When producer Norman Granz decided to let Charlie Parker record standards with a full string section (featuring Mitch Miller on oboe!), the purists cried sell-out, but nothing could be further from the truth. There's a real sense of involvement from Bird on these sides, which collect up all the master takes and also include some live tracks from Carnegie Hall that - judging from the sometimes uneasy murmurings of the crowd - amply illustrate just how weirdly this mixture of bop lines against 'legit' arrangements was perceived. The music on this collection is lush, poetic, romantic as hell, and the perfect antidote to a surfeit of jazz records featuring undisciplined blowing. There's a lot of jazz, but there's only one Bird.
Track Listing:
1. Just Friends - Charlie Parker
2. Everything Happens to Me - Charlie Parker
3. April in Paris - Charlie Parker
4. Summertime - Charlie Parker
5. I Didn't Know What Time It Was - Charlie Parker
6. If I Should Lose You - Charlie Parker
7. Dancing in the Dark - Charlie Parker
8. Out of Nowhere - Charlie Parker
9. Laura - Charlie Parker
10. East of the Sun (West of the Moon) - Charlie Parker
11. They Can't Take That Away from Me - Charlie Parker
12. Easy to Love - Charlie Parker
13. I'm in the Mood for Love - Charlie Parker
14. I'll Remember April - Charlie Parker
15. What Is This Thing Called Love? - Charlie Parker
16. April in Paris - Charlie Parker
17. Repetition - Charlie Parker
18. Easy to Love - Charlie Parker
19. Rocker (I'll Remember April) - Charlie Parker
20. Temptation - Charlie Parker
21. Lover - Charlie Parker
22. Autumn in New York - Charlie Parker
23. Stella By Starlight - Charlie Parker
24. Repetition - Charlie Parker/Neal Hefti Orchestra
