Bird Up: The Charlie Parker Remix Project
Savoy Jazz
synthesis.net Oct '03

Projects in which contemporary artists attempt to remix, remake or pay homage to the music of greats are almost always abysmal failures, either distorting the source music beyond recognition or running right over it, leaving the melodies intact, but robbing from them essential breath — the soul of the music. This anticipated project is a tribute to the revolutionary Charlie Parker, inventor of bebop, as expressed by a variety of hip-hop and electro producers and guest artists. The result of a credible and wide ranging contributors list — Wu Tang’s RZA, System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian, Ravi Coltrane, X-ecutioners’ DJ Rob Swift, Dr. John, Def Jux head El-P, the phenomenal Kronos Quartet, Bay Area super producer Dan The Automator and many more — is a collection of Parker remakes that manage to both pay respectful and fitting homage, and twist the tunes enough to be original interpretations of recognizable classics.

Dan The Automator and pop chanteuse and songwriter Me’shell NdegéOcello both turn in the album’s grooviest instrumental remixes, “Steeplechase” and “Relaxin’ At Camarillo,” respectively, while the RZA lays raps over his revision of “Bebop (Live At The Rooftop)” and wild producer Donk turns “Night In Tunisia” into a heavy-handed electro number with cuts of the original laced in to provide a thread of continuity and reference. By far the most interesting track, however, is DJ Rob Swift’s take on “Cheers.” Rob lets the tune play on one record while he scratches along with the head melody and the solos, using different scratch sounds for different instruments and parts, executing and stacking phrases in the exact same way players do on the source record. Simply amazing.

– Max Sidman