Customer Reviews

At Storyville

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm sorry, but Charlie Parker never deserves three stars! The only time Bird should get less than four stars is when the sound quality is so poor that if it were any other artist the CD would have never even been considered for release. That is clearly not the case here. "Charlie Parker At Storyville" was originally recorded for radio broadcast, and aired on WHDH in Boston in 1953. The sound quality is excellent, even as good as some of his studio recordings from the late 40s. The disc's nine tracks feature two different bands (Red Garland, Billy Griggs and Roy Haynes on the first four cuts, and Herb Pomeroy, Charles Thompson, Jimmy Woode and Kenny Clarke on the remaining selections), which seems odd considering the jacket indicates this recording was from one date, September 22, 1953. In any event, the music is timeless and it is only fitting that the one Bird disc in the Blue Note catalog is truly a classic.

I have had this cd for years, and since I am from the Boston area, I have always had fondness for this disc, originally recorded for radio broadcast on an early autumn evening in Boston in 1953. The renditions of "Now's the Time" and also "Groovin' High" are particularly fine vintage jewels of bop. The fact that Herb Pomeroy, a Boston jazz legend for more than 50 years, appeared as a guest musician is a certainly interesting, but it is obvious from listening to this that Herb's talent paled in comparison to Charlie Parker. Another jazz legend from Boston appears on this disc, drummer Roy Haynes, one of my personal favorites, who years later, would go on to play with Monk and Coltrane, to name a few. This is not an essential Parker recording, but certainly a memorable one for jazz fanatics, considering he would tragically die less than two years later, in 1955.

This is my second charlie parker live CD after "bird at the hi hat" and i highly recommend them both. Both sets are similar, recorded for radio but the sound quality is amazingly good. I think this is the best way to hear charlie parker. Natural and unfettered. Great improv jazz that doesn't quit. Definitely among my 10 fav jazz CD's. ...............socks

If you know who Charlie Parker is, than why should I have to tell you how great this record is?! You should be ashamed for asking. - buy it.

i disagree strongly with the reviewer who says bird never deserves less than 4 stars; i love bird's music as much as anybody and have listened since i was 16, however by 1953 most of what he is doing is a faint reminder of his earlier work, more cliches, its as if he is just going through the motions. which is ok; he had already done so much. could of been the alchohol and drugs, who knows, he did love the dorsey bros.

It's always great to hear Charlie Parker playing live, but this recording does not stand among his most brilliant works.