Customer Reviews
STILL AVAILABLE on BRITISH AMAZON 
2008-11-25
While others have spoken eloquently about this gem; I'd like to add that, although sold only by used-cd sellers on US amazon, it can be found on its British counterpart....
AMAZING discovery of this concert, with Bird and Gillespie at the peak of their powers, showcased in a strong group with Max Roach on drumms, Al Haig on piano and Curley Russell on bass... A must have for all classical and early modern jazz fans... No wonder Ira Gitler's liner notes are at a loss for words (or overly verbose at times) describing the musical miracle of this CD.
After a tentatively recording start, the album very quickly takes shape as one of the most remarkable be-bop recordings I've ever heard... True, the addition of Sid Catlett instead of Roach on last two numbers (Dameron's "Hot House" and Monk's "52nd Street Theme") doesn't really uplifts the proceedings (Big Sid is a great drummer, but in this setting Max Roach is far more suitable), but the loss is insignificant; even at these two tracks the band shines brightly... "Salt Peanuts" is given a magnificent treatment and on "Night in Tunisia" Diz plays with more subtlety than in many of the future recordings...
I won't try to expand on the previous reviewers' explanation, I'd just like to add that the atmosphere of the era is very well recorded, not just the music! For, in the beginning, Bird is late for the gig and Don Byas on tenor sax starts Bebop, but Parker appears in the middle of the song and takes charge... Don, a great player himself, wisely fades from the stage, for in the company of these two trumpet and alto-sax dragons he could hardly give enough fire...
The booklet is very charming and informative, with all sorts of texts, including the reprinted comments of the contemporary critics who complained about the organization of the concerts, where the star attractions don't show up, or they show up visibly "high"... The CD is published within a "Flashback series" of Uptown company; boy if there were only more flashbacks like this one!
P.s. - the back of the CD states that Catlett replaces Roach on tracks 5 and 6; the right numbers are 6 and 7.
There are also interesting technical and historical notes about the Town Hall concerts and the discovery of this recording included in the beautifully designed and well illustrated booklet.
Ahhh the music's so good I could just lie down and kill myself! 2008-08-25
ahh the music is so good i could just lie down and kill myself!!!!! lol
You'll like it trust me. 2008-01-06
As a collector I feel lucky and grateful that these recordings are being made available. It could've been another 25 to 50 years or more before this was found but now it's right here in my hands! I just want to listen to these Town Hall recordings over and over! I hear something different every time. The sound quality is better than a lot of the the recordings that Bird and Dizzy did in the studio. It's amazing to hear these
compositions being played live during the time that the music was still new.
I'm sure a lot of Japanese jazz fans were happy!(I'm one of them!)
Where have you been?? 2006-05-20
According to jazz gospel, jazz's Anno Domini is November 1945, when Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie cut several sides including the incredible "Ko Ko". Before then, there was a recording ban that prevented the innovations of the Bebop musicians from being heard. (True, there were some Dizzy Gillespie-led sessions including Salt Peanuts, but they sold so badly that they don't count).
In this version of events, jazz music was totally turned on its head, and the New Testament era of jazz began. When Ko Ko came out in November of 1945, the technical brilliance of the new form of jazz blew everyone away, and the music was changed forever.
But in 2005, this version of events was slightly altered. Finding a complete, live performance of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespi, a full five months before the Ko Ko session, is an astonishing coup. The source of the recording is still rather hazy, with some indications that the anonymous person hoarding them may yet have more to release in years to come. At any rate, this is an astonishing discovery, perhaps even slightly more astonishing than the Monk-Coltrane discovery in the same year.
Dont forget, this is BEFORE the widespread use of tape to record sound (tape was invented in Nazi Germany, and is largely a postwar thing). Also, discs only lasted three minutes a side back in 1945. So you have to imagine some engineers lurking in the Town Hall, with a battery of recording lathes and a pile of fragile lacquer discs, furiously changing discs every three minutes. And yes, they got every note of the concert. Incredibly, the discs were not separated from each other, nor did any of them break over the years! There must have been about twelve or thirteen sides altogether.
