Search - Eddie Daniels :: To Bird With Love

There's no finer tribute to Charlie Parker

James A. Vedda | Alexandria, VA USA | 06/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As hard as it is to play bebop jazz on saxophone, it's even harder on clarinet. Yet Eddie Daniels does it with apparent ease. This 1987 album has 10 tracks (including a "Bird Medley") offering updated arrangements of tunes from the Charlie Parker repertoire. All of them - fast, slow, and in between - give new life to the material and allow Eddie to introduce fresh ideas to the improvisations. For some tunes, I'm tempted to say that he sets a new standard for interpretation of these old jazz favorites, in particular "Just Friends," "East of the Sun," and "Old Folks." Eddie displays his technical agility on "She Rote" and "Passport" - and on other tracks as well, but these are the ones that satisfy the need for speed.

This CD satisfies on many levels, so if you like listening to jazz clarinet, revisiting Charlie Parker material, or just want some fabulous quartet jazz, grab this without hesitation."