paying tribute to #CharlieParker ....

At JazzWax, 10 luscious videos of alto saxophonists paying tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings... https://t.co/3YjDq2oQu2 pic.twitter.com/jQEtEwESwr

— Marc Myers (@JazzWax) March 1, 2018

BBC documentary on Charlie Parker's life

At JazzWax, an hour-long, dramatic BBC documentary on Charlie Parker's life and music... https://t.co/Uq6G2bIBYf pic.twitter.com/vacsbnZQMz

— Marc Myers (@JazzWax) February 23, 2018

BBC Legends - The Charlie Parker Story

Charles "Charlie" Parker, Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), also known as Yardbird and Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.[1]

Parker was a highly influential jazz soloist and a leading figure in the development of bebop,[2] a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique and advanced harmonies. Parker was a blazingly fast virtuoso, and he introduced revolutionary harmonic ideas including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and chord substitutions. His tone ranged from clean and penetrating to sweet and somber. Parker acquired the nickname "Yardbird" early in his career.[3] This, and the shortened form "Bird", continued to be used for the rest of his life, inspiring the titles of a number of Parker compositions, such as "Yardbird Suite", "Ornithology", "Bird Gets the Worm", and "Bird of Paradise". Parker was an icon for the hipster subculture and later the Beat Generation, personifying the jazz musician as an uncompromising artist and intellectual rather than just an entertainer.

#CharlieParker records KoKo ...

#jazz #sax Charlie Parker records KoKo today in 1945

— A Passion for Jazz!® (@APassion4Jazz) November 26, 2016

#CharlieParker

#jazz #sax #bebop "I can play all I know in eight bars" Charlie Parker • https://t.co/aq8GzmHt1E • pic.twitter.com/ZXd7rnC9in

— A Passion for Jazz!® (@APassion4Jazz) August 10, 2016

Charlie Parker: Unheard Bird

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

What is one to make of the newly released Unheard Bird: The Unissued Takes? The two-CD set features previously unreleased alternate takes and false starts of Parker's recordings for Verve between 1949 and 1952. The 69 tracks feature masters and multiple takes of Parker in a range of studio settings, including quartets, quintets, soloing with Machito and His Afro-Cubans, with strings and fronting big bands. All of the sessions were produced by Norman Granz for his Clef and Norgran labels, which eventually were absorbed by his Verve label in 1956 at the start of the 12-inch LP era.

It's probably fair to say that this set is meant for Parker enthusiasts—those who have spent years listening to Parker's Verve master takes and will appreciate the misfires and variations in the new material. By contrast, listeners new to Parker and those with short attention spans will likely be left mystified by the new material. For the uninitiated, listening to Parker attempt songs over and over again will be akin to asking diners to repeatedly try failed dishes. There comes a point early on where appetites expire.

Long-time students of Parker (myself included) will find much of this material fascinating. From the time I was 15, I spent years listening to Parker's Verve recordings on The Genius of Charlie Parker LPs, so it's somewhat gratifying to hear how Parker arrives at master takes. Even when struggling to develop what he was trying to achieve, Parker sounded tireless, ruthlessly innovative and always in command.

Parker is particularly interesting on Passport, which in the studio on May 5, 1949 and into May 6 was still known as Tune Y and Tune Z. The quintet on this session featured Kenny Dorham (tp), Charlie Parker (as), Al Haig (p), Tommy Potter (b) and Max Roach (d). During the song's evolution, we hear how gingerly the musicians felt their way along until they grew accustomed to the melody's intricacies. You also realize how impossibly difficult Parker's original melody line was—even before he solos.

The Mohawk takes also are engaging. Here, we listen as Dizzy Gillespie struggles to get comfortable with the Parker melody, and Gillespie's errors are the reason for most of the false starts. The Okiedoke takes with Machito and His Afro-Cubans were ahead of their time and remain glorious at the dawn of the mambo craze. As for the minor-key Visa and Segment, I was never a fan, so these repeated takes tend to grate.

