Dizzy and strings – a surprisingly great combination! Although it was Charlie Parker who first made famous the modernist "jazz with strings" approach, Dizzy does wonderfully here in the format – working in similar fashion with edgey backing from the "Operatic String Orchestra" in sessions recorded in Paris in the early 50s! The material was originally only issued as a number of separate 78rpm singles, but is packaged here as a 10" LP for the US market. Titles include "My Old Flame", "The Man I Love", and "Night & Day". 7-inch, Vinyl record

A wonderful assortment of Dizzy Gillespie work from the Verve years – small combo, big band, bebop, and wonderfully groovy! Other players include Kenny Barron, Benny Carter, Roy Eldridge, Stan Getz, Wynton Kelly, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Sonny Rollins. CD

Dizzy and strings – a surprisingly great combination! Although it was Charlie Parker who first made famous the modernist "jazz with strings" approach, Dizzy does wonderfully here in the format – working in similar fashion with edgey backing from the "Operatic String Orchestra" in sessions recorded in Paris in the early 50s! The material was originally only issued as a number of separate 78rpm singles, but is brought together here with full notes and a few bonus tracks – making for a wonderful album that documents this really under-represented part of Dizzy's career. The solos are warm, but edgey – blown over the top of backings that shimmer with rich colors, but have a slightly modern bent. Titles include "Fine & Dandy", "Stormy Weather", "The Very Thought Of You", "Jalousie", "Sweet & Lovely", "The Man I Love", and "Ghost Of A Chance". CD

A collection of classic material by the legendary Dizzy Gillespie – a set that shows the earliest mark he made on modern music, recorded in the late 40s with an array of top-shelf players! The 20 track set list is overflowing with Gillespie classics – presented here in seminal recordings that feature Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, Milt Jackson, and others – some with a bit of scatting vocals from Diz, but mostly an instrumental focus that features plenty of firey trumpet solos! Titles include "Blue N Boogie", "Groovin High", "Dizzy Atmosphere", "Shaw Nuff", "Lover Man", "Salt Peanuts", "Hot House", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Our Delight", "One Bass Hit", "He Beeped When He Should Have Bopped", "Emanon", and "Ray's Idea". CD

Tremendous work from an alto player with a very unique conception – a player who was unlike Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt, or some of his precursors on the instrument – and instead really took off in bold new directions, like Lou Donaldson or fellow Chicagoan Sonny Cox in the mid 60s! Bunky's got a very sharp edge on his horn – one that's deft and skillful, but never too boppish. Instead, he really uses space and timing to carve out a new sort of groove – one that's punctuated slightly by the rhythms of the combo, but which also firmly takes its cue from Bunky's own forcefully blown horn. Players here include Cleveland Eaton on bass, Willie Pickins on piano, and Harold Jones on drums – and titles include "Playin For Keeps", "Mi Compasion", "Brazilano", "Mama Looka Boo Boo", and "What Can I Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Altoist Nick Green is in a mighty sharp group here – one that's tight enough to match the Charlie Parker energy of the leadoff track, but which then moves into more soulful territory that really gives the whole record a wonderful vibe! The great Joe Magnarelli is on trumpet in the frontline, sounding great next to Green as both players really seem to have a way of elevating each other – and Jeb Patton's piano provides these rich currents that take the the whole thing back to the feel of an old Riverside Records or Blue Note date – thanks to crackling energy from Mike Karn on bass and the great Kenny Washington on drums. Green's definitely going to be a player to keep our ears out for in years to come – and titles include "All The Things You Are", "Horizons", "Cheatin", "Tear & A Smile", "Barry", "You Krane", and "A Handful Of Stars". CD

Way more than just the promised tribute to Charlie Parker – and the group features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, Cecil Payne on baritone, Duke Jordan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – all directed by Don Sickler! CD

The title's an apt one – as the record features one side of Duke Ellington compositions, and one side of Charlie Parker tunes – all played by bop legend Al Haig in an intimate solo setting! The obscure date is one of Haig's most personal sessions ever – a record that has even more sensitivity than some of his earlier classics, and which shows a surprisingly deep side of his talents in these later years. There's a subtle sort of charm that marks the Japanese origins of the set – and titles include "Yardbird Suite", "Lover Man", "I Remember You", "Sophisticated Lady", and "Prelude To A Kiss". CD

Rare quartet work from Hampton Hawes – brilliant stuff, too – with some incredible solos by both Hamp and also by Larry Bunker on vibes! Hampton is working here with a group of fellow west coast players including drummer and vibist Bunker (exclusively on the vibes here and he's incredible at it), Clarence Jones on bass and Larry Marable on the kit. Hawes works best in small combos, of course – most often in trios – but the added group dynamics that come in with the vibes here is truly exciting! Includes the Hawes originals "Terrible T", "Fanfare", and the standouts "Hamp's Paws" – plus "Move" (another highlight and one of the fastest moving number on the record), "Squeeze Me", "Once In A While" and riveting take on Charlie Parker's "Buzzy" to close. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous album from Roy Haynes – simple, understated, and extremely well done! There's no tribute to Charlie Parker here – just sweetly swinging work by a group that features Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, and John Scofield – all of whom come together strongly behind Roy's leadership to craft elegant versions of standard jazz tunes, working in lyrical territory that reminds us a lot of Roy's classic 60s recordings. Titles include "Love Letters", "Que Pasa", "Afro Blue", "The Best Thing For You", "Shades Of Senegal 2", and "How Deep Is The Ocean". CD

