|
1945 |
Charlie
Parker Chronology |
|
|
|
Created
by Leif Bo Petersen |
Last
updated: December 15, 2024. |
|
Date |
Event |
References/Further Details |
|
January
early |
Cootie Williams and His Orchestra Probably: Harold Johnson, Emmett Perry, George Treadwell, Cootie
Williams (tp); Eddie Bert, Bob Horton (tb); Eddie Vinson (as, voc) replaced
by Charlie Parker; Frank Powell (as); Lee Pope, Sam Taylor (ts); Eddie
DeVerteuil (bars); Arnold Jarvis (p; Leroy Kirkland (g); Carl Pruitt (b); Ves
Payne (d). Savoy Ballroom, New York, NY. Charlie Parker subs for Eddie Vinson here and later on. |
T. Reig and E.
Berger, Reminiscing in Tempo (1990),
13: Teddy Reig relates that Parker had subbed in Williams´ band the night
before the Continental recording session on January 4. |
|
January
early |
Clyde Bernhardt and
His Kansas City Buddies Clyde Bernhardt (tb, voc); Charlie Parker (as); Jay
McShann (p): Gene Ramey (b); Gus Johnson (d). Nola Studios, 1657 Broadway, New York, NY. Private publicity recordings for Clyde Bernhardt. Glass based lacquers exist. |
C. E. B. Bernhardt and S. Harris, I Remember (1986), 297-98:
Here Clyde Bernhardt tells in detail about the session, but he gives no date.
His account suggests a date before McShann opened at the Downbeat Club. Phil Schaap, WKCR: Clyde Bernhardt has suggested the date January 9 to
Schaap." Swing Street Back to Name-Ork Policy," Billboard, December
30, 1944, 1: Jay McShann Orchestra opened at the Downbeat Club on January 8. https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450109 |
|
January
4 |
Clyde Hart's All-Stars Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Trummy Young (tb, voc); Charlie Parker
(as); Don Byas (ts); Clyde Hart (p); Mike Bryan (g); Al Hall (b); Specs
Powell (d); Rubberlegs Williams (voc). Teddy Reig (prod). Unidentified recording studio, New York, NY. Commercial recordings for Continental Records. |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450104 https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdInterviews.aspx Charlie Parker
interviewed by M. Sterns and J.
Maher, May 1, 1950: he tells the
story of Benzedrine in
Rubberlegs Williams coffee at this session. T. Reig and E.
Berger, Reminiscing in Tempo (1990),
13: Teddy Reig states that he produced this session, and he also tells the
Rubberlegs Williams anecdote. |
|
January
7 |
Jam Session Herbie Fields, Buster Bailey, Buck Clayton, Harold
Doc West, Charlie Parker, Al Hall, Charlie Shavers, Thelonious Monk, Joe
Albany, and Baby Lawrence. Lincoln Square Center, New York, NY. 4 p.m.–2 a.m. Monte Kay and Mal Braveman (prod). Jam session and dance. |
Ad in Daily News, January 7, 1945, 64. “Names Carry on with Big Jam Session In New York,” Pittsburgh Courier, January 13, 1945,
13: Last Sunday; personnel listed. |
|
January 14 |
Jam Session Buck Clayton (tp); Ken Kersey (p); Hayes Alvis (b);
James Crawford (d). Also Participating: Don Byas (ts); Charlie Parker
(as); Errol Garner (p). Spotlite Club, New York, NY. 4 hours. Afternoon. Monte Kay and Mal Braveman (prod). |
“All-Soldier Quartet Featured at Spotlite Club’s Jams Session,” New
York Age, January 20, 1945, 10, |
|
February 2 |
Cootie Williams and
His Orchestra Harold Johnson, Emmett Perry, George Treadwell,
Cootie Williams (tp); Eddie Bert, Bob Horton (tb); Charlie Parker, Frank
Powell (as); Lee Pope, Sam Taylor (ts); Eddie DeVerteuil (bars); Arnold
Jarvis (p); Leroy Kirkland (g); Carl Pruitt (b); Ves Payne (d); Tony Warren
(voc). Savoy Sultans Savoy Ballroom, New York, NY. February 2-15, 1945. Parker has replaced Eddie Vinson, who is drafted. February 6, 1 a.m. (February 5 after midnight). Broadcast by Mutual Network (MBS). In the New York area: WOR. February 10, 1 a.m. (February 9 after midnight). Broadcast by Mutual Network (MBS). In the New York area: WOR. February 13, 1 a.m. (February 12 after midnight). Broadcast by Mutual Network (MBS). In the New York area: WOR. Surviving recordings from February 13 exist. |
Ad in New York Amsterdam News February 3, 1945, 5: Cootie
Williams and Savoy Sultans play nightly. “Warren Evans Joins Cootie,” Pittsburgh