I do love the false starts of If I Should Lose You, from Parker's November 1949 session with strings. The same goes for his Star Eyes session of March and April 1950 with Hank Jones (p), Ray Brown (b) and Buddy Rich (d). Rich's brushwork was masterful, especially matching Parker's figures on the now-famous zig-zagging introduction. Blues (Fast) from the same session is perhaps the best example of Parker trying to figure out what he wanted to do in real studio time, though it, too, becomes annoying quickly.

Among my favorites on the new release are the takes for Almost Like Being in Love. I've always loved this song's roaring arrangement by Joe Lippman. Hearing it again in development reminded me of the days just after starting JazzWax, when I'd listen to music and then track down musicians on the sessions for a post the next day. Back in August 2007, after listening to Almost Like Being in Love, I called baritone saxophonist Danny Bank and interviewed him on this big band session and what Parker was like on the date (go here). The Night and Day tracks from the same big band session also are knockouts, with Parker soloing magnificently on top. Amazing to hear the false starts and how sharp the musicians in the band were reading down the arrangement.

Listening to the Unheard Bird tracks, I came to several conclusions. First, Parker was even more gifted than we realize in terms of conceptualizing an idea and working doggedly to realize it. Second, Norman Granz (above) was a taskmaster and had no problem making everyone crazy in his quest for his concept of perfection. He certainly nudged Parker to new levels. And third, even the best jazz players struggled initially to grasp Parker's complex songs, but eventually they figured them out, which only burnishes their flexibility and genius.

The question is whether even the seasoned listener really needs to hear this material more than once. The novelty does run thin, and what remains is a reference for audio research. On the other hand, you do learn quite a bit about the music and Parker by studying his failed visionary efforts. As we discover from this new set, in the case of Parker, even the trash glistened.

Kudos to Harry Weinger at Universal for surfacing these recordings and to Parker historian and archeologist Phil Schapp (above) for his research into this new material. As Phil writes in his liner notes, the recordings were likely made from Granz's 10-inch full-track reel-to-reel tape dubs of 16-inch acetates when Granz was consolidating his labels in the mid-1950s.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Unheard Bird: The Unissued Takes (Verve) here.

JazzWax clip: Here's an alternate take of Tune Z(Passport)...

Tune Z (alternate take)

And here's a series off false starts for Mohawk...

Mohawk (false starts)

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Charlie Parker

New Collection of Charlie Parker’s False Starts in the Studio Helps Humanize the Jazz Giant https://t.co/6qNiuVwNhk pic.twitter.com/8aahiExIMW

— The Village Voice (@villagevoice) June 19, 2016

Charlie Parker and the construction of 'Old Folks'

Published on Aug 14, 2014
The Charlie Parker Quartet And Dave Lambert Singers With The Gil Evans Orchestra - Old Folks

Junior Collins (French horn)
Al Block (flute)
Tommy Mace (oboe)
Manny Thaler (bassoon)
Hal McKusick (clarinet)
Charlie Parker (alto saxophone)
Tony Aless (piano)
Charles Mingus (bass)
Max Roach (drums)
The Dave Lambert Singers: including Annie Ross (vocals)
Dave Lambert (vocals, arranger)
Gil Evans (arranger, conductor)

1239-1 Old Folks 
Mercury 11100; Clef MGC 646; Verve MGV 8009, MGV 8000, VE2 2523 Verve (J) J00J-29001/10

Charlie Parker, Lennie Tristano & Kenny Clarke

The Life and Music of Charlie Parker

Saxophone virtuoso Charlie "Bird" Parker began playing professionally in his early teens, became a heroin addict at 16, changed the course of music, and then died when only 34 years old. His friend Robert Reisner observed, "Parker, in the brief span of his life, crowded more living into it than any other human being." Like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, he was a transitional composer and improviser who ushered in a new era of jazz by pioneering bebop and influenced subsequent generations of musicians.

