THE VERVE YEA (1952- A TWO RECORD CHARLIE SET PARKER The third and final chrono- logical volume ofP , rI complete Verve ma including four brill,: small-group sessions, and works with strings, big band and voices, The definitive Parker biography re- lapses not found in the early Parker wide-gauged tonal attitudes on "Almost mains to be written, and I, for one, have combo recordings or the first sessions Like Being in Love." "What is This always felt that the task requires the with Granz. Most of the problems, it Thing Called Love?," which contains range of perspectives which Erik Erik- should be noted, can be attributed to two fine Parker solos, was a bebop son brought Young Man Luther and Parker's surroundings, yet even when favorite both under its own name and as Gandhi's Truth. Like Erikson's dynamic the alto solos are below his usual sub- the chordal basis for Tadd Dameron's subjects, Parker was a complex and lime level Parker remains clearly an "Hot House." creative figure; his life story was often emotionally gripping master. The third Some of the surprising song choices brutal. He hardly knew his father, a "Bird with Strings" studio session in the first three sessions reveal a desire mysterious and perhaps shady charac- opens the album, with arranger Joe for variation from more familiar har- ter, yet he was fond of calling early idol Lippman (who also did the July, 1950 monic sequences. The same conclu- Buster Smith "Dad." His mother, in- string date) also using a big band. I sion can be drawn from the altered dustrious, loving and totally devoted to found Lippman's writing both over- progressions on "The Song is You," but her only child, remained close to Bird wrought ("Temptation") and overly for the most part the material on this until his death and encouraged a shift of bland (the two concluding ballads), and first quartet session is basic blues interests from medicine to music (and, he wastes the superb "Autumn in New ("Laird Baird" and "Cosmic Rays") and concommitantly, from academic York" by giving Parker insufficient "I Got Rhythm" ("Kim"). Encounters achievement to truancy) by buying her blowing room. Parker improves mat- with a basic piano trio, minus a second son an alto sax when he was 13. Kansas ters considerably with funky repose at horn or vocalist, are rare in the Parker City, Missouri, where Parker grew up, the end of "Temptation" and two solos discography, and the comparative ou know," Parker was the home of several important on "Lover," a descending chord cycle simplicity of this and the second quar- once told Leonard Feather, groups, particularly the Count Basie made for harmonic supermen which tet date make them stand out among Y Band with Lester Young. Parker ab- Bird meets by spinning new melodies Parker's last recordings. Note the re- "it used to be so cruel to the sorbed all the music he could in his without becoming trapped in the see- cording date and personnel, which musicians, just the way it is early teens, got laughed off more than saw chordal motion. The alto tone is have been incorrectly listed on earlier today—they say when Beeth- one bandstand, and finally reached a noticeably thicker than on earlier re- editions. first level of maturity in 1937, at 17, cordings. Bill Harris (of Woody Herman othing gets in the oven was on his deathbed, he after a summer of woodshedding in the fame) is the featured trombonist, Lou way of Parker's shook his fist at the world; Ozarks. By this time Parker had also Stein the pianist, and trumpet solos are genius here—ideas they just didn't understand." acquired a heroin habit and the first probably the work of Bernie Previn. come in flashes, ef- of four wives. Five days later another concept was fortlessly, and every- During the next five years Parker repeated. Walter Bishop, Jr., Teddy thing he conceives is worked on the road with Jay McShann Kotick and Machito conga drummer articulated on the and other bands, perfecting ideas first Luis Miranda had participated in the horn. "Laird Baird," uncovered while jamming in a New first "Charlie Parker Plays South of the with its quicksilver York chili parlor in 1939 into a techni- Border" session 10 months earlier, and alto choruses, is enriched by the im- cally commanding, rhythmically un- old associates Max Roach and "Little Npeccable and increasingly melodic predictable and harmonically refined Benny" Harris make the group a sextet. drums of Max Roach, as is the more style, a style fully formed when he Adding congas to a jazz rhythm section mysterious and traditional "Cosmic moved permanently to New York in became popular later in the decade; Rays." As always, Hank Jones is ele- 1943. here the concept is fairly new and gant and lyrical, a model of grace with- Quickly acknowledged as an over- Roach and Miranda cook individually out pressure. (Different versions of whelming presence and the most radi- without really connecting. The choice "Kim" and "Cosmic Rays" will appear cal innovator in jazz history, Parker of material suggests a lowest-com- in a future volume of alternate Parker