Customer Reviews

Complete Live Performances on Savoy: Sept. 29, 1947-Oct. 25, 1950

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These performances have been issued many times before in various fashions, but Savoy does fans a service by bringing all the Royal Roost broadcasts (along with a fine Carnegie Hall concert with Dizzy and an interesting recording in Chicago with a pick-up band) together into one definitive package. In general Bird is heard at his peak throughout, with a particular highlight coming when Bird takes a request (on Christmas) for "White Christmas" and gives it an absolutely brilliant reworking. The music benifits from the new, cleaner sound and there is a good track by track analysis from Loren Schoenberg. This package represents some of the most consistently inspired and rewarding recordings in Bird's career and should not be missed by those unfamiliar them.

Anyone who wants to hear Charlie Parker, please start here, with these Savoy recordings. There is a unique coherence and consistency of place and time - bringing the performer-audience electricity of 50 years ago straight into your living room. You experience CP's invention of that music all over again. This is Bird, pure, straight, no chaser, not shaken, not stirred.
Over the last 30 years I have spent many hours listening to Charlie Parker, and his tunes are etched in my mind like musical sculptures, but these recordings have a lot to add to what I had already learnt. This is the best Bird I have heard.
I also have the highest regard for the beautifully informative and intelligent comments by Orrin Keepnews, Paul Bacon, and Loren Schoenberg.

Looks good, doesn't it? All the Roosts on four CDs. Looks mighty good. Then there's even more - recordings from Carnegie Hall in 1947 and Chicago in 1950. Still on four CDs. And you know the Roosts alone came out on four a few years back. Anyway...it looks good. And Orrin Keepnews, that dear leech, says "less is more," congratulating himself (again) on giving Symphony Sid the axe. What he doesn't mention, of course, is that an entire date from 1950 with Fats Navarro and Bud Powell has been similarly excised. It should not even surprise, after all these years of being shafted by record companies, much less shock, and no-one will bat an eyelid when this stuff comes out again, even more complete(!), in a couple of years. But it's dishonest, it's self-serving, and particularly when Keepnews so tenaciously holds to painting himself into the picture of those who cared about jazz, it's disgraceful. Bird can have all the stars in the sky. Orrin gets none.

Next to the studio Dial and Savoy, this set completes the Parker Bebop jazz trinity. These live sessions, are pristine in compare with the Mosaic live set (that is important but only for those who have it all). If you play some instrument, you could learn from these live recordings and even develop your own individual style. I have been there. First, I just listened. Than, I started playing some of his tunes-compositions. I am still in the process of learning. You probably need a lifetime to study Parker's music in depth. On the other hand, you could just sit back and enjoy some fast, bluesy, sophisticated and lively playing: The watermark of a real musical genius.

Hearing Charlie Parker rip searing riffs on this Savoy set, while I imagine being among those lucky few who witnessed Bee Bop's prophet push the envelope at the Royal Roost, has taken me to whole new level of appreciation for the greatest jazz musician of our time. Live Parker recordings far surpass the studio ones because they allow the listener to hear the saxaphonist's pure power and genius. No editing, no muting, no time limit. Just pure, raw, genius. And this is the best live collection I've found of Parker's work. Some may argue that this collection is too raw in terms of sound quality, but I think that merely enhances the mystique and grit and authenticity of this incredible collection. This is a must-have for Ornithologists!

This is the worst production by great producer Orrin Keepnews. Music on this 4-cd is great(5 stars). Parker in his peak period and many great musicians (Davis, Dorham, Roach, Milt Jackson) play great too. There are great performances like Ornithology, Confirmation, Salt penauts (with Parker's vocal), Chasin' the bird and many others.
But: Title of this box names COMPLETE live performances on Savoy and this is problem. Royal Roost performances on this box are everything but no complete. There are missing most announcement by Symphony Sid Torin, his talking with Parker, and mainly Parker and his band playing with Symphony Sid voiceover on many stuffs.
There are missing: 52nd street theme, Jumping with Symphony Sid, Jingle bells in many versions. This titles draw club's atmosphere in this era and performances are incomplete without them.
I get off this fake and will buy true Columbia/Nippon Royal Roost complet with similar sound quality I guess.
4th disc contains Carnegie Hall concert but better way is to buy Diz'n Bird at Carnegie Hall. It includes Gillespie with his orchestra performances also.
If you are true fan of Parker dont' buy this 4cd box. It's patch-work.

Looks good, doesn't it? All the Roosts on four CDs. Looks mighty good. Then there's even more - recordings from Carnegie Hall in 1947 and Chicago in 1950. Still on four CDs. And you know the Roosts alone came out on four a few years back. Anyway...it looks good. And Orrin Keepnews, that dear leech, says "less is more," congratulating himself (again) on giving Symphony Sid the axe. What he doesn't mention, of course, is that an entire date from 1950 with Fats Navarro and Bud Powell has been similarly excised (vol. 3 of the old set, according to the Penguin guide). It should not even surprise, after all these years of being shafted by record companies, much less shock, and no-one will bat an eyelid when this stuff comes out again, even more complete(!), in a couple of years. But it's dishonest, it's self-serving, and particularly when Keepnews so tenaciously holds to painting himself into the picture of those who cared about jazz, it's disgraceful. Bird can have all the stars in the sky. Orrin gets none.

I have this most of this collection on vinyl, a double and a single album. I didn't buy the first double album and regret it to this day. It was there in the stall too!! Maybe I was overcome by Scottish-ness that day (As a local band would have it)

I have the Dial collection and the other Savoy albums. Benedetti too. These performances are as good if not better than anything else by Bird.

The nightclub environment is intoxicating and takes you back to a time when Jazz was partying, dancing, good time music,.. before it went slightly more like chamber music. I know theres a difference between a concert setting and a night-club.

Nowadays you get 'shushed' at jazz gigs and thats fair enough.. but I love this collection's vibe, where you are actually at the party. You can almost smell/hear the toilets.

Initially I didn't like Symphony Sid's interruptions but a friend said Sid added to the groovy hipster atmosphere, and I have to agree. Banter is dated but hilarious,esp with Dinah Washington (My Perplungent One?).. They should have kept all the banter in there. Not 'Complete ' without it.

I am a big James Ellroy fan, and this collection is like Ellroy's knack of getting to the present instantly.. see 'White Jazz' "LA Confidential' etc.for further study.

Parker is on fire throughout. He's on his 'Day' job too..Almost all Max Roach throughout. Seriously, if you love Bird and 40's Be Bop. or even just Jazz in general, Get This!!

I must obtain the missing first volume at some point though?!

Out of the hands, and away from the commercialism that is Norman Granz, Charlie Parker "live" fires out insane, wildly melodic, inspired genius, the way God intended.