Savoy Jazz has reissued their Grammy nominated collection of jazz pioneer Charlie Parker’s seminal recordings from the 1940’s, “CHARLIE PARKER: THE COMPLETE SAVOY AND DIAL STUDIO RECORDINGS” on 180 gram vinyl in a 10 LP set. The historic collection produced and compiled by Orrin Keepnews, captures Charlie “Bird” Parker at the beginning of his storied career and presents studio recordings released on the New Jersey based Savoy label and Los Angeles-based Dial Records between the years 1944 and 1948. The comprehensive and expansive repertoire showcases not only Bird at a crucial moment of his artistry but it also is a document of vital performances from the likes of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Bud Powell, Sarah Vaughan, Erroll Garner, John Lewis and many others who played alongside him. “CHARLIE PARKER: THE COMPLETE SAVOY AND DIAL STUDIO RECORDINGS 1944–1948” is released today on Savoy Jazz.
Said Orrin Keepnews in the introductory notes: “This is undoubtedly the most ambitious Charlie Parkercompilation yet attempted. Our goal is to assemble the entire formally recorded output of the incredible period midway through the 1940’s during which this remarkable artist first made his presence permanently known.”
Orrin Keepnews (March 2, 1923 – March 1, 2015), compiler and producer of the 8-CD box set that this 10-LP collection is based, had been involved in producing both new jazz recordings and historical reissues for over a half-century. His most recent of four Grammy Awards was for the Best Historical Album of 1999:“Duke Ellington – The Centennial Edition.” In 2004 he was honored with a Recording Academy Trustees Award for Lifetime Achievement, and in 2011 he was recognized as an NEA Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. Some major artists with whom he worked include Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Cannonball Adderley and McCoy Tyner, but this project and the preceding 4-CD reissue, “Charlie Parker: The Complete Live Performances on Savoy,” were his first involvements with Bird.
