Bird Songs is the 22nd album by Joe Lovano released via the Blue Note label in 2011. The album features Esperanza Spalding, James Weidman, Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela performing songs mostly written or performed by alto saxophonist Charlie Parker.
| Bird Songs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2011 | |||
| Recorded | September 7–8, 2010 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 65:04 | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Joe Lovano | |||
| Joe Lovano chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 84/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [2] |
| All About Jazz | [3] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| Los Angeles Times | [5] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[6] |
| Tom Hull | B+ ( )[7] |
Reception
editChris Barton of Los Angeles Times stated "Though a showcase for history, Lovano and his band expertly show the many ways these classics can still throw sparks".[5] John Fordham of The Guardian noted "less capricious than Django Bates's tribute to Charlie Parker last year, but just as inspired and rich in references, Joe Lovano's Bird Songs is not just a stunning celebration of Parker's music, but a salute to the sax giants – Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Ornette Coleman and Wayne Shorter – who were liberated by it".[4] Phil Johnson of The Independent added "It's an homage to Charlie Parker, but not, says Lovano, a tribute record. Rather, Parker's music is approached from a post-Coltrane, post-free jazz aesthetic, with the rhythmic edginess of bebop elided into an all-the-time-in-the-world fluidity. A masterpiece".[8]
Track listing
editAll compositions by Charlie Parker except as indicated
- "Passport" – 5:27
- "Donna Lee" – 4:30
- "Barbados" – 6:19
- "Moose the Mooche" – 6:34
- "Loverman" (Jimmy Davis, Roger "Ram" Ramirez, James Sherman) – 9:03
- "Birdyard" (Joe Lovano) – 1:47
- "Ko Ko" – 6:20
- "Blues Collage (Carvin' the Bird–Bird Feathers–Bloomdido)" – 1:52
- "Dexterity" – 2:49
- "Dewey Square" – 8:25
- "Yardbird Suite" – 11:58
Personnel
edit- Joe Lovano - saxophone
- Esperanza Spalding - bass
- James Weidman - piano
- Otis Brown III - drums, percussion
- Francisco Mela - drums, percussion
References
edit- ^ "Bird Songs Reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Bird Songs – Joe Lovano". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Sammut, Andrew J. (January 21, 2011). "Joe Lovano / Us Five: Bird Songs". All About Jazz. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
- ^ a b Fordham, John (17 March 2011). "Joe Lovano Us Five: Bird Songs – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
- ^ a b Barton, Chris (12 January 2011). "Album review: Joe Lovano Us Five's 'Bird Songs'". Los Angeles Times Blogs - Culture Monster. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
- ^ Layman, Will (19 January 2011). "Joe Lovano/Us Five: Bird Songs". PopMatters. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
- ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Joe Lovano". Tom Hull. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Phil (6 February 2011). "Album: Joe Lovano & US Five, Bird Songs (Blue Note)". The Independent. Retrieved 10 April 2019.