Lester Leaps In from Bird Is Free-Original Vinyl Sound, No Electronic "Enhancements"

[nassar57]

Without a doubt- the apex of American culture here! sounds like a young Roy Haynes on drums and Walter Bishop on piano. Bassist? could be Birds self-acclaimed favorite: Teddy Kotick

[pvelectric]

@nassar57 I have a feeling you may be right about the drummer, unusually apt for improvising soloists as heard here. I never have read any books, and few articles about jazz or jazz musicians, wanting only the hearing of the music itself to influence me. played loud, I still like my own playing, by the way, mainly because I think it's original. like it or hate it, nobody else sounds the same as I do, and that's how jazz music should be.

[darthjoey13]

It's too slow XP

[caponsacchi]

The original recording sounds better--more authentic alto sound--than the doctored one for the movie, even if there's no bass and the pitch is too high (slow tape recorder). Bird plays a full 9 choruses on the Rockland date as in the movie--but no distractions.

[Brian4hand]

all this debate over the key, but we all know he COULD play this in B.

[pvelectric]

@Brian4hand yes but that, concert B, would put the alto sax in the key of either A flat or G sharp, both very difficult to maneuver. the normal blues accidentals (eg. flated 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths), often turns in the complex already changes in bebop, become what in easier keys are the usual "normal" notes on a saxophone. r and r is so simple all keys are easy, but not the case in jazz. Miles and Trane became the ultimate ideal two ways of handling this complexity on many of their dates..

[pvelectric]

I just listened here at You Tube to a digitally enhanced version of another song on this album, Moose The Mooche, and like Clint Eastwood's movie, Bird, its digital enhancement, they frankly remove all the excitement and authenticity of the original concert. Analog vinyl recordings are a more hi-fidelity duplication of the musical renditions thus, than the machine-like concoctions of the digital 'improvements."

[pvelectric]

Regarding the musicians on this record, according to Doris Parker, widow of Charlie Parker, and music empresario Aubrey Mayhew, in 1961 said, "A strenuous attempt was made to identify the accompanying musicians, but we were unable to do so...We think Walter Bishop may have played piano, Roy Haynes or Max Roach on drums and Tommy Potter on bass." -source, Bird Is Free Liner notes, by Aubrey Mayhew, Doris J. Parker, Bennie Green, and Jon Hendricks

[saxerjr]

Actually its not out of the pitch literally, it's just faster with cca. 7-8% than the original, that why its in concert B instead of Bb. But its still one of the greatest recordings of all time. Respect!

[pvelectric]

@saxerjr you may have clarified this "mystery."  I've another version of Bird plaing with Lester Young on Lester Leaps In, and it's much slower than this. If this record, played on accurate RPM, has it in concert B, that's one hell of a difficult key for an alto saxist to play in: G#, or Ab has some rare "accidentals" to play that most players would dislike using. Concert Bb, meaning G, one sharp, F# for alto sax, is by far the best key for improvisiong especially.

[saxerjr]

@pvelectric Hi! I hope I clarified this mystery. I'm sure about the original pitch was Bb, the main reason is that no one used to play a song based on "rhythm changes" in B. Everybody plays it in Bb (most of it) or F (An Oscar For Treadwell from Bird) or maybe Eb. But i'm sure no one plays it in B. Maybe playing rhythm changes in G# sharp was not difficult to Bird, but he uses so many of his well known patterns (turkey in a straw, clarinet solo from High Society or the /CONTINUEING COMMENT/

[saxerjr]

@pvelectric (COMMENT PART 2) classic II-7-V7 pattern) Although Parker was a genius, but thinking about his well known and well practiced patterns in G and playing them in G# at 325BPM would be difficult even for him. Belive me I played Lester Leaps In in concert Bb yesterday (I'm an alto sax player) and I know how difficult to play this type of changes in concert B. Ok I am a nobody comparing to Bird, but I know his music very much. And on this session Bird was alone with his genius

[scomdnz9]

wow. pretty crazy he sounds this precise and swing this hard playing in g-sharp major (B Major for Concert Key). although its bird and all, something tells me this recording might be off pitch wise. but that doesn't matter much anyways. its bird.

[Francozen]

I may be mistaking, but is this one faster than the one you hear in "Bird"... Would it mean that il was slowed down?

Anyway, Bird lives!

[pvelectric]

@Francozen I bought the "Bird" movie soundtrack just after the movie was released, in only big city markets for just a short run. Eastwood went on a nationwide promo for the movie, however using his interviews as means to teach the general public about the reasons why jazz musicians and improvization are highly advanced musical forms. Musician ingegrity was emphasized. The tempo was slowed down and it's my opinion someone else, probably James Moody, actually played Parker's solo.

[xwsftassell]

Diggin' the dots.*****.