Cedar Bar Redux

These guys invented Bebop so of course there are plenty of Bird and Diz albums out there. This one makes you feel like you were there. Just close your eyes and listen.

Never in my life have I heard such piano playing. It’s heartbreaking to think someone so talented is gone. Heck, I’ll admit it, I cry over him. Best tracks, none. The whole thing is just like heaven.

It’s hard to find one single album that covers all of Dizzy. Ken Burns did it for us, thank God! There really are no words for Dizzy, you just have to hear for yourself. Best tracks are “Pickin the Cabbage,” “A Night in Tunisia,” “Manteca,” and “Birks Works.”

For me this is the best of Bird, all his best recordings on one album. Before iPods, I went through 5 copies. If you really listen you can hear his voice through his horn. The best tracks are “A Night in Tunisia,” “Loverman,” “Cool Blues,” and “Bird of Paradise.”

Bebop was to the 40’s what Punk Rock was to the 70’s. Noisy and misunderstood. It’s all about the ability to improvise, and in the 1940’s that was kind of strange. Bebop is very complex music, here is my simple way of explaining it. Imagine a band playing your favorite song. Only each guy is kinda doing his own thing within the song. The drummer plays a little faster and there are a few more notes or even a whole extra line in the chorus. That my friends is Bebop! Sort of, it’s more than that. Let’s put it this way, the more you listen, the more you’ll hear.