Charlie Parker - the live recordngs

[altissimo]

NB - those of you who aren't very keen on Charlie Parker should go and read something else, there's nothing here that will change your mind...
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It occurs to me that those of you who like Charlie Parker may not be familiar with the plethora of live recordings that are out there. Many of the recordings are of poor quality, but if you can listen through the murk, there's plenty of fine music.
A lot of these recordings were made by audience members and musicians at gigs with portable recorders (a rarity in those days) or recorded off the radio at home, so sound quality isn't very good and the tapes have deteriorated over the decades, but it's all we've got to go on to get a glimpse of what Bird got up to on the bandstand when he wasn't constrained by the time limits of studio recordings.
I've not included the various 'Jazz At The Philharmonic' recordings in this list, they're definitely worth checking out, I was mainlyt looking for obscure stuff that I'd not heard before when I got into this mammoth Parker-thon via this discography - http://www.jazzdisco.org/charlie-parker/discography/
Most of this stuff has been released on many different albums over the years, so it becomes hard to tell what's what any more
there's a good list of the currently available cd's here - http://www.thebebopshop.com/acatalog/The_Bebop_Shop_Charlie_Parker_25.html
although you might find them cheaper elsewhere.

I'm always surprised at how much of this stuff there is, and how much I've still not heard yet
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Here's a surprisingly decent recording from New York Town Hall, 22nd of June 1945 - it starts off a bit disorganised with the horns off mic, but then Parker comes in and sparks begin to fly
http://youtu.be/_LtnErL0Nuw?list=PLaqIgnbQjUF9sDae58AoBTf_vbJxFkz8F

this one from Carnegie Hall September 29, 1947 is another good one -
http://youtu.be/k2RgypJL92Q

Royal Roost, NYC, January 1, 1949
https://youtu.be/D87cCLd7VGo

I don't think I've ever seen a copy of "Charlie Parker In France" or "Bird In Paris" but there's a bit on youtube that indicates that it should be on my list -
http://youtu.be/1Cdu3o6WxmU

The Pershing Hotel Ballroom in Chicago, October 1950 -
http://youtu.be/_K90Gjyeo_E

"Bird At St Nicks" (St. Nicholas Arena, NYC, February 18, 1950) can usually be picked up cheap on CD, as usual the recording is rough, but the playing is ok -
http://youtu.be/HmdRCut0X2Q

The various recordings from Birdland sound like they're worth a listen -
http://youtu.be/LphuCadyQi0
https://youtu.be/ghNT8dXW-Zw

The 'Apartment Jam Sessions' should also get a mention -
http://youtu.be/FEWlf3Pd-n8

'Bird In Sweden' was what got me started on this search, somehow I've never got around to getting a copy - http://youtu.be/HJ8Ust4dyKM?list=PLbFknnbkaiq1B2muAJzyp-t__0qPcmuSm

'Inglewood Jam' live at the Trade Winds from '52 with Chet Baker -
http://youtu.be/wkRKQVFNJLk

Hi Hat, Boston 1953 -
http://youtu.be/huZdjSMcPvM

Charlie Parker At Storyville -
http://youtu.be/Oqqj8NWiIcg?list=PLbFknnbkaiq14C0-VOfUO9yH876UFMyQf

The Washington Concerts is quite a lively disc - http://youtu.be/dmuOyYQixcs

The Live At The Finale Club CD is a compilation of various performances,not all of them from the Finale Club - https://youtu.be/C14KfysnCz0

no mention of Charlie Parker live recordings would be complete without mention of the archives of Dean Benedetti, a fan(atic) who obsessively recorded Bird's sax solos on a primitive wire recorder
here's 52nd St Theme - https://youtu.be/hmcN2-eRc04
and Moose The Mooch - https://youtu.be/GryMBJPJXbE
in ultra low fidelity. These vital snippets were lost for decades until tracked down a while ago and released on a box set for the real hardcore devotees

And finally, here's Embraceable You from a party at Jirayr Zorthian's ranch - http://youtu.be/l1Mpxk83d1k
Zorthian was an artist notorious for hosting wild parties at his arts commune, although he's probably best known as being a close friend of physicist Richard Feynmann. Much fun seems to have been had by all -
http://www.laweekly.com/news/everyb...er-at-the-wildest-party-in-la-history-4833306

 

[altissimo]

I completely forgot the Jazz At Massey Hall album -
https://youtu.be/W5sEttTjG-s?list=PLL1GwBLLh1dR9te_d-pOIcvLsj-H1-9w1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_at_Massey_Hall

... ooh, and this jam session from Christy's Restaurant, Boston April 12, 1951 -
https://youtu.be/WzFybeUVcLo?list=PLbFknnbkaiq1VNyYrhhO4bKCJoUwynkLj

 

[Young Col]

Thanks for putting that all together. You're right that some of them take a lot of selective listening through the murk of club and concert hall noise and just poor recording circumstances, but thank goodness they were done at all. As you say, they really do allow you to hear Bird in full flow.

