BIRD?

Being a jazz lover I have listened to Charlie Parker since I “got into it”. Indeed I’d go as far as say that it was Parker who “got [me] into it” in the first place (Album: Charlie Parker: Compact Jazz. Track: My Little Suede Shoes. It blew me away – still does).

My copy - The real Bird.

I don’t have everything he did – but I do have a sizable “chunk” of his all-too-short output.

The largest part of his output is covered by the fantastic 10cd box set “Now’s The Time”. And a genuine bargin at £10 (or thereabouts). It’s on the “Documents” label.

I got my box set a couple of years ago.. It was a pretty basic affair. The packaging and design were “OK”, but no great shakes – it wasn’t going to win any awards. But it was acceptable.

New version - an actor.

But they’ve gone and changed it. Oh, dear Christ, What on earth are they thinking?

They’ve gone and replaced the picture of Bird with a picture from “Bird” (i.e. the film by Clint Eastwood).

That’s Forest-bloody-Whitaker on the cover! It’s akin to marketing a Glen Miller record with a  picture of James Stewart on the cover!

Shame on them.