Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master Takes

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Charlie Parker welcomed the opportunity to record standards with a small string ensemble in 1949, and the results are stunning, his liquid alto soaring over the tuneful and only occasionally stiff arrangements. Along the way, he invests tunes like "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" and "Laura" with a unique blend of bluesy realism and mercurial improvisation. The CD adds live versions from a Carnegie Hall concert, and there are also two brilliant versions of Neal Hefti's "Repetition." The 1947 version has Bird flying spontaneously over the dense orchestration of horns, strings, and Latin percussion. --Stuart Broomer

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-09-12 rating:
These recordings set the standard
These recordings from 1947-49 set the standard for "jazz with strings". Parker's playing is brilliant, as usual.
The strings add context and a luxuriant mood to Parker's sound. Only Stan Getz's "Focus" from 1961 compares in quality to "Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master Takes". Both are pivotal in the development of the "Third Stream" genre of jazz. Both occupy special places in my collection.

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review by: date: 2008-01-27 rating:
Cool !
Strings are sometimes too sweet for Jazz lovers.But Parker's play is always stays cool. That made this album something else!

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review by: Fero date: 2007-08-30 rating:
It could be great music.
Sweet tawdry arrangements with alike melodies. But Parker plays famous again and again. Top recording is Just Friends. It is perfect. But there are many great recordigs like Laura, Summertime, Easy to Love and other. Tracks 15-19 are from Carnegie Hall performance and this is another great live strings session with Parker on top form.
But It is graet loss that Parker and people around him didn't have courage to arrange with strings his great compositions like Ornithology, Moose the Mooch, Dexterity, or Donna Lee. It could be first class avantgarde.
Now for me are interesting Parker's solos only.

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review by: date: 2007-02-21 rating:
A must have for jazz lovers!
I understand that Parker was criticized for doing this record, but I think it is wonderful... first heard it on WBGO 88.3 FM in Newark NJ (also on the internet). Support jazz and jazz radio!


review by: date: 2007-01-09 rating:
Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master Takes
Absolutely mesmerizing! It's a wonderful marriage of classical music and jazz. It's Parker at his peak!

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