Three new albums reflect the manifold breadth of Charlie Parker’s legacy.
Bird with Streams by the New York based Jon Irabagon is a spectacularly irregular solo saxophone album. Irabagon self-recorded Bird with Streams outdoors in South Dakota at the peak of last year’s quarantine. The New York based artist tears into “Now’s the Time” and “Mohawk” with the recklessness of an impassioned beatnik writer. Recommended if you like: Jack Kerouac, Bird, Mostly Other People Do the Killing.
Bohuslän Big Band is a hard-charging Swedish ensemble. Chasin’ the Bird, the storied band’s latest release, consists of foot-tapping arrangements of Parker favorites such as “My Little Suede Shoes” and “Yardbird Suite.” Recommended if you like: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Bird, Benny Carter.
Kevin Sun, a New York based saxophonist, takes a different tack on <3 Bird. Joined by celebrated young cohorts including Adam O’Farrill on a dozen original compositions inspired by a quarantine-era Parker binge and three selections associated with Parker, Sun refreshes the Kansas City icon’s artistic endowment. Recommended if you like: Chris Potter, Bird, Sonny Rollins.