A tribute to the music of Charlie Parker – but a set that sparkles more from the individual inspiration of the three alto giants in the lead – a great lineup that features Gary Bartz, Bobby Watson, and Vincent Herring! The tracks are long, with great lead passages that have all three horns soaring together, then individual solos from each player – and although the songs include a number of classics from the Charlie Parker songbook, the album also features original tunes by Herring and Watson, and another by Jackie McLean – maybe marking the whole thing as being very much in the spirit of its title – a look back at a century that's felt the influence of Bird, with all the alto sax changes that have taken place in the time since his passing. The rhythm trio is excellent too – David Kikoski on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass, and Carl Allen on drums – and titles include "Bird-Ish", "Klactoveedsedstene", "The Hymn", "Folklore", "Bird Lives", and "Yardbird Suite". CD

The complete master takes of Billie Holiday's years recording for Verve, Clef, and Norgran – distilled down from the much larger box set issued a few years earlier – and without all the over-repeated alternates and odd versions that made that other collection a bit frustrating! The work here is all the real deal – 6 CDs worth of tracks recorded with some of the greatest accompaniment Billie ever received in the studio – backing by players who include Charlie Shavers, Harry Edison, Tony Scott, Willie Smith, Flip Phillips, Paul Quinichette, Ben Webster, and many others – all documented here nicely in the 60 page book of notes that comes with the set! As with the Charlie Parker Masters collection, this one is very limited edition – packaged in a silver tin box and totally 100 tracks in all! CD

Hunter's getting a lot more sophisticated in his style, and is moving past the heavy funky sound of early days – to a mix of soulful styles that opens him up a lot more. This sextet session features drummer Leon Parker, who always works well with Hunter – plus tenorist Peter Apfelbaum, and percussionists Stephen Chopek and Robert Perkins. Titles include "Two For Bleu", "Al Green", "Rendezvous Avec La Verite", "Flau Flau", and "Cloud Splitter". Also features a nice solo version of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free". CD

Features JC Heard, Buck Clayton, Lee Young, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, Flip Phillips, Hank Jones, Lester Young, Gene Krupa, and others. CD

The set includes 2 long tracks – titled "The Opener" and "Lester Leaps In". Players include Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Hank Jones, Roy Eldridge, and Ray Brown. 7-inch, Vinyl record

With Charlie Parker and Willie Smith on alto; Charlie Ventura and Lester Young on tenor; Al Killian, Dizzy Gillespie, and Howard McGhee on trumpet; Arnold Ross and Mel Powell on piano, Billy Hadnott on bass, and Lee Young on drum. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Recorded in the 40s, and issued only much later by Pablo Records – but a set that's very much in the best spirit of the classic Jazz At The Philharmonic performances that were issued famously by Verve! The set features two key groups – one with Charlie Parker and Sonny Criss on alto sax, Flip Phillips on tenor, Fats Navarro on trumpet, Tommy Turk on trombone, and Hank Jones on piano – playing long jam session takes of "Leap Here", "Indiana", and "Lover Come Back To Me". Then, things move to a smaller group mode on some shorter tracks – with Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Navarro on trumpet, and Jones on piano – on titles that include "Rifftide", "Stuffy", and "The Things We Did Last Summer". CD

One of the weirdest, wildest albums ever from Eddie Jefferson – a real standout classic that shows him retooling his sound for the 70s! After years of writing lyrics to James Moody and Charlie Parker tunes, Eddie lays out some crazy lyrics for modern jazz standards like "Freedom Jazz Dance" and "Bitches Brew", as well as "Night In Tunisia", which he'd never done before – and also offers up a great take on Cannonball's "Things Are Getting Better", not to mention Sly Stone's "Thank You Fallentinme Be Mice Elf Again"! There's a few more standard bop number in the mix too – like "Billie's Bounce" and "I Just Got Back In Town – and support is from a great group that includes Billy Mitchell on tenor, Joe Newman on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Mickey Tucker on keyboards. CD

A beautifully vivid set from Jack Kerouac – one that has him reading his own music set to spare piano accompaniment by Steve Allen – most of which was improvised for the set! The pairing of Kerouac and Allen seems an unlikely one, but it really works well here – as Jack's quite relaxed in the studio, and really reads with a bit more feeling than usual – really put at ease by Allen's surprisingly great piano lines, which never try to dominate, and mostly just tinkle lightly behind Kerouac's recitations. Most numbers are short, and titles include "October In The Railroad Earth", "Deadbelly", "McDougal Street Blues", "I'd Rather Be Thin Than Famous", "Charlie Parker", "Dave Brubeck", and "The Sounds of the Universe Coming in My Window". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto – plus Adam O'Darrill on trumpet, Matt Mitchell on piano, Francois Moutin on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – performing a set of original tunes, all based on pieces or solos by Charlie Parker. CD

