Backgrounder: Bird With Strings: The Masters
In yesterday's post, I looked at Ken Peplowski's new album, Unheard Bird, featuring arrangements for Charlie “Bird" Parker with strings that were never recorded by the alto saxophonist.
The natural followup for today's Backgrounder is the complete Charlie Parker With Strings: The Master Takes. This album gathers together all of the master takes of Bird's string sessions, which are still are remarkably beautiful and sensual. They also became the template that producer Norman Granz would use for his American songbook albums with jazz musicians and vocalists on Verve in the 1950s.
Here's Charlie Parker With Strings: The Master Takes without ad interruptions:
The natural followup for today's Backgrounder is the complete Charlie Parker With Strings: The Master Takes. This album gathers together all of the master takes of Bird's string sessions, which are still are remarkably beautiful and sensual. They also became the template that producer Norman Granz would use for his American songbook albums with jazz musicians and vocalists on Verve in the 1950s.
Here's Charlie Parker With Strings: The Master Takes without ad interruptions:
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved.
Track Listing
JuJust Friends; Everything Happens To Me; April In Paris; Summertime; I Didn't Know What Time It Was; If I Should Lose You; You Came Along From Out Of Nowhere; East Of The Sun; They Can't Take That Away From Me; Easy To Love; I'm In The Mood For Love; I'll Remember April.
Personnel
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto
Ray Brown
bass, acoustic
Buddy Rich
drumsStan Freeman
pianoBernie Leighton
piano
Al Haig
piano
Tommy Potter
bass, acoustic
Roy Haynes
drumsAlbum information
Title: Charlie Parker With Strings | Year Released: 1995 | Record Label: Verve Records
