[light] [dark]

Charlie Parker session details

[Return to main page]

November 22, 1950 (7 items; TT = 35:03)
Amiralen Dance Hall, Malmö (Sweden)
Private recording (Tape) (B-)

Charlie Parker (as); Rolf Ericson (tpt); Gösta Theselius (p); Thore Jederby (b); Jack Noren (d)

1 Fine and Dandy (P. James-K. Swift) 4:35

Domnerus quintet, no Parker
2 Out of Nowhere (E. Heyman-J.W. Green) 3:33

Domnerus quintet, no Parker
3 All the Things You Are (J. Kern-O. Hammerstein) 8:04

Domnerus quintet, no Parker
4 Anthropology (D. Gillespie-C. Parker) 5:52

Parker quotes "High Society" at 1:38-1:43
5 Cheers (H. McGhee) 6:36
6 Lover Man (J. Davis-R. Ramirez-J. Sherman) 1:55

Ericson out; "Country Gardens" tag (1:45-1:51)
7 Cool Blues (incomplete) (C. Parker) 4:28

Begins mid-trumpet solo (0:00-1:32); piano solo (1:34-2:44); Parker enters at 2:45 with a few notes of "Country Gardens" but then has some nice 8-bar exchanges with Ericson; the out chorus begins at 3:37


1 Fine and Dandy
12" LP: Oktav LP 164
CD: Dragon Records DRCD 444

2 Out of Nowhere
12" LP: Oktav LP 164
CD: Dragon Records DRCD 444

3 All the Things You Are
12" LP: Oktav LP 164
CD: Dragon Records DRCD 444

4 Anthropology
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 11, Oktav LP 164, Spotlite SPJ 124/25
CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3009, Sound Hills SSCD 8025, Arpeggio ARJ 012, Philology Volume 28 (W 859), Volume 30 (W 861), Definitive DRCD 11216, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1339, Dragon Records DRCD 444, Dragon Records DRCD 444

5 Cheers
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 11, Oktav LP 164, Spotlite SPJ 124/25
CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3009, Sound Hills SSCD 8025, Arpeggio ARJ 012, Philology Volume 28 (W 859), Volume 30 (W 861), Definitive DRCD 11216, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1339, Dragon Records DRCD 444, Dragon Records DRCD 444

6 Lover Man
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 11, Oktav LP 164, Spotlite SPJ 124/25
CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3009, Sound Hills SSCD 8025, Arpeggio ARJ 012, Philology Volume 28 (W 859), Volume 30 (W 861), Definitive DRCD 11216, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1339, Dragon Records DRCD 444, Dragon Records DRCD 444

7 Cool Blues (incomplete)
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 11, Oktav LP 164, Spotlite SPJ 124/25
CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3009, Sound Hills SSCD 8025, Arpeggio ARJ 012, Philology Volume 28 (W 859), Volume 30 (W 861), Definitive DRCD 11216, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1339, Dragon Records DRCD 444, Dragon Records DRCD 444


This performance was recorded by Erik Hellborg on a Sound Mirror paper recorder. The evening concert was followed by a late-night dance. The Ericson-Domnerus group performed first -- at least the three tunes listed here -- and then Parker replaced Domnerus for the remaining titles listed above.

This whirlwind Swedish tour was organized by Parker's manager Billy Shaw. Parker and Roy Eldridge had been invited by Nils Hellström, publisher of the journal Estrad, to play a number of Swedish venues accompanied by Swedish rhythm sections. The various groups involved in this tour were:

  • Charles Norman Orchestra: Leppe Sundewall (tpt); Gösta Theselius (ts); Charles Norman (p); Thore Jederby (b); Andrew Burman (d);
  • Roy Eldridge with the Norman group;
  • Rolf Ericson/Arne Domnerus Orchestra: Rolf Ericson (tpt); Arne Domnerus (as); Rolk Blomquist (ts); Lars Gullin (bs); Gunnar Svensson (p); Yngve Ackerberg (b); Jack Norén (d);
  • Charlie Parker accompanied by Ericson and the rhythm section of the Ericson/Domnerus group

The American musicians arrived at Bromma airport on Sunday Novemeber 19th, where Parker was met by a large group of enthusiastic fans. The itinerary for the tour was as follows:

November 20: Konserthuset, Stockholm (two concerts)
November 20 (after the Konserthuset concerts): basement of Von der Lindeska Huset, Stockholm (jam session)
November 21: Göteborg Koncerthus, Gothenburg (two concerts)
November 22: Amiralen Dance Hall, Malmö
November 22 (after the Malmö concert): Akademiska Föreningen, Lund (jam session)
November 23: KB Hallen, Copenhagen (two concerts)
November 24: Folkparken (Folkets Park), Helsingborg (two concerts)
November 24 (after the Folkets Park concerts): Restaurang Sjöcrona, Helsingborg (jam session)
November 25: Jönköpings Idrottshus, Jönköping (two concerts)
November 26: Folkparken, Gävle (two concerts)
November 27: Nalen, Stockholm (jam session with Toots Thielemans, Putte Wickman Orchestra, and Cab Kaye Orchestra)

Parker left Sweden on November 28, stopping in Paris to record with the Maurice Moufflard Orchestra. The Paris visit, which was supposed to include a concert organized by Charles Delaunay, was aborted because of objections by Hellström, who wanted Delaunay to pay for Parker's return to Sweden. Delauney refused, and Billy Shaw ordered Parker to return to New York.

Parker's playing on these Swedish dates is relaxed and inventive, and he sounds like he's having a blast. The audiences are very appreciative.

The Dragon CD reissue of this material is a dramatic improvement over previous editions. The pitch has been corrected throughout. The tunes performed by the Swedish group (with Arne Domnerus in place of Parker) are included. The tunes are in the correct order. The notes by Martin Westin are informative, supplemented with several contemporary ads and photographs.

I am grateful to Niels Therp for alerting me to Martin Westin's book Charlie Parker i Sverige: med en Avstickare till Köpenhabn (Premium Publishing, 2014) and for help with the details of this session. For further details check out Martin Westin's blog post: http://martinwestin.blogspot.dk/2007/07/charlie-parker-in-sweden.html. I am also grateful to Leif Bo Petersen for his help with the Swedish sessions.

All original content on this website is licensed by Peter Losin under a Creative Commons License