Bird Up: The Charlie Parker Remix Project...

by Bird Up: Charlie Parker Remix /

Overview

The idea of an album that remixes the Savoy output of Charlie Parker may be horrifying for some, but before you join the purist mob take a gander at the names involved. Producer Matthew Backer has picked quite a crew of tasteful mavericks to remix the saxophonist, and Hal Willner's multiple appearances alone pay respect to the man who made tribute albums exciting. Willner's Whoops, I'm an Indian project turns "Salt Peanuts" into a musical genre-hopping wild ride with the Kronos Quartet providing the screechy edge and Dr. John laying down some boogie. It could have been a royal mess, but it isn't. Dan the Automator bends the recordings with a smirk and funk, but he's totally outdone by the turntables of the X-Ecutioners, who scratch right along with an especially hot Parker solo. Me'Shell NdegeOcello plays some deep, intuitive bass to a rather choppy "Relaxin' at Camarillo," and "All the Shadows of Nuff" finds Garth Hudson's keyboards adding the needed lyrical touch to Willner's quick juxtaposition of four separate Parker tunes. System of a Down's frontman, Serj Tankian, provides the album's highlight, sounding like Tom Waits and Bono's love child on the eerie and yearning rave-up "Bird of Paradise (Gone)." Naysayers should hear RZA scatting along with Bird, El-P's trippy mix, or Hubert Laws' expressive flute runs before dismissing the album entirely. Too many likeminded productions with their echoes and crackles make the album easier to take in small doses. Bird Up at least captures the innovative spirit of Charlie Parker, doesn't do any damage to the icon of hip, and makes for an exciting listen. ~ David Jeffries

Product Details

Release Date:	10/21/2003
Label:	Savoy Jazz
UPC:	0795041714725
Rank:	207918

Tracks

1. Now's the Time (No Time Like Now)  - Deke Damascus  - Charlie Parker  -  Red Hawk
2. Relaxin' At Camarillo (August 29)  - Meshell Ndegeocello  - Charlie Parker
3. Salt Peanuts (the Mr. Peanuts Chronical)  - Kenny Clarke  -  Dr. John  - Dizzy Gillespie  -  Kronos Quartet  -  Mocean Worker  - Hal Willner  - Hal's Whoops I'm an Indian Willner
4. Bird of Paradise (Gone)  - Charlie Parker  - Serj Tankian
5. Congo Blues (Silencer)  - Ravi Coltrane  -  Kodo  - Hubert Laws  - Red Norvo  - Slam Stewart  -  Wild Children
6. Bebop a [Live At the Rooftop]  - Dizzy Gillespie  -  RZA  -  ZigZagZig
7. Steeplechase (Sittin' On 22's)  -  Dan the Automator  - Charlie Parker
8. Cheers (X-Ecutioners Style)  - Howard McGhee  - Rob Swift  - Rob Swift  -  X-ecutioners
9. A Night In Tunisia (Downpour)  -  Coconut Tree  - Dizzy Gillespie  -  Kodo  - Frank Paparelli
10. All the Shadows of Nuff  - Dizzy Gillespie  - Johnny Green  - Oscar II Hammerstein  - Edward Heyman  - Garth Hudson  - Jerome Kern  -  Mocean Worker  - Charlie Parker  - Hal Willner  - Hal's Whoops I'm an Indian Willner  -  Band
11. Perhaps (Someday the Roof Will Get Fixed)  -  Dan the Automator  - Charlie Parker
12. Barbados (Where Fish Fly)  - Matthew Backer  - Hubert Laws  -  Redback
13. Constellation (Heavenly Bodies) [Bonus Track]  -  El-P  - Charlie Parker  - Stephanie Vezina

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Wild Children   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
The Band   Primary Artist
ZigZagZig   Primary Artist
Stephanie Vezina   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jose "Choco" Reynoso   Primary Artist
Rob Swift   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
RZA   Primary Artist,Vocals
Red Hawk   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dan the Automator   Primary Artist
Choco   Primary Artist
Hal Willner's Whoops I'm an Indian   Primary Artist
Matthew Backer   Primary Artist
Donk   Primary Artist
Morcean Worker   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Kodo   Primary Artist,Taiko Drums,Featured Artist
Coconut Tree   Primary Artist,Vocals
Garth Hudson   Primary Artist,Piano,Synthesizer,Featured Artist,Roland Synthesizer
Deke Damascus   Primary Artist,Sax (Soprano)
Dr. John   Primary Artist,Piano
Charlie Parker   Primary Artist
Hubert Laws   Primary Artist,Flute,Featured Artist
Redback   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Ravi Coltrane   Primary Artist,Sax (Soprano)
Meshell Ndegeocello   Primary Artist,Bass
The X-ecutioners   Primary Artist,Scratching,Featured Artist
Mocean Worker   Primary Artist
Hal Willner   Primary Artist
Serj Tankian   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kronos Quartet   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
El-P   Primary Artist
David Harrington   Violin
John Sherba   Violin
Jennifer Culp   Cello
Hank Dutt   Viola
Astacio The Nudist   Guitar
Mermaids   Vocals (Background)
Ray Angry   Organ (Hammond)

Technical Credits

Matt Backer   Producer
Dizzy Gillespie   Composer
Eric Gast   Engineer
Charlie Parker   Composer
Howard McGhee   Composer
Ross Russell   Producer
Meshell Ndegeocello   Producer,Construction
Dave Dar   Engineer
Red Norvo   Composer
Emily Lazar   Mastering
Ari Raskin   Mixing,Engineer
Mocean Worker   Group Member
Chris Dave   Producer,Programming
Hal Willner   Group Member
Serj Tankian   Composer,Producer,Construction
Teddy Reig   Producer
Edward Heyman   Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Johnny Green   Composer
Paul Cotton   Composer
Slam Stewart   Composer
Stephanie Vezina   Vocal Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Jerome Kern   Composer
Rob Swift   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Construction
Martin Brumbach   Group Member
Matthew Cullen   Engineer
RZA   Composer,Producer,Construction
Red Hawk   Composer,Producer,Construction
Tom Luekens   Pro-Tools
Dan the Automator   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Construction
Choco   Producer,Construction
Larry Schreiber   Producer
J.J. Stelmach   Art Direction
Herman Leonard   Photography
Sarah Register   Assistant Mastering Engineer
Nasa   Mixing,Engineer
TP Big Beatz "The Professor"   Engineer
Brando Rondo   Producer
Hal Willner's Whoops I'm an Indian   Producer,Construction
EI P   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Construction
Dan Marx   Production Coordination
Robert Parent   Photography
Stephen Prutsman   String Arrangements
Matthew Baker   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Construction
Scott Johnson   Graphic Design
J.D. Martinson   Executive Producer
Eyal Marcovici   Assistant Engineer
Michael Dobmeier   Engineer
Kenny Clarke   Composer
Frank Paparelli   Composer