Search - Charlie Parker :: Now's the Time

The classics, with decent audio quality

James A. Vedda | Alexandria, VA USA | 06/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jazz aficionados know that there's no need to critique the performances on this CD. These 17 tracks provide over 48 minutes of classic Bird from his Savoy recordings of 1945-48. Parker is joined on these quintet sessions by some of his most memorable colleagues from this period, including Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis on trumpet; Bud Powell, Duke Jordan, and John Lewis on piano; and Max Roach on drums.

The most noteworthy thing about this release is that the digital remastering achieves the best audio quality that can be expected from these late-1940s recordings. If you've wanted to add some Charlie Parker to your collection, but have been turned off by the poor sound quality of many of the other releases of his material, you can stop waiting. The fidelity of this set won't make you cringe when it comes up on your iPod. Early Parker recordings CAN sound good.

Note to saxophonists: If you want to hone your skills on Parker transcriptions, this CD is a good listening experience. All 17 of these tunes are represented in the Charlie Parker Omnibook, although the solos on this CD are not all the same ones that are transcribed in the Omnibook."