries. Some of the other Stash issues are quite good including Early Bird (wonderful sounding broadcasts with Jay McShann) and Rara Avis and The Bird You Never Heard. Another lp that my small circle of young jazz addicts considered essential listening way back when was Bird on the Air which had the Parker, Benny Carter, Willie Smith broadcast where each takes a feature with the Nat Cole trio, Cherokee in Bird's case.

I don't know its status on cd but I have a fine sounding Carnegie Hall concert from Nov. 14, 1952 that features Bird on about 20 minutes of music, 3 cuts with strings and 2 in quintet with Dizzy. Along the same lines is The Birdland Allstars Live at Carnegie Hall that was issued on vinyl on Roulette. This dates from Sept. 25, 1954 and has three very good sounding Bird cuts.

Great to hear Uptown has more live Bird on the way (and Don Byas too!). I'll be looking for the Allen Eager also. Thanks for the news, Chuck.

Edited May 21, 2003 by Tom in RI

[Chuck Nessa]

Great to hear Stash has more live Bird on the way (and Don Byas too!). I'll be looking for the Allen Eager also. Thanks for the news, Chuck.

Please, Uptown, not Stash. Bernie Brightman and his Stash label have been stopped by the Feds.

[Tom in RI]

Another couple of good sounding broadcasts to look for are the Sept/Nov 1947 shows organized by Barry Ulanov originally issued, I think, on Spotlite and licensed by Zim Records. Don't know what label has put these out on cd.

[paul secor]

iisI just picked up a 2-CD set (on Ember) of Bird at the Open Door, 1953, I think. Sound is not airshot quality, but is "ok" for an amature location recording, certainly better than some things that have come out (am I the only one who found Stash's BIRD SEED literally unlistenable, even for a diehard Bird bootleg buff?). It's edited to (mostly) exclude all non-Bird notage, so if that kind of thing is problematic, I'd suggest steering clear. But that's the only reason - the playing is incredible. Something about Bird's later live playing really gets me. It seems like he's "left himself" and is playing with an omnisicient detatchment, free to effortlessy go wherever he wants whenever he wants, and doesn't have to expend any physical or emotional energy in doing so.

Some pretty profound stuff, I think, and highly recommended, with the above caveats.

Amen to what Jim wrote. This is some of my favorite live Bird - in fact, I wouldn't rate any other live Bird recordings in my collection above it. Mr. Parker seems to be in great spirits here, and plays with a lot of energy. His imagination at times seems boundless, as if he could literally play on and on, and not be at a loss for ideas. As Lon comments, it all could easily fit on one cd, but in this case they could have spread it over four cds and I would have bought it and not have felt ripped off.

Philology has also released this material (on Philology 854 & 855, I believe) with additional non Open Door recordings on each. I haven't heard those and don't know if the sound is better or worse than the Ember cds.

I've only very rarely been put off by the sound quality on Bird's live recordings. The music always takes over and makes the sound quality irrelevant.

Edited May 21, 2003 by paul secor

[Tom in RI]

Ouch, sorry about that Chuck, I edited the post. What sort of malfeasance was Stash involved with?