Bird Is Free

Bird Is Free
By Special Permission of the Estate of Charles C. Parker Jr.
Live album by
Charlie Parker
Released1961 (1961)
Recorded26 September 1952
VenuesRockland Palace, New York City
GenreJazz
Length36:39
Charlie Parker chronology
Swedish Schnapps
(1958)		 Bird Is Free
(1961)		 One Night in Birdland
(1977)

Bird Is Free is an album by Charlie Parker that documents a concert given at Rockland Palace, New York City, on 26 September 1952. In 1997, Jazz Classics released a more complete documentation of the concert with improved recording quality, Live at Rockland Palace.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStar
DownBeatStarStarStarStarHalf star

The DownBeat reviewer, Leonard Feather, identified limitations of the audio quality, and added: "When Parker begins to play, however, you will forget all about distractions. ... There is brilliant, boiling, poetic Bird in a variety of attitudes here." The AllMusic review concluded: "Throughout, Parker plays with inimitable style and good humor and his quartet, featuring the great drummer Max Roach, swings effortlessly".

Track listing

Side 1
  1. Rocker (Gerry Mulligan)
  2. Sly Mongoose (Jamaican trad.)
  3. Moose the Mooche (Parker)
  4. Star Eyes (Gene de Paul, Don Raye)
Side 2
  1. This Time the Dream's on Me (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)
  2. Cool Blues (Parker)
  3. My Little Suede Shoes (Parker)
  4. Lester Leaps In (Lester Young)
  5. Laura (Raksin, Mercer)

Personnel

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Bird Is Free: Charlie Parker". AllMusic. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ Jazz, All About (February 1, 1997). "Charlie Parker: The Complete Legendary Rockland Palace Concert album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Feather, Leonard (September 28, 1961). "Charlie Parker: Bird Is Free". DownBeat. Vol. 28, no. 20. pp. 35–36.