Saxophonist and bebop pioneer Charlie “Bird” Parker (1920-1955) exerted tremendous influence on his contemporaries as he pushed the envelope of jazz with his trailblazing approaches to melody, rhythm, and harmony. 2020 would have marked Bird’s 100th birthday, and Craft Recordings is getting ready to celebrate. On February 28, the label will release a new four-LP box set (also available digitally). The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection brings together Parker’s sessions for the venerable label spanning 1944-1948 featuring such jazz greats as Miles Davis, Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, John Lewis, and Max Roach.

The 28 tracks comprising The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection chronicle the earliest days of bebop. The set, with new liner notes by Neil Tesser, aims to put the music in the context of the era, reinforcing just how revolutionary and unexpected bop was in the 1940s. On one storied date in November ’45, Parker was joined by Miles Davis, Max Roach, and Curley Russell as “Charlie Parker’s Reboppers.”  That session has been referred to as “The Greatest Jazz Session Ever,” but all of the material on this set promises to be ear-opening.

These two-dozen-plus cornerstones of jazz were compiled by Savoy and released as the four LPs reissued in this box set: New Sounds In Modern Music Volume 1 (1950), New Sounds In Modern Music Volume 2 (1951), and Volumes 3 and 4, both released in 1952. Almost every track recorded by Parker at Savoy was a self-penned original, though tunes from Miles Davis and guitarist Lloyd “Tiny” Grimes also made the cut. One of Bird’s most instantly recognizable tunes, “Billie’s Bounce,” is heard here; it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. One year later, another Savoy track – “Ko-Ko” – was added to the National Recording Registry.

The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection boasts newly restored and remastered audio of these seminal sides. An enclosed booklet will feature Tesser’s liner notes plus rare photos and period ephemera. Look for this set of classic jazz from the legendary Charlie Parker on February 28 at the links below.

Charlie Parker, The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection (Savoy/Craft Recordings, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Box Set includes:

New Sounds In Modern Music, Volume 1

Side A

1. Now’s The Time
2. Donna Lee
3. Chasin’ The Bird
4. Red Cross

Side B

1. Ko-Ko
2. Warmin’ Up A Riff
3. Half Nelson
4. Sipping At Bells

New Sounds In Modern Music, Volume 2

Side A

1. Billie’s Bounce
2. Cheryl
3. Milestones
4. Another Hair-Do

Side B

1. Thriving From A Riff
2. Buzzy
3. Little Willie Leaps
4. Klaunstance

New Sounds In Modern Music, Volume 3

Side A

1. Bluebird
2. Bird Gets The Worm
3. Parker’s Mood

Side B

1. Steeplechase
2. Perhaps
3. Tiny’s Tempo

New Sounds In Modern Music, Volume 4

Side A

1. Constellation
2. Merry Go Round
3. Confirmation

Side B

1. Barbados
2. Ah-Leu-Cha
3. Marmaduke