Bird on 52nd St.

Occupation

• Alto Saxophone: Charlie Parker
• Piano: Duke Jordan
• Trumpet: Miles Davis
• Bass: Tommy Potter
• Drums: Max Roach

Bird on 52nd St. (also Bird on 52nd Street ) is a jazz album by Charlie Parker, recorded at New York's Jazz Club Onyx on July 6, 1948. The recordings were first released on the labels debut and Jazz Workshop by Charles Mingus and published 1972 Fantasy Records as a double album Charlie Parker, coupled with the album Bird at St. Nick's in 1950.

The album

The recordings of Bird on 52nd St. was built to his studio sessions for Dial and Savoy in December 1947 ( Charlie Parker Memorial, Vol 1), but before his appearances at New York's Royal Roost, which are documented in September 1948 ( The Bird Returns ). His regular quintet consisted of Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter and Max Roach. Parker played well known standards like The Way You Look Tonight and How High the Moon, bebop classics like Thelonious Monk's 52nd Street Theme, Dizzy Gillespie's A Night in Tunisia and Tadd Dameron's Hot House and its own title Chasin 'the Bird. The various topics are partially recorded several times, as Monk's Theme and Out of Nowhere. The first version of This Time The Dream 's on Me is the heart of the topic and " leaves Charlie Parker one of his imaginative ' trips ' "; just in topics repetition at the end of Miles Davis shortly to hear of it in the second version of "the same to make wise white theme motifs and Charlie Parker plays around supple dialog. "

Peter Niklas Wilson and Ulf Goeman pointed out that the recording - like Bird at St. Nick's - was recorded with a simple "home recorder and subsequently reduced to a tolerable degree of disturbing noise. One must accept that was often just then disappears when the former technique may require, or a larger solo of ' less important ' goal using that improvisation ' sleepy ' or appears too late in it. " In the restoration of the bands on the occasion of the re-release by Fantasy Records ( 1972) was used by sound engineer Bob Guy much time on cleaning the belts out background noise. This individual parts of the recordings were like a jigsaw puzzle together to form a liquid whole.

The album cover version of the French label America shows Charlie Parker with beret, T -shirt and pinstriped suit as he stands on 52nd Street, in the background the jazz clubs of the 52nd Street.

List of titles

Editorial notes

The recordings first appeared on the label Debut Records, the Charles Mingus operation with Max Roach, three EPs, Charlie Parker - Bird on 52nd Street, Vol 1 (DEP 38), Vol 2 (DEP 39) and Vol 3 ( DEP 40). The LP edition was published around 1962 at Jazz Workshop ( JWS 501), and later with Fantasy (LP 6011, LP 86011 ), Original Jazz Classics ( OJC 114, OJCCD 114-2 ) America (France, 30 AM 6061 ). Under the title Charlie Parker published Fantasy Records Bird at 52 St. 1972, coupled with the 1950 album recorded through Bird at St. Nick's (PR 24009 ) 2007 remastered CD edition. At present (2012 ) is sold album of the Concord Music Group.

In the context of the recordings from the Onyx Club from July 1948 are the parallel recordings by Dean Benedetti which are present in the 7- CD Edition by Mosaic Records.

Review

Peter Niklas Wilson and Ulf Goeman stated that the recording quality, compared to today's standards " undiskutabel " was; " One has to listen carefully when one individual - want to filter out posts from other players in order to gain an impression of how this quintet may have harmonizes - left standing in the selection. "

Scott Yanow awarded the album in Allmusic only 1 ½ ( out of four) stars and complained despite the good game from Parker ( his interpretation of Confirmation was wonderful) the horrible quality of the recording.