Insanely wonderful early work from Charlie Mariano – some of the freshest, cleanest alto sax work of its time – blown with a tone and sense of soul that goes way beyond some of Mariano's contemporaries at the time! The album was recorded for Bethlehem Records, and is relatively straight – but Charlie already shows a sense of complexity in his presentation that hints at all the greatness to come – and which bursts out here with some refreshing energy that really makes the whole thing sparkle. Charlie's tone is impeccable – somewhere between Lee Konitz and Charlie Parker, with that back bay Boston blend of soul and modernism, making the city one of the best scenes for alto players in the 50s – and he gets some strong rhythm support from the trio of John Williams on piano, Max Bennett on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Titles include "Blues", "Floormat", "I Heard You Cried Last Night", "Johnny One Note", and "King For A Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work from Charlie Mariano – key proof of his genius, and one of the main albums we'd recommend by him! The album has Charlie coming of his years in the Boston scene – boppish at some level, but blowing with a raspy soulfulness that really opens up his horn into new territory – not Charlie Parker, not Lee Konitz, but a whole new space and sound of expression for the alto sax! The group features Stu Williamson on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone – both players who bring a slight west coast feel to the record, but never in too-cool ways that dampen Mariano's sound! Titles include "Green Walls", "Chloe", "Manteca", "S'Nice", "You Go To My Head", and "Give A Little Whistle". CD

Brilliant early work from Charlie Mariano – key proof of his genius, and one of the main albums we'd recommend by him! The album has Charlie coming of his years in the Boston scene – boppish at some level, but blowing with a raspy soulfulness that really opens up his horn into new territory – not Charlie Parker, not Lee Konitz, but a whole new space and sound of expression for the alto sax! There's a deftness here that's undeniable – but the album also has a sense of soul and personality that goes way deeper than simply sharp soloing – a quality that easily puts Charlie up there next to Lou Donaldson and Sonny Stitt in the 50s! The CD features work from dates recorded in Hollywood in 1953 and 1955 – all for Bethlehem (under the titles Charlie Mariano Plays and Sapphire, by Stu Williamson) – with 5 tracks that feature a core group with Stu Williamson on trumpet, Claude Williamson on piano, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Max Bennett on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – then 13 more that drop out either Rosolino or Stu for quintet formation. Titles include "Green Walls", "Chloe", "S'Nice", "You Go To My Head", "Slugger", "Just Max", "TK", "Rubberneck", "Jeepers Creepers", and "Strike Up The Band". CD

Insanely wonderful early work from Charlie Mariano – some of the freshest, cleanest alto sax work of its time – blown with a tone and sense of soul that goes way beyond some of Mariano's contemporaries at the time! The album was recorded for Bethlehem Records, and is relatively straight – but Charlie already shows a sense of complexity in his presentation that hints at all the greatness to come – and which bursts out here with some refreshing energy that really makes the whole thing sparkle. Charlie's tone is impeccable – somewhere between Lee Konitz and Charlie Parker, with that back bay Boston blend of soul and modernism, making the city one of the best scenes for alto players in the 50s – and he gets some strong rhythm support from the trio of John Williams on piano, Max Bennett on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Titles include "Blues", "Floormat", "I Heard You Cried Last Night", "Johnny One Note", and "King For A Day". CD

An excellent – and totally rare – recording of Freddie Redd's score to The Connection – done more famously on Blue Note under Freddie's own name. This isn't the version that was released by Blue Note, nor is it the version on Charlie Parker records – instead, it's an obscure set led by trumpeter Howard McGhee (during his great comeback period of the early 60's), and featuring the amazing tenor talents of Tina Brooks (whose few Blue Note sessions are the stuff of legend!) Freddie Redd plays piano on the set, and he plays with as much fire as on his Blue Note recording of the music – with with McGhee in the lead, the sound is quite different. Titles include "Wigglin", "Who Killed Cock Robin", "OD", "Jim Dunn's Dilemma", and "Time To Smile". LP, Vinyl record album

Features some early alto by Charlie Parker – plus tenor by Paul Quinichette, and vocals by Walter Brown and Al Hibbler! LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal session that was virtually one of the only west coast attempts to replicate the famous "cubop" mix of bebop and Latin that had been evolving over the years in the New York scene. Machito percussionists like Jose Mangual and Ubaldo Nieto join a west coast group that includes alto player Frank Morgan, trumpeter Conte Candoli, pianist Carl Perkins, and other LA boppers. The back of the record proclaims that with the death of Charlie Parker, someone must step in as the new bop genius – and Morgan does a capable job on tracks like "Wippet", "Chooch", "The Champ", and "Bernie's Tune" – and on the record's non-Latin numbers, included here to expand the release to a 12" format. LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Keni Mori really lives up to the spirit of the title here – given that five of the album's six tracks are Charlie Parker compositions – all played by the group with a nicely updated version of bebop roots! The feel of the record is warmer than an older bop session from the late 40s – thanks in part to the use of guitar by Toshihisa Morita, and Yamaha piano by Yoshiko Naya – both players who still play boppish lines, but with more contemporary colorings – with a sound that's maybe a bit like some of the best bop revival material coming out on Muse Records at the end of the 70s! Mori himself plays both alto and flute – the latter of which makes for a nice change – and titles include "Confirmation", "My Little Suede Shoes", "Moose The Moche", "Exit", and "Donna Lee". CD

