Description
Charlie Parker Quartet – Now’s the Time: The Genius of Charlie Parker #3 – 180 Gram Vinyl Record
Now’s the Time: The Genius of Charlie Parker #3 gathers two 1952–53 quartet sessions from Parker’s Verve period. Working first with Hank Jones, Teddy Kotick, and Max Roach, then with Al Haig, Percy Heath, and Roach, Parker plays in the compact setting where the speed, logic, and rhythmic daring of his alto are easiest to hear.
The opening sequence moves from the standard “The Song Is You” through Parker originals “Laird Baird,” “Kim,” and “Cosmic Rays.” Alternate takes are integral to the program, revealing how Parker could redraw a solo’s path while preserving the tune’s identity. The differences are not curiosities; they expose improvisation as real-time composition.
The second side concentrates on “Chi-Chi” before turning to “I Remember You,” the title track, and “Confirmation.” Roach’s crisp, buoyant drumming is a constant, while the two pianists bring distinct touches: Jones understated and elegant, Haig more sharply connected to bebop’s early language.
Recorded near the end of Parker’s life but released posthumously, the album catches him working without a large arrangement or celebrity guest. The sound is direct, the forms are familiar, and the invention happens inside every chorus. It is both an accessible Parker set and a close study of his method.
This Verve By Request pressing is a 180-gram vinyl edition made at Third Man Pressing. It follows the twelve-track physical LP sequence, avoiding the extra take that appears on some expanded digital versions.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
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