Charlie Parker With Strings

Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker With Strings (2015) {2CD Set Verve Deluxe Edition B0022596-02 rec 1947-1952}
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© 1947-52, 2015 Verve / UMG | B0022596-02
Jazz / BeBop / Bop / Saxophone

Recorded between 1947 and 1952, the Charlie Parker With Strings albums showcased the legendary bebop saxophonist performing standards and ballads backed by a small classical string ensemble and jazz rhythm section. Although somewhat controversial when first released, the strings sessions are largely considered landmarks for orchestral jazz productions and rank among the best albums in Parker's discography.

Charlie Watts Quintet - A Tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings (1992) {Psycho–Continuum 74321120412}
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© 1992 Continuum / Psycho / A.V. Arts | 74321 120412
Jazz / Bop / Neo Bop / Drums / Saxophone

Charlie Watts, a charter member of the Rolling Stones and an OK jazz drummer, financed a few jazz projects during the 1980s and '90s. This particular set – a tribute to Charlie Parker that features a quintet, vocalist Bernard Fowler (who sings "Lover Man" and adds some narration about Parker's life), six strings, harp, and oboe – has renditions of seven songs associated with Bird. Altoist Peter King is easily the solo star, trumpeter Gerard Presencer is decent but not on the same level, and pianist Brian Lemon also gets in some spots; Watts stays in the background. This well-intentioned program is well worth acquiring and its highlights include versions of "Just Friends," "Dewey Square," and "Perdido."

When producer Norman Granz decided to let Charlie Parker record standards with a full string section (featuring Mitch Miller on oboe!), the purists cried sellout, but nothing could be further from the truth. There's a real sense of involvement from Bird on these sides, which collect up all the master takes and also include some live tracks from Carnegie Hall that - judging from the sometimes uneasy murmurings of the crowd - amply illustrate just how weirdly this mixture of bop lines against "legit" arrangements was perceived. The music on this collection is lush, poetic, romantic as hell, and the perfect antidote to a surfeit of jazz records featuring undisciplined blowing. There's a lot of jazz, but there's only one Bird.

Charlie Parker With Strings - April In Paris (1952) {2014 Japan Universal 100 Series UCCU-99088}
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© 1952, 2014 Verve / Universal Japan | UCCU-99088
Jazz / Bop / Bebop / Saxophone

The genius of Bird and strings is hard to describe – an edgey aproach that really goes far past most other "jazz with strings" projects, not a ballad-driven one, but a tensely strained one that brings out some of Parker's best soloing, almost in a moody soundtrack-type way. The tracks are a lot freer and less bop-driven than some of Bird's normal work, and it's incredible to hear him soloing with such complexity — even more proof of the genius he clearly exhibited in relation to his contemporaries.