A 50s Fantasy album that brings together 2 earlier 10" jazz sessions – one by Mulligan and one by Desmond, both unusual outings for the players. Side one features Gerry Mulligan working with a strong early group – Chet Baker on trumpet, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Carson Smith on bass – on 4 tracks recorded in San Francisco, and 4 others recorded slightly later in LA. The tunes are short, piano-less, and have that fluid 50s Mulligan groove – and titles include "Turnstile", "Limelight", "Carioca", "Bark For Barksdale", and "Line For Lyons". Side two is a session that features 4 tracks with Paul in a quintet with Dick Collins on trumpet and Dave Van Kriedt on tenor sax – working without a piano, and in a fluid-grooving style that recalls a lot of the Gerry Mulligan style of the time. The other 4 tracks from the set are even more unique – and have Desmond blowing dreamily over a "with voices" chorus – done with the Bill Bates singers in a style that's warmer than similar work by Charlie Parker, and which really points the way towards some of the Desmond solo genius of the 60s. Titles include "Jeruvian", "Garden In The Rain", "Misty Window", "Winky", "Soon", and "Will I Know". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set that brings together Fats Navarro's recordings for Savoy – late 40s sides that were always poorly packaged and annotated on record, which are compiled here wonderfully, with great notes, and a few unissued tracks! Players include Leo Parker, Kenny Dorham, Sonny Stitt, Ernie Henry, Tadd Dameron, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, and Charlie Rouse – and the set's got a huge amount of titles, including "Boppin A Riff", "Fat Boy", "Everything's Cool", "Webb City", "Fracture", "Calling Dr Jazz", "Red Pepper", "Spinal", "Fat Girl", "Ice Freezes Red", "A Bebop Carol", and "The Tadd Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Tadd Dameron, Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Coleman Hawkins, Howard McGhee, and more. CD

Features Monty Alexander, Barry Harris, Ray Brown, Walter Davis Jr, Ron Carter, and Charles McPherson playing alongside original solos by Charlie Parker. CD

Sublime work from this oft-overlooked alto player – a wonderful album that features Lennie playing in quintets with Bill Perkins, Bob Gordon, Stu Williamson, and Hampton Hawes – plus added string quartet backings on most of the tunes – making for a shimmering sound that's really magical! The album has traces of Charlie Parker's work with strings – in that Lennie's alto soars over the top of the arrangements with a mellifluous glide and incredible precision, never getting too buried in the arrangements, and striking out with more soul than we've heard on some of his smaller combo records. Titles include "All The Things You Are", "Cross Walk", "Troubled Waters", "Rondo", "Star Eyes", and "Lens". CD

A brilliant meeting of modes from the mighty Arturo O'Farrill – a set that combines a rich tapestry of Cuban styles with American jazz elements from the cubop years and beyond – all into a spacious double-length set of performances that brings together musicians from around the globe, all recording in Havana under Arturo's direction! The tracks are often ambitious, but never overly-complicated – and instead almost take us back to the clarity of vision that we first loved in the older Afro-Cuban experiments of Machito with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – and the ability of those records to throw out many ideas at once, yet keep things very fluid and forward-moving at all times. Most tunes were written especially for the project – and titles include "Vaca Frita", "Second Line Soca", "El Bombon", "Just One Moment", "The Triumphant Journey", "Afro Latin Jazz Suite", "Guajira Simple", "Alabanza", "Blues Guaguanco", and "There's A Statue Of Jose Marti In Central Park". CD

Twin alto sax work from the leaders – blowing here together with a really rich sound that almost feels like some of Phil Woods alto-heavy dates from years back, but with a vibe that's more 70s Japanese as well! The pair are both great soloists on their own – and step out in the lead on boppish tracks, but with phrasing that's far beyond just hokey Charlie Parker cliches – given an even more modern sense of expression through the quintet's use of guitarist Kazumi Watanabe, alongside bass and drums. The set features 11 minute takes on both "Lover Man" and "Scrapple From The Apple" – plus the side-long original "Blues For T&O", which runs for 19 minutes! CD

Twin alto sax work from the leaders – blowing here together with a really rich sound that almost feels like some of Phil Woods alto-heavy dates from years back, but with a vibe that's more 70s Japanese as well! The pair are both great soloists on their own – and step out in the lead on boppish tracks, but with phrasing that's far beyond just hokey Charlie Parker cliches – given an even more modern sense of expression through the quintet's use of guitarist Kazumi Watanabe, alongside bass and drums. The set features 11 minute takes on both "Lover Man" and "Scrapple From The Apple" – plus the side-long original "Blues For T&O", which runs for 19 minutes! CD

Kenneth Patchen, like Kenneth Rexroth, was one of the few poets who really understood what it meant to read and write in a jazz idiom – as you'll hear on this excellent set of beatnik jazz tracks! The album features Patchen reading in a great style – angular, cynical, really working the words of his poems perfectly over backings by the Alan Neil Quartet. The poems are set to music written by George Wallington, Charlie Parker, and others – and tracks include "There's A Place", "They Won't Let You In There", "Do I Not Deal With Angels", "Not Many Kingdoms Left", "The Lonesome Boy Blues", "As I Opened The Window", and "A Sight Is Little Altered". CD

