Charlie Parker - Bewitching Bird: Charlie Parker At Café Society & Lindsay's Sky Bar (Record Store Day Black Friday 2026) LP

Charlie Parker – Bewitching Bird: Charlie Parker At Café Society & Lindsay's Sky Bar (Record Store Day Black Friday 2026) LP

Available at Bennies Fifties and the online Fifties Store

Discover an extraordinary piece of jazz history with Charlie Parker – Bewitching Bird: Bird At Café Society And The Sky Bar. Released exclusively for Record Store Day Black Friday 2026, this remarkable album brings together rare live recordings from 1950 and 1951 on a beautifully presented 180-gram black vinyl LP.

Charlie Parker (1920–1955), affectionately known as Bird, was one of the most revolutionary musicians in jazz history. As a founding figure of bebop, his extraordinary improvisational abilities, harmonic imagination and rhythmic creativity transformed the sound of modern jazz and inspired generations of musicians.

Side A features five recordings from 1950, captured at the legendary Café Society jazz club in Greenwich Village, New York. Parker performs alongside an outstanding group of musicians, including trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Al Haig, bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Roy Haynes. The recordings include an approximately ten-minute medley of classic jazz standards.

Two performances are particularly noteworthy. Parker's version of Bewitched had never previously appeared officially on one of his albums, while I Cover The Waterfront is a remarkable rarity, with no other known Parker recording of the composition. The final track, Lover, Come Back To Me, originates from a different session featuring pianist Dick Hyman and guitarist Mundell Lowe.

Side B offers an even more remarkable archival discovery: four previously unreleased live recordings from May 1951, captured at Lindsay's Sky Bar in Cleveland, Ohio. These performances feature Parker alongside trombonist Jimmy Knepper, pianist Walter Bishop Jr., bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Roy Haynes.

Featuring exciting interpretations of Barbados, Bongo Bop, Cool Blues and Star Eyes, these newly discovered performances offer a fascinating glimpse into Parker's extraordinary improvisational genius during a period from which very few live recordings have survived.

The recordings have been mastered from the original tapes and pressed on 180-gram black vinyl. The package also includes rare photographs and detailed liner notes, providing valuable historical context for these important performances.

Released by Liberation Hall with an announced US Record Store Day quantity of just 1,500 copies, Bewitching Bird is an essential archival release for collectors of Charlie Parker, classic bebop and historic live jazz recordings.

Tracklist

Side A – Café Society, New York (1950)

A1. Bewitched
A2. Summertime
A3. I Cover The Waterfront
A4. Easy To Love
A5. Lover, Come Back To Me

Side B – Lindsay's Sky Bar, Cleveland (1951)

B1. Barbados
B2. Bongo Bop
B3. Cool Blues
B4. Star Eyes

Specifications

Artist: Charlie Parker

Title: Bewitching Bird: Bird At Café Society And The Sky Bar

Format: LP

Vinyl Color: Black

Vinyl Weight: 180 grams

Edition: Record Store Day Black Friday 2026 Exclusive

Release Date: November 27, 2026

Recording Years: 1950 and 1951

Recording Locations: Café Society, Greenwich Village, New York & Lindsay's Sky Bar, Cleveland, Ohio

Genre: Jazz, Bebop, Live Jazz

Record Label: Liberation Hall

Number of Records: 1

Number of Tracks: 9

Running Time: Approximately 43 minutes

Mastering: From the original recording tapes

Packaging: LP sleeve with rare photographs and detailed liner notes

Featured Musicians: Charlie Parker, Kenny Dorham, Al Haig, Tommy Potter, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Knepper, Walter Bishop Jr., Teddy Kotick, Dick Hyman and Mundell Lowe

Special Features: Four previously unreleased live performances from Cleveland and rare Café Society recordings

US RSD Quantity: 1,500 copies

Catalogue Number: LIB-2226

Barcode: 0810177222620 (listed by European retailers; see note below)

Highlights

Exclusive Record Store Day Black Friday 2026 release on 180-gram black vinyl.

Historic Charlie Parker live recordings from 1950 and 1951, captured in New York and Cleveland.

Features four previously unreleased performances from Lindsay's Sky Bar in Cleveland.

Includes rare interpretations of Bewitched, I Cover The Waterfront, Barbados and Star Eyes.

Mastered from the original tapes, complete with rare photographs and extensive liner notes.