Recorded in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California between 1946 and 1953. Includes liner notes by Harvey Pekar.

Personnel: Charlie Parker (alto saxophone); Irving Ashby (guitar); Myor Rosen (harp); Paquito Davilla (violin, trumpet); Manny Fidler, Sam Aplan, Bronislaw Gimpel, Sid Harris, Zelly Smirnoff, Milton Lomask, Harry Katzman, Max Hollander, Gene Orloff (violin); Nat Nathanson, Fred Ruzilla, Frank Brieff (viola); Joe Benaventi, Frank Miller (cello); John LaPorta (clarinet); Mitch Miller (oboe, English horn, French horn); Gene Johnson , Sonny Salad, Fred Skerritt, Murray Williams, Willie Smith (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, Flip Phillips, Lester Young, Jose Madera, Pete Mondello (tenor saxophone); Manny Albam, Leslie Johnakins (baritone saxophone); Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Woodlen, Al Porcino, Mario Bauzá, Miles Davis, Ray Wetzel, Red Rodney, Doug Mettome, Buck Clayton (trumpet); Vinnie Jacobs (French horn); Bill Harris (trombone); Bart Varsalona (bass trombone); John Lewis, Tony Aless, Ken Kersey, Hank Jones , Al Haig, René Hernández, Stan Freeman, Thelonious Monk, Walter Bishop, Jr. (piano); Kenny Clarke, Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Shelly Manne, Buddy Rich (drums); Luis Miranda (congas); Jose Mangual (bongos); Machito (maracas); Ubaldo Nieto (timbales); Diego Iborra (percussion).

Audio Remasterer: Gary N. Mayo.

Recording information: Carnegie Hall, New York, NY; Fulton Recording Studio, New York, NY; Jazz At A Philharmonic Concert, Embassy Auditorium, Los; Mercury Studios, New York, NY; New York, NY; RCA 24th Street Studios, New York, NY.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Luis Miranda ; Gene Orloff.

Arrangers: Jimmy Carroll; Neal Hefti.

Another anthology that has less value due to the exploding reissue market. These cuts were among Parker's most influential compositions and performances, but they've been reissued many times, both in anthology packages and on re-releases of their original albums. But it's part of the Essentials sampler line, and if you only want a little Parker, it's a good choice. ~ Ron Wynn

Charlie "Bird" Parker is one of the giants of 20th century music. Alto saxophonist Parker combined what he had learned from the blues, swing, classical, even country music with a harmonic and rhythmic adventurousness that became known as bebop, becoming one of the greatest soloists in jazz history. Many musicians that played with Parker went on to make jazz/music history themselves: Max Roach, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Kenny Dorham, among others. THE ESSENTIAL gives a wonderful cross-section of the music Parker recorded for Verve Records from 1946 to 1953. You get Bird in quintets with Monk, Buddy Rich, and Dizzy Gillespie ("Relaxing With Lee"), in a wailing jam session with Coleman Hawkins and Buck Clayton ("I Got Rhythm"), fusing bop and Afro-Cuban/Latin music with Machito's big band ("Mango Mangue"), and sailing sweetly with a string section ("Just Friends"). Not sure where to start with Parker, or with bebop or post-swing-era jazz? The answer is in this album's title.