Search - Charlie Parker :: Complete Dial Masters

Great music, good deal, but...

J. Stewart | 04/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've never felt a need to write a review on Amazon before, but having just got this item in the mail, I thought I would help other potential buyers out. It's a great 2 cd collection of classic jazz tracks. The sound is fine with just a few hisses and pops. There are a few concerns though...



First, Definitive is a European label, and the liner notes (all 2 pages) suffer from poor translation.



Second, the September 29, 1947 concert advertised as being included is nowhere to be found. The last 4 songs were not recorded for Dial, so that's an extra, but it would have been preferable to include the '47 concert (in part or in full) instead.



Third, not all the songs are master takes. That's right. If you thought you were getting the "Complete Dial Masters" think again. Specifically, "The Hymn," "Bird Of Paradise," "Bird Feathers," "Out Of Nowhere," "Drifting On A Reed," "Bongo Beep," "Crazeology," and "How Deep Is The Ocean?" are all alternate takes. Before you pass this up keep in mind that the alternate takes for these sessions were often as good or even better than those chosen for the masters. It's not like Miles Davis or Max Roach or Bird were stumbling over themselves. They're great songs, just not the master takes like it says on the cover.



All in all, the price is what makes this collection desirable. If you can live with 8 of the songs not actually being masters, snap this one up. If not, save your dough and keep your eyes peeled for a nice used copy of "The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes" on Savoy Jazz. For the money, this is a good deal. Anyone interested at all in jazz or good music should take a listen."