Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Yardbird Suite)

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Yardbird Suite (1946)

Origin and Chart Information

Rank	168

Written by	Charlie Parker

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Music and Lyrics Analysis

Musical analysis of “Yardbird Suite”
Original Key	C major with false key changes to E minor and D minor during “B”
Form	A1 - A2 - B - A3
Tonality	Major during the “A” sections; “B” is minor
Movement	Generally down by skips (fourths or thirds), ascending by step during the “A” sections; “B” includes some upward leaps of up to an octave.
Comments (assumed background)
The opening chordal sequence is both unusual and appealing though more decorative than functional; the usual V7-I “circle of fifths” is completely reversed. I is followed by a iv7 chord, which in turn is followed by a bVII (in the original, C - Fm7 - Bb). In this context, one would normally hear the second chord as a ii7 of bIII, but instead, the Bb7chord (bVII) resolves deceptively back to the tonic. The tonic proceeds into a VI - II7 - ii7 - V7 turnaround. The minor “B” section repeats the i - ii^ø7 - V7 in two keys, starting on the third degree of the tonic scale and descending a whole step and making for an easy and logical return to the original key.
K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com Check out K. J. McElrath's book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com).

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CD Recommendations for This Tune

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Bud Powell

Bud Plays Bird
1996 Blue Note 37137
Original recording 1958

The love and respect that pianist Powell felt for Parker is palpable here. His crisp fingering and bouncy delivery are the sincerest celebration of Bird and his music.

Hampton Hawes

Four!
1991 Original Jazz Classics 165
Original recording 1958

While Hawes includes a version of this song on his Blues The Most album, this one is the more interesting. The pianist almost attacks the keys, barely containing his enthusiasm before guitarist Barney Kessel can take the lead.

Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott

Parker’s Mood
1995 Polygram Records 27907
Original recording 1995

The song takes on a pensive mood played at a slightly slower pace than usual. Hargrove’s horn rings bright, and both pianist Scott and bassist McBride are simply brilliant.

Karrin Allyson

Azure Te
1995 Concord Records 4641

Vocalist Allyson scats the opening phrases in unison with Kim Parker’s alto sax before paying verbal homage to Bird and then turning it back to Parker for a hot solo. In this rare vocal treatment of the tune the whole band swings mightily on the arrangement by guitarist Danny Embrey.

Jazz History Notes

The ranks of Claude Thornhill’s 1947 big band were filled with young Turks like Red Rodney (trumpet) and Lee Konitz (alto) who can be heard soloing on Gil Evans’ innovative arrangement of Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite.”

Baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan’s pianoless quartet was a surprise to many, but several other artists tried the same concept with fine effect. A live recording from 1953 with trumpeter Chet Baker (who worked in Mulligan’s group) and tenor saxophonist Stan Getz is a triumph. Baker and Getz work well together, and their spirited rendition of “Yardbird Suite” swings along masterfully.

Another pianoless group was led by drummer Max Roach whose 1957 tribute to his former colleague, composer/alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, is a respectful achievement. Trumpeter Kenny Dorham and tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley score high marks for their fine work, as does leader Roach.

Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian

Claude Thornhill

Snowfall
ASV Living Era CD AJA 572

Stan Getz/Chet Baker

West Coast Live
Blue Note Records 35634

Max Roach

Max Roach 4 Plays Charlie Parker
Polygram Records 512448

Written by the Same Composer or Team...

This section shows the jazz standards written by the same writing team. Click on a name to see all of a writer's jazz standards.

Charlie Parker
Year	Rank	Title
1945	112	“Billie’s Bounce”
1946	168	“Yardbird Suite”
1947	194	“Donna Lee”
1953	218	“Confirmation”
1957	271	“Scrapple from the Apple”
1945	354	“Now’s the Time”
1948	488	“Parker’s Mood”
1956	523	“Au Privave”
1956	587	“My Little Suede Shoes”
1948	627	“Barbados”
1946	699	“Moose the Mooche”
1948	733	“Big Foot”
1947	748	“Relaxin’ At Camarillo”
1947	799	“Chasin’ the Bird”
1953	810	“Bloomdido”
1947	859	“Dexterity”
1947	895	“Cheryl”
1945	978	“Red Cross”

Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker
Year	Rank	Title
1946	483	“Anthropology”
1945	601	“Shaw Nuff”

Bennie Harris and Charlie Parker
Year	Rank	Title
1946	462	“Ornithology”