Carvin' the Bird

Performer: Charlie Parker (Sax)
Distributor: n/a

Notes: Personnel: Charlie Parker (alto saxophone); Wardell Gray (tenor saxophone); Howard McGhee, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham (trumpet); J.J. Johnson (trombone); Dodo Marmarosa, Duke Jordan, Jimmy Bunn, Tadd Dameron, Al Haig (piano); Barney Kessel (guitar); Red Callender, Tommy Potter, Bob Kesterson, Curly Russell (bass); Don Lamond, Max Roach, Roy Porter, Joe Harris (drums). Recorded between 1946 and 1949. Includes liner notes by Scott Yanow. This 12-song sampler serves as a fine introduction to one of the greatest innovators in jazz. Covering a period from 1946-1949, CARVIN' THE BIRD includes Parker's studio work and several radio broadcasts. It also features some of his finest sidemen-including Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Max Roach, and J.J. Johnson. Examples of Bird's furious, harmonically adventurous approach to soloing can be heard on such excellent cuts as "Bongo Bop," "Charlie's Wig," and "Koko." While the sound quality is occasionally less than sterling, the disc more than adequately conveys the pure genius of Parker's playing and the (no less) outstanding work of his fellow musicians. Though not comprehensive, CARVIN' THE BIRD is an impressive overview of this legend's art.

Down Beat (5/95, p.56) - 4.5 Stars - Very Good Plus - "...a hash of studio and radio takes...with several combos, most notably the quintet with Miles Davis and Max Roach....Bird's saxophone is electrifying, and on a brilliant but muddy-sounding version of "Koko" he makes bebop seem avant garde all over again."

Charlie Parker's combination of sheer genius and pure emotion on the saxophone has few rivals, and after him, nothing would be the same. As one of the creators of bebop in the 1940s and 1950s (alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, and others), Parker, aka Bird, introduced a new level of expression to jazz, one that combined stunning technique, profound musical knowledge, and, above all, the ability to make complex ideas sound simple, soulful, and inevitable. Dead at just 34, Parker left behind a legacy that many have tried to equal, but none has surpassed.

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