Beautiful work from one of our favorite vibes players – a return to basic hardbop from Dave Pike, recorded in conjunction with soulful altoist Charles McPherson! Given the title, and the tunes, the set's ostensibly a tribute to Charlie Parker – but the tunes themselves are played in more open, introspective versions than Bird might have done, especially considering the use of the vibes! In fact, McPherson drops out for a number of tracks on the set, letting Pike take the main solos on some of the tunes, and even stepping aside for one piano trio-only number as well. Titles include "Old Folks", "Anthropology", "Ornithology", and "Bluebird". CD

The second half of the legendary Jazz At Massey Hall performance from 1953 – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

The second half of the legendary Jazz At Massey Hall performance from 1953 – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". CD

The second half of the legendary Jazz At Massey Hall performance from 1953 – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent bit of early 60s soulbop – and one of two rare albums ever cut by the obscure female alto player Vi Redd, one of the few women sax players of her generation to get recorded! The album's got an easygoing groove that's mighty nice – a touch of R&B at times, but not nearly as much as you'd hear on Redd's other record for Atlantic – thanks to a sensitive jazz-based presentation by a group that also features a young Roy Ayers on vibes, making his first-ever appearance on record! Other players include Herb Ellis on guitar and Russ Freeman on piano – plus Kansas Lawrence on trumpet, who's clearly a bigger-name player working under another name. Vi sings on the record, in addition to playing alto sax – in this laidback way that's a bit like Trudy Pitts – and although the record's billed as a tribute to Charlie Parker, it's got a lot more going on than that! Tracks include "Summertime", "Old Folks", "Just Friends", "Now's The Time", "Anthropology", and "Cool Blues Perhaps". LP, Vinyl record album

Dewey Redman's struggle is our success – as the album's one of the strongest from the ECM catalog at the time, and a simple, clean statement of the Redman talent at its best! The setting is a quartet one – in a group that includes Charles Eubanks on piano, Mark Helias on bass, and Ed Blackwell in drums – all coming together beautifully with one aim in mind: to give Dewey just the right platform for blowing on each number. "Love Is" is a gently soulful tune that has a warm lyrical quality, offset by the harder, blusier approach of "Turn Over Baby", or the freer explorations of "Combinations" – all of which are Redman originals. And if that's not enough, the group swing back into bop territory for a closing rendition of Charlie Parker's "Dewey Square", taken by Redman at a personal pace with few traces of Parker. CD

Charlie Parker may live again in the title of this set – but given the strengths of the group, the album would be great even without a reference to Bird! The setting's a bop one, as you'd guess – but there's also a lot more going on here too, given that some of the tunes are longer and open – and almost show some of the maturation of all the players on the date – especially saxophonist Charles McPherson and pianist Barry Harris, both of whom got their start with boppish ideas, but who were really branching out by the time of this early 70s session. The quintet also features some excellent rhythm from Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums – both players who bring plenty of fresh ideas to the table – and Red Rodney's work on trumpet has lots of earthy notes that show a strong sense of personality too. Titles include "Big Foot", "I'll Remember April", "Donna Lee", "Chasing The Bird", "Round Midnight", and "52nd Street Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor of Sonny Rollins pays tribute to the alto of Charlie Parker – in a landmark set that's one of Sonny's real standout 50s sessions for Prestige! Sonny's tone on the tenor is proud and bold throughout – able to shift and turn in the spirit of Bird, but also very much in Rollins' own highly inventive mode as well. The group features Max Roach on drums – who cut a contemporary Bird tribute of his own on Mercury – plus Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Wade Legge on piano, and George Morrow on bass. Titles include a "Bird Medley" that takes up all of side one – featuring "Old Folks", "Star Eyes", "Just Friends", and "My Little Suede Shoes", all given the Parker twist – and side 2 features a great long cut called "Kids Know", plus a shorter take on "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face". CD also features a bonus 9 minute reading of "The House I Live In". CD

2 classic Prestige sides from Sonny Rollins – back to back on one CD! First up is Saxophone Colossus, quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". Next up is the equally great Worktime – a record that perfectly illustrates why Rollins was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

If worktime was like this for us, you'd catch us showing up on the job early every day – but sadly, nothing at our office can match the brilliance of early Sonny Rollins here – a sharp-edged genius that perfectly illustrates why he was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

If worktime was like this for us, you'd catch us showing up on the job early every day – but sadly, nothing at our office can match the brilliance of early Sonny Rollins here – a sharp-edged genius that perfectly illustrates why he was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

If worktime was like this for us, you'd catch us showing up on the job early every day – but sadly, nothing at our office can match the brilliance of early Sonny Rollins here – a sharp-edged genius that perfectly illustrates why he was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

George Russell was always committed to exploring new territory – as he proves well on this hard to find album cut for Riverside during the early 60s! Russell's surrounded himself here with some great younger and lesser-known players – including trumpeter Don Ellis, trombonist Garnett Brown, tenorist Paul Plummer, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca – as well as vocalist Sheila Jordan, who joins the group on a strange extended version of "You Are My Sunshine". The set contains 2 other loopy originals by Russell – "The Outer View" and "DC Divertimento" – as well as versions of Carla Bley's "Zig Zag" and Charlie Parker's "Au Prive". CD

