Session details: Birdland (April 8, 1951)

Charlie Parker session details

April 8, 1951 (11 items; TT = 29:54)

Birdland, New York NY

Voice of America radio broadcast (B-)

Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); J.B. "Dizzy" Gillespie (tpt); Billy Taylor (p); Tommy Potter (b); Roy Haynes (d); Georgie Auld (ts); Frank Rosalino (tb, voc); Harvey Leonard (p); Dillon "Curley" Russell (b); Norman "Tiny" Kahn (d); Willis Conover (ann); Leonard Feather (ann)

1	Theme and introduction (Willis Conover)	0:21
	"The Voice of America presents Jazz Club USA... The Voice of America invites you to another in a series of programs of jazz at its best. And here is your host, Leonard Feather."
2	Interview (Feather, Auld)	2:14
	LF: "Greetings and modulations. This evening we're located... Jazz Club USA is located at Birdland, which is New York's outstanding home of modern jazz. In fact, during the last year or two, Birdland is only about, well, let's say about eighteen months old I believe altogether, and during that time they've entertained the jazz public with just about all of the greatest names in the modern jazz field. And on today's program you're going to hear music by two outstanding groups. First of all we'd like to introduce the leader of one of them, a young man who's been on the jazz scene so long that you'd probably be surprised how young he is, because, well, he sounded very young, and his name is Georgie Auld. Come in and say hello to our jazz fans all over the world, Georgie..." GA: "How are you, Leonard, and how are you, everybody?" LF: "I guess it's about, uh, how long since you started in the jazz business?" GA: "Well, now, lemme see, I joined Bunny Berrigan when I was about sixteen, and I'm thirty-one, so..." LF: "Fifteen years is right, yeah. And during the interim, before forming your own band, you worked with quite a number of other band leaders." GA: "Yes, I was with Artie Shaw... The late Bunny Berrigan first, then Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, back to Artie Shaw with a string band... Here and there a bit, you know?" LF: "And you were in the service too?" GA: "That's right, went in the service, then came out an organized my own first big band, that's the band you heard at the Lincoln Hotel in New York." LF: "I remember that, Georgie, you had a wonderful big band but, uh, you decided that you can make out better right now with the lesser headaches of a small combination." GA: "I think you're right at the present time, Leonard." LF: "Well, uh, where are you from originally, Georgie?" GA: "I was born in Toronto, Canada." LF: "How long... Did you come to this country when you were just a baby?" GA: "I was just thirteen when I came to the States." LF: "I see... and you've never been overseas, have you?" GA: "No, I've never been, and I'm, ah, sure looking forward to the day when I can make the trip." LF: "I sure hope so, too. Well, uh, lemme see. What do you have coming up with the band? Let's give the personnel of the band first." GA: "Well, the personnel stands today, uh, as, uh, Tiny Kahn on drums; Frankie Rosalino on trombone and vocal; Curley Russell on bass; and Harvey Leonard on piano." LF: "That's a very fine line-up. I heard the band the other night and we're looking forward to hearing them again this evening. And your first number is going to an old Juan Tizol thing that Ellington made into a hit." GA: "'Perdido', that's correct, 'Perdido'." LF: "All right, let's go..." GA: "All right..."
3	Perdido (J. Tizol)	6:20
4	Robbins' Nest (inc) (I. Jacquet-C. Thompson)	4:29
	"Now Georgie Auld plays 'Robbins' Nest'..."
5	Interview (Feather, Parker)	1:54
	LF: "And now we'd like to introduce one of the co-leaders of the other all-star combination that's appearing currently at Birdland -- he's known all over the world as the number one man in the modern saxophone field, the fabulous 'Yardbird' Charlie Parker..." CP: "Hello, Leonard." LF: "Charlie, I believe that you've, uh, at least have been overseas much more than, uh, almost anybody else in the present Birdland line-ups, so maybe you can say hello to some of your fans abroad." CP: "Yeah, I'd like to say hello to a lot of my very good friends in Sweden, and some in Denmark, and some in France." LF: "Oh, uh, you were over there just, uh, a few months ago, and I believe they're... probably very anxious for you to come back now, but in the man time I understand that you're re-organizing your string group very shortly." CP: "Yeah, it... we'll organize 'em again for a short while, they have a... a slight tour, concert, uh... a theater tour and, uh, concert tour I think in view." LF: "Well, we've been talking, uh, about the relative, uh, merits from the jazz point of view of your working with the, with the large string ensemble and your working with a little five-piece group like you have here now. Uh, do you have any, any particular preference, or would you say it's a matter of what kind of music you play?" CP: "Well, they're two things that are definitely different, I mean you get one feeling with one from my standpoint, you get one feeling with one comp, with the combination, and another feeling with the violins all together, but I wouldn't say any one is in, inferior to the other." LF: "No, I agree with you, it's just a matter of whether the public want to listen to something in a more melodic vein, with the strings, or more improvisation. I think you get more freedom and more ad-libbing, naturally, with this group that you're with now. I like it, I like to hear it in both forms. I'm very glad you've been able to do both." CP: "Thank you very much [undecipherable]." LF: "Well Charlie, now we'll listen to the... to the all-stars with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and you name the rhythm section, Charlie." CP: "There's, uh, Roy Haynes, drums; there's Tommy Potter, bass; and we've been using Billy Taylor on piano." LF: "OK, let's go." CP: "OK."
6	Hot House (T. Dameron)	4:14
7	Introduction (Feather)	0:15
	"Just want to remind you that Jazz Club USA is taking you on a recorded visit to Birdland, the so-called jazz center of the world, in New York City. That number was called 'Hot House', and next Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker play 'Embraceable You'..."
8	Embraceable You (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin)	3:34
9	Ornithology (C. Parker-B. Harris)	5:20
	"And now of course, the number that has become practically the national anthem of jazz, 'How High the Moon'..." During his solo Parker quotes "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" (1:30-1:34)
10	Closing announcement (Feather)	0:38
	"And that brings to a close our visit of Jazz Club USA to Birdland, at Broadway and 52nd Street in the heart of the New York theatrical district. We've been entertained by the music of Georgie Auld and his all-star group, and Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and their all-star quintet. In the mean time, don't forget that we still would like to hear from you, your comments and your questions and suggestions, anything pertaining to the jazz world, just drop us a line. You can reach us at Jazz Club USA, Voice of America, New York 19. And now this is your host, Leonard Feather, wishing you the best of tempos until next week."
11	Closing announcement and theme (Conover)	0:35
	"Jazz Club USA is a feature presentation of the Voice of America."


