Bird & Diz
Encyclopedia
Bird & Diz is a studio album
by jazz
saxophonist Charlie Parker
and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie
, recorded primarily on June 6, 1950 in New York City
. Two tracks featured on the original pressing, "Passport" and "Visa", were recorded by Parker, without Gillespie and with a different personnel than that of the other tracks, in March and May 1949. The album was originally issued in 1952 in 10" format as a collection of 78 rpm singles
on the Verve
subsidiary label Clef Records.
While it was produced by Norman Granz
, who was known for his preference of large ensembles
at the time, the album contains compositions performed with the standard bebop
instrumentation of saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. In a 1952 four-star review of Bird & Diz, a Down Beat
magazine columnist wrote of Granz's contribution to the album's sound, stating "Though there is no mention of bop in Norman Granz'[s] notes, we owe him a salvo for reminding us through this LP that this music is still very much alive." It serves as the final collaborative studio recording by Parker and Gillespie, and it is also notable for featuring an early appearance of pianist Thelonious Monk
. The album has been reissue
d several times by Verve and PolyGram Records.
James Patrick and producer Norman Granz.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
saxophonist Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, recorded primarily on June 6, 1950 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Two tracks featured on the original pressing, "Passport" and "Visa", were recorded by Parker, without Gillespie and with a different personnel than that of the other tracks, in March and May 1949. The album was originally issued in 1952 in 10" format as a collection of 78 rpm singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on the Verve
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
subsidiary label Clef Records.
While it was produced by Norman Granz
Norman Granz
Norman Granz was an American jazz music impresario and producer.Granz was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960...
, who was known for his preference of large ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
at the time, the album contains compositions performed with the standard bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
instrumentation of saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. In a 1952 four-star review of Bird & Diz, a Down Beat
Down Beat
Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
magazine columnist wrote of Granz's contribution to the album's sound, stating "Though there is no mention of bop in Norman Granz'[s] notes, we owe him a salvo for reminding us through this LP that this music is still very much alive." It serves as the final collaborative studio recording by Parker and Gillespie, and it is also notable for featuring an early appearance of pianist Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
. The album has been reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
d several times by Verve and PolyGram Records.
Track listing
Included on the original LP, "Passport" and "Visa" were omitted from the reissue because they were not recorded during the 1950 Bird & Diz session.Side one
| Track | Recorded | Song Number | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6/6/50 | C 410-4 | Bloomdido | Charlie Parker Charlie Parker Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.... |
3:25 |
| 2. | 6/6/50 | C 413-2 | My Melancholy Baby My Melancholy Baby "My Melancholy Baby" is a popular song published in 1912 and first sung publicly by William Frawley. The music was written by Ernie Burnett, the lyrics by George A... |
Ernie M. Burnett and George A. Norton | 3:24 |
| 3. | 6/6/50 | C 415-4 | Relaxin' with Lee | Charlie Parker | 2:47 |
| 4. | 5/5/49 | C 295-2 | Passport | Charlie Parker | 3:00 |
Side two
| Track | Recorded | Song Number | Song Title | Writer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6/6/50 | C 414-11 | Leap Frog | Benny Harris Benny Harris Benny Harris was an American bebop trumpeter and composer.A self-taught musician, in the mid-1930s Benny Harris was already playing with Thelonious Monk. In later years, he participated to some of the jam sessions that gave birth to the bebop jazz style... and Charlie Parker |
2:29 |
| 2. | 6/6/50 | C 411-4 | An Oscar for Treadwell | Charlie Parker | 3:23 |
| 3. | 6/6/50 | C 412-6 | Mohawk | Charlie Parker | 3:35 |
| 4. | 2/3/49 | C 293-4 | Visa | Charlie Parker | 2:55 |
Remaster
The Verve/PolyGram remaster editions feature 18 additional takes and liner notes by music scholarMusic librarianship
Music librarianship is the area of librarianship that pertains to music collections and their development, cataloging, preservation and maintenance, as well as reference issues connected with musical works and music literature...
James Patrick and producer Norman Granz.
- "Bloomdido" - 3:25
- "My Melancholy Baby" - 3:24
- "Relaxin' with Lee" - 2:47
- "Leap Frog" - 2:29
- "An Oscar for Treadwell" - 3:23
- "Mohawk" - 3:35
- "My Melancholy Baby (Complete Take)" - 3:17
- "Relaxin' With Lee (Take 4 Complete Take)" - 3:56
- "Leap Frog (Take 11 Complete Take)" - 2:34
- "Leap Frog (Take 8 Complete Take)" - 2:02
- "Leap Frog (Take 9 Complete Take)" - 2:06
- "An Oscar for Treadwell (Take 4 Complete Take)" - 3:21
- "Mohawk (Take 3 Complete Take)" - 3:48
- "Relaxin' With Lee (Take 1 Breakdown Take)" - 0:17
- "Relaxin' With Lee (Take 2 Breakdown Take)" - 1:08
- "Relaxin' With Lee (Take 3 False Start)" - 0:04
- "Relaxin' With Lee (Take 5 Breakdown Take)" - 0:24
- "Leap Frog (Take 1 Breakdown Take)" - 0:26
- "Leap Frog (Take 7 Breakdown Take)" - 0:14
- "Leap Frog (Take 10 Breakdown Take)" - 0:40
- "Leap Frog (Take 2 Breakdown Take)" - 0:18
- "Leap Frog (Take 6 Breakdown Take)" - 0:20
- "Leap Frog (Take 4 Breakdown Take)" - 0:13
- "Leap Frog (Take 3 Breakdown Take)" - 0:41
Musicians
- Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
- saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions... - Curly Russell - bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
(except on tracks A4 & B4) - Buddy RichBuddy RichBernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(except tracks A4 & B4) - Thelonious MonkThelonious MonkThelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
(except tracks A4 & B4) - Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
- trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
(except tracks A4 & B4) - Tommy PotterTommy PotterCharles Thomas Potter, born in Philadelphia on September 21, 1918, died March 1, 1988, was a jazz double bass player.Potter is known for having been a member of Charlie Parker's "classic quintet", with Miles Davis, between 1947 and 1950; he had first played with Parker in 1944, in Billy Eckstine's...
- bass (on tracks A4 & B4) - Carlos Vidal - bongoBongo drumBongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
(on track B4) - Max RoachMax RoachMaxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
- drums (tracks A4 & B4) - Al HaigAl HaigAlan Warren Haig was an American jazz pianist, best known as one of the pioneers of bebop.Haig was born in Newark, New Jersey...
- piano (tracks 4 & 8) - Tommy TurkTommy TurkTommy Turk was a jazz trombonist from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.He did notable playing for Jazz at the Philharmonic and can be heard on several CDs with Charlie Parker...
- tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
(track B4) - Kenny DorhamKenny DorhamMcKinley Howard Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did...
- trumpet (tracks 4 & 8)
Production
- Norman GranzNorman GranzNorman Granz was an American jazz music impresario and producer.Granz was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960...
- producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Dennis Drake - masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- David Stone MartinDavid Stone MartinDavid Stone Martin , born David Livingstone Martin, was an influential American artist best known for his illustrations on jazz record albums....
- cover designAlbum coverAn album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
External links
- Bird & Diz (1986 reissue) at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Bird & Diz (1997 reissue) at Discogs