Meticulously researched and written, Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker tells the story of his life, music, and career. This new biography artfully weaves together firsthand accounts from those who knew him with new information about his life and career to create a compelling narrative portrait of a tragic genius.

While other books about Parker have focused primarily on his music and recordings, this portrait reveals the troubled man behind the music, illustrating how his addictions and struggles with mental health affected his life and career. He was alternatively generous and miserly; a loving husband and father at home but an incorrigible philanderer on the road; and a chronic addict who lectured younger musicians about the dangers of drugs. The preeminent hipster, he used his considerable charm to con friends and strangers alike. Above all he was a musician who overcame humiliation, disappointment, and a life-threatening car wreck to take wing as Bird, a brilliant improviser and composer.

With in-depth research into previously overlooked sources, Chuck Haddix corrects much of the misinformation and myth about one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century. Illustrated with several never-before-seen images, Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker chronicles Parker's trials and triumphs: his struggles in Kansas City; his collaboration with Dizzy Gillespie that led to the development of bebop; his incarceration in the California State Mental Hospital at Camarillo; his rise to international acclaim; his stormy relationship with his fourth wife Chan; the death of his daughter Pree; and his untimely death from a life of excess. This is the story of Charlie "Bird" Parker.


Author: Chuck Haddix
Pub Date: September 2013
Pages: 224 pages
Dimensions: 6 x 9 in.
Illustrations: 16 black & white photographs
Series: Music in American Life

Read more: http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/66xkc6nx9780252037917.html

Jazz Great Charlie Parker's Saxophone For Sale.

Charlie Parker is a name synonymous with jazz royalty. Parker was a jazz saxophonist credited with helping to create and develop a music style known as bebop. Bebop introduced fast tempos, virtuoso technique and improvisation to jazz, changing the face of the music form forever. Bebop became one of America’s most important and successful artistic movements and Parker is regarded as one of its founding fathers.

A saxophone identified as belonging to Charlie Parker is being offered as lot 1185 ($30,000-35,000). Well-known jazz musician Bill Hood befriended and jammed with Parker amongst other music greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan and Marty Paich. Hood’s daughter, Jenifer, was bestowed with the saxophone after his death. Her interest in uncovering the truth of the connection of Parker to the saxophone lead her to uncover the interesting series of events surrounding the jazz great’s instrument.

The tale unfolds with a twist of fate with Hood and Parker at a Portland jazz club. The pair were working together when Parker showed up at the gig without his instrument. When Hood asked where it was Parker replied that he had pawned it. Hood couldn’t believe Parker had parted with his “right arm.” Parker replied that if it was so important to him he was welcome to have it. He then handed Hood the pawn ticket and the rest is history.

Jazz historian Bob Dietsche was featured on the PBS show "History Dectectives" and was integral in verifying details in the saga of the Parker saxophone, with all facts pointing to its validity. Everything from the saxophone’s serial number to jazz acquaintance accounts backs up the timeline and facts surrounding the story. Perhaps some of the most convincing and revealing details crediting the saxophone to Parker come from the source of its recovery; the pawn shop. The only remaining pawn shop in Portland that existed in the 1950s appears to be a direct hit in linking the saxophone to Parker. The owner of the pawn shop was contacted and he distinctly remembers that on several occasions Parker pawned his alto saxophone with his company. The complete, fascinating story is found in the PBS interview including Bill Hood’s daughter, Jenifer, at http://www-tc.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/static/media/transcripts/2011-04-22/211_sax.pdf.

The saxophone will be available at Michaan’s Auctions in the Modern and Fine Furniture and Decorations Auction held on June 8, 2012. The illustrated auction catalog will be on-line for review athttp://www.michaans.com. Previews will be held from June 1st until the day of sale. For more information please visit our website or call the front desk at (510) 740-0220. Michaan’s Auctions is located at 2751 Todd Street, Alameda, CA 94501.

