Yardbird Suite
LP Open OP 02
A classic jazz record is, for me, one that you have played many times. You may know it by heart and just have to close your eyes to hear it within you; you don’t even have to put it on, but if you do, you’re happy. This is one of them, and it is one of the few recorded in my lifetime (1976) that qualifies as such.
In fact, I know most of these guys and have occasionally had a chance to play with them. In 1977 I heard the band live in Breda, Holland and the same year when they played in Nice the concert was filmed and it’s as amazing as the record (to be seen on YouTube).
Their original concept was to play bebop-era jazz compositions in the old style—in which they were steadily rooted. As you understand, this calls for expert arrangements (by Philippe Baudoin and Marc Richard), versatile musicians with good knowledge of jazz history and a good conception of style.
There are many good numbers on the record, but I’ve chosen the first and maybe most striking one, where Marc Richard, clarinet; Philippe Baudoin, piano; Patrick Diaz, banjo; and, surprisingly, Göran Ericsson on recorder, take solos.