Courier, February 17, 1945, 15: Warren Evans appeared with Williams
last Friday at the Savoy (February
9). “Cootie Williams Nation’s No. 1 Trumpet Man,” Afro-American,
February 17, 1945, 8: Closing February 15. Broadcasts on February 5, 9 and 12
are mentioned. It is also mentioned that Vinson had been taken into the army. “Today’s Radio Programs,” Courier-Post
(Camden, NJ.), February 5, 1945, 13: 1 a.m. WOR: Cootie Williams “Today’s Radio Programs,” Courier-Post
(Camden, NJ.), February 9, 1945, 33: 1 a.m. WOR: Cootie Williams. “Today’s Radio Programs,” Courier-Post
(Camden, NJ.), February 12, 1945, 13: 1 a.m. WOR: Cootie Williams. https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450212 |
|
February 28 |
Dizzy Gillespie
Sextet Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Clyde
Hart (p); Remo Palmieri (g); Slam Stewart (b); Cozy Cole (d). Unidentified recording studio, New York, NY. Commercial recordings for Guild Records. |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450228 |
|
March 21 |
Ben Webster Sextet Charlie Parker (as); Ben Webster (ts); Argonne
Thornton (a.k.a. Sadik Hakim) (p); Bill DeArango (g); Leo Guarneri (b); Bill Beason
(d). Toy Wilson (intermission piano) March 21– early April 1945. Onyx Club, New York, NY. |
“Goings
on About Town: Onyx,” New Yorker, March 24, 1945: A new band headed by
Ben Webster. Same March 31. “New
York Roundup: The Street,” Metronome, April 1945, 23: Gives the lineup
of Webster’s band as of March 21. “Goings
on About Town: Onyx,” New Yorker, April 7, 1945, 4: Stuff Smith and
Ben Webster working in cooperation. Sadik
Hakim (a.k.a. Argonne Thornton): "Reflections of an Era - My Experiences
with Bird and Prez" Jazz Journal, August 1996, 17: Tells that
Parker was in the band. Ben
Webster in F. Büchmann-Møller, Someone to Watch Over Me (2006), 116:
Webster tells that Parker was in his band just before he started with Gillespie
at the 3 Deuces. F. R.
Hayde, Stan Levey - Jazz Heavyweight (2016), Kindle ed. loc. 843–849:
Stan Levey claims that he and Charlie Parker were hired by Webster and that
they were fired on the second night. |
|
March 25 |
Jam Session Dizzy Gillespie's All Stars Ben Webster; Cozy Cole; Tiny
Grimes; Erroll Garner; Don Byas, and others. Lincoln Square Center. NYC. Palm Sunday Dance and Jam
session 3 p.m–1 a.m. |
Ad in New York Amsterdam
News, March 24, 19 Ad in Daily News, March
25, 1945, 67. “Top Jazz Aces to Jam at Palm
Sunday Session,” People’s Voice, March 24, 1945, 27: Dizzy Gillespie and His
All Stars featuring Charlie Parker; Charlie Shavers, Dexter Gordon. Al Lucas,
Joe Springer, and Danny Dinofer. Cozy Cole, Errol Garner, Tiny Grimes, Ben Webster,
and Don Byas. The jam session fragment of Sweet
Georgia Brown, which habitually is dated May 30, may come from the
present event (see May 30). |
|
April 19 |
Dizzy Gillespie and
His Band Featuring Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Al Haig
(p); Curley Russell (b); Stan Levey, replaced by Doc West, replaced by Max
Roach (d). Don Byas (ts) acc. by Erroll Garner Trio Erroll Garner (p); Al Lucas (b); Doc West (d). Three Deuces, New York, NY. April 19–July 4?, 1945. |
“Dizzy Gillespie's Band to Open at Three Deuces,” New York Age,
April 21, 1945, 11: opening Thursday, April 19. “Goings
on About Town: Three Deuces,” New Yorker, April 28 until July 7, 1945:
Dizzy Gillespie band. Don Byas band including Erroll Garner. Ad in New
York Amsterdam News, May 5, 1945, 7B: Three Deuces: Dizzy Gillespie and
His Band featuring Charlie Parker; Erroll Garner, Don Byas, Doc West, and Al
Lucas. “New
York Paragraphs,” Baltimore Afro-American, July 21, 1945, 17: Budd
Johnson has replaced Dizzy Gillespie at the Three Deuces. I.
Gitler, Jazz Masters of the 40s (1966), 187: Max Roach tells that he
replaced Stan Levey in the band. Al Haig
in I. Gitler, Swing to Bop (1985), 144: Haig was chosen as piano
player from the start of the group. According
to P. Schaap (Bird Flight WKCR) Ted Sturgis has told that he was the bassist
in the group for a short while from the start. I have not found other
evidence of this. F. R.
