All the Things You Are - Charlie Parker, Hammerstein, Oscar
Dizzy Atmosphere - Charlie Parker, Gillespie, Dizzy
Salt Peanuts - Charlie Parker, Clarke, Kenny
Shaw 'Nuff - Charlie Parker, Brown, Ray [1]
Hot House - Charlie Parker, Dameron, Tadd
Now's the Time - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Koko - Charlie Parker, Ellington, Duke
Moose the Mooche - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Yardbird Suite - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Ornithology - Charlie Parker, Harris, Benny [Trum
Cool Blues - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Relaxin' at Camarillo - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Donna Lee - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Chasin' the Bird - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Dewey Square - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Bird of Paradise - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
The Hymn - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Embraceable You - Charlie Parker, Gershwin, George
Klact-Oveeseds-Tene - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Track Listings (18) - Disc #2
Scrapple from the Apple - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Out of Nowhere - Charlie Parker, Green, Johnny [1]
Don't Blame Me - Charlie Parker, Fields, Dorothy
Quasimodo
Klaunstance - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Parker's Mood - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Bloomdido - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Star Eyes - Charlie Parker, DePaul, Gene
She Rote - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
My Little Suede Shoes - Charlie Parker, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Confirmation - Charlie Parker, Harris, Benny [Trum
Blue 'N' Boogie [Live] - Charlie Parker, Gillespie, Dizzy
'Round Midnight [Live] - Charlie Parker, Hanighen, Bernie
A Night in Tunisia [Live] - Charlie Parker, Gillespie, Dizzy
Just Friends [Live] - Charlie Parker, Klenner, John
What Is This Thing Called Love? [Live] - Charlie Parker, Porter, Cole
East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) [Live] - Charlie Parker, Bowman, Brooks
Laura [Live] - Charlie Parker, Mercer, Johnny
This two-CD set is an ideal introduction to the music of Charlie Parker and the bop revolution. Its 38 tracks are culled from several labels, including Savoy and Dial, with many of them recorded between 1946 and 1949, the ... more »altoist's most creative period and the years in which he was reshaping jazz. This is music of luminous vitality--whether rapid-fire and manic, witty or tender. Musical ideas and feelings spun from Parker's horn with divine ease, every newly minted phrase drenched in meaning. Parker was changing the way the best young musicians played--whether saxophonists, pianists, or drummers--and it's apparent here in the supporting work of Miles Davis, Max Roach, Bud Powell, and a host of others. --Stuart Broomer« less
This two-CD set is an ideal introduction to the music of Charlie Parker and the bop revolution. Its 38 tracks are culled from several labels, including Savoy and Dial, with many of them recorded between 1946 and 1949, the altoist's most creative period and the years in which he was reshaping jazz. This is music of luminous vitality--whether rapid-fire and manic, witty or tender. Musical ideas and feelings spun from Parker's horn with divine ease, every newly minted phrase drenched in meaning. Parker was changing the way the best young musicians played--whether saxophonists, pianists, or drummers--and it's apparent here in the supporting work of Miles Davis, Max Roach, Bud Powell, and a host of others. --Stuart Broomer
R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 09/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For years I shied away from delving into Charlie Parker's music for lack of the knowledge to discriminate among a huge number of recordings, many of them of quite dubious provenance. These problems are unnecessary today, with guides like Penguin and AMG easily available. And now this fine Rhino package makes things even easier for someone checking out Bird for the first time. Great care has gone into the selection of tracks, as well as the packaging, with informative liner notes, photos, and gratuitously elegant touches like the spirals found on the clear underlay for each of the 2 discs.
Here, however, is something to think about -- do you want an attractive Parker box for your collection (this is a box containing 2 discs and a booklet) for show, or do you really want to listen to Bird intensely and repeatedly? This collection covers Bird's entire career, including several live sides with strings from his last years, which I personally have little interest in. I suggest that you might consider starting with the Savoy masters, say THE GENIUS OF CHARLIE PARKER, and/or the excellent collection of later Verve sides, BIRD'S BEST BOP ON VERVE. (There doesn't seem to be a single-disc collection of the Dial sides, and YARDBIRD SUITE contains a good dose of Dials.) You can't go wrong diving in right here, but if you hear this collection after hearing some of his essential Savoy, Dial and Verve recordings in concentrated form, you may better appreciate its riches. If this is where you start, listen closely -- if you do, you're certain to want to hear more!"