About Michaan’s Auctions

Michaan’s Auctions is a leading full service Bay Area auction house that specializes in antique appraisals and art auctions. Michaan’s has the Bay Area’s leading fine art appraisal experts in the fields of furniture and decorative arts, modern and contemporary art, European and American paintings and prints, jewelry, Asian works of art and ethnographic art.

Established in 2002, Michaan’s Auctions sell art and other estate pieces at their thirty sales each year that attract a broad base of buyers and consignors from all over the world. With one of the largest facilities in Northern California, Michaan’s offers buyers and sellers the opportunity to preview and bid on many unique and desirable properties with the Bay Area’s lowest buyers premium.

Some of these Bay Area estate auction pieces sold for world record prices. In 2005, A.D.M. Cooper’s oil painting, Three Graces 1915, sold for a record $21,060, and an Eduard Gaertner oil, German City Street Scene 1831, sold for $266,000.

Michaan’s has built its reputation on its ability to accept single items, groups or entire estates with its “no risk consignment policy” free of hidden fees and charges. Michaan’s specialists are dedicated to staying current on the latest issues and developments in the market and are committed to providing personalized and professional attention throughout the entire auction process.

Talesa Santos - Michaan's Auctions
510-740-0220
Email Information

http://news.yahoo.com/legend-charlie-parker-plays-michaan-auctions-excited-announce-070754191.html;_ylc=X3oDMTEwaGg1dDRxBF9TAzIwMjM4Mjc1MjQEZW1haWxJZAMxMzM3MzMzNjA2

Donna Lee - Charlie Parker Quintet

Donna Lee by:
Miles Davis (trumpet),
Charlie Parker (alto sax),
Bud Powell (piano),
Tommy Potter (bass),
Max Roach (drums).

Bird: Complete Savoy & Dial

Reprinted from Jazzwax.com
What better time than Thanksgiving week to rave about Bird and a feast. Bird, of course, is alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, and the feast is Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy and Dial Studio Recordings, an eight-CD set that was released in 2000. I finally grabbed a copy after years spent listening to the master takes in one form or another and was blown away by the package. Like you, I used to think that alternate takes of Parker's Savoy and Dial dates were for neurotics and fussy completists. Not so. If you don't already own this box, do yourself a favor and consider treating yourself to an early holiday gift. It's a miraculous set.

First, the sound of the remastering and the quality of the multi-author liner notes are revealing and remarkable. But more to the point, the set—with all of the alternate takes and false starts—allows you to hear a double evolution: Parker developing as an artist over a four-year period and Parker working through a range of ideas on individual songs that would change jazz's direction.

The Savoy and Dial studio dates are without a doubt the most fascinating of all Parker's recordings. Parker's Clef and Norgran studio recordings for Norman Granz that would follow (starting in December 1947) also are rich and illuminating. But they are largely American Songbook interpretations and aren't nearly as urgent, complex or deeply anchored in the blues.

In the jazz world of the 1940s, Parker's jaw-dropping ability to play fast and flawlessly, inventing an endless pattern of blues lines along the way, was a record company's dream. But grinding away at this enormous gift was Parker's chronic irresponsibility—a flaw exacerbated by his growing addiction to heroin.

Parker came to Savoy in September 1944 as part of guitarist Tiny Grimes' quintet. He recorded for Guild in February 1945, singles that were later aquired by Savoy and issued as part of this set. Then in November 1945, Parker recorded as a leader for the first time on a session that produced KoKo, a searing burst of creativity based on the chord changes to Cherokee. In late December 1945, Parker recorded as a sideman with pianist and session leader Slim Gaillard for Bel-Tone, a West Coast label.

After the 1945 holidays, Parker and Gillespie headed out to Los Angeles for several weeks to play at Billy Berg's in Hollywood. But their run failed to leave a deep enough impression to sustain them out there. When Gillespie left for New York, a rattled Parker could not be found and remained behind. It was during this period on the West Coast that Parker was discovered by Ross Russell, the owner of Dial, who signed him to the label and recorded him as a leader starting in February 1946.

