I groaned when I read the sub-title; Reimagining Charlie Parker. I didn't want to reimagine one of my heroes. I was quite content to worship the original without some Johnny-come-lately giving him a makeover.
Nevertheless, I prepared to give it a spin, my appropriately named Parker pen and a cartridge of vitriolic ink at the ready.
Needless to say my fears proved foundless. This album won't replace the originals but it will sit proudly alongside them happy in the knowledge that both have gained by comparision.
Donna Lee, sometimes erroneously attributed to Miles, is given a nice swingy treatment. Barattas driving it along with O'Connell's rich harmonies setting up the saxes whose solos all, by various devious routes, trace back to Bird. They slug it out chorus after chorus before O'Connnell cools it although not before the congas come to the fore.
Anthropology: Herring's solo indicates he has listened to the master with a few bars of The Kerry Dances - one of Bird's favourite quotes. Guitar and piano over a Latin beat keep it lively.
Little Suede Shoes was originally a Latin number. The mambo/rhumba feel isn't too far away. Handy's flute offers an interesting contrast to Herring's alto. Reminiscent of a cinematic take on a Hollywood night club scene before Pearl Harbour. Love both versions - even without Carmen Miranda.
Ah-Leu-Cha has all the horns back with Handy blowing soprano. The feel is more contemporary with Bollenback's guitar solo suggesting he may have moonlighted in rockier environments. As on track one the saxes knock each other's block off (musically speaking!).
Embraceable You: Bird played scant, if any, regard to the melody. Herring blows the tune drawing the romanticism out of it beautifully. Piano takes an emotional solo himself and Herring, after a short chorus, returns to the tune and puts it to bed with a m8emorable cadenza.
Now's the Time: Sometimes known as The Hucklebuck it has long been a first/last call flag-waver at jam sessions. It's more subdued here and none the worse for that. Baratta works the skins over and they go out on the well known riff.
Moose the Mooch: One of the better things to come out of Bird's ill-fated trip to downtown L.A. Herring, as always, combines the past with the future without losing the plot or his own individuality.
Yardbird Suite: Another favourite with the jammers it's also, more or less, a contrafact of Rosetta and, to my ears a much better tune. The guys here do nothing to change my mind - they probably agree!
Segment: Herring's solo is initially full of 'eastern promise' over a Latinesque rhythm. A strange esoteric track that has certainly been reimagined.
Au Privave: Brings an excellent album to a close.Another great bop classic that I think Charlie Parker would have given his seal of approval tp.
To quote the great man himself: "There's always so much more to be done in music. It's so vast".
Another Kind of Bird could well be a part of that so much more. Lance
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