Charlie Parker Dial Master

This second installment in the Classics Charlie Parker chronology contains quite a number of Bird's best-loved and most respected recordings. The first 12 tracks, recorded in New York for the Dial label in October and November of 1947, are all masterpieces of modern music, with the ballads, especially "Embraceable You," constituting some of Parker's very best recorded work. This is the classic 1947 quintet with Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter, and Max Roach. Even if his personal life was characteristically chaotic, 1947 was a good year for Charlie Parker's music. It was in November 1947 that this band hit the road to play the El Sino Club on St. Antoine Boulevard in Detroit. Unfortunately, Bird got really snockered and couldn't perform, so the El Sino management canceled the gig. Bird ultimately destroyed his saxophone by throwing it out of a hotel window onto the street below. (A tragic and disturbing image!) Back in New York, the band – now a sextet with the addition of trombonist J.J. Johnson – made six more sides for Dial on December 17, 1947.

Charlie Parker - The Complete Dial Sessions (1993) {4CD Set, Stash Records ST-CD-567~70 rec 1946-1947}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 733 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 598 Mb
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© 1946-47, 1993 Dial / Stash Records | ST-CD-567/68/69/70
Jazz / Bop / Big Band / Saxophone

Charlie Parker's historic Dial sessions have been reissued in a variety of ways over the years. This is especially true since the advent of the compact disc. These sessions not only capture Parker's alto brillance but highlight his interaction with such jazz stalwarts as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Max Roach, Erroll Garner, Howard McGhee and Dodo Marmarosa. This four-disc set is broken up into Hollywood Sessions 1: Moose the Mooche, Hollywood Sessions 2: Relaxin' at Camarillo, New York Sessions 1: Scrapple from the Apple, and New York Sessions 2: Drifting on a Reed. It's fortunate that these slices of jazz history are available allowing the listener to hear several takes of classics like "Moose the Mooch," "Relaxin at Camarillo," "Scrapple from the Apple," and "Ornithology" take shape. Sound quality on these Stash discs is good for the most part, fair but not great on others.

Charlie Parker - Intégrale Charlie Parker, Vol. 4, "Bird Of Paradise", 1947 (2012) {3CD Set Frémeaux & Associés FA1334}
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© 1947, 2012 Frémeaux & Associés | FA 1334
Jazz / Be Bop / Bop / Saxophone

The year 1947 was one of the most creative of Charlie Parker. This box presents in 70 tracks the legacy recorded during the second half of this fruitful year, the first session of Miles Davis under his name for the Savoy label on August 14, 1947 at the session for the label Dial on December 17, always with Miles Davis but this time under the name of Charlie Parker.

This collection of 78 rpm singles, all recorded on June 6, 1950, was originally issued in album format in 1956. Several things distinguish this from numerous other quintet recordings featuring these two bebop pioneers. It was recorded during the period that Parker was working under the aegis of producer Norman Granz, whose preference for large and unusual ensembles was notorious. The end result in this case is a date that sounds very much like those that Parker and Gillespie recorded for Savoy and Dial, except with top-of-the-line production quality. Even more interesting, though, is Parker's choice of Thelonious Monk as pianist.

Charlie Parker - Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker On Verve (1946-1954) {2005 10CD Box Set Verve-Universal 983 3382}
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© 1949-54, 2005 Verve / Universal Music Italia Srl | 983 3382
Jazz / Bop / Small Group / Big Band / Saxophone

As a leader, Charlie Parker recorded for Savoy and Dial during 1945-1948 and then for Verve exclusively (at least in the studios) during 1949-1954. This remarkable ten-CD box set, which adds quite a bit of material to an earlier ten-LP set, contains all of these recordings plus Bird's earlier appearances with Jazz at the Philharmonic. The JATP jams are highlighted by Parker's perfect solo on "Oh Lady Be Good," a ferocious improvisation on "The Closer," and a solo on "Embraceable You" that tops his more famous studio recording. In addition, this box has all of the "Bird and Strings" sides, his meetings with Machito's Cuban orchestra, the 1950 session with Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk, small-group dates (including a 1951 meeting with Miles Davis), odd encounters with voices and studio bands, the famous "Jam Blues" with fellow altoists Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter, and his final recordings, a set of Cole Porter tunes. The fact-filled 34-page booklet is also indispensable. Highly recommended.

Miles Davis - Complete Savoy & Dial Recordings (2000) {2CD Set, Definitive Records DRCD11158 rec 1945-1948}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 729 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 300 Mb
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© 1945-48, 2000 Savoy / Dial / Definitive Records / Disconforme | DRCD11158
Jazz / Bebop / Bop / Trumpet

Definitive and complete edition of the first studio recordings made for the legendary Savoy and Dial labels, as member of different small groups. Only master takes. 24 bit remastered. The people behind the Definitive Classics reissue label want you to become more familiar with classic early modern jazz. Combining the Charlie Parker/Miles Davis Savoy and Dial recordings is a good idea, and the cumulative effect of 44 classic bop sides is positively intoxicating, if you're susceptible to such things.