A killer record – one with some great modal tracks! Unlike Tony Scott's other LPs on Verve, which feature some extended meditative tracks with more Eastern instrumentation than jazz, this one's got a great blend of Scott's two sides, and some shorter tracks that are really nice groovers, with off-kilter solos on instruments like oud, sitar, and clarinet that give the set a really groovy feel. The best cuts have a sort of Coltraney modal feel, but there's also some cuts with an organ, and one duet between Scott and Richard Davis. Tracks include "Nina Dance", "Ode To An Oud", "Homage To Lord Krishna", "Swara Sulina", "Sophisticated Lady" and "Blues For Charlie Parker". CD

Duo recordings of standards made famous by Charlie Parker, with titles including "Moose The Mooche", "Ornithology", "Billie's Blues", "Yardbird Suite" and more. CD

A rare return to recording for alto player Buster Smith – captured here in a setting that's even sharper than before! Smith has roots that go back to the 30s bands of Bennie Moten and Andy Kirk – but he also was an early boss of Charlie Parker, who claimed to be strongly influenced by his alto – and you can definitely hear Buster take off in a few Bird-like flights during the set! The groove is mostly older swing-based jazz, yet there's a sharper edge too – and certainly an understanding of bop that informs the solos. Buster's tone is incredible throughout – deeply personal, and very soulful – and titles include "Late Late", "Organ Grinder's Swing", "King Alcohol", and "Kansas City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Magical music from the team of Donald Fagan and Walter Becker – one of those records that seems to state its existence in simple, straightforward terms – but which is also filled with undeniably complex moments! There's a definite echo of older jazz here – heard famously in the Horace Silver riff stolen for "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", or the Duke Ellington cover of "East St Louis Toodle-oo" – as well as in the group's own "Parker's Band" – one of the strangest songs you'll ever hear about Bird! Yet there's also a lot more going on too – complicated changes and timings, oblique lyrics, and a warmly produced sound that really sparkles on tracks like "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", "Monkey In Your Soul", "With A Gun", "Pretzel Logic", "Night By Night", and "Charlie Freak". LP, Vinyl record album

The title might sound a bit clinical, but the music within is anything but – and instead is that sort of special, magical work that always makes Sonny Stitt a real cut above most of his contemporaries! The notes try to link Stitt to Charlie Parker – but apart from a postwar sense of invention on alto sax, the sounds within are quite different – more spacious and soulful than Parker, although equally deft in their own sort of way – blown with a confidence that knows how to take its time, in a way that comes through especially strong on the mellow cuts. At the surface, there might not be anything special to the record – but the first listen will definitely let you know you're in they company of something special – on titles that include "Blues For Yard", "Harlem Nocturne", "Windy Ride", and a haunting take of "Because Of You". CD

The title might sound a bit clinical, but the music within is anything but – and instead is that sort of special, magical work that always makes Sonny Stitt a real cut above most of his contemporaries! The notes try to link Stitt to Charlie Parker – but apart from a postwar sense of invention on alto sax, the sounds within are quite different – more spacious and soulful than Parker, although equally deft in their own sort of way – blown with a confidence that knows how to take its time, in a way that comes through especially strong on the mellow cuts. At the surface, there might not be anything special to the record – but the first listen will definitely let you know you're in they company of something special – on titles that include "Blues For Yard", "Harlem Nocturne", "Windy Ride", and a haunting take of "Because Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Stitt remembers Bird? How could he ever forget him – given the fact that as an alto saxophonist, Stitt always had to work hard to avoid any comparisons! Seriously, though, this is a nice set of boppish material that moves past the usual Charlie Parker tribute – and in fact, none of the tracks are by Bird – and Sonny blows both tenor and alto – in a great group with Frank Rosolino on trombone, Dolo Coker on piano, Allen Jackson on bass, and Clarence Johnston on drums. Forget the Charlie Parker reference in the title, and lay back and enjoy the tunes "Watch What Happens", "Waltz For Diane", "Streamlined Stanley", and "I Remember Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible second album from saxophonist Frank Strozier – recorded for Vee Jay records after his initial debut, but for some reason never issued at the time! Strozier was really hitting on all burners at this point – fusing the Memphis soul of his roots with the soulful hardbop he was crafting in Chicago with Harold Mabern and the MJT+3 – a sound that he replicates nicely here, in an intimate quartet setting with Bill Lee on bass, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Billy Wallace on piano. The tunes are moody and soulful – a masterpiece in understatement, and proof that Strozier was one of the most inventive non-Charlie Parker inspired altoists of his time! The CD adds a huge amount of alternate takes to the original sessions – making for a total of 15 numbers in all, with titles that include "Day In Day Out", "Stairway To The Stars", "Cloudy & Cool", "She", "Chris", and "No More". CD

Way more than just a bop-heavy set – a landmark record that shows a side of the Chicago scene that hardly ever made it on record! In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira Sullivan at his best, along with some great local players that include tenorist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, and bassist (Raphael) Don Garrett. The music is what you'd expect – loving renditions of Bird standards like "Klacktoveedesesteene" and "Love Letters" – but there's also a lot more going on underneath, and the album's as much a Charlie Parker tribute as it is a batch of bop and soul jazz numbers with a good underground feel. Titles include "Si Si", "Inchworm", "Milestones", "Sketches", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Shaw Nuff" – and this 2CD reissue adds a heck of a lot more material to the original album – for a total of 15 tracks in all! CD

