[78-L] Bird with Stringency

[Don Cox]

On 06/01/2014, Julian Vein wrote:

> Charlie Parker recorded some 14 titles for the "Charlie Parker with
> Strings" sessions, but most of his live recordings consist of just the
> same four songs. This must've had a stultifying effect on Bird's
> string players.
> 
> This got me thinking about the size of jazz musicians' repertoires.
> 
> Working from those who left a large body of live recordings, I have 
> noted the following:
> 
> Large: Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck.
> Small: Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane.
> 
> The second group seem to stick to their comfort zones, and appear 
> unwilling to step outside it. I exclude big bands and singers because 
> there are certain constrictions on what they can practically perform.
> 
It seems very wrong to me to talk about Miles Davis and Coltrane
"sticking to their comfort zones". They are famous for constantly
striking out into uncharted territory.

Perhaps Jelly Roll Morton had a small repertoire, but often a musician's
recorded legacy is only a small selection from his whole repertoire.

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox at enterprise.net