"Arranger? I'd have Joe Lipman. He writes the greatest." So said Charlie Parker. The great alto saxophonist didn't get that many opportunities to record with large ensembles, but the three sessions he did under Lipman's direction are among his most memorable. Included here, in addition to two selections Lipman arranged for Parker and a string orchestra in 1950, are the complete results of two 1952 sessions for which the arranger put together a roaring, full-strength big band. In Bill Kirchner's notes, Lipman discusses the mechanics of backing Parker with such complex arrangements as "Autumn in New York", which became one of the biggest-selling records of Parker's career. As a bonus, this CD includes the complete results of Parker's only studio collaboration with another great arranger, Gil Evans. This 1953 session was also the only time Parker ever recorded with a vocal chorus.