July 25, 2016

Charlie Parker’s “Unheard” Notes

Offering 69 tracks, most previously unissued, this new two-disk set is a monumental archeological achievement.


Charlie Parker
Unheard Bird: The Unissued Takes
Verve

Courtesy of Verve

There are only a few artists whose every remnant, however slight, deserves hearing. The Beatles, Dylan, Hank Williams and Billie Holiday all qualify, as does Charlie Parker—his gorgeous alto sax sounds as fresh and inventive today as it did more than a half-century ago. Offering 69 tracks, most previously unissued, on two discs, Unheard Bird is a monumental archeological achievement. This dazzling set draws on sessions from the late ’40s and early ’50s and captures Parker in a variety of settings, from small-group dates to Latin excursions to experiments with strings. Along with false starts, incomplete takes and alternate versions of songs like “Night and Day” and “Star Eyes,” this stellar package includes the previously released master recording of each one, which provides a fascinating window into the creative process of a genius. Collaborators include fellow greats Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson and Freddie Green. Unheard Bird isn’t the place to start discovering Parker, but it’s essential for anyone who already digs his work.

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate