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Clef · 1955

Charlie Parker with Strings

Charlie Parker

Recorded: November 30, 1949 & July 5, 1950   Original cat#: MG C-675
Charlie Parker — Charlie Parker with Strings album cover

Charlie Parker's string-backed sessions for producer Norman Granz were recorded in two parts: November 30, 1949 (yielding the first 10" "Charlie Parker with Strings," six tracks) and July 5, 1950 (a second 10" volume, eight tracks), both arranged/conducted by Jimmy Carroll and Joe Lipman, with Mitch Miller on oboe, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. The two 10" volumes were consolidated into a single 12" LP in 1955 on Granz's Clef label as "Charlie Parker with Strings," catalog MG C-675. These recordings were reportedly Parker's best-selling releases during his lifetime and were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1988.

This title's reissue history is unusually tangled compared to the rest of this site's catalog – catalog numbers conflict even across reliable sources – so this guide is more conservative than usual about pinning down "definitive" pressings, and the tier table below is intentionally thin rather than padded with unverified entries.

Best early pressing for audiophiles: the 1955 Clef MG C-675 12" LP is the historically definitive vinyl document of the 14-track program – see the catalog-confusion note below before chasing an original 10" pressing.

Best modern pressing for audiophiles: not confirmed in this pass – see note below.

Best-value modern: not confirmed in this pass – see note below.

A note on catalog-number confusion and unresolved reissue details

Sources disagree on the exact sequence of early Mercury/Clef catalog numbers for the first 10" volume. Wikipedia states it was "released on 10\" as Mercury MG-35010, reissued as MG C-501 and then MG C-101," while a specialist Mercury-label discography site states the opposite order (MG-35010 first, reissued as MG C-101, "later reissued as MG C-501"). I was not able to resolve this discrepancy with confidence.

I also could not independently confirm a specific, well-sourced modern audiophile vinyl reissue with a named mastering engineer and verified catalog number for this exact 14-track program. What turned up instead: a widely-circulated "stereo, 180 gram, remastered" pressing reusing the same MG C-675 catalog number (the 1955 recordings predate stereo, so this must be a later reissue, year/label unconfirmed); a limited-edition blue vinyl DMM reissue catalogued 840110 (also unconfirmed beyond a Discogs owner review); and a reference in an Analogue Productions interview to a documented channel-reversal issue on "this title" as part of their 25-album Verve reissue series – but I could not confirm with certainty that quote refers to Charlie Parker with Strings rather than a different title in the same series, so it's a lead, not a fact, here.

I also confirmed a separate, legitimate compilation covering these same sessions: in the mid-1970s, Verve issued a three-part chronological series covering Parker's complete Verve-era master takes as three 2LP sets. The middle set, "The Verve Years (1950–51)" (catalog VE-2-2512, per jazzdisco.org's Verve reissue catalog), focuses mostly on the string sessions alongside quintet material with Miles Davis and a Coleman Hawkins pairing. This is a different compilation approach from the 1955 Clef MG C-675 (which covers only the 14-track "with strings" program specifically), but it's a real, findable, and reasonably affordable way to own these recordings on vinyl if MG C-675 proves hard to source – sourced from a video overview of Parker's vinyl discography (David Reaboi, "How to Buy Charlie Parker on Vinyl? Not As Simple As You Think") and independently confirmed via Dusty Groove and Internet Archive listings.

Pressing tier summary

Tier ⇅ Pressing Cat# Year ⇅ Format Source / Mastering Notes Market ⇅
A Clef 12" LP, consolidating both 10" volumes MG C-675 1955 Mono, 33⅓ Clef lacquer Historically definitive vinyl document of the 14-track program; no standalone Discogs release ID confirmed –
B The Verve Years (1950–51), 2LP chronological set VE-2-2512 Mid-1970s Stereo, 33⅓, 2LP gatefold Verve lacquer Compiles the string sessions alongside unrelated Miles Davis quintet and Coleman Hawkins material, not a dedicated "with strings" program –

Buyer's guide by budget

Given the sourcing gaps above, this guide isn't presenting confident dollar-sign tiers for this title. The 1955 Clef MG C-675 is the reasonable starting point for anyone wanting the original vinyl document dedicated to just these sessions; "The Verve Years (1950–51)" is a real, findable, and typically affordable alternative if MG C-675 proves hard to source, though it mixes in unrelated material. Beyond that, treat any specific reissue claim you encounter with the same skepticism applied throughout this guide until it can be independently confirmed.

References

Related guides: Complete Savoy and Dial Studio Recordings

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