Bird up : The Charlie Parker Remix Project

Dr. John (Artist), Ravi Coltrane (Artist), Garth Hudson (Artist), Hubert Laws (Artist), Serj Tankian (Artist), Me'Shell NdegeOcello (Artist), Stephanie Vezina (Artist), Kronos Quartet (Artist), Dan The Automator (Artist), The X-Ecutioners (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• ASIN: B001CD1CG0
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,381 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The idea of an album that remixes the Savoy output of Charlie Parker may be horrifying for some, but before you join the purist mob take a gander at the names involved. Producer Matthew Backer has picked quite a crew of tasteful mavericks to remix the saxophonist, and Hal Willner's multiple appearances alone pay respect to the man who made tribute albums exciting. Willner's Whoops, I'm an Indian project turns "Salt Peanuts" into a musical genre-hopping wild ride with the Kronos Quartet providing the screechy edge and Dr. John laying down some boogie. It could have been a royal mess, but it isn't. Dan the Automator bends the recordings with a smirk and funk, but he's totally outdone by the turntables of the X-Ecutioners, who scratch right along with an especially hot Parker solo. Me'Shell NdegéOcello plays some deep, intuitive bass to a rather choppy "Relaxin' at Camarillo," and "All the Shadows of Nuff" finds Garth Hudson's keyboards adding the needed lyrical touch to Willner's quick juxtaposition of four separate Parker tunes. System of a Down's frontman, Serj Tankian, provides the album's highlight, sounding like Tom Waits and Bono's love child on the eerie and yearning rave-up "Bird of Paradise (Gone)." Naysayers should hear RZA scatting along with Bird, El-P's trippy mix, or Hubert Laws' expressive flute runs before dismissing the album entirely. Too many likeminded productions with their echoes and crackles make the album easier to take in small doses. Bird Up at least captures the innovative spirit of Charlie Parker, doesn't do any damage to the icon of hip, and makes for an exciting listen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary!, November 11, 2009

By 

Patricia Hennessy "CD Cellar 4" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bird up : The Charlie Parker Remix Project (Audio CD)

This album is amazing. I've never heard anything like it before. It feels like a rollercoaster ride into the future. I didn't know enough about Charlie Parker before I heard it, but I now know that he was a true genius who left a deep impression on so many other geniuses who followed in his footsteps, a select few of whom make their visionary presence felt alongside his on this unprecedented recording.
From the album's completely appropriate first three words ("Now's the Time" - courtesy of Red Hawk) through the disintegration of it's final cosmic note (courtesy of El-P), Bird Up is so full of unexpected twists and turns that it feels more like a virtual reality adventure than any CD I've ever heard.

Some of my favorites are "Bird of Paradise (Gone)" - a mind blowing portrait of love by Serj Tankian of System of a Down; "Congo Blues (Silencer)" - a truly wild journey through the African jungle with Donk, Ravi Coltrane, Wild Children, Hubert Laws and Kodo; "Bebop (Live at the Rooftop)" and "Cheers (X-ecutioners Style) - courtesy of samurai master producer/MC The RZA and scratch kings the X-ecutioners, respectively - two of the most stirring and inspired juxtapositions of jazz and hip-hop I've ever heard; and "A Night in Tunisia (Downpour)" - another highly wild track courtesy of Donk, the Coconut Tree and Kodo.

Make no mistake. There is not a dull moment on this entire recording. Before this, I can recall five times that I've made that statement about one album's worth of material: Miles Davis - Kind of Blue; The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper; Dr. John - Gris Gris; The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique; and Nas - Illmatic. Ironically, Bird Up: The Charlie Parker Remix Project combines the finest elements of each of those genre stretching albums into one brilliant tribute to one of the most fearless revolutionaries of the 20th century. New ground has been broken. The 21st century has officially begun. Now is indeed the time.