Charlie Parker - The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes

Miles Davis once said that the history of jazz could be summed up in four words: “Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker.” A less modest assessment would undoubtedly include Davis himself and a few others, but there’s no denying that Parker’s soaring sax improvisations are central to jazz. Like Armstrong’s The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, this three-CD set is essential listening for any music lover, the cream of the saxophonist’s finest studio work—and more affordable than the eight-CD set issued two years ago. With liner notes and annotation by Stanley Crouch, the package features Davis and Dizzy Gillespie on such joyful Savoy tracks as “KoKo” and “Billie’s Bounce” and on brilliant Dial recordings like “Yardbird Suite” and “A Night in Tunisia.” But it is always Parker whose star shines the brightest, on slow, aching numbers like “Parker’s Mood” or mid-tempo, mellifluous tunes such as “Bird of Paradise.” For those who prefer Parker live, his Best of the Complete Live Performances on Savoy is now also available. Bird is the word.