Bird In Kansas City: Vinyl LP

Charlie Parker had a complicated relationship with his hometown of Kansas City, MO owing both to its history of racial segregation and to his strong ties to his family and friends there. This new set of rare recordings dating from 1941–1951 — most of them never having been heard before and some never even having been known to exist — chronicle Bird’s evolution from a blossoming soloist with the Jay McShann Band into a brilliant improviser who dominated the jazz landscape for decades to come. In addition to two unreleased 78s with the McShann band, this set offers two sets of private recordings (at the home of Bird’s friend Phil Baxter and at Vic Damon’s studio) made with local musicians and a very relaxed-sounding Parker who has the room to really stretch out and show us the shape of jazz that was to come in his wake.

Tracklist:

A1. Bird Song #1 (Charlie Parker)
A2. Bird Song #2 (Charlie Parker)
A3. Bird Song #3 (Charlie Parker)
A4. Cherokee — Phil Baxter version (Ray Noble)
A5. Body and Soul — Phil Baxter version (Johnny Green–Edward Heyman–Robert Sour–Frank Eyton)
A6. Honeysuckle Rose (Fats Waller–Andy Razaf)
A7. Perdido (Juan Tizol)

Personnel: Charlie Parker (alto sax); unknown (bass); unknown (drums)
Recorded: July 1951 at the home of Phil Baxter in Kansas City, MO

B1. Cherokee — Vic Damon version (Ray Noble)
B2. My Heart Tells Me (Harry Warren¬–Mack Gordon)
B3. I Found a New Baby (Jack Palmer–Spencer Williams)
B4. Body and Soul — Vic Damon version (Johnny Green–Edward Heyman–Robert Sour–Frank Eyton)
B5. Margie (Con Conrad–J. Russell Robinson–Benny Davis)
B6. I’m Getting Sentimental Over You (George Bassman–Ned Washington)