Charlie Parker Memorial 1

Charlie Parker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 15, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Savoy Jazz
• ASIN: B000001CQ2
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,727 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

This CD can be considered somewhat rare now.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic jazz, Charlie Parker at his best on many occaisions., August 25, 2001

By 

Mister Hip-Hop (The Land Where Hip-Hop And Jazz Live.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charlie Parker Memorial 1 (Audio CD)

What a great album, filled with a bunch of classic tunes composed by Charlie Parker. Not only are the songs great, but the solos are mind-blowing. Charlie Parker's alto saxophone solos are pure genius, and that's all that needs to be said. Miles Davis appears on here, in his younger years, but still puts in some fascinating solos. Duke Jordan, John Lewis, and Bud Powell all play piano on this record. From the speedy tracks such as "Another Hair Do" and "Constellation", which are both rapid themes played extremely well, to the slow, bluesy melodies of "Parker's Mood", which is a completely improvised solo by Charlie Parker with piano accompaniment done by Bud Powell, to the fun instant hit single "Barbados", which features a great theme and piano loop (one of my favorites on here). Then there is "Bluebird", the nice somewhat laid-back track, which is Parker in classic form. But Bird's best work comes on "Ah-Lu-Cha", his instant classic composition, featuring some of Parker's best solo work and Miles Davis also putting in a very nice solo, and the happy "Marmaduke", which is a crazy song that jams all the way through, as is the track "Perhaps", which starts out with a piano introduction and then speeds into a typically insane Parker piece, but it works out quite well, and Davis and Bud Powell both put in great solos, plus there is the funky but complicated "Steeplechase" and the light-speed traveling "Merry Go Around" which goes so fast it makes your head spin! The final track is the MORE laid-back "Buzzy", but even that track has lots of flare and excitement. Also, if you like hearing the music as it was recorded in the studio, you'll love this. This is because the album is full of incomplete versions of the songs that were recorded, and you hear finally the complete versions, which are flawless. Some songs were done perfectly their first take though. This is a must for any jazz fan, especially if you're into the bebop jazz era, which was definitely a great one, and like the hard sound of bebop. Charlie Parker ruled the 1940's decade for jazz, and his music lives on. Since you're here reading this, go get the album!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you wanna go to Kaaaaansas City..., February 20, 2002

By 

Nathan "Cawntry-fried Calypso Beach Bum" (Charlotte, N.C. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charlie Parker Memorial 1 (Audio CD)

Charlie Parker has one'a the mos' amazing legacies in jazz history. An' the music that is on this album is just wonderful, a great example of early bebop and the 1940s decade of jazz. These were from his years at Savoy (an' I swear I think some'a them are from the Dial Years too), put together in a collection of new and previously unreleased takes of his most famous compositions, all recorded between 1944 and 1948. Duke Jordan, John Lewis, and Bud Powell all play piano on this record, as well as a young Miles Davis who already shows much promise as a trumpeter. But c'mon, y'all. We talkin' 'bout Yardbird. Who you think is gon' be the showcase? Bein' that his alto saxophone playing is unmatched by any EVEN contemporary jazz musicians, he gives all these musicians a lot to work with and keep up with. This man blew into that instrument like his life depended on it (and maybe to him it did). Listen to the incredibly fast lines he plays on 'Another Hair Do', 'Constellation' and the truly dizzying 'Merry Go Round'. Damn, son, it'll make your head spin. The percussionist and piano players could barely keep up with his pace on these, all fun and boisterous numbers. But he could slow down the pace quite a bit too as is evidenced on 'Parker's Mood', prob'ly Bird's mos' famoud blues number featuring some great piano playing by Powell. A cool, classy number that will make you want to hit the bar. One of his greatest and most widely-covered compositions is 'Ah-Leu-Cha', which is featured with terrific mad soloing from both Parker and Davis. They go back and forth almost trying to outplay each other, and that will get anyone jumpin' an' jivin'. Charlie Parker was a legend in his own time virtually creating the blueprint for American jazz, working with and influencing future greats like Miles Davis and John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk and, ah, the list could go on forever. This music here is kind of rough as it contains incomplete versions as well as the final completed studio takes of the numbers here, but it is still a nice, if a little raw, representation of the bebop era at its best. The basslines, piano, percussion all keep the pace lively and Parker's alto sax jumps out of the blue-lit night streets right into your home. It is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to listen to this album without tapping your fingers or your foot, or just bobbing your head. It's just too wildly addictive.

I think it's safe to say jazz would not have been the same and would sound a great deal different were it not for Charlie Parker and his influence. His all-too-brief career left a lifetime of great music for us to wade through. If you're a new jazz fan, and are looking for a nice and affordable showcase of Parker's abilities, then this would be a great place to start, as these are all among his very best works. Also check out his legendary Massey Hall concert with Dizzy Gillespie, a great live showcase of "the Bird" and his God-given powers.