Blue House Jazz – Bird and Beyond – Jazz with strings

Anyone familiar with jazz history knows that Charlie Parker in 1950 released two separate albums, both titled Charlie Parker with Strings, where he played jazz standards rather than his own compositions. These albums also became his best-selling records.

In other words, it’s no bad idea to revisit that concept – and that’s exactly what the American clarinettist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski and his ensemble do here. The versatile Peplowski has explored a wide range of musical genres, having collaborated with artists such as Mel Tormé, Peggy Lee, Madonna, Marianne Faithfull, and Woody Allen.

Most of the music performed consists of the original arrangements from Charlie Parker’s best-selling 1950 albums. The ensemble of around 20 musicians is led by Calle Rasmusson.