Search - Charlie Parker :: Bird at St Nick's

Buyer beware!

jazzfanmn | St Cloud, MN United States | 08/08/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This album suffers from the same problems as its' "companion", "Bird on 52nd Street". Those are all derived from the fact that the performance was recorded in a bootleg fashion and the recorder was often turned off as soon as Parker stopped playing. This cd benifits from a slightly better over all sound quality, Parker is much more robust and clear, however, he and the Max Roach drown out the rest of the band almost entirely. The plus? Well, Parker is in fantasic form. His soloing is in its prime and he absolutely burns. His playing simply overwhelms all of the technical shortcomings. Newcomers should check out one of the many collections of parker material before tackling this cd. Longtime fans will want to hear this and add one star just because most everything on record from this period of Parker's music is vital!"

Brilliant, adventurous bop despite limited sonic quality

08/29/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While hardly state-of-the-art in terms of sonics, this recording does, as the liner notes suggest, reveal another side of Parker for those only accustomed to his more finished studio work. There is a fierce energy and harmonic intelligence on display here, and, despite the rough edges, the music is exciting and "alive" in the best sense. While this would not be a wise place to begin one's exploration of Parker, it is far from a completists-only cd."

Sure, the quality is bad but Bird is at his best!

M. A. I. Johnson | San Francisco, California United States | 03/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some of the other reviews for this album were dissapointing for me to read because this has been one of my favorite records since I bought it 3 years ago. It is recorded by tape when the technology was brand new. It is also edited so you hear nothing but Bird's solos and Melodys. However, he sounds absolutely incredible! Any Bird fanatic would agree. Charlie Parker fans aren't listening to him for the great recording quality, we're interested in what he's going to come up with next. Buy this album now, hear why people are still transfixed by his melodys. The shinning tracks are Visa, I Didn't Know What Time it Was and Embraceable You. Disregard everything anyone else says about this record; if you're into Bird just buy it. And contrary to what Mr. Texas said Bird definately soars."