But Parker's drug use grew progressively worse, and following a July 1946 recording session for Dial, Parker returned to his Los Angeles hotel and accidentaly set fire to the room. Then he came down to the lobby in just his underwear and sat on a car just outside the hotel. Arrested, Parker was sentenced to six months at Camarillo State Hospital. When he emerged in January 1947, he began to record for Dial again, heading back to New York in the spring.

Upon his return, Parker formed a quintet with trumpeter Miles Davis and in May 1947 began recording again for Savoy. In August 1947 he recorded on tenor sax for a session led by Davis—two ruses suggested by Savoy's owner Herman Lubinsky to mask Parker's identity from Russell of Dial, who had threatened to sue Lubinsky over his use of Parker in defiance of his Dial contract.

In December 1947, Russell traveled to New York and recorded a long list of tracks with Parker in advance of a pending recording ban. Union musicians did indeed strike in January 1948, halting all recording until the fall, when the labor dispute was settled. Parker resumed recording for Savoy in September 1948, his final session for the label.

This box represents that story—set to music. While many jazz fans have the Savoy or Dial tracks in pieces or own the master takes depending on the CD, the alternate takes and false starts are essential parts of the creative tale. I've come to believe that every musical sketch, idea and error on this set is critical to understanding Parker's artistic development and sense of control. The struggle to create this music—to come to grips with its complexity and the dexterity needed to pull it off—is told in full here. Every track is mandatory for a full understanding of Parker's gift.

You also get to visit with some lesser-known Parker gems like Perhaps, Stupendous and Bluebird. In addition, the set's liner notes have been penned by a fleet of authoritative writers. Authors in order include Orrin Keepnews, Ira Gitler, James Patrick, Bill Kirchner and Bob Porter, whose Q&A interview with Savoy producer Teddy Reig is invaluable.

This set features Parker as blacksmith, pounding away with hammer on anvil to forge a new form of jazz that continues to be played today. What's most remarkable is that no one since has duplicated Parker's resounding overhaul of jazz, a feat that remains as exciting now as it was more than 60 years ago. All that music in just four short years.

Used with permission by Marc Myers
http://www.jazzwax.com/2010/11/bird-complete-savoy-dial.html

Charlie Parker's All Stars:
Miles Davis (tp)
Charlie Parker (as)
Duke Jordan (p)
Tommy Potter (b)
Max Roach (ds)
21,Dec. .1947.United Sound Studios, Detroit, MI,

Red Garland and Charlie Parker

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com/

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Charlie Parker and pianist Red Garland played together several times at clubs between 1947 and 1949 in Philadelphia and again in Boston in the early 1950s. But despite their many gigs, only four known tracks exist of Parker and Garland playing on the same date. These tracks are from a Boston radio broadcast in March 1953. The recordings represent the merging of two Midwestern players, both of whom were influenced by the same saxophonist and were deeply rooted in the blues. Yesterday I spoke briefly with Roy Haynes, the drummer on the Storyville date. More with Roy in a moment.

The year 1953 was an important one for Garland. In addition to his Boston broadcast with Parker, Miles Davis had approached him to join a group he was forming. The musicians Davis lined up were Sonny Rollins on tenor sax, Oscar Pettiford on bass and Max Roach on drums. Garland happily agreed, but the group never came to be. Davis was struggling to kick a drug habit, and by the time he resumed recording for Blue Note in 1954, Horace Silver was on piano.

So for the next year or so, Garland continued playing behind Lester Young and many other headliners who passed through Boston. In March 1955, Miles Davis returned and asked Garland to be part of a recording session for Prestige with Oscar Pettiford and Philly Joe Jones. Davis wanted Garland to play light and airy, like Ahmad Jamal, and the result was The Musings of Miles. By October, Davis formed a new group, the famed quintet, with Garland, John Coltrane, Philly Joe Jones and Paul Chambers.