Hayde, Stan Levey - Jazz Heavyweight (2016), Kindle ed. loc. 877–882,
937–944: Stan Levey tells that he participated in rehearsals at the Three
Deuces before the opening. He quit the job because he got an opportunity to
join Woody Herman. Max Roach replaced him. This probably happened in May. Doc West seems to have subbed in the band until Max
Roach was available. |
|
May |
Dizzy Gillespie Release of Guild 1001. 10" 78 rpm. record. Charlie Parker only appears on 1001 A. Recorded February 28, 1945. Dizzy Gillespie and Cozy Cole-Slam Stewart-Remo Palmieri-Clyde Hart-
Charlie Parker Groovin'
High Recorded February 9, 1945. Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra Blue 'N
Boogie |
“Record Reviews” Metronome, June 1945, 14: Blue ‘N’ Boogie:
(good); Groovin’ High: (B
/good). Parker is called the Diz of the alto. “Diggin’ the Discs with Don: Swing,” Down Beat, June 15, 1945, 8: “Neither
side exhibit Dizzy’s horn or style to the best advantage…” Generally, a
review with reservations. |
|
May 11 |
Dizzy Gillespie and
His All-Stars Dizzy Gillespie (tp, voc); Charlie Parker (as); Al
Haig (p); Curley Russell (b); Big Sid Catlett (d); Sarah Vaughan (voc). Unidentified recording studio, New York, NY. Commercial recordings for Guild Records. |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450511 |
|
May 16 |
Concert Dizzy Gillespie with
His Orchestra Featuring Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Al Haig
(p); Curley Russell (b); Doc West (d). Dinah Washington (voc) accompanied by Leonard Feather. Stuff Smith Trio Stuff smith (v); Jimmy Jones (p); Slam Stewart (b). Town Hall, New York, NY. 8:30 p.m. New Jazz Foundation Monte Kay and Symphony Sid Torin (prod). Announced in the ads, but not appearing: Count
Basie, Teddy Wilson, Slam Stewart, Georgie Auld, Cozy Cole, Hot Lips Page,
and Skippy Williams. |
Ad in New York Amsterdam
News, April 28, 1945, 8B. Ad in Daily News, May 15, 1945, 29B. “Gillespie Bash Drags as Cats Fail to Show,” Down Beat, June
1, 1945, 1. B. Ulanov, "Dizzy Dazzles for an Hour: Rest of Concert
Drags," Metronome, October 1945. Reprinted in W. Woideck, The
Charlie Parker Companion (1998), 181–83: Review of the concert. The planned program can be found in Leonard
Feather's scrapbook, Leonard Feather Collection, University of Idaho: https://www.ijc.uidaho.edu/feather_leonard |
|
May mid |
Hepsations of 1945 Press releases of plans for a tour with a Dizzy
Gillespie18-piece big band, June Eckstine, Patterson & Jackson, and
Nicholas Bros. |
“’Hep-sation’ Unit to Play Series of One Night Stands,” Cleveland Gazette, May 20, 1945, 7. |
|
May 25 |
Sarah Vaughan and
Her Orchestra Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Flip
Philips (ts); Nat Jaffe (p); Tadd Dameron (p & arr); Bill DeArango (g);
Curley Russell (b); Max Roach (d); Sarah Vaughan (voc). Unidentified studio, New York; NY. Commercial recordings for Continental. Leonard Feather (prod). |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450525 |
|
May 30 |
Jam Session Dizzy Gillespie Ben Webster, Erroll Garner Don Byas Slam Stewart, Mary Lou Williams, and members of Count
Basie Band’s guests – plus Big Sid Catlett and All Star band. Lincoln Square Center. NYC. May 30, 1945. Memorial Day Benefit Jam Session
and Dance. Charlie LaSister and Jimmy Butts
(prod). Part of proceed to Salvation
Army Servicemen’s Center. |
Ad in New York Amsterdam
News, May 26, 1945, 7B. A recorded jam session fragment
of Sweet Georgia Brown is habitually considered as coming from this
event. It has Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Don Byas, and Harold Doc West
participating. https://www.plosin.com/MilesAhead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450530 According
to Phil Schaap (WKCR), he copied this from
recordings coming from Bob Redcross’ collection, dubs of recordings
coming from by Freddie James. It has
therefore been thought to come from a
California jam session together with another other jam session fragment (Lover
Come Back to Me), which was copied at the same occasion. If this is true,
the tenor sax player would have been Lucky Thompson, but comparing the tenor
solos with Don Byas solos (for instance on Sweet Georgia Brown
Copenhagen, September 9, 1946) it is obvious that it is Don Byas who is the
tenor sax soloist here. When
Schaap played the fragment for Monte Kay, he told Schaap that it comes from
one of his Lincoln Square Center jam sessions. As the present jam session is
not produced by Monte Kay and do not seem to have had Charlie Parker and Doc
West on the bill, I find it more
plausible that it comes from another occasion, maybe the Lincoln
Square Center jam session on March 25. |
|
June 5 |
Concert Dizzy Gillespie
and His Quintet Featuring Charlie Parker Dizzy
Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Al Haig (p); Curley Russell (b); Max
Roach d). Slam
Stewart Big Sid
Catlett Trummy
Young Don Byas Buddy
DeFranco Sarah
Vaughan Elliot
Lawrence and His Orchestra Incl.
