Search - Charlie Parker :: Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Charlie Parker

Best available overview

Joseph D. Martin | Oakland, CA United States | 01/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a long-time lover of Bird, I've often felt frustrated that no single CD offered a good overview of Parker's music. Most of the existing "best of" compilations were ridiculously incomplete, typically drawing from only one of the many record companies Bird recorded for, and many were riddled with bootleg-quality live recordings. This one, at long last, offers the newcomer a fine overview of what Bird did, from the early breakthrough tracks with Dizzy Gillespie that defined bebop through his spectacular dates for the Dial and Savoy labels that produced mind-boggling classics like "Ko Ko" and "Ornithology," to a couple tracks from the later "Bird with Strings" album that was his greatest commercial success, this disc offers the best single introduction to Parker ever released. If, like me, you already own virtually everything the man recorded, you'll find yourself arguing with a few of the track selections (how could they leave off "Billie's Bounce" or "Mohawk"?), but those simply seeking an introduction to this music will find this hugely enjoyable, and will be given an accurate (if necessarily incomplete) portrait of the Bird. If you can only own one Parker CD, I would recommend this one without hesitation."

No headphones, please

Joseph D. Martin | Oakland, CA United States | 02/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've already contributed a review, but I find myself unable to resist saying something in response to the people complaining about "sound quality." Apparently, some people approach these mid-'40s recordings the same way they do their Pink Floyd albums, hoping for a nice bong-hits-and-headphones experience and wind up complaining about "SQ" and asking whether they used the "original masters" in making it. They're just showing their own ignorance. These recordings were made before the advent of recording tape, so there are no "masters." The music was cut directly onto discs using the best technology of the time. There is inevitably a certain amount of surface noise, and most sound engineers agree that you can't really eliminate it without also eliminating the other sounds in the higher registers, such as the ride cymbals that are typically used to keep the beat on bebop records such as these. Now, it's true that these recordings do not have the pristine sound of modern standards, but it's also true that complaining about surface noise on a Charlie Parker recording and whining that it doesn't sound good on headphones is a little like wondering why they didn't shoot Citizen Kane in color and complaining that it doesn't contain enough special effects. In other words, don't buy this disc unless you're ready to get beyond the superficial aspects of musical consumerism and actually listen to the music."

Highlights of a brief but brilliant career!

J. Lund | SoCal, USA | 11/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike most of the other artists featured in the KEN BURNS JAZZ series, Charlie Parker's career was relatively brief (his most significant recordings cover about a decade prior to his death in 1955). However, the number of classic performances 'Bird' recorded in this short period exceeds that of most artists who lived longer lives and had lengthier careers.The first track is an early example of Bird's one-of-a-kind approach to improvisation as a sideman, while the remainder of the disc hits some of the many high points Bird reached, primarily in jazz quintet settings recorded for Savoy, Dial, and Verve. Parker's sidemen included such fellow legends as Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. Though his repetoire almost always followed a blues or standard popular song format, the tunes--and especially Bird's solos within them--exhibit consistent variety and invention to keep most listeners from getting remotely bored, even when absorbed much larger helpings than this single CD. There is one example of Bird with a small orchestrated accompiament (JUST FRIENDS), but this disc devotes most of its running time to presenting Bird in what few would argue was the best setting for his still-provocative solos: a combo format."