Session details: Band Box (February 16, 1953)

Charlie Parker session details

February 16, 1953 (4 items; TT = 14:21)

Band Box, New York NY

WMGM-AM radio broadcast (B-)

Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); Bill Harris (tb); Charlie Mariano (as); Harry Johnson (ts); Sonny Truitt (p); Grieg Stewart "Chubby" Jackson (b); Morey Feld (d)

1	Foogereemi (with voiceover introduction) (B. Harris)	6:26
	Parker out. At the beginning: "Here we are again at the Bandbox. This is Leonard Feather, introducing the next number of Bill Harris..." [cut off]
2	Introduction (Leonard Feather)	1:04
	LF: "You know, uh, Philadelphia has made quite a number of great contributions to the jazz world. Recently here at the Bandbox we had Charlie Ventura; later tonight you'll be hearing Stan Getz and Buddy De Franco; and then the artist that's on the stand now is a guy who used to work around his native Philadelphia with both of 'em. Bill Harris has a rich background of great associations, first with bands like Bob Chester and Benny Goodman, then in 1944 with Woody, and since then several years on and off as a member of Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic team, which by the way left for Sweden Sunday morning and opens in Stockholm tonight. But Bill Harris did not make the transatlantic trip of course, and he's ready here and now to accept the latest tribute to his talent, the plaque for winning the number one position in trombone in this year's Down Beat poll. Bill Harris, congratulations... (applause) I better hold it for you, Bill, while you get back to the bandstand to, uh, play the next number, I think it's one that you and Chubby used to do back in the Herman herd, 'Your Father's Moustache'..."
3	Your Father's Moustache (B. Harris)	5:09
4	Interview (Leonard Feather, Charlie Parker)	1:42
	LF: "Well, as you heard, we had a surprise on that number, a sort of extra added attraction. I'd like you to meet him now. You know, last week on this show, Harry Carney and Stan Getz received their awards as top men in the Down Beat poll on baritone and tenor sax, respectively. Well, moving up the scale a little, to the alto sax, we find that the number one spot in that department was again won by the Kansas City Flash, the man who brought a new style and a whole new era to jazz history, the man to whom I'm now very happy to hand his Down Beat victory plaque, the inimitable Charlie Parker..." (applause) "Well, wait a minute now. Now, in a... in addition to voting for the top man on each instrument, the Down Beat readers this year voted for their favorite soloist regardless of instrument, and in this department, the vote also went to Charlie Parker, so he's won himself two plaques. Charlie, congratulations again." CP: "Thank you very much, really, Leonard... Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen." LF: "Well, Charlie, you've got yourself quite a collection of plaques. How many years have you been winning?" CP: "Oh, now..." LF: "Four or five years, I guess." CP: (unclear under Feather) "...to come, Leonard, and I'm very proud..." LF: "Well, all I know is..." CP: "...to have two beautiful plaques here." LF: "You deserve every one of them." CP: "Thank you very much..." LF: "Charlie..." CP: "I'm very proud." LF: "It's been a great pleasure to be able to present them. Now we have another group coming back on the stand, a young man whom I mentioned just now as our tenor sax winner, Stan Getz, with... with a great drummer who's just returned to the Bandbox, he was here when the club opened a few weeks ago, let's just give him a real Bandbox welcome, Buddy Rich on the drums..." (applause) "And with Sonny Truitt on the piano and Chubby Jackson still on bass, we have 'I'll Remember April'..."


3 Your Father's Moustache 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 19 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3015, Sound Hills SSCD 8031, Philology Volume 9 (W 120), Volume 21 (W 851), Volume 34 (W 865), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342

This is from a Jazz Caravan broadcast. All of these items are included on an 8" acetate issued by Radiodiffusion Française. I am grateful to Wasaburo Miura for sharing a copy with me.

Parker plays only on "Your Father's Moustache."

An unknown vocalist plus several band members sing the "Ah, Your Father's Moustache" jingle early on. This is followed by a long solo by Johnson, with riffing horns behind him. As Parker enters, Ed Stokes shouts, "Here comes Charlie Parker!" (2:41-2:44), and Parker takes a nice six-chorus solo (2:40-4:42).

The interview with Leonard Feather, during which Parker is presented with two plaques for the Down Beat readers' poll, is sometimes included with the Band Box recording from March 23, but it belongs here. Thanks to Wasaburo Miura, and to Dean Chambers and James Accardi for help with the session.