Red Rodney (tp) and Gerry Mulligan (ts). Academy
of Music, Philadelphia, PA. 8:30
p.m. All Star
Jazz Concert Bob Horn
(mc). Private lacquer (acetate) recordings
exist. |
Ad in Philadelphia
Tribune, June 2, 1945, 14. “Academy
Program Proves Jazz Is Here to Stay,” Philadelphia Tribune, June 9,
1945, 14: Review: Mentions Al Haig, Curley Russell, and Max Roach as
participants. Benny
Golson in B. Golson and J. Merod, Whisper Not (2016) Kindle ed.,
location 385–501: Benny Golson and John Coltrane attended the concert, and
Golson tells in detail about the deep impression that Parker and Gillespie
made on them. Gerry
Mulligan in S. Josephson, Jeru's Journey (2015), Kindle ed. loc. 174. https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450605 |
|
June 5 |
Jam
Session Dizzy
Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Don Byas (ts) Red Garland (p); Nelson
Boyd (b); Philly Joe Jones (d), and others including Gerry Mulligan. Downbeat
Club. Philadelphia, PA. After the concert. |
Benny
Golson in B. Golson and J. Merod, Whisper
Not (2016) Kindle ed., location 476: Benny Golson and John Coltrane heard
this performance from the sidewalk as they were too young to enter the club. Gerry
Mulligan in S. Josephson, Jeru's Journey (2015), Kindle ed. loc. 174–179: The
17-years old Gerry Mulligan participates in the jam on Charlie Parker's
request. |
|
June 6 |
Red Norvo and His
Selected Sextet Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Flip
Philips (ts); Red Norvo (vib); Teddy Wilson (p); Slam Stewart (b); Specs
Powell, J.C. Heard (d). WOR Studio, New York, NY. Commercial recordings for Comet Records. |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450606 |
|
June 22 |
Concert Coleman Hawkins Dizzy Gillespie
Quintet Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Al Haig p);
Curly Russell (b); Max Roach (dr). Slam Stewart Pearl Bailey Buck Clayton Big Sid Catlett Don Byas Erroll Garner Trio Erroll Garner (p); Al Hall (b); Doc West (d). Town Hall, New York, NY. 8:15 p.m. New Jazz Foundation. Symphony Sid (mc). Recordings exist. |
Ad in New York
Amsterdam News, June 14, 7B. “Jazz Foundation Concert,” New York Times, June 23, 1945, 10: Review. “Jazz Stars Absence Drag Gillespie Bash,” Down Beat, July 15, 1945, 1. Coleman Hawkins and Slam Stewart did not appear. https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450622 |
|
June late/ July early |
Hepsations of 1945 Dizzy Gillespie (tp, dir, arr); Henry Boozier, Kenny
Dorham, Elmon Wright, Ed Lewis (tp); Al King, Ted Kelly (tb); Leo Williams,
John Walker (as); Charlie Rouse, Warren Lucky (ts); Eddie DeVerteuil (bar);
Howard Anderson (p); Lloyd Buchanan (b); Max Roach (d); Gil Fuller (arr). Auditions and rehearsals at Minton’s and Nola's
Studios, New York, NY. The tour started in Bluefield, WV, on July 8. Charlie Parker was not a part of this project, but
he may have participated in some rehearsals. |
Kenny Dorham in A. Taylor, Notes
and Tones (1993), 232: Kenny
Dorham and his trumpet-playing friend, Henry Boozier, were recruited at an
audition at Minton’s Playhouse. They stayed with Gillespie during the whole
existence of the band. Gil Fuller in D. Gillespie and A. Fraser, To Be or Not... to Bop (1979), 223. Charlie Rouse in D. Gillespie and A. Fraser, To Be or Not... to Bop (1979), 225:
Mentions Max Roach, Leo Parker, Leo Williams, Freddie Webster, and Benny
Harris as members. Also, Charlie Parker for a short while. Photo in L. Feather, Inside
Jazz (1776), between pp. 74 and 75: There is a false identification of
Harry Troy instead of Henry Boozier in the trumpet section. |
|
July? |
Trummy Young Release of Continental C-6005. 10" 78 rpm. record. Recorded January 4, 1945 James "Trummie" Young’s All Stars Continental C-6005-A Seventh Avenue Continental C-6005-B Sorta Kinda |
“Record Reviews,” Metronome, August 1945, 17: Seventh
