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Charlie Parker session details

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May 23, 1953 (2 items; TT = 9:13)
Birdland, New York NY
WABC-AM radio broadcast (B-)

Charlie Parker (as); J.B. "Dizzy" Gillespie (tpt); Miles Davis (tpt); Sahib Shihab [Edmund Gregory] (bs); Wade Legge (p); Louis Hackney (b); Al Jones (d); Joe Carroll (voc)

1 The Bluest Blues (G. McFarland-C. Thompson) 6:25

Joe Carroll (voc). Gillespie takes the first solo (1:00-2:04). Listen for his exclamations at some of Parker's phrases (including "Go Bird!" at 2:49). Davis is the second trumpet soloist (3:13-4:48)
2 On the Sunny Side of the Street (D. Fields-J. McHugh) 2:48

Parker has a brief solo (1:17-1:42); during the last half-chorus Davis plays obbligatos behind him. Gillespie and Carroll (voc)


1 The Bluest Blues
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 20, Klacto MG 102
CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3016, Sound Hills SSCD 8032, Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342

2 On the Sunny Side of the Street
12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 20, Klacto MG 102
CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3016, Sound Hills SSCD 8032, Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342


Some discographies place this broadcast in June, but the available evidence suggests May. The Charlie Parker Quartet, the Dizzy Gillespie Group, and the Bud Powell Trio were all booked at Birdland May 21-27; Parker remained (opposite Ella Fitzgerald) through June 3. Davis replaced Gillespie on one night (May 16), and joined him as a second trumpet here.

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