I've heard a few of these and I've got the Massey Hall album (what a line up!), but I'll try to work through them. Cheers!

 

[altissimo]

there's a complete Massey Hall recordings CD with the full concert cleaned up and without Mingus' bass overdubs that I've got on my shopping list. I there;s also be a book about the gig and the problems of organising a bunch of wayward jazz musicians - I think Bud Powell snuck off and got drunk upon arrival...
Jazz musicians these days seem like such a tame bunch

 

[Young Col]

Yes I do have the complete recording, but not sure if it has the overdubs or not. It does say it is the only one that is in the original sequence, but apparently that's not so. Mine is on the Jazz Factory label.

I did read a fairly full account in a Bird biography. The CD sleeve notes bear it out. As well as Bud Powell being a mess, so was Bird. He'd had left his sax in NY and had to play on a borrowed plastic one - there's a photo of him playing the Grafton. I guess that was the first time. The New Jazz Society of Toronto that organised the gig got the plane tickets wrong for the band so they turned up at different times. They also forgot that it was also the night of the Marciano/Walcott fight rematch and only 700 came to the concert in a 2000 seater hall plus Dizzy kept wandering off stage to check progress. There were problems with the recording as well. Amazing that such brilliant stuff came out of it!

 

[Young Col]

Just an update.. you've got me listening to the Massey Hall concert for the first time for ages! My Jazz Factory cd does not have the Mingus overdubs. In fact the sound is not at all bad for a live recording in the 50's. It's great listening.

Apparently the Mingus overdubbing, which was supposed to have made the whole sound worse, was done by Rudy van Gelder. That it was done at all was because the original recording had so much noise on it that Mingus' bass was obscured - although on my cd he's clearly audible and there is nothing to say it has been remastered. It must have been rare mistake by van Gelder.

 

[trimmy]

there's a complete Massey Hall recordings CD with the full concert cleaned up and without Mingus' bass overdubs that I've got on my shopping list.

Just ordered from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Jazz-at-Massey-Hall/dp/B0000A0DS4

 

[Young Col]

That's the one I've got Trimmy. I see now in typically small print that it says that during the transfer from original masters to digital, a lot of noise reduction was done. The result might even have made Mingus happy. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

 

[altissimo]

Just ordered from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Jazz-at-Massey-Hall/dp/B0000A0DS4

I've heard that one - they've done a good job on remastering it and it's got the extra bits.
I think Mingus resorted to overdubbing his bass on the original Debut release because it wasn't very audible on the tape he had - not that there was anything wrong with his overdubs, I've got the old vinyl version and it's what we'v been used to for decades, but this remaster is the best version yet released.

I'm tempted by the Complete Royal Roost Broadcasts, I've heard some of that stuff on the Savoy box set I've got and while it's the usual single mic at the front of the stage recording that was typical of broadcasts of that era, the quality is pretty good and the playing is excellent

 

[altissimo]

just a few of the Royal Roost broadcasts - https://youtu.be/vG-6LArtOoI?list=PLbFknnbkaiq3aC4_kuhlLIhwlpi6M2pHI

 

[kernewegor]

Altissimo - thank you so much for this - I have often thought that it was tragic that recording technology and the recording industry developed too late to give us the recordings which the early years of bebop deserved.

You keep digging up good stuff - good on you!

 

[nickh]

Informative post!

So far i only have the dial Masters on cd (bought it for that amazing version of Loverman)
If i were to get one of these what would you go for?

preferably available on vinyl!

 

[Alice]

Thi

there's a complete Massey Hall recordings CD with the full concert cleaned up and without Mingus' bass overdubs that I've got on my shopping list. I there;s also be a book about the gig and the problems of organising a bunch of wayward jazz musicians - I think Bud Powell snuck off and got drunk upon arrival...
Jazz musicians these days seem like such a tame bunch

i would love to have been there and witnessed all that! I must find that book.

 

[Alice]

Altissimo - thank you so much for this - I have often thought that it was tragic that recording technology and the recording industry developed too late to give us the recordings which the early years of bebop deserved.

You keep digging up good stuff - good on you!

Completely agree with you.