Avenue: B (good): Sorta Kinda: B+ (very good). |
|
July mid |
Red Norvo Release of Comet T 6 and T 7 12 " 78 rpm. records. Recorded June 6, 1945. Red Norvo and His Selected Sextet Comet T 6-A Hallelujah Comet T 6-B Slam Slam Blues Comet T 7-A Get Happy Comet T 7-B Congo Blues |
“Advance Record Releases,” Billboard,
July 7, 1945, 29, 74. “Diggin’ the Discs with Don: Swing,” Down Beat, October 15,
1945, 8: Comet T-8 [sic]: Positive
review with reservation for Hallelujah. “Diggin’ the Discs: Swing,” Comet T-7: Down Beat, October 01,
1945, 8: Very positive review. “Record reviews,” Metronome, October 1945, 33: Comet T-7: Congo
Blues: A- (excellent); Get
Happy: A- (excellent); very positive toward all participants. “Broadway,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 8, 1945, 2D: Very Positive
review “…prove that such modernists as Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet, and Charlie
Parker, alto, can work together pleasingly with such less-frantics as Red
Norvo, vibes, Teddy Wilson, piano, and Flip Philips, tenor…” |
|
Summer? |
All Star
Concert Including:
Buck Clayton (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Ben Webster (ts); Erroll Garner (p);
Oscar Pettiford (b). St.
Nicholas' Arena, New York, NY. |
Walter
Bishop Jr. in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975),
44–45: Tells of meeting and sitting in with Charlie Parker for the first time
here. Bishop dates this to around 1944, but it
could hardly have been in 1944 because Webster was out of New York in the
autumn of 1944. |
|
July 26? |
Charlie Parker and
His Quintet Charlie Parker (as); Don Byas (ts); Al Haig (p),
Curley Russell (b), unidentified (d). Erroll Garner Trio Three Deuces, New York, NY. Probably July 26–late August 1945. |
“Goings on About Town: Three Deuces,” New Yorker, July 14, 1945, 4: Don Byas/Erroll Garner Band. Same
until July 28. “New York Paragraphs,” Baltimore
Afro-American, July 21, 1945, 17: “Bud [sic] Johnson, saxophonist, and
his band have replaced Dizzy Gillespie’s group at the Three Deuces.” “Billy Rowe’s Note Book,” Pittsburgh
Courier, July 28, 13: “Don Byas is being featured with Charlie Parker and
his outfit, which has replaced Budd Johnson at the Three Deuces.” “Apple Combats Hot Weather with Hot Jazz,” , August 1, 1945, 2. “Harlem Notes,” Chicago
Defender (Nat. ed.), August 4, 1945, 14: Parker at the Three Deuces
featuring Don Byas. “Manhattan Kaleidoscope,” Metronome,
August 1945, 10: Leonard Feather mentions Parker’s opening at the Three
Deuces with Don Byas replacing Gillespie in the quintet. K. Vail, Bird's Diary (1996), 13: Shows ad from unidentified
newspaper: Opening tonight: Charlie Parker and his Quintet – Erroll Garner
Trio. |
|
August late? |
Charlie Parker and
His Quintet Probably: Charlie Parker (as); Don Byas (ts); Al
Haig (p), Curley Russell (b), unidentified (d). Downbeat Club, Philadelphia, PA. |
"Off the Cuff," Billboard, September 1, 1945, 29: “Charley Parker and his Three
Deuces unit make their Philadelphia bow at the Downbeat...” |
|
August 31 |
Hepsations of 45 Dizzy Gillespie and
His Orchestra Including Dizzy Gillespie (tp, arr, dir); Miles
Davis, Freddie Webster, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro, Benny Harris (tp); Ted
Kelly (tb); Leo Williams, Charlie Parker (as), Charlie Rouse (ts); Leo Parker
(bars); Max Roach (dr): Walter Gil Fuller (arr). June Eckstine Nicholas Brothers Patterson &
Jackson Betty St. Claire Joe Arena Lovey Lane McKinley Theatre, Bronx, New York, NY. August 31-September 6, 1945 |
Ad in New York Age,
September 1, 1945, 10. “Clocking the Bronx,” New
York Amsterdam News, September 1, 1945, 10A: Short review: Mention of
Nicholas Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie 18-piece band, Patterson & Jackson,
Betty St. Claire (voc), Joe Arena & Pal, and Sun Tan Chorus. Ted Kelly in D. Gillespie and A.
