CHARLIE PARKER: THE COMPLETE SAVOY MASTERS (2 CDS)

• CHARLIE PARKER CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION COLLECTION
• COLLECTOR'S DIGIPACK SERIES
• 2-CD LIMITED EDITION
• INCLUDES 17 BONUS TRACKS

Alto saxophonist Charlie Parker (1920-1955) was among the most influential jazz artists ever, and one of the few indisputable geniuses of his time. This set presents the complete master takes from his studio recording sessions for Herman Lubinsky’s Savoy label. Included here are some of Bird’s most admired sides, such as “Koko”, “Parker’s Mood”, and “Donna Lee”. One session presents him on tenor sax, an instrument on which he only rarely recorded.

All other studio sessions originally recorded by other small labels during that period but later acquired and reissued by Savoy have also been included here.

As a bonus, this set presents two additional complete Charlie Parker sessions recorded for Guild in 1945, as well as an extremely rare date from that same year with trombonist Clyde Bernhardt and pianist Jay McShann from which only the original broken glass-based (and thus rather noisy) test pressings survive. Bird plays solos on all four sides.

PERSONNEL:
CHARLIE PARKER, alto sax (tenor sax on CD1, 15-18), on all tracks, plus:
COLLECTIVE PERSONNEL:
Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis (tp), Bud Powell, Clyde Hart, John Lewis, Duke Jordan (p), Timy Grimes (g), Tommy Potter, Slam Stewart (b), Max Roach (d), among others. Recorded in New York, 1944-1948

TRACKS:
CD ONE (76:07 Min)
01 TINY’S TEMPO
02 I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU JUST THE SAME
03 ROMANCE WITHOUT FINANCE
04 RED CROSS
05 WARMING UP A RIFF
06 BILLIE’S BOUNCE
07 NOW’S THE TIME
08 THRIVIN’ ON A RIFF
09 MEANDERING
10 KO-KO
11 DONNA LEE
12 CHASIN’ THE BIRD
13 CHERYL
14 BUZZY
15 MILESTONES
16 LITTLE WILLIE LEAPS
17 HALF NELSON
18 SIPPIN’ AT BELLS
19 ANOTHER HAIR-DO
20 BLUEBIRD
21 KLAUNSTANCE
22 BIRD GETS THE WORM
23 BARBADOS
24 AH-LEU-CHA
25 CONSTELLATION
26 PARKER’S MOOD
27 PERHAPS

CD TWO (77:32 Min)
01 MARMADUKE
02 STEEPLECHASE
03 MERRY-GO-ROUND
04 GROOVIN’ HIGH
05 ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE
06 DIZZY ATMOSPHERE
07 DIZZY’S BOOGIE
08 FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE
09 POPPITY POP
10 SLIM’S JAM
11 SALT PEANUTS (*)
12 SHAW ‘NUFF (*)
13 LOVER MAN (*)
14 HOT HOUSE (*)
15 WHAT’S THE MATTER NOW? (*)
16 I WANT EVERY BIT OF IT (*)
17 THAT’S THE BLUES (*)
18 G.I. BLUES (*)
19 4F BLUES (*)
20 DREAM OF YOU (*)
21 SEVENTH AVENUE (*)
22 SORTA KINDA (*)
23 OH, OH, MY, MY, OH, OH (*)
24 LAY YOUR HABITS DOWN (*)
25 TRIFLIN’ WOMAN BLUES (*)
26 SO GOOD THIS MORNING (*)
27 WOULD YOU DO ME A FAVOR? (*)
(*) BONUS TRACKS