Birdlanders 1
The Birdlanders was a title given to several Vogue recordings made by the French pianist Henri Renaud in New York City in the early 1950's when they were first issued in the US by Period Records.Volume 1contains two LPs, including one by a group made up ofMilt Jackson,J.J. Johnson,Kai Winding,Al Cohn,Percy Heath, Charlie Smith, and Henri Renaud that manages to feature each of them on one cut or another. Jackson is superb throughout, as are Johnson and Cohn. Renaud shows himself to be a fine pianist who anticipatesHorace Silver. (The English translation of the liner notes, however, manages to slander him when he is referred to as "well known to all the amateurs of jazz"--when it should have been translated as "lovers of jazz.")The second LP included was part of the first recording ofDuke Jordan's trio, and offers a chance to hear early versions of compositions such as "Jordu" (here titled "Minor Escamp") and a very interesting "Scotch Blues." It's also an opportunity to hear "Embraceable You" by the pianist who accompaniedCharlie Parkeron his acclaimed recording of this tune. This is bebop of the moment, its character underlined by not having the dominant presence of stars such as Parker,Dizzy Gillespie, orBud Powell.--John F. Szwed