Fraser, To Be or Not... to Bop
(1979), 263: In the band at that time: Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Webster,
Charlie Parker, Benny Harris. (This testimony is placed in connection with
Dizzy’s second big band. But Kelly was in the Hepsations band, and not again
in Dizzy’s band before late in 1947). Max Roach D. Gillespie and A. Fraser, To Be or Not... to Bop (1979), 226:
In the band: Freddie Webster, Kenny Dorham, Miles Davis, Fats Navarro. Elmon Wright in D. Gillespie and A.
Fraser, To Be or Not... to Bop
(1979), 263: Tells that he was in the first Gillespie band but left
after the tour South. Gil Fuller in D. Gillespie and A.
Fraser, To Be or Not... to Bop
(1979), 256–57: Mentions Freddie Webster, Charlie Parker, Miles
Davis, and Kenny Dorham at the McKinley engagement. Fuller tells that
Gillespie threw Parker out of the band for being high. [This is wrongly
placed in a 1947 connection]. Jackie McLean in A.B. Spellman, Four Lives in The Bebop Business (1966), 203–04: McLean attended
the band at this engagement and mentions Max Roach, Charlie Parker, Leo
Parker, Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham, J. J. Johnson, Lucky Thompson, and Henry
Pryor (as) as members. This lineup is not wholly trustworthy. I doubt the
presence of Johnson and Thompson. |
|
September |
Dizzy Gillespie Release of Guild 1002 and 1003. 10" 78 rpm. records. Recorded May 11, 1945. Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker-Sidney Catlett-Al Haig-Curly
Russell Guild 1002 A Lover Man Guild 1002 B Shaw 'Nuff Guild 1003 A Salt Peanuts Guild 1003 B Hot House |
Record Reviews, Metronome, October 1945, 31: Shaw ‘Nuff: A (Artistically
extraordinary); Lover Man: B+ (very good); Salt Peanuts: A-
(excellent); Hot House: A-
excellent); “Diggin’ the Discs with Don: Swing,” Down Beat, December 15, 1945,
8: Guild 1002: "Dizzy’s and Charlie’ solos are excellent in many ways,
but too acrobatic and sensationalistic to be expressive in the true sense of
good swing" Generally, a review with many reservations, but positive
concerning the Lover Man track. “Record Reviews,” Billboard, December 22, 1945, 78: Guild 1002:
Positive concerning Shaw ‘Nuff, lukewarm concerning Lover Man. |
|
September |
Tiny Grimes Quintette including Charlie Parker Release of Savoy 567 10" 78 rpm. record. Recorded September 15, 1944 Chas. Parker with Tiny Grimes Quintet Red
Cross Tiny Grimes Quintet I'll
Always Love You Just the Same |
“Record Reviews,” Metronome, October 1945, 21: Red Cross:
B+ (very good); I’ll Always Love You: C+ (fair). Very positive towards Parker. The release history of the recordings from the September 15, 1945,
session is not very transparent. Billboard (November 4, 1944,
17: Savoy - New records) has Savoy 532: Tiny Grimes Quintette, I’ll Always Love You Just the Same-Red
Cross. Other recordings are mentioned, but not Savoy 526, which is listed
in standard discographies, containing Tiny's Tempo and I'll Always Love You Just the
Same (the latter a mistake for Romance Without Finance considering
the ad). The ad mentions production difficulties restricting the output of
recordings. I suspect that the releases of Savoy 526 and 532 never were
realized. Another mystery is Savoy 541 (Red Cross -Tiny's Tempo),
which figures in "Advance Record Releases," Billboard, May
18, 1946, 136. The series number indicates a release in 1945 earlier than
Savoy 567. |
|
Autumn? |
Jam session Charlie Parker, Don Byas, Earl Bostic,
Hal Singer, and others. Heatwave, New York, NY. |
Hal Singer in I. Gitler, Swing to Bop
(1985), 76: Dates 1944 or 1945 while he was working with Don Byas on 52nd
Street. Probably 1945. |
|
September? |
Charlie
Parker Charlie Parker starts living together
with Doris Sydnor (Schneider) in her flat at 117th Street and Manhattan
Avenue, New York, NY. |
Argonne
Thornton (a.k.a Sadik Hakim) in R. Reisner: Bird: The Legend of Charlie
Parker (1962), 102. Doris
Sydnor (Parker) in R. Reisner: Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker
(1962), 170. Sadik
Hakim (a.k.a. Argonne Thornton): "Reflections of an Era - My Experiences
with Bird and Prez" Jazz Journal, August 1996, 17: "I played
the Ko Ko date with Bird as I was living with him at 117th Street and
Manhattan Avenue, in Harlem, I was sent to the landlady Doris Schneider,
because we were both from Chicago. I introduced Bird to Doris, and a week later
he was living there. Later, for a while, they were married. Billie Holiday
and her man, trumpeter Joe Guy, also lived in this six-room pad. Bird drew
people like Thelonious Monk, Miles, and Dexter Gordon to the scene.” Chan
Parker (Richardson), My Life in E-Flat (1993). 23-2: I started a light
romance with a piano player named Dense Thornton. He had a room in a large
uptown apartment that belonged to Doris Green [sic]. I knew that Doris worked
in one of the 52d Street clubs, but I didn't know she was torching for Bird…” |
|
September 4 |
Sir Charles Thompson
and His All Stars Buck Clayton (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Dexter
Gordon (ts): Sir Charles Thompson (p); Danny Barker (g); Jimmy Butts (b); J.
