Reviews of reissues from Charlie Parker, new releases from Sixteen Horsepower, Paul Weller and Marc Olsen.
Charlie Parker
Best of the Complete Savoy
& Dial Studio Recordings
Burnin' Bird
Only the most obsessive jazz fan would find it necessary to own Charlie Parker's The Complete Savoy and Dial Studio Recordings 1944-1948, an eight-disc compendium chronicling all masters, outtakes, breakdowns and other detritus. This Best of… single disc, on the other hand, should be mandatory listening for anyone who counts themselves among the musically curious.
Bird was the prime progenitor of a revolutionary style that came to be called bebop, which effectively turned the jazz world upside down. The emphasis switched from the audience-friendly dance arrangements of swing to frenetic tempos and acrobatic improvisations of small groups.
More than a half-century hence, though, these 20 selections don't sound at all threatening; in fact, they're downright catchy, the solos concise. This relative sense of order can be attributed largely to the 78 rpm vinyl that was the standard of the day — it allowed about three-and-a-half minutes of music to comfortably fit on one side.
Best of… gathers an array of Parker's signature songs — Koko, Yardbird Suite, Ornithology, Relaxin' at Camarillo, Scrapple From the Apple, Parker's Mood and others — performed during his most fruitful period, before the ravages of drug abuse began to erode his playing.
Reissue producer Orrin Keepnews has carefully chosen the tracks to represent the breadth of Bird's musical moods as well as his staggering artistry — including manic-paced bop, more relaxed uptempo material and ballads. Much has been made about Bird's harmonic breakthroughs, his highwire deconstructions of standard chord changes, but his influence on rhythm was similarly profound. Parker developed a new way of swinging, a darting, dancing approach that confounded the swing-era stalwarts.
To first hear a Bird solo is a truly remarkable experience. Joining him on these selections are such stellar talents as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Max Roach, Bud Powell, Lucky Thompson, Dodo Marmarosa, Wardell Gray, Duke Jordan and Errol Garner — and yet Parker's alto sax boldly stands out. His tone is fluid, sweet with just a touch of acidity, his dexterity jaw-dropping. The five-second cadenza that introduces his solo on A Night in Tunisia is a marvel of technique and melodic ingenuity. One more extraordinary aspect: the seeming ease at which Bird executes these lines, as if he's merely a vessel for the music.
A less comprehensive, but more hair-raising, overview of vital Parker can be found in Burnin' Bird, a 20-track compilation from the same time period that concentrates on what has become one of bop's primary legacies — blazing tempos. It's a thrilling ride. The final five songs on Burnin' come from 1948 radio broadcasts, all but one of which surpass the time limitation of 78s (the longest is Chasin' the Bird at 6:29). Bebop ends at 3:13, perhaps because it's so improbably fast (around 400 beats-per-minute by my crude count) that the ensemble could only keep it together that long. Who knows, though; they may have been able to keep it up all day. (Savoy Jazz, www.savoyjazz.com)
—Eric Snider
Sixteen Horsepower Folklore
Denver's 16HP have won critical acclaim and a sizeable cult following by evocatively combining antique acoustic instrumentation, quietly apocalyptic spirituality and an Appalachian Gothic vibe. Their fourth full-length continues the tradition, delivering a set of sturdy, moody, insinuating songs of temptation and sinful lament that, at their best, recall Nick Cave touring the Dustbowl as a dark-hearted revival teacher. The traditional Single Girl and French reel La Robe a Parasol inject a brighter feel, but Folklore is largely a gripping, richly textured downer — the best kind. A creeping sameness affects a handful of the tracks, but at its worst, the disc is still compelling and contemplative. (Jetset, www.jetsetrecords.com) —Scott Harrell
Paul Weller
Days of Speed
Late into his career, Paul Weller can still spring a surprise or two, first switching labels to Epic and then releasing his first solo acoustic album, Days of Speed. It's a thoroughly enjoyable effort, and also a terrific 18-track retrospective that chronicles 1978-2000, giving us a taste of his work with The Jam and The Style Council alongside his more recent solo stuff. Although not completely forgoing his angsty side, Weller seems to have cheered up somewhere between 2000's Heliocentric and the last year's European tour from which Days of Speed was culled. Almost all of the tracks resonate with optimism, giving new life to such worthy songs as That's Entertainment and Town Called Malice. (Epic/Independiente)
—Anna Stracey
Mark Olsen
December's Child
During the early to mid 1990s, The Jayhawks soared to alt-country prominence with an infectious amalgam of acoustic country-folk melodies and wistful vocals spiked with punchy injections of electric guitar. On December's Child — former Jayhawks co-principal Mark Olsen's second release since going solo in 1997 — the latter part of this winning formula is sorely missing. The balmy melodies that informed The Jayhawks best work are present but they tediously bleed together, leaving the listener drowning in a sea of free-flowing melancholy. Which is a shame, because the songcraft is at times immaculate and the performances, especially Olsen's pain-soaked singing, are earnest. (Dualtone)
—Wade Tatangelo
This article appears in Aug 14-20, 2002.