A great collection
Ravi Desai | India | 02/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This 2CD Set is a great collection of Charlie Parker. There are a total of 38 tracks that cover his career from his early days as part of Dizzy Gillespie's band to his solo bebop recordings.A This is a great set for anyone interesting in Parker's music. n added bonus to this set is that the packaging is excellent. each CD is in an individual "booklet style" case and it includes a 50 page highly readable booklet. The only disappointing feature about this set was that all the tracks are found on other albums(mainly from the Savoy, Dial and Verve catalogs). and there were no "new" unreleased recordings here. A good sampling that is ideal for anyone beginning a jazz collection but it will make you want to go and buy more of Parker. I would recommend the Complete Dial Sessions set."
Nice introduction, but mistakes on this set
Ravi Desai | 11/12/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As pointed out, there are a few fatal flaws with this set. Besides the questionable source material and occasional overuse of noise reduction (both heard on this compilation's mastering of "Ko Ko," with the unusual 'twang' at the beginning and the heavily compressed sound quality), there are actually a few tracks where wrong takes were selected; basically, the compilation's claims of using only master takes are false. This CD substitutes inferior, alternate takes of "Relaxin' at Camarrillo" and "Embraceable You" for the originals. As for the track that somehow had its piano intro edited out, that would be "Moose the Mooche."A year ago, I'd still recommend this set despite these flaws, but with the monumental "Complete Savoy & Dial Recordings: 1944-1948" having been released (with better sound, though a few minor problems with packaging and a few controversial pitch corrections), I'd have to go with that one. Yeah, "Yardbird Suite" is a lot cheaper, and most people will end up springing for it, but the 8CD box set is simply incredible."
A great overview, but not for hardcore Ornithologists
G B | Connecticut | 09/26/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Anybody who listens to post-WW2 jazz eventually has to come to terms with altoist Charlie Parker, a.k.a. Bird. But Bird's recording output was so immense that finding the right starting point is difficult. If you feel bold and have a large wallet, definitely spring for the Savoy & Dial box set. As an introductory package for the Bird neophyte, however, this set is probably a better choice. There are so many classic recordings here --"Salt Peanuts" (electrifying!), "Koko", "Now's the Time", "The Hymn", "Donna Lee"... It samples from Bird's entire career -- from the early, proto-bop sessions with Dizzy Gillespie and a swing rhythm section to his classic Quintet with Max Roach and a very young Miles Davis. Later recordings include a reunion with Dizzy ("Bloomdido"), some of the recordings with strings, and several tracks from a live performance with Dizzy and Bud Powell. If you're visiting the Birdhouse for the first time, walk in through the Yardbird Suite."
Very good intro to Bird, but a few fatal flaws
G B | 08/16/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I pretty much agree with the things everyone else has written, but let me add that there are some flaws with this set.First, the tracks have been cleaned up with noise reduction, and for the most part, they are done well, particularly on the Savoy tracks which sound rather noisy on the 20-bit remasters from Denon. However, on "Koko," one of the two best tracks Parker ever cut, the sound is HEAVILY compressed and muffled. There's also a high-pitched, spacey twang at the beginning of the track, which makes me question the source material (you don't hear this abnormality on "The Genius of Charlie Parker," one of the Denon CD's). The other thing is one of the Dial tracks (the name escapes me right now, but if memory serves, it had a running time of 2:54) has the first 10 seconds clipped off! I only found this out when I picked up "The Complete Dial Sessions" and was surprised by an easy-going piano intro to the same track. Despite these flaws, it's still a great introduction for neophytes, hitting almost all the high points in his years with Diz, his recordings at Savoy and Dial, and some of the Verve material. There is some essential Verve material missing, like the first 3 minutes of the JATP performance of "Oh Lady Be Good!" among others, and it could've been fitted on with at least 20 minutes to spare on these CD's. Maybe they couldn't get it for legal reasons, but as a result, this set isn't a definitive nor a comprehensive overview of his career. In other words, get this as a primer, but don't pick it up if you want to build a serious Parker collection."