VINYL HEAVEN - No: 2
CHARLIE PARKER - Cool Blues
Saga Eros ERO 8005 - Released 1966 Recorded 1945/1946/1947/1951
Track listing and Personnel Charlie Parker (alt) on all tracks, unless noted, A1) Halleljah, Red Norvo And His Selected Sextet: Dizzy Gillespie (tpt), Flip Phillips (tnr), Teddy Wilson (pno), Red Norvo (vbs) Slam Stewart (bs), Specs Powell (drs). A2) Slam Slam Blues, As A1 but J.C. Heard (drs). A3) Diggin' Diz', Dizzy Gillespie (tpt), Lucky Thompson (tnr), Milt Jackson (vbs), Al Haig or Dodo Marmarosa (pno), Arvin Garrison (gtr) Ray Brown (bs), Stan Levey (drs). A4) When I Grow Too Old To Dream, As A3 but no Parker, Gillespie, Thompson, and Jackson (vcl). A5) Confirmation, As A3. B1) Cool Blues, Errol Garner (pno), Red Callender (bs), Harold "Doc" West (drs) B2) Dark Shadows, As A3 plus Earl Coleman (vcl). B3) This Is Always, As A3 plus Earl Coleman (vcl). B4) My Little Suede Shoes, Walter Bishop (pno), Mundell lowe (gtr), Teddy Kotick (bs), Max Roach or Roy Haynes (drs). B5) Lester Leaps In, As B4.
This fine album from 1966 was Volume 1 of a five disc compilation series issued by the Saga Eros budget label based in West London. "Bird" was of course a musical genius, his recordings throughout his short career are timeless and here with the exception of the final track from 1951 he is showcased in an unusually laid back and melodic mood. There are some outstanding contributions from others throughout these sessions, although with the notable exception of Gillespie, some of the players on the 40's takes had yet to come fully to terms with the concept of Be-Bop. Red Norvo with his very precise and vibratoless style on vibes is a perfect foil for Parker on the opening two tracks from New York in 45 as is Flip Phillips with his laconic contributions on tenor. "Diggin' Diz" and "Confirmation" were lifted from Ross Russell's Dial recordings of 46 in Hollywood where the band recorded under the name of "The Dizzy Gillespie Jazzmen" and show Parker, Lucky Thompson and Arvin Garrison all on top of their game. "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" features the same line up with Bird laying out as the vocal refrain from Diz, Lucky and Milt Jackson is perhaps not delivered with the panache that composers Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein intended.
Superb as most of the Side A tracks are, the bar is raised to even greater heights on Side B. Things kick off with the Parker self penned classic "Cool Blues", an absolute masterpiece with stunning solo's from the leader and pianist Garner and a fine bass and piano exchange to boot. The same group with Harold "Doc" West on drums remain for this 1947 Hollywood session as vocalist Earl Coleman joins the band for the two tracks that are the signature pieces of his much under recorded career. There is much similarity here with the yet to come famous Johnny Hartman, John Coltrane session for Impluse Records in 1963. The vocalist also recorded with Fats Navarro, Sonny Rollins and Jay McShann but never reached such heights again and remained a shadowy figure until his death in New York, aged 69. The two closing tracks come from a pair of NYC sessions of 1951. Mundell Lowe's guitar is featured on Bird's own "My Little Suede Shoes" before an uproarious live version of "Lester Leaps In" finds the saxophonist flying at breakneck tempo before a rapturous and highly vocal crowd which together form a very appropriate atmosphere to reflect the lifestyle and music of one of the all time jazz greats.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
CHARLIE PARKER - Cool Blues
Saga Eros ERO 8005 - Released 1966 Recorded 1945/1946/1947/1951
Track listing and Personnel Charlie Parker (alt) on all tracks, unless noted, A1) Halleljah, Red Norvo And His Selected Sextet: Dizzy Gillespie (tpt), Flip Phillips (tnr), Teddy Wilson (pno), Red Norvo (vbs) Slam Stewart (bs), Specs Powell (drs). A2) Slam Slam Blues, As A1 but J.C. Heard (drs). A3) Diggin' Diz', Dizzy Gillespie (tpt), Lucky Thompson (tnr), Milt Jackson (vbs), Al Haig or Dodo Marmarosa (pno), Arvin Garrison (gtr) Ray Brown (bs), Stan Levey (drs). A4) When I Grow Too Old To Dream, As A3 but no Parker, Gillespie, Thompson, and Jackson (vcl). A5) Confirmation, As A3. B1) Cool Blues, Errol Garner (pno), Red Callender (bs), Harold "Doc" West (drs) B2) Dark Shadows, As A3 plus Earl Coleman (vcl). B3) This Is Always, As A3 plus Earl Coleman (vcl). B4) My Little Suede Shoes, Walter Bishop (pno), Mundell lowe (gtr), Teddy Kotick (bs), Max Roach or Roy Haynes (drs). B5) Lester Leaps In, As B4.
This fine album from 1966 was Volume 1 of a five disc compilation series issued by the Saga Eros budget label based in West London. "Bird" was of course a musical genius, his recordings throughout his short career are timeless and here with the exception of the final track from 1951 he is showcased in an unusually laid back and melodic mood. There are some outstanding contributions from others throughout these sessions, although with the notable exception of Gillespie, some of the players on the 40's takes had yet to come fully to terms with the concept of Be-Bop. Red Norvo with his very precise and vibratoless style on vibes is a perfect foil for Parker on the opening two tracks from New York in 45 as is Flip Phillips with his laconic contributions on tenor. "Diggin' Diz" and "Confirmation" were lifted from Ross Russell's Dial recordings of 46 in Hollywood where the band recorded under the name of "The Dizzy Gillespie Jazzmen" and show Parker, Lucky Thompson and Arvin Garrison all on top of their game. "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" features the same line up with Bird laying out as the vocal refrain from Diz, Lucky and Milt Jackson is perhaps not delivered with the panache that composers Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein intended.
Superb as most of the Side A tracks are, the bar is raised to even greater heights on Side B. Things kick off with the Parker self penned classic "Cool Blues", an absolute masterpiece with stunning solo's from the leader and pianist Garner and a fine bass and piano exchange to boot. The same group with Harold "Doc" West on drums remain for this 1947 Hollywood session as vocalist Earl Coleman joins the band for the two tracks that are the signature pieces of his much under recorded career. There is much similarity here with the yet to come famous Johnny Hartman, John Coltrane session for Impluse Records in 1963. The vocalist also recorded with Fats Navarro, Sonny Rollins and Jay McShann but never reached such heights again and remained a shadowy figure until his death in New York, aged 69. The two closing tracks come from a pair of NYC sessions of 1951. Mundell Lowe's guitar is featured on Bird's own "My Little Suede Shoes" before an uproarious live version of "Lester Leaps In" finds the saxophonist flying at breakneck tempo before a rapturous and highly vocal crowd which together form a very appropriate atmosphere to reflect the lifestyle and music of one of the all time jazz greats.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