In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira Sullivan at his best, along with some great local players that include tenorist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, and bassist (Raphael) Don Garrett. The music is what you'd expect – loving renditions of Bird standards like "Klacktoveedesesteene" and "Love Letters" – but there's also a lot more going on underneath, and the album's as much a Charlie Parker tribute as it is a batch of bop and soul jazz numbers with a good underground feel. LP, Vinyl record album

A completely fresh take on the Charlie Parker aesthetic of the bop generation – updated for the 70s, but in ways that are still pretty classic overall! The group's a large one, but plays with a tightness that goes way past their gimmicky name – thanks to players who include Med Flory and Joe Lopes on alto, Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all of whom get in some great licks! Tunes are all short bop classics, played with very tight head arrangements, and some searing breakout solos. Titles include "Ko Ko", "Be Bop", "Repetition", "Night In Tunisia", "Hot House", "Star Eyes", and "Parker's Mood". CD

A completely fresh take on the Charlie Parker aesthetic of the bop generation – updated for the 70s, but in ways that are still pretty classic overall! The group's a large one, but plays with a tightness that goes way past their gimmicky name – thanks to players who include Med Flory and Joe Lopes on alto, Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all of whom get in some great licks! Tunes are all short bop classics, played with very tight head arrangements, and some searing breakout solos. Titles include "Ko Ko", "Be Bop", "Repetition", "Night In Tunisia", "Hot House", "Star Eyes", and "Parker's Mood". CD

A completely fresh take on the Charlie Parker aesthetic of the bop generation – updated for the 70s, but in ways that are still pretty classic overall! The group's a large one, but plays with a tightness that goes way past their gimmicky name – thanks to players who include Med Flory and Joe Lopes on alto, Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all of whom get in some great licks! Tunes are all short bop classics, played with very tight head arrangements, and some searing breakout solos. Titles include "Ko Ko", "Be Bop", "Repetition", "Night In Tunisia", "Hot House", "Star Eyes", and "Parker's Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

The Supersax ensemble takes on the classic concept of Charlie Parker with strings – really sticking true to the groundbreaking spirit of the original experiments, while also bringing things forward a bit with their wonderful multi-horn approach! The group features lead alto from Med Flory, plus tenor from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori, additional alto from Joe Lopes, trumpet from Conte Candoli, and trombone from Frank Rosolino – the latter two of whom really get in some nice solos of their own! Strings are well-scored – with the kind of subtle swing of the old days, and an occasional solo from Bobby Bruce on violin – and titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "Cool Blues", "Kim", "Ornithology", "If I Should Lose You", and "Sign Off". CD

The Supersax ensemble takes on the classic concept of Charlie Parker with strings – really sticking true to the groundbreaking spirit of the original experiments, while also bringing things forward a bit with their wonderful multi-horn approach! The group features lead alto from Med Flory, plus tenor from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori, additional alto from Joe Lopes, trumpet from Conte Candoli, and trombone from Frank Rosolino – the latter two of whom really get in some nice solos of their own! Strings are well-scored – with the kind of subtle swing of the old days, and an occasional solo from Bobby Bruce on violin – and titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "Cool Blues", "Kim", "Ornithology", "If I Should Lose You", and "Sign Off". LP, Vinyl record album

Two MPS gems from this unusual 70s ensemble – back to back on the same CD! Chasin The Bird features classic bop modes, updated strongly for the 70s – and played by a hip group of older players who really know how to cook! Supersax is led by Med Flory on alto, who also did the arrangements – and works here with great reed help from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Joe Lopes on alto, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – plus soaring sounds from Conte Candoli and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Lou Levy on piano – all of whom really help the reed players find their groove! Charts are large, as is the ensemble, but there's a nice sense of individual personalities too – even when all the saxophonists are taking a solo together at once. Titles include "Shaw Nuff", "Drifting On A Reed", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Now's The Time", and "The Song Is You". Dynamite is a looser, more free-swinging album than usual for Supersax – one that still has the group working with some key contributions from west coast jazz luminaries, but in a vibe that's almost more small combo than larger ensemble! The tracks here include a fair bit of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker numbers, but the arrangements are mighty fresh – open, and swinging with some hipper 70s touches, thanks to rhythms from a trio that features Lou Levy on piano, Fred Atwood on bass, and John Dentz on drums – players that are never locked into a strict bop mode. As with other Supersax albums, there's a brace of reed players working together at the front – Lanny Morgan on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and both Jay Migliori and Don Menza on tenors – coming together as one voice on the solos, and getting some key help from Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone. Titles include "The Fruit", "Bambu", "Blues For Alice", "Tempus Fugit", "Parker's Mood", and a surprising, but great take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave". CD

One of the most ambitious Cecil Taylor projects of the 80s – a special project performed by a large ensemble at a jazz festival in Poland – an incredible group who really expand the vision in Cecil's music! Make no mistake, Taylor is definitely the leader here – his piano and vocalizations really direct the entire set – but the music brims over with contributions from giants who include Tomasz Stanko and Enrico Rava on trumpets, Conrad Bauer on trombone, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Frank Wright and John Tchicai on tenors, Gunter Hampel on bass clarinet and vibes, and William Parker on bass. The performance features one long piece, but graced with all these really beautiful themes amidst the freer improvisations – coming across with a global vision in jazz that's maybe not unlike some of Charlie Haden's Liberation Music projects, but freer and bolder overall! CD

