js With what seems like hundreds of Charlie Parker compilations out there, its hard to know which might be the best one to start with. Although I already own a couple Parker sides, I thought it was time I got a better overview of his almost overwhelming discography. After receiving a gift coupon to redeem, I sampled about 20 or more of his comps on line and finally settled on “Charlie Parker 1947-1949” (from the well-known Chronological Classics series), as one of the very best I heard. After making my own analysis, I thought I would check out what others thought and was happy to find out that many others also hold this compilation in high regard.

One of the big problems with other Parker compilations is there is often a huge difference in the volume and overall sound of different tracks. Some of these compilations would have you constantly adjusting the volume as you move from song to song. This Classics Parker CD does a great job of matching the tracks, not only in volume, but also in general sound production, not an easy feat. Another plus is the extraordinary variety of material on here. The years 1947 to 49 were very productive for Parker and these tracks show him playing in many styles and combos including; his All-Stars with the young Miles Davis, big band bop with his own orchestra, early Afro-Cuban with Machito, elegant chamber music with strings and much more. There is enough interesting variety on here that you can set this one CD on shuffle and you have a great jazz radio program, once again the matching track volumes prove invaluable.

If there are some drawbacks, I would have preferred a few less cuts with strings and a couple more of his more outsider high octane numbers, and there are also no songs on here with Dizzy Gillespie. Still, I have been playing this one a lot lately, this whole CD just has an excellent flow to it. Of course the star of the show is Parker and his crazy alto. His modernist tendencies come through on numbers like “Constellation”, "The Bird" and “Merry-Go-Round”, its hard to imagine why people had to freak over altoists like Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy when a lot of what they were doing was already here. If you are looking for a good Parker compilation to start with, I highly recommend this one.