Charlie Parker
Bird’s Best Bop on Verve
Verve
After you finish reading this, you’ll probably think I went the punk route. But what can I possibly say about this man that you haven’t already heard? Any attempt at enlightenment on my part would only make me sound ignorant. There’s no way to be erudite when it comes to Charlie Parker because so many greater intellects have written much better words.
So, yeah, of course this is a great disc. It is Charlie Parker, after all. Hell, even his Strings album gets beaucoup props these days. This disc features his small combos on Verve. The names on the collection are a be-bop all-star cavalcade: Dizzy, Miles, Monk, Max Roach, Ray Brown, Kenny Clarke, Percy Heath, Red Rodney, Al Haig, even Buddy Rich. What’s not to like? If you don’t like it, realize, you will be stoned in the town square at dawn•and rightfully so. What more can I possibly say?
Verve Records: http://www.ververecords.com/
