This 10-CD set collects all of Parker’s recordings for Norman Granz’s various labels, beginning with an isolated Jazz at the Philharmonic appearance in 1946. Parker recorded exclusively for Granz beginning in late 1948, and the relationship continued to his final studio session in 1954. While the most brilliant flowers of Parker’s creativity bloomed before that contract began, this set documents in meticulous detail Bird’s longest relationship with a single record company and a period in which he was the most influential musician in jazz. While labels such as Savoy and Dial had been limited to recording Parker in the small groups he worked with regularly, Granz’s greater resources allowed Parker to undertake the more expansive projects he sought, such as the famous recordings with strings, heard here in their entirety. Granz also recorded Parker with many of the giants of the Swing Era who made up his roster, and there are performances with many of Parker’s original influences, such as Johnny Hodges, Lester Young, and trumpeter Roy Eldridge.
Some of Granz’s inspirations were less appropriate, like burdening Parker and Dizzy Gillespie with the flamboyant Buddy Rich, but Parker even manages to sound fluent and amused on a confused arrangement of “In the Still of the Night” with reed parts by Gil Evans and voices arranged by Dave Lambert. He’s more often heard in congenial small group settings that include Miles Davis, Hank Jones, and Max Roach, and there are plenty of moments when Parker is a match for even his own earlier recordings. The wealth of alternate takes and false starts provides an intimate and detailed portrait of Bird in the studio, and there’s a brilliance to Parker’s improvisations that makes every track of interest.—Stuart Broomer
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
“Sweet Georgia Brown”- 9:32
“Blues For Norman” 8:37
“I Can’t Get Started” 9:15
“Lady Be Good” 11:05
“After You’ve Gone” 7:33
“I Got Rhythm” 12:54
“Introductions By Norman Granz” 2:16
“JATP Blues” 10:56
Disc: 2
“The Bird - 4:44
“Repetition 2:57
“No Noise (Parts I & II) 5:53
“No Noise (Part III) 2:55
“Mango Mangue 2:53
“Okiedoke 3:02
“Cardboard 3:08
“Visa 3:58
Segment - Tune X 3:19
Diverse - Tune X (alternate take) 3:16
Passport - Tune Y (rare) 2:54
Passport - Tune Z (common) 2:59
Disc: 3
The Opener 12:47
Lester Leaps In 12:14
Embraceable You 10:33
The Closer 10:57
‘Ow - Introduction OF Ella Fitzgerald :48
Flyin’ Home 5:31
How High the Moon 6:24
Perdido 8:34
Disc: 4
Just Friends 3:30
Everything Happens to Me 3:15
April In Paris 3:06
Summertime 2:46
I Didn’t Know What Time It Was 3:12
If I Should Lose You 2:46
Star Eyes 3:28
Blues (Fast) 2:45
I’m In The Mood For Love 2:50
Bloomdido 3:24
And Oscar For Treadwell (Take 3 Alternate take - LP) 3:20
An Oscar For Treadwell (Take 4 Master) 3:22
Mohawk (Take 3 Alternate take - LP) 3:38
Mohawk (Take 6 (Take 4) Master) 3:34
My Melancholy Baby (Take 1) 3:16
My Melancholy Baby (Coda Rehearsal) - :05
My Melancholy Baby (Take 2 Master) 3:23
Leap Frog (Take 1 Incomplete) - :27
Leap Frog (Take 2 Incomplete) - :18
Leap Frog (Take 3 Incomplete) - :40
Leap Frog (Take 4 Incomplete) - :18
Leap Frog (Take 5 Alternate take) 2:33
Leap Frog (Take 6 Incomplete) - :24
Leap Frog (Take 7 Incomplete) - :14
Leap Frog (Take 8 (Take 4) Alternate take) 2:02
Leap Frog (Take 9 Alternate take) 2:06
Leap Frog (Take 10 Incomplete) - :43
Leap Frog (Take 11 (Take 6) Master) 2:29
Relaxing With Lee (Take 1 Incomplete) - :35
Relaxing With Lee (Take 2 Incomplete) 1:08
Relaxing With Lee (Take 3 False start) - :08
Relaxing With Lee (Take 4 (Take 2) Alternate take - LP) 3:56
Relaxing With Lee (Take 5 Incomplete) - :25
Relaxing With Lee (Take 6 (Take 3) Master) 2:46
Disc: 5
Dancing In The Dark 2:19
Out Of Nowhere 3:06
Laura (Take 1 Alternate take) 2:57
Laura (Take 2 Master) 2:56
East Of The Sun 3:38
They Can’t Take That Away From Me 3:17
Easy To Love 3:29
I’m In The Mood For Love (Take 2 Master) 3:33