Now at last we can hear bebop from before November 1945. The concert is astonishing. I still can't get over Parker's solo on Salt Peanuts, which is really filled with the fresh energy of a newly discovered art form. Another highlight is Night in Tunisia. Both Parker and Gillespie are in terrific form. The crowd seems very appreciative; although the liner notes include a contemporary review which says of Dizzy's music, in effect, "too many notes"! Also, Parker arrives late for the first tune, Bebop; I wonder exactly what he was doing out back?
The sound quality is fantastic. It was far better than I expected. The first few bars of "Bebop" are a bit muddy; but aside from that the sound is the equal of the Royal Roosts, perhaps even slightly better.
So I would heartily encourage anyone to get this disc; whether you are totally new to jazz, or a crusty veteran. The music is very accessible. Music this good, and a discovery that is this historically important, should be heard by everyone!!!
Dizzy Atmosphere 2006-04-27
Just when the listener thinks that Be Bop has been worn out and has little else to offer, we are presented with lost recordings that, once again, show what all of the fuss was about. This is Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie at the top of their game, giving a seminar on flatted fifths and fast playing.
Don't Overlook This Underrated Gem! 
2006-04-13
Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker first became aware of each other in 1940 when the former was playing in Cab Calloway's band and the latter with Jay McShann. Two years later they were both living in New York City and a real friendship developed. By 1945 they were recording and gigging together, culminating in this Town Hall concert on June 22, 1945. These recordings languished for sixty years as acetates that weren't even known to exist in their entirety. That this set captures these two formidable players in their ascendancy and with such clarity is a staggering find. Here, with host Symphony Sid announcing the songs (this would have been for his radio show, but apparently never ended up in his possessions), an important chapter in American music is now restored. By the end of the summer of '45 Gillespie and Parker went their separate ways, both emerging with their own bands and reaching new heights of commercial success.
--David Greenberger
Diz and Bird at Town Hall June 22, 1945; 2006-03-03
I read a rave review of "this masterpiece" record in The New Yorker. I was underwhelmed compared to that review.
However, these are good early beebop performances and the accompanying notes and copies of contemporary reviews support a better understanding of what's going on. In particular, there are some very interesting comments re perceptions of what was going on that day at Town Hall in Leonard Feather's July 1945 Metronome review, which is reproduced.
There are three Gillespie classics: Beebop, A Night in Tunisia and Salt Peanuts running about seven minutes each. These are the longest early recordings of these numbers that I have heard.
Perhaps even more interesting would be the as yet unapproved release of the second half of the Concert with a program by a very young Errol Garner and Don Byas.
Genius Overcome Technical Short Comings 2006-02-25
The only bad thing about this recording is that it was made with the Town Hall's standard audio system. Gillespie is way off mic. Too bad there was not a real audio engineer to mic the performance. If you are a stickler for hi fidelity this may disappoint you. However the sheer genius and energy of the performances overcome this technical shortfall. If you enjoy either Gillespie or Monk, this recording deserves a place in your collection.
Genius Overcome Technical Short Comings 2006-02-25
The only bad thing about this recording is that it was made with the Town Hall's standard audio system. Gillespie is way off mic. Too bad there was not a real audio engineer to mic the performance. If you are a stickler for hi fidelity this may disappoint you. However the sheer genius and energy of the performances overcome this technical shortfall. If you enjoy either Gillespie or Parker, this recording deserves a place in your collection.
Good to hear them stretch out 2006-02-19
When I began listening to Bebop (song 2), I was disappointed - it sounded like the mic's weren't in the same hall as the musicians. The sound quickly gets better, and is pretty good except the bass is hard to pick out. The songs are about as long as more "modern" albums from the 50's, so that's a revelation. The 4 Dizzy songs are among his best and most familiar.
I only give it 4 stars because Diz and Bird blitz through the solos. They aren't very memorable. Also, 'Hot House' doesn't do much for me. The Quintet At Massey Hall has better playing - you can hear the musical growth in the eight years between Town Hall & Massey Hall.
I recommend this because if you don't have a lot of Diz or Bird this is an interesting example of their playing. If you have a lot of Diz & Bird you'll want it to complete your collection.
