Looking at Bird is a studio album by the American jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp and the bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, containing performances recorded in 1980 and released on the Danish-based SteepleChase label.[1] The album consists of duets on compositions written by, or associated with, Charlie Parker.

Looking at Bird
Studio album by
Released1981
RecordedFebruary 7, 1980
GenreJazz
LabelSteepleChase
ProducerNils Winther
Archie Shepp chronology
Trouble in Mind
(1980)
Looking at Bird
(1981)
Here Comes The Family
(1980)
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen chronology
Tivoli Gardens
(1979)
Looking at Bird
(1980)
Movability
(1981)

Reception edit

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Archie Shepp pays tribute to Bird not by copying him, but by being creative and playing Parker's repertoire in his own sound. Recommended."[2]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings    [4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide     [3]

Track listing edit

All compositions by Charlie Parker except as indicated
  1. "Moose the Mooche" - 6:26
  2. "Embraceable You" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 4:42
  3. "Ornithology" (Benny Harris, Parker) - 5:45
  4. "Billie's Bounce" - 5:24
  5. "Yardbird Suite" - 4:38
  6. "Blues for Alice" - 5:48
  7. "How Deep Is the Ocean?" (Irving Berlin) - 5:54
  8. "Confirmation" - 5:43

Personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ SteepleChase Records catalog Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine accessed September 23, 2010
  2. ^ a b Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed September 23, 2010
  3. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 179. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1290. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.