5 Interview (Feather, Parker) 12" LP: Philology Volume 6 (W 29)
6 Hot House 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 14, Klacto MG 102 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3011, Sound Hills SSCD 8027, Ember/Fat Boy FBB 901, Philology Volume 53 (W 884), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642
7 Introduction (Feather) 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 14, Klacto MG 102 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3011, Sound Hills SSCD 8027, Ember/Fat Boy FBB 901, Philology Volume 53 (W 884), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642
8 Embraceable You 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 14, Klacto MG 102 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3011, Sound Hills SSCD 8027, Ember/Fat Boy FBB 901, Philology Volume 53 (W 884), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642
9 Ornithology 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 14, Klacto MG 102 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3011, Sound Hills SSCD 8027, Ember/Fat Boy FBB 901, Philology Volume 53 (W 884), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642

The Gillespie-Parker quintet (with Powell, Potter, and Haynes) opened at Birdland on March 29, and there is a WJZ broadcast from March 31. Powell was soon replaced by Billy Taylor, and the group remained at Birdland until April 8.

This set was broadcast as part of VOA's Jazz Club USA. Birdland, which had opened in mid-December 1949, quickly became one of the best places in New York to hear "modern" jazz -- hence Feather's descriptions: "New York's outstanding home of modern jazz," "the so-called jazz center of the world," etc. Here Feather says that Birdland had been open for about eighteen months, so the broadcast may have taken place in April-May 1951.

The Jazz Club USA broadcasts were announced in the press in March 1951. By mid-March, thirteen of the planned 26 programs had been produced, compiled on 16" transcription recordings, and were ready for shipment to Europe and South America; they were also broadcast directly on shortwave on Mondays, 9:45–22:15 GMT. (Musical Express, March 30, 1951, "The State 'Voice of America' broadcasts 'Jazz Club USA'"; Billboard, March 19, 1951, p. 10: "Feather to E.T. Show for 'Voice of America'"). According to Variety (March 14, 1951), "Leonard Feather will broadcast from Birdland on Saturday, April 7. The program will include a live jam session that may turn into a regular Saturday event". The New York Times has that Birdland broadcast beginning at midnight on Sunday (April 8), so that may be the correct date of this broadcast. There is a lot of commotion in the background during Feather's interview with Parker and his closing comments, and this may be the impressionist George Kirby, who performed on March 31 when Symphony Sid emceed the WJZ broadcast mentioned above.

According to the New Yorker (March 24, 1951, p. 6), the Errol Garner Trio, Slim Gaillard, and Charlie Parker with Strings closed on March 28: "Next evening Charlie Parker (completely unstrung this time), joins Dizzy Gillespie's outfit, and Georgie Auld's outfit also moves in." But we have a WJZ broadcast of Charlie Parker with Strings from April 7, so the strings group must have stayed on.

I'm grateful to Leif Bo Petersen and James Accardi for help with this session.