C. Heard (d). Unidentified recording studio, New York, NY. Commercial recordings for Apollo Records. |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=450904 |
|
September 8 |
Jam session concert Ben Webster Dizzy Gillespie, Don Byas Errol Garner Stuff Smith Charlie Parker Eddie Barefield John Kirby and Band Dexter Gordon and
All Star Band Members of Ellington and Eckstine bands. Lincoln Square Center, New York, NY. 9 p.m.–3a.m. Saturday Night Jam Sessions and Dance. Charlie La Sister and Jimmy Butts (prod). |
By Way
of Mention,” New York Age, September 1, 1945, 5: Webster, Gillespie,
Stuff Smith, Don Byas, Errol Garner, Dexter Gordon, Benny Harris, Paul
Bascomb, Joe Steel, Ernie Washington, and band members of Ellington and
Eckstine. Ad in New
York Amsterdam News, September 8. 1945. 9B. Jackie McLean in A.B. Spellman, Four
Lives in the Bebop Business, (1966), 202–03: gives details of this
concert: Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, and other boppers are
mentioned. |
|
September mid |
Art Tatum Loumell Morgan Trio Tiny Grimes and Ted
McRae and Band Charlie Parker and
His Combo Probably including Miles
Davis. (only Mondays and Tuesdays) Downbeat Club, New York, NY. Parker’s band was fired on September 24. |
“Where They Are Playing,” Jazz Record, October 1943,
13: Tiny Grimes at Downbeat. Charlie
Parker’s band is relief band at Downbeat Club, Monday and Tuesday. “Sad Tale,” Down Beat,
October 15, 8: The band was fired on September 24, experiencing that another
band had was at the stage when they arrived. “Goings on About Town: Downbeat Club,” New Yorker, September 16, 1945, 4: Art Tatum, Tiny Grimes,
Loumell Morgan Trio, and another band for dancing. Same until October 27. |
|
September 16 |
Jam session Dizzy Gillespie Don Byas Charlie Parker Al Killian Morey Feld [sic] Al Haig, Al Cohen, Leonard Gaskin, and Freddie
Radcliffe. Guests from the Dorsey and the Barnet bands. Spotlite Club, New York, NY. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mal Braveman and Milt Shaw present four solid hours
of Mad Music. |
S. DeVeaux, The
Birth of Bebop (1997), xii: Reproduction of handbill. |
|
September 22 |
Jam session "Big Sid"
Catlett All Star Orchestra Buck Clayton, Al Killian (tp); Trummy Young (tb);
Tony Scott (Sciacca) (cl); Charlie Parker (as); Allen Eager, Dexter Gordon
(ts); Tiny Grimes (g); Al Haig, Billy Taylor (p); Leonard Gaskin, Lloyd
Trotman (b), J.C. Heard (dr. Fraternal Clubhouse, NYC: 8 p.m. -2 a.m. Monte Kay presents Symphony Sid's Swing Session and
Dance A weekly New Jazz Foundation Show. |
K. Vail, Bird's
Diary (1996), 14: Shows photo of handbill. Symphony Sid in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1962), 218. |
|
September 23 |
Concert Best in American Jazz Frankie Newton, Bill Coleman (tp); Buster Bailey
(cl); Charlie Parker (as); Don Byas (ts); Al Haig, Teddy Wilson (p); Al Hall
(b); Specs Powell, J. C. Heard, George Wettling (dr), Liza Morrow (voc). Stuff Smith Trio Stuff Smith (v); Pete Clover (b); Freddie Jefferson
(p). Coker and Comber (Afro-Haitian hand drummers) Four Chicks and
Chuck. Harold Stein (16 years old tenor sax performer). Town Hall, New York, NY. 8:30 p.m. Bill Cullen, mc. |
Ad in New York
Times, September 24, 1945, X4. “New Jazz Group Opens its Season," New York Times, September 24, 1945,
17: Review. |
|
October ? |
Sarah Vaughn Release of Continental 60008. 10” 78rpm record. Recorded May 25, 1945. Sarah Vaughn Including Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Continental 60008-A What More Can a Woman Do Continental 60008-B I’d Rather Have a Memory Than a
Dream. |
[1] “Record Reviews,” Metronome, November 1945, 29: I’d
Rather Have a Memory Than a Dream: B (good); What More Can a Woman Do: B+
(very good). |
|
October early? |
Charlie Parker
Sextet Miles Davis (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Dexter Gordon
(ts); Sir Charles Thompson (p); Leonard Gaskin (b); Stan Levey (d). Buster Bailey Trio Buster Bailey (cl); Hank Jones (p); William Smith
