Nows the Time by Charlie Parker 2006-05-04

This posthumously issued album collects material from two sessions Charlie Parker recorded for the Clef label in December 1952 (side A) and April 1953 (side B), joined on both occasions by Al Haig on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Max Roach on drums. Each side comprises one standard, two original 12-bar blues, and one non-blues original, with one alternate take included for two of the originals (the blues "Cosmic Rays" and the "I Got Rhythm" contrafact "Kim") and two for another (the blues "Chi Chi"). Parker himself is in top form, sounding inspired and fully in command throughout, and the other musicians are also playing at a very high level; though they naturally get less time in the spotlight than the leader, all acquit themselves beautifully, and even Heath and Roach get multiple solos. The material is also quite strong, especially on side B, which culminates in one of Parker's most acclaimed compositions, "Confirmation." (The last two tracks on side A, "Kim" and "Cosmic Rays" are improvised jams without written themes, which may suggest the musicians had less time to prepare for that session. But both pieces are tightly routined, giving them a more polished and cohesive sound than one might expect. And on the two takes of "Cosmic Rays," Parker's improvising is so sublime that the absence of a set melody as a point of departure feels like an advantage rather than a drawback.) The icing on the cake is that these sessions were recorded in much higher fidelity than Parker's earlier dates for the Savoy and Dial labels, and mastering engineer Ryan Smith has done a wonderful job with this reissue. The sound isn't perfect, but it's about as full and immediate as one could expect on recordings of this vintage. In particular, the bass is both louder and better defined than on most of the Blue Note Classic and Tone Poet releases I've heard, and the drums and cymbals sound much more natural, allowing us to fully appreciate Roach's masterful, nuanced use of dynamics during his solos. In sum, this is absolutely essential music that should be in the collection of anyone who has an interest in mid-century jazz, and the Verve by Request series is to be commended for making it available in such great sound at such a reasonable price. (A couple of final notes: As of August 2024, Amazon is crediting this album to Charles Mingus rather than to Charlie Parker, so it's perhaps worth emphasizing that Mingus does not appear on it; as noted above, the bassist on all twelve tracks is Percy Heath. And since another reviewer has opined that "the tracks on this album are among the best examples of not only Bird, but Dizzy [Gillespie]'s achievements and collaborations," I'll mention that Gillespie isn't on it, either. These are all quartet tracks, with Parker's alto saxophone as the only horn.) Read more

This is probably the greatest jazz bang per buck of any jazz collection I own, and I own easily 1,000. For around $10(it's gone up since I've purchased this,3 times !) you get about 10 hours of prime Bird. The liner notes are unfortunately nonexistent but the music is brilliant-over 10 hours of primo Parker,Miles Davis.Gillespie. I've repurchased much of this material repeatedly and the sound quality equals or often exceeds the much pricier compilations. The horns are always prominent in the mix and bell clear, the rhythm section somewhat recessive but bass & drums present. Undoubtably some DNR was applied as there is almost no surface noise but the tonality of the instruments and room acoustics are pleasing to these ears. My highest recommendation. Read more

It is a great collection of his work. The box set was cheap. I think mine was 10 or 12 bucks. The price made it apparent there would be no booklet with information describing any of the history surrounding these recordings. Another great musician gone before his time. R.I.P. Read more

Even though that's not Bird on the cover (Forest Whitaker from the movie Bird - think Membran has fixed it on sets from their website) this is a great set at a budget price. Yes, there are not any notes. This set covers familiar territory that you can look up on any number of sites. The sound is as good as any I've heard on much more expensive sets (and I've had just about all of them). Save your money and your eyesight and listen! Read more

I got this as a gift for my husband who just got a record player. This was the first thing he played on it and maybe its nostalgia but this album sounds like it was made in front of us. Read more

i always wanted his recordings on dial, savoy and continental in one package,, now i got it and very very happy Read more

No documentation comes with the set, but all is common material with clear sound. All tracks are in chronological order, and a quick internet search for Charlie Parker sessions will get you started. The price is certainly right! Discs 1-4 Savoy/Dial Master Takes Discs 5-10 (First 5 Tracks of Disc 5 conclude the Savoy/Dial material). Rest is identical to the Verve Master Take Box Set. Read more

I would claim that this set is identical to the box set from the Past Perfect series wrt the audio tracks ( Charlie "The Bird' Parker: Portrait ). Listen to track 2 on disk 4 for instance: there is exactly the same annoying digital glitch in the beginning of the trumpet solo. The difference is in the packaging. The Past Perfect series are packed in a huge box with each CD in separate plastic cassettes. This set fits in my jacket pocket, which is convenient. Also, there is a very nice booklet with the Past Perfect set. The digital audio remastering is decently done, although by no means perfect, and I enjoy listening to these tracks again, of which I knew many from older LP versions. And the price can't be beaten. The Past Perfect is a bargain too. Read more