But two years before Musings of Miles and the emergence of his Jamalian piano approach, Garland was trying to find himself stylistically in Boston, as captured on the recordings with Charlie Parker. Born in Dallas in 1923, Garland's first instrument was the clarinet. He soon switched to alto saxophone, taking lessons from Texas saxophonist Buster Smith, who insisted that he also learn to play piano. Smith also was a big influence on Charlie Parker.
 
In the Army in 1941, Garland practiced furiously, taking informal lessons from two Army pianists. Back home after the war, Garland joined Hot Lips Page's orchestra in Dallas and toured with the band. When Page's band arrived in New York in 1946, Garland, like many musicians at the time, decided to break off on his own and freelance. He worked in New York with Billy Eckstine's band for several weeks and then played with saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.
 

From 1947 to 1949, Garland was in Philadelphia as the house pianist at the Blue Note, working behind Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins and many other name players who arrived at the club in need of a pianist and rhythm section. By the early 1950s, Garland increasingly was in demand, and he soon found himself in Boston playing as the house pianist at George Wein's Storyville. Which is how he came to appear with Charlie Parker, Roy Haynes and bassist Bernie Griggs during a radio broadcast on WHDH in March 1953 hosted by announcer John McLellan.

 
Four songs were performed live and somehow recorded—Moose the Mooch, I'll Walk Alone, Ornithology and Out of Nowhere. Parker is relaxed and peppery on these tracks, while Garland exhibits terrific time and a bluesy touch. But this isn't yet the Garland who would flower under Davis' direction two years later. Nevertheless, the result is fascinating, and what we hear in Boston is the beginning of Garland's earthy, polished sound.

On Moose the Mooch, Garland's solos are pure bebop, which he artfully mixes with rich chord voicings. On the walking-tempo ballad I'll Walk Alone, Garland comps beautifully behind Parker. When Garland solos, he combines Milt Buckner lock chords with Nat Cole-style improvisational lines in his right hand.

Ornithology is taken at its standard breakneck pace, but Garland here provides an interesting laid-back bop solo. The last track, a mid-tempo Out of Nowhere, features Garland's best solo, which edges closer to the rich style the pianist would employ extensively with Davis. Throughout the set, drummer Roy Haynes is pushing and shoving, dropping bombs on the bass drum, sneak- attacking on the snare with sticks, and churning out a lovely sandy swish with his brushes.
 
When I spoke with Roy yesterday, he recalled the Storyville date:

"Red and I made up the house rhythm section at Storyville. He was going with a girl up in Boston so he liked to work there steadily. Red and Bird sounded great together. When you've got a genius up front like Bird, he's listening to everything and absorbing it. Red was doing the same. You could hear them listening to each other. They were a nice fit. Hey, what do you expect? They had a great drummer [laughs]. By the way, the bass player, Bernie Griggs, was something. If he had lived longer, he would have been great."

JazzWax clip: Here's Parker and Garland together live in March 1953 at Storyville on I'll Walk Alone. Dig Garland's lock chords passage toward the end of his solo, and Roy Haynes' jack-in-the-box bass-drum accents throughout...
http://www.jazzwax.com/2010/02/red-garland-and-charlie-parker.html

Dream Team.....

About this video:
Charlie Parker - Saxophone
Coleman Hawkins - Tenor saxophone
Hank Jones - Piano
Ray Brown - Double bass
Buddy Rich - Drums
Bill Harris - Trombone
Lester Young - Tenor saxophone
Harry Edison - Trumpet
Flip Phillips - Tenor saxophone
Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals, Scatting

Charlie Parker Omnibook

Transcribed by Jamey Aebersold and Ken Slone

Contains over 60 classic solos as recorded by Charlie Parker, such as Moose the Mooch, Ornithology and Anthropology. Includes chord symbols, metronome markings, record information, and practice suggestions. Essential study and sightreading material! Guildhall Grade 7, Recital Certificate and Performer’s Diploma. Book (C), spiral bound, 143 pages.
At http://www.jazzwise.com/

Charlie Parker Quintet - Donna Lee

El Hermoso tema Donna Lee interpretado por:
Miles Davis (trumpet),
Charlie Parker (alto sax),
Bud Powell (piano),
Tommi Potter (contrabass),
Max Roach (drums).

50 great moments in jazz: Charlie Parker teams up with Ross Russell

Parker's deal with the record shop-owner was a defining moment for the saxophonist, as it led him to create some of the most memorable jazz improvisation of all time. In February 1946, Hollywood record shop-owner Ross Russell signed a deal with the then 25-year-old Charlie Parker. Over most of the next two years, the saxophonist produced many of the recordings that came to be regarded as his own best work, and some of the most remarkable jazz improvisation and back-of-an-envelope composing ever committed to disc.
Russell eventually became Parker's biographer, (with the highly-readable but not always strictly accurate Bird Lives!) but it was as a producer for his own Dial label that he performed his greatest service to 20th century music – giving Parker his ideal partners, the best recording conditions, and a free hand to do what he liked.

The Dial recordings between February 1946 and December 1947, feature Parker with the leading young bebop experimenters of the day – including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, JJ Johnson, Ray Brown and Max Roach. They also span the extremes of Parker's emotional climate and physical resources, from the incoherent but impassioned soliloquy of Lover Man (recorded when the exhausted and addicted saxophonist could barely stand, let alone play) to the astonishing fertility and energy of classic performances like Ornithology, Moose The Mooche, and Yardbird Suite.

The latter recordings came early in the Dial years, in the spring of 1946, and indicate how completely Parker had mastered his craft. His technique flawlessly adapted to the dazzling speed with which he could improvise fresh melody, change accents and rhythmic emphases from chorus to chorus, and hook together startling new lines from his voluminous mental library of phrases and themes. Here's the master take of Ornithology, with a 19-year-old Davis on trumpet.

Charlie Parker - Ornithology
Parker was surrounded by inventive musicians in this period, but he sometimes sounded as if he could deliver an entire sermon on the possibilities of the new bebop form all by himself. A famous example of how much music Bird could pack into the most briefly-glimpsed of opportunities is his unaccompanied passage after the theme statement of A Night in Tunisia, a mesmerising fragment simply credited in the jazz annals as the Famous Alto Break.

Charlie Parker - Famous Alto Break
But in July 1946, Parker's heroin habit and chaotic lifestyle caught up with him. The drug was harder to find in Los Angeles, and the saxophonist had drunk a quart of whisky before the July session as an alternative, with Russell holding him upright at the microphone for the Lover Man recording. But if Parker's playing doesn't have its usual fluency and uncanny symmetry, its unsteadiness and fragility express different truths – the great composer Charles Mingus thought this performance was magnificent, for all its flaws.

Charlie Parker - Lover Man
That night, Parker wandered around his hotel lobby naked, set fire to his mattress, was arrested and committed to the Camarillo State Mental hospital. When he emerged – clean – after six months, he recorded the track Relaxin' at Camarillo in ironic reference to the experience. But, back in New York, Parker didn't stay relaxed for long, as we'll see next time.
Source: Guardian Unlimited - Sep 24, 2009 9:07 am

Rare Charlie Parker Recordings

by Jacob Teichroew
On November 11th, 2008 Charlie Parker - Bird in Time 1940-1947, was released on ESP-Disk'. The four disc set features interviews with Parker and some of his contemporaries, as well as early recordings that catch the jazz icon amid the transitional period between swing and bebop.
Jazz historian Michael Anderson produced the collection and wrote the liner notes, which contain a detailed history of the development of bebop within two thick booklets.
The grainy recordings on Bird in Time may not appeal to the casual listener, but will certainly excite aficionados and jazz history buffs.
http://jazz.about.com/b/2008/10/31/rare-charlie-parker-recordings.htm

Charlie Parker....

Charlie Parker
Enviado por alternativa