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Charlie Parker session details

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October 18, 1952 (8 items; TT = 56:51)
Howard Theatre, Washington DC
Private recording (Tape) (B)

Charlie Parker (as); Charlie Walp (tpt); Kai Winding (tb); Earl Swope (tb); Zoot Sims [John Haley] (ts); Bill Shanahan (p); Charlie Byrd (g); Merton Oliver (b); Don Lamond (d); Unknown (bgo)

1 Scrapple from the Apple (C. Parker) 5:47

Parker calls for "Out of Nowhere" during the applause
2 Out of Nowhere (E. Heyman-J.W. Green) 4:23
3 Now's the Time (C. Parker) 10:00

Add Walp (tpt), Swope and Winding (tb), and Sims (ts). Incomplete (first tb solo omitted) on all issued versions
4 52nd Street Theme (incomplete) (T. Monk) 0:03
5 Cool Blues (incomplete) (C. Parker) 4:14

Add Sims (ts), Walp (tpt), Swope (tb). Begins toward the end of Parker solo, then Sims, Swope, Walp solos, then closing chorus. Incomplete (1:30) on RJD-505
6 Wee Dot (J.J. Johnson) 9:53

Parker out
7 Sweet Miss (K. Winding) 9:03

Parker out
8 This is Always (incomplete) (M. Gordon-H. Warren) 13:28

Parker out. Gap at 10:43, several measures missing


1 Scrapple from the Apple
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 18, VGM 0009, Deep Morgan 10001
CD: Royal Jazz RJD 505, Blue Note 22626, New Sound Planet JUTB 3014, Sound Hills SSCD 8030, Philology Volume 32 (W 863)

2 Out of Nowhere
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 18, VGM 0009, Deep Morgan 10001
CD: Royal Jazz RJD 505, Blue Note 22626, New Sound Planet JUTB 3014, Sound Hills SSCD 8030, Philology Volume 32 (W 863)

3 Now's the Time
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 18, VGM 0009, Deep Morgan 10001
CD: Royal Jazz RJD 505, Blue Note 22626, New Sound Planet JUTB 3014, Sound Hills SSCD 8030, Philology Volume 32 (W 863)

4 52nd Street Theme (incomplete)
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 18, VGM 0009, Deep Morgan 10001
CD: Royal Jazz RJD 505, Blue Note 22626, New Sound Planet JUTB 3014, Sound Hills SSCD 8030, Philology Volume 32 (W 863)

5 Cool Blues (incomplete)
CD: Royal Jazz RJD 505, Philology Volume 26 (W 857), Volume 32 (W 863), Volume 32 (Revised) (W 863)


This was a midnight All-Star jam session (the Howard staged such events regularly at this time). Another version of "Cool Blues" (with just a Parker-led quartet) is sometimes included with this session, but it belongs on February 21-22, 1953. The last three titles (all without Parker) have not been released commercially as far as I know.

According to Ron Fritts there is a short Parker solo excerpt on the original tapes from this date. Thanks to him, Carlos de Rosselló, and Leif Bo Petersen for help with these Howard Theatre dates.

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