(b). Billy Daniels (voc) acc. by Kenny Wyatt (p). Spotlite Club, New York, NY. October ?–November 4. The Police close Spotlite on November 4. |
“52nd Street Jumps as Top Jazz Names
Return Home,” Down Beat November 1,
1945, 3: Parker opened last month. Gives the personnel. Scott DeVeaux, The
Birth of Bebop (1997): photo of band between pp. 280-281. “4 Night Clubs Penalized,” New
York Times, November 5, 1945, 21. “Narcotics Rap Closes 4 Spots; Not for
Long,” Billboard, November 17,
1945, 31: “The Spotlight and Three Deuces are due to light up again tonight
at midnight after seven-day suspension. All four stopped shows but kept their
bars open.” |
|
October |
Dizzy Gillespie
Combo Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Milt
Jackson (vib); Bud Powell (p); Ray Brown (b); Max Roach (d). Gillespie starts rehearsing a combo for a
Californian engagement at Billy Berg’s. |
Phil Schaap, Bird
Flight, radio WKCR: Curly Russell opted out because it he did not want to
leave New York. He was replaced by Ray Brown. Ray Brown quoted in A. Shipton, Groovin’ High (1999), 150–51: Tells of his recruitment and
rehearsals with Gillespie, Parker, Powell, and Roach. Milt Jackson quoted in A. Shipton, Groovin’ High (1999), 152–53: Tells of
his recruitment. |
|
October 30 |
Jam session concert Slam Stewart Dizzy Gillespie Coleman Hawkins Errol Garner Harry Carney Charlie Parker Tiny Grimes Joe Marsala and 10 other artists, including Don Byas, Ray Nance,
Thelonious Monk, and Harold Doc West. Free State Stores. Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore,
MD. 8:30–?? Leonard Feather (mc). |
Ad in Baltimore
Afro-American, October 22, 1945, 22. “5,000 Jive Fans at Jam Session.” Baltimore
Afro-American, November 3, 1945,
24: Review. |
|
November mid? |
Broadcast Concert Charlie Parker, Erroll Garner, Slam Stewart, Trummy
Young, Harold doc West, and others. Radio CKEY Studio, Toronto, Canada. |
“52nd Street Invades Toronto,” Down Beat, December 15, 1945, 2. |
|
November mid? |
Concert Charlie Parker, Erroll Garner, Slam Stewart, Trummy
Young, Harold Doc West, and others Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada. |
“52nd Street Invades Toronto,” Down Beat, December 15, 1945, 2. |
|
November 19 |
Charlie Parker A contract between Charlie Parker and Savoy Records
about 8 additional new recordings is signed November 19. This may be a
postdated document made in 1947. |
R. Russell, Bird Lives
(1988), 248. |
|
November 26 |
Charlie Parker's
Reboppers Miles Davis (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Dizzy Gillespie
(tp, p); Argonne Thornton (a.k.a Sadik Hakim) (p), Curly Russell (b); Max
Roach (d). WOR Studios. New York, NY. 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Commercial recordings for Savoy Records. |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=451126 Sadik Hakim (Argonne Thornton) in R. Reisner: Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker
(1975), 103-04. Sadik Hakim (Argonne Thornton), “Reflections
of an Era - My Experiences with Bird and Prez," Jazz Journal, August 1996: “Bud Powell was supposed to be the
pianist, but he was hung up in Pennsylvania and didn't get back...” |
|
December 4 |
Dizzy Gillespie and
his Rebop Six Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as): Milt
Jackson (vib); Ray Brown (b); Stan Levey (d). Gillespie’s wife, Lorraine, is participating in the
tour. Travel by train to California over Chicago. |
Phil
Schaap (Bird Flight, radio WKCR): Max Roach was arrested for drug
abuse just before the group went for Hollywood, and Bud Powell had
disappeared at the time of the departure. Instead, Gillespie fetches Stan
Levey in Philadelphia, and contacts Al Haig during the train ride. Al Haig
leaves Woody Herman to join the group at Berg's. D.
Maggin, Dizzy (2006), 181–82: gives departure date and description of
the travel with its delaying problems. No sources are given. He states that
the team was jamming on Chicago’s South Side, and that the train with
reservations was missed. They had to take a slower train, which made the trip
weeklong. F. R.
Hayde, Stan Levey - Jazz Heavyweight (2016), Kindle ed