presided over the bebop revolution of mon-denominator approach to Latin takes.) the mid-40's. His Savoy and Dial re- music which effects even Parker (his Perhaps the oddest format of Par- cordings, made between 1945 and '48, "Estrellita" theme statement could be ker's career appeared the following became the source material for an en- parody, but probably isn't), and Benny May, shortly after the legendary Mas- tire generation and, in general, were Harris sounds ragged and frail sey Hall concert which featured unaffected by the personal demons that throughout. Most of the alto work is on Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Powell, put him into California's Camarillo another level, especially the jaunty Charles Mingus and Roach. The latter State Hospital for eight months in "Mama Inez" and "La Paloma" solos two are present in an octet completed 1946-7. and the wonderfully loose episode in by Tony Aless and a woodwind quintet n 1948, he became affiliated "Begin the Beguine" which features (playing Gil Evans arrangements), with with producer Norman Granz. some striking lower-register dips. 'Dave Lambert's singers thrown in for Although their ensuing collab- Bishop sounds relaxed, a gentle Bud good measure. Or not so good—the orations were loudly criticized Powell disciple who occasionally in- vocals, when not camp, are pallid, and by critics and serious fans as serts some Afro-Cuban voicings. even Evans has a few lapses during "In contrived commercialism (at Lippman returns, with 16-piece band the Still of the Night." Parker perse- least in the case of the strings, in tow, two months later. At times, I veres, indifferent to the cluttered sur- it was an opportunity Parker find the writing obtrusive (especially on roundings. Ignore the corny vocal both approved and appreci- the bridge of "I Can't Get Started") and comping, and enjoy his tender passion ated), the saxophonist continued to commonplace, but Parker is in excel- on "Old Folks," a performance which Iturn in brilliant performances (the first lent form throughout, from the sure endeared the tune to numerous mod- two volumes in this series, VE-2-2501 execution and oblique quotes of "Night ernists, and for Evans at his customary and 2512, document his work). By 1952, and Day" to the pensive comfort of "I level of skill, note the backgrounds be- however, production concepts were be- Can't Get Started." Oscar Peterson is hind Aless and Roach (!) on "If I Love ginning to run thin; consequently, the in a surprising Teddy Wilson mood on Again." eight sessions on this album have the latter, and Bill Harris displays his With the August 1953 quartet we reach the greatest studio session of COSMIC- RAYS Parker's last years. "Chi Chi," a strong SIDE 1 (Parker) (1121-2) 2:55 EMI blues line, stresses the thickened alto Recorded in New York City, December 30,1952 TEMPTATION Charlie Parker (alto saxophone), Hank Jones tone as Parker moves between regis- (Freed/Brown) (675-2) 3:25 ASCAP ters. The ideas in this solo are a mix of (piano), Teddy Kotick (bass), Max Roach ageless licks and more personally AUTUMN IN NEW YORK (drums) realized blues phraseology. Al Haig has (Duke) (677-4) 3:26 ASCAP a great harmonic ear and comps with LOVER telepathic correctness, Roach is more (RodgerslHart) (676-3) 3:05 ASCAP assertive than on the earlier quartet, STELLA BY STARLIGHT and Percy Heath's lovely round sound usicians, (Washington/Young) (678-4) 2:55 ASCAP and strong time add to the exemplary cut off from the American Recorded in New York City, January 22,1952 rhythm section. "I Remember You" SIDE 3 M Charlie Parker (alto saxophone), Chris Griffin, finds Parker working ideas over the mainstream when they began Bernie Previn, Al Porcino (trumpet), Will IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT changes in long ribbons with a few vir- viewing themselves as artists Bradley, Bill Harris (trombone), Toots (Porter) (1238-7) 3:18 ASCAP tuosic touches, and "Now's the Time," Mondello, Murray Williams (alto saxophone), more sprightly than the original 1945 instead of entertainers, made Hank Ross, Art Drelinger (tenor saxophone), OLD FOLKS Stan Webb (baritone saxophone), unknown (Hill/Robison) (1239-9) 3:33 ASCAP recordings, is one of his most kaleido- the separation complete by string section, Verley Mills (harp), Lou Stein scopic blues performances. "Confir- (piano), Art Ryerson (guitar), Bob Haggart IF I LOVE AGAIN adopting their own clothing, (MurraylOakland) (1240-9) 2:23 ASCAP mation," called Parker's greatest com- (bass), Don Lamond (drums), Joe Lippman position because of its unique chord vernacular, and bad habits." (arranger, conductor) Recorded in New York City, May 22, 1953 sequence and continuous melodic de- Charlie Parker (alto saxophone), Junior Collins velopment, is a wonderful collection of BEGIN THE BEGUINE (french horn), Hal McKusick (clarinet), Al (Porter) (682-3) 3:10 ASCAP Block (flute), Tommy Mace (oboe), Manny rhythmic shifts and inside-out turns of Thaler (bassoon), Tony Aless (piano), Charlie phrase in this, its only studio recording.