A definite all-star set from pianist Charles Thompson – one that features killer work from Charlie Parker on alto, Dexter Gordon on tenor, Leo Parker on baritone, and Buck Clayton and Joe Newman on trumpets! LP, Vinyl record album

Features Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, and Leo Parker. CD

An insanely detailed book on the role of drugs in American music – written by a guy who's already written a fair bit about drugs and culture! This time around, Martin Torgoff turns his eye towards the postwar years – looking at the interwoven landscapes of jazz, underground culture, and drugs from the late 40s through the 60s – with chapters that look at both famous figures and lesser-known personas – in a list that includes Billie Holiday, Lester Young, William S Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Charlie Parker, and many more. The book's filled with short chapters that almost each read like a story themselves – never too exploitative, and often never with any sort of judgement at all – just surprising detail about the relation between drugs and performance, writing, or other artistic creation. These short chapters work well to weave together a world behind the scenes – subtle forces that later shaped more famous creations – and the book is a hefty 412 pages, with some black and white images. Book

Recordings from 1947 by Barry Ulanov & His All Star Metronome Jazzmen, with Fats Navarro on trumpet, John LaPorta on clarinet, Charlie Parker on alto, Allen Eager on tenor, Lennie Tristano on piano, Billy Bauer on guitar, Tommy Potter on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums, with Sarah Vaughan on vocals; plus three tunes recorded in 1948 at the Royal Roost by Tadd Dameron & His Orchestra with Allen Eager and Wardell Gray on tenor, Curley Russel on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of recordings from the mid to late 40s, with accompaniment by Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Teddy Wilson, Billy Taylor, Don Byas, JC Heard, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

With Charlie Parker, Max Roach, and more. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A great one from pianist Mal Waldron – a set that marks that renewed sense of energy he found as the 80s approached – a move back to some tighter forms in terms of the inside/outside edge of the improvisational spectrum – but still with some of the freer spirit he'd unlocked in the 70s! The tracks are all nice and long, and are forged by a quartet that features Clifford Jordan on tenor, Cecil McBee on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – a group who definitely have some of the spirit of Jordan in this setting, but with all the deeper tones that Waldron can bring to a date. Jordan is tremendous, and the album features three long tracks – "Charlie Parker's Last Supper", "Hymn From The Inferno", and "What It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record, and one that definitely hangs strongly on the "and more" promised in the title – as alto sax genius Phil Woods moves very far from the familiar "Charlie Parker With Strings" format you might expect – almost as a statement that shows how much both the setting and Woods have evolved over the decade! There's definitely strings on the set – a full backing that's really seems to inspire Woods towards some of his best work of the period – as does the core rhythm contributions from Ben Arnov on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Douglas Sides on drums – all players who seem to be higher in the mix than the strings, which really emphasizes their presence. The tracks include some long takes on classic Bird/strings songbook material, plus some great surprises – all in nicely different versions. Titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "I'll Remember April", "Easy To Love", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Repetition", "The Best Thing For You Is Me/How Deep Is The Ocean", "Solitude", "Willow Weep For Me", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". CD

Really wonderful work from alto genius Phil Woods – already showing a sense of tone and timing that breaks him away from all the Charlie Parker devotees on the market! The groups are great, and Jimmy Raney adds in some amazing chromatic work on guitar – bringing to Phil the same sort of magic he shared with Stan Getz around the same time. CD

Really wonderful work from alto genius Phil Woods – already showing a sense of tone and timing that breaks him away from all the Charlie Parker devotees on the market! The groups are great, and Jimmy Raney adds in some amazing chromatic work on guitar – bringing to Phil the same sort of magic he shared with Stan Getz around the same time. LP, Vinyl record album

The team of Phil Woods & Gene Quill hit Prestige Records – and get a bit more space to blow than on other sessions of the time! The album's definitely got a quality that lives up to the "with prestige" in the title – a classy, careful sort of sound that's very much the height of alto work for the time – a style that's modern, yet never too much so – and informed by bop, but never in the shadow of Charlie Parker or Sonny Stitt. Rhythm is strong – by George Syran on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – but it's mostly there just to give the players the right impetus to blow nicely together. Titles include "Lazy Like", "Nothing But Soul", "A Night At St Nicks", and "Black Cherry Fritters". CD

The team of Phil Woods & Gene Quill hit Prestige Records – and get a bit more space to blow than on other sessions of the time! The album's definitely got a quality that lives up to the "with prestige" in the title – a classy, careful sort of sound that's very much the height of alto work for the time – a style that's modern, yet never too much so – and informed by bop, but never in the shadow of Charlie Parker or Sonny Stitt. Rhythm is strong – by George Syran on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – but it's mostly there just to give the players the right impetus to blow nicely together. Titles include "Lazy Like", "Nothing But Soul", "A Night At St Nicks", and "Black Cherry Fritters". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Glen Miller, Harry James, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gilliespie, and more. CD