TT 428: Bird at St. Nick's
Charlie Parker born on this day -- plus birthday greetings to Lester Young and Peter Washington
The jazz Virgos stack up in August. This past Sunday it was the birthday of Wayne Shorter, two days after that was Lester Young, today it is Charlie Parker. Peter Washington was yesterday.
Dinah Washington and Kenny Dorham have centennials today and tomorrow: Nate Chinen just posted about Washington, and I’ll be hosting Mark Stryker on Dorham.
I’ve been walking around listening to Bird at St. Nick’s.
Parker died unexpectedly in 1955. The scene convulsed and tried to make sense of his departure. Bird at St. Nick’s was the first release on Charles Mingus’s Jazz Workshop label in 1958, and I believe it was the first commonly-available bootleg of Charlie Parker in a casual live situation.
Don’t get me wrong: the studio records are essential. But live Bird is something else. The alto sax solos on Bird at St. Nick’s inhabit a rarefied realm.
Trombonist Jimmy Knepper brought a primitive tape recorder to the gig in order to record Bird and only Bird. (Another disciple who exercised this kind of critical control was Dean Benedetti.) Knepper’s liner notes explain the circumstance and the context of Bird at St. Nick’s: It was a dance in February 1950, and now that Bird is dead, you just gotta hear this stuff, no matter the fidelity or the editing.
AllMusic gives Bird at St. Nick’s a low rating: One and a half stars, a reminder that bebop is not for civilians. Bird is the Word for musicians, or at least for those that have spent many hours with the music already. If you can dig Bird at St. Nick’s, you are one of the initiated.
Jimmy Knepper was an important trombonist, perhaps best known for contributions to the work of Charles Mingus. In between sessions with Bird at St. Nick’s, I auditioned two of Knepper’s own relatively obscure records.
Cunningbird with Al Cohn, Roland Hanna, George Mraz, Dannie Richmond (Steeplechase, 1977)
Dream Dancing with Ralph Moore, Dick Katz, George Mraz, Mel Lewis (Criss Cross, 1986)
Knepper sounds great and both quintets offer unique collections of personalities. It is particularly interesting to hear the contributions of Roland Hanna and Dick Katz; Hanna is in a notably high gear.
Not all Steeplechase or Criss Cross dates show a lot of advanced preparation, but Knepper supplies thoughtful arrangements that have a few unexpected twists and turns.
Loren Schoenberg has posted an interview with Jo Jones. In middle of the clip, there’s a rare solo by Lester Young on “After You’ve Gone.” It is uncommon to hear early Pres stretch out like this. There’s nothing better. (Thanks to Melissa Aldana for sending this clip my way.)
Peter Washington turned 60 yesterday. Peter’s marvelous bass playing is well-documented on record; not too long ago I raved about Jim Snidero’s latest, I think I’ll be writing about Bill Charlap’s latest as well.
A 1987 clip has been circulating of Peter and Joe Chambers backing Herbie Hancock in “Autumn Leaves.” The 80’s might have have been Hancock’s peak decade as a piano virtuoso. Something truly incendiary can be heard on studio records — and even more on various live albums and bootlegs.
Just phenomenal Herbie here:
I think I was lucky because I heard some live Parker stuff early on, and quickly came to prefer the live recordings. Bird at St. Nick’s is as good as any of them, I think, and I’ve heard most of his circulating live recordings. There are a few others that have unusual moments, unusual material, unusual lineups, particularly good recording, etc., and all of those are big at my house, but the consistency of the St. Nick’s recordings that’s tough to beat. Parker was really inventive on that gig, and Knepper recorded a bunch of Bird’s quintessential repertoire.
From the subject line, I was expecting a deep dive on Bird at Saint Nick’s. But that’s OK, a lot of cool stuff here, and now I will put this disk on my list of stuff to listen to. I had never bothered before because it always had such poor ratings. I guess I should’ve bought those Dean Benedetti recordings while I had the chance.