Session details: Diplomat Hotel (January 19, 1951)

Charlie Parker session details

January 19, 1951 (8 items; TT = 16:43)

Diplomat Hotel, New York NY

Private recording (Tape) (C)

Charlie Parker (as); Miles Davis (tpt); Walter Bishop Jr. (p); Teddy Kotick (b); Max Roach (d)

1	Billie's Bounce (incomplete) (C. Parker)	2:40
	Parker solo, part of the exchanges, then closing theme. Two fragments (1:50 + 0:48)
2	Cool Blues (incomplete) (C. Parker)	2:56
	Parker solo, part of the exchanges, then closing theme. Two fragments (1:56 + 0:58)
3	April in Paris (incomplete) (V. Duke-E.Y. Harburg)	1:54
	Parker solo, then a nice Davis solo (1:06-1:56), faded out
4	Unknown Title (fragment)	0:04
5	Ornithology (incomplete) (C. Parker-B. Harris)	2:01
	Opening theme, Parker solo, sudden transition to "52nd Street Theme."
6	52nd Street Theme (fragment) (T. Monk)	0:05
	Parker announcement from stage (undecipherable)
7	Caravan (incomplete) (D. Ellington-J. Tizol-I. Mills)	2:20
	Stops abruptly as Parker's solo begins (0:50). Starts again, Parker plays more thematic embellishments, drumming gets more insistent, faded out at 1:58, picks up again with tpt/as closing theme. Three fragments (0:47 + 1:06 + 0:22)
8	Big Foot [Drifting on a Reed] (C. Parker)	4:43


1 Billie's Bounce (incomplete) 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 4, Stash ST 260 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3003, Sound Hills SSCD 8019, Philology Volume 12 (W 842), Stash ST 260, Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667
2 Cool Blues (incomplete) CD: Philology Volume 12 (W 842), Stash ST 260, Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667
3 April in Paris (incomplete) CD: Philology Volume 12 (W 842), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667
4 Unknown Title (fragment) CD: Philology Volume 12 (W 842), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667
5 Ornithology (incomplete) CD: Philology Volume 12 (W 842), Volume 58 (W 889), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667
6 52nd Street Theme (fragment) CD: Philology Volume 12 (W 842), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667
7 Caravan (incomplete) 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 4, Stash ST 260 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3003, Sound Hills SSCD 8019, Philology Volume 12 (W 842), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667
8 Big Foot 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 4, Stash ST 260 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3003, Sound Hills SSCD 8019, Philology Volume 12 (W 842), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88667

These tunes are usually dated (as on Philology) sometime in 1950, but according to Norman Saks the correct date is January 19, 1951. The trumpet player is definitely Davis -- he quotes a melody in his solo during "Big Foot" (3:16) which also plays during his solo on "Out of the Blue" (4:58-5:08) in October 1951 -- and to which he returns again in spring 1952 at the Barrel Club in St. Louis (e.g. the first version of "Wee Dot" (1:21-1:33) and the second version of "Wee Dot" (4:17-4:28). (The melody stayed with Davis for years: he quotes it during "The Leap" (3:58-4:04) recorded for Blue Note in March 1954.)

Davis and Parker were reunited for a studio session on January 17 (the "Au Privave" session for Mercury).

Thanks to Tommaso Urbano for help with this session.