Session details: Pershing Hotel Ballroom (November 5, 1950)

Charlie Parker session details

November 5, 1950 (14 items; TT = 48:11)

Pershing Hotel Ballroom, Chicago IL

Private recording (Tape) (C+)

Charlie Parker (as); Unknown (tb); Earl Lavon "Von" Freeman (ts); George Freeman (g); Chris Anderson (p); Leroy Jackson (b); Bruz Freeman (d); Unknown (voc)

First set
1	Indiana (J.F. Hanley-B. McDonald)	5:51
	Opening theme; Parker solo (splice at 3:15 as ts begins); Parker solo (splice at 4:55); closing chorus
2	I Can't Get Started (V. Duke-I. Gershwin)	2:47
	Opening theme; Parker solo (splice at 2:12); closing theme. Parker plays the "Country Gardens" tag with an extended trill (2:39-2:48)
3	Anthropology (D. Gillespie-C. Parker)	5:18
	Opening theme; Parker solo (splice at 3:02); Parker solo (he quotes "That Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" at 4:22-4:25) into closing theme
4	Out of Nowhere (E. Heyman-J.W. Green)	2:46
	Opening theme; Parker solo ("Country Gardens" quoted 1:44-1:47; splice at 2:09); closing theme
5	Get Happy (H. Arlen-T. Koehler)	5:34
	Opening theme; Parker solo (splice at 3:24 as g solo begins); Parker solo into closing theme

Second set
6	Hot House (T. Dameron)	5:00
	Opening theme; Parker solo (splice at 3:23 as g solo begins); Parker solo into closing theme
7	Embraceable You (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin)	2:00
	Add unknown (voc). Parker plays the "Country Gardens" tag straight (1:52-1:59)
8	Body and Soul (J.W. Green-E. Heyman-R. Sour-F. Eyton)	2:15
	Add unknown (voc). Ends with "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen..."
9	Cool Blues (C. Parker)	3:14
	Opening theme; Parker solo (splice at 2:22 as g solo begins); Parker solo into closing theme
10	Stardust (incomplete) (H. Carmichael-M. Parish)	0:56
	Add unknown (voc). Splice at 0:26 as voc begins; fragment of Parker solo; ends as voc returns
11	All the Things You Are [Bird of Paradise] (J. Kern-O. Hammerstein)	3:07
	Opening theme; Parker solo (he quotes "Kerry Dancers" at 0:34-0:39); ends as g solo begins
12	Billie's Bounce (C. Parker)	3:08
	Opening theme; splice at 0:41 as g solo begins; Parker solo into closing theme. There are some nice as/ts unison lines in the opening and closing themes. Incomplete (2:45) on Philology Volume 14
13	Pennies from Heaven (incomplete) (J. Burke-A. Johnston)	3:18
	Opening theme; Parker solo (splice at 2:59 as g solo begins); Parker solo into closing theme
14	Pennies from Heaven (incomplete) (J. Burke-A. Johnston)	2:57


1 Indiana 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Volume 60 (W 891), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
2 I Can't Get Started 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
3 Anthropology 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
4 Out of Nowhere 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
5 Get Happy 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
6 Hot House 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
7 Embraceable You 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
8 Body and Soul 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
9 Cool Blues 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 14 (W 844), Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Volume 66 (W 897), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
10 Stardust (incomplete) 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 14 (W 844), Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Volume 66 (W 897), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
11 All the Things You Are 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 14 (W 844), Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Volume 65 (W 896), Volume 66 (W 897), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
12 Billie's Bounce 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 14 (W 844), Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Volume 65 (W 896), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
13 Pennies from Heaven (incomplete) 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 10, Zim ZM 1003 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3008, Sound Hills SSCD 8024, Philology Volume 25 (W 855), Volume 35 (W 866), Volume 40 (W 871), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242
14 Pennies from Heaven (incomplete) CD: Stash STB 2500, Philology Volume 35 (W 866), Volume 40 (W 871), Volume 65 (W 896), Ember EMBCD 014, Definitive DRCD 11242

This tape recording was made by Donald Coy, edited to Parker solos and exchanges. The tape was recorded off a dressing room speaker, and parts of some items ("Embraceable You" through "All the Things You Are") are marred by conversation.

A second version of "Pennies from Heaven" was recently discovered. It ends after the Parker solo, and an unknown trombone can be heard. The four titles issued on Philology Volume 14 are listed there as from Pershing Ballroom, November 1949, but they clearly belong here.

The date for this recording is usually given as October 23, but this is probably incorrect. According to a short piece in the Chicago Defender (November 4, 1950, p. 11), "'The Bird' Flies to Chicago," Parker was booked for a one-night engagement at the Pershing Ballroom on November 5. The article notes that Parker "recently closed a successful engagement at Chicago's Blue Note" -- he played there from September 22 until October 5 -- and that "Parker's last appearance on the South Side was nearly two years ago when he played an engagement with his combo at the Beige Room." Donald Coy's liner notes to Zim ZM-1003, the original LP released in 1976, do not specify the date of the recording:

The tape that was used to make up this album is from a private collection... and is presented here just as it was recorded in the Fall of 1950. It is not one of a series of "newly discovered" Bird tapes, but rather a single tape from a single session, a one-night gig at the Pershing Ballroom... of the Pershing Hotel, 64th and Cottage Grove on Chicago's south side.

I'm not sure where the October 23 date first appeared; but the evidence suggests that this music was recorded during a one-night engagement in the Pershing Hotel Ballroom on Sunday, November 5. I am very grateful to Jeffrey Shaw for archival research and helpful discussion of this session.