I’m In The Mood For Love (Take 3 Alternate take) 3:27
I’ll Remember April (Take 1 Alternate take) 3:09
I’ll Remember April (Take 2 False start) :10
I’ll Remember April (Take 3 (Take 2) Master) 3:02
What Is This Thing Called Love? 2:54
April In Paris 3:12
Repetition 2:49
Easy To Love 2:25
Rocker 3:10
Celebrity 1:34
Ballade 2:55
Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite 17:11
Disc: 6
Au Privave (Take 2 Alternate take - LP) 2:38
Au Privave (Take 3 Master) 2:43
She Rote (Take 3 Alternate take - LP) 3:09
She Rote (Take 5 Master) 3:06
K.C. Blues 3:24
Star Eyes 3:34
My Little Suede Shoes 3:03
Un Poquito De Tu Amor 2:40
Tico Tico 2:44
Fiesta 2:49
Why Do I Love You (Take 2 Alternate take - LP) 2:58
Why Do I Love You (Take 6 Alternate take) 2:58
Why Do I Love You (Take 7 Master) 3:05
Blues for Alice 2:46
Si Si 2:38
Swedish Schnapps (Take 3 Alternate take - LP) 3:13
Swedish Schnapps (Take 4 Master) 3:10
Back Home Blues (Take 1 Alternate take - LP) 2:35
Back Home Blues (Take 2 Master) 2:46
Loverman 3:21
Disc: 7
Temptation 3:31
Lover 3:06
Autumn In New York 3:29
Stella by Starlight 2:56
Mama Inez 2:50
La Cucuracha (Take 1 Alternate take) 3:24
La Cucuracha (Take 2 Incomplete) :49
La Cucuracha (Take 3 False start) :10
La Cucuracha (Take 4 (Take 3) Master) 2:43
Estrellita (Take 2 Incomplete) 1:57
Estrellita (Take 4 Alternate take) 2:46
Estrellita (Take 5 False start) :04
Estrellita (Take 6 (Take 5) Master) 2:44
Begin The Beguine 3:12
La Paloma 2:39
Night And Day 2:50
Almost Like Being In Love 2:33
“I Can’t Get Started” 3:08
Disc: 8
Jam Blues 14:42
What Is This Thing Called Love 15:41
Ballad Medley 17:23
Funky Blues 13:27
Disc: 9
The Song Is You 2:56
Laird Baird 2:44
Kim (Take 2 Alternate take - LP) 2:58
Kim (Take 4 Master) 2:58
Cosmic Rays (Take 2 Master) 3:05
Cosmic Rays (Take 5 Alternate take) 3:16
In The Still Of The Night (Take 1 False start) :32
In The Still Of The Night (Take 2 Incomplete) :53
In The Still Of The Night (Take 3 Alternate take) 3:46
In The Still Of The Night (Take 4 Alternate take) 3:21
In The Still Of The Night (Take 5 False start) :45
In The Still Of The Night (Take 6 Alternate take) 3:26
In The Still Of The Night (Take 7 Master) 3:22
Old Folks (Take 1 Incomplete) :26
Old Folks (Take 2 False start) :09
Old Folks (Take 3 Alternate take) 4:04
Old Folks (Take 4 Incomplete - Bird Continues Playing Into Take 5 False start) :21
Old Folks (Take 6 Alternate take) 3:28
Old Folks (Take 7 Incomplete) :26
Old Folks (Take 8 Alternate take) 3:39
Old Folks (Take 9 Master) 3:34
If I Love Again 2:31
Disc: 10
Chi Chi (Take 1 Alternate take - LP) 3:09
Chi Chi (Take 2 False start) :27
Chi Chi (Take 3 Alternate take) 2:42
Chi Chi (Take 4 Alternate take) 2:37
Chi Chi (Take 5 False start) :17
Chi Chi (Take 6 Master) 3:02
I Remember You 3:03
Now’s The Time 3:01
Confirmation (Take 1 False start) :14
Confirmation (Take 2 False start) :09
Confirmation (Take 5 False start) 2:58
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Take 1 Alternate take) 4:55
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Take 2 False start And Rehearsal) :32
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Take 3 False start And Rehearsal) :16
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Take 4 Incomplete) 1:05
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Take 5 False start) :17
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Take 6 Incomplete) 1:08
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Take 7 Master) 3:34
Just One Of Those Things 2:46
My Heart Belongs To Daddy (Take 1 False start And Rehearsal) :36
My Heart Belongs To Daddy (Take 2 Master) 3:18
I’ve Got You Under My Skin 3:38
Love For Sale (Take 1 False start) :17
Love For Sale (Take 2 Alternate take) 5:47
Love For Sale (Take 3 Incomplete) 1:03
Love For Sale (Take 4 Alternate take) 5:32
Love For Sale (Take 5 Master) 5:35
I Love Paris (Take 2 Alternate take) 5:07
I Love Paris (Take 3 Master) 5:07
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