Search - Charlie Parker :: Complete Live at Cafe Society

Charlie Parker
Complete Live at Cafe Society
Genres: Jazz, Pop

Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
1. 52nd Street Theme - Charlie Parker, Monk, Thelonious
2. Just Friends - Charlie Parker, Klenner, John
3. April in Paris - Charlie Parker, Duke, Vernon
4. A Night in Tunisia into 52nd Street Theme II - Charlie Parker, Gillespie, Dizzy
5. 52nd Street Theme III - Charlie Parker, Monk, Thelonious
6. Just Friends II - Charlie Parker, Klenner, John
7. April in Paris II - Charlie Parker, Duke, Vernon
8. Medley 1: Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered/Summertime - Charlie Parker, Gershwin, George
9. Medley 2: I Cover the Waterfront/Gone with the Wind - Charlie Parker, Green, Johnny
10. Easy to Love into 52nd Street Theme IV - Charlie Parker, Monk, Thelonious
11. Medley 3: What's New/It's the Talk of the Town - Charlie Parker, Burke, Johnny
12. Moose the Mooche into 52nd Street Theme V - Charlie Parker, Monk, Thelonious
13. Lover, Come Back to Me - Charlie Parker, Hammerstein, Oscar
14. 52nd Street Theme VI - Charlie Parker, Monk, Thelonious

CD Details

All Artists: Charlie Parker
Title: Complete Live at Cafe Society
Members Wishing: 4
Total Copies: 0
Label: Rare Live Recordings
Release Date: 8/20/2008
Album Type: Import
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Style:
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 8436006496356

Synopsis

Album Description

Charlie Parker's engagement at the club took place during the last year of this famous club's existence. During these months, he was playing with his quintet featuring Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Al Haig on piano, Tommy Potter on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. The repertoire is also not typical of Parker at this stage of his career. Maybe because of the style or the surroundings of the club, he doesn't play his usual set of live tunes. Instead, he chooses medium tempos and ballads (with the exception of the short "52nd Street Theme" performances used to open and close the sets). The Caf? Society recordings also give us Bird's only known renditions of "Bewitched" and "Gone with the Wind", and the only existing version of Parker playing Gershwin's perennial "Summertime" apart from the November 30, 1949 version with strings -and his improvisation here is clearly superior to the previous attempt. RLR.

CD Reviews

Excellent all around!

Robert L. Smith | San Francisco, CA United States | 05/31/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This import CD featuring several 1950 club dates at Cafe Society in Manhattan features the Bird at the peak of his powers: loose, inventive and brilliant. Several tracks are repeated, but all versions are interesting, and it's instructive and enjoyable to compare them. There is additional good news as well--the CD booklet insists on apologizing for the sound quality, calling the material "for collectors only," but really, the producers are overly concerned where there is no need to be. The music itself is luminous, and you will find nothing to complain about in the sound. Very highly ewcommended."

Bird the balladeer

arpard fazakas | 07/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Interesting small-group release including many ballads more typically heard with string accompaniment. This version of the Charlie Parker Quintet is top-flight, including in my opinion his best pianist, the rhythmically and harmonically advanced Al Haig, plus Kenny Dorham, Tommy Potter, and Roy Haynes. A superb ensemble equally impressive on supersonic up-tempo numbers, swinging, bouncy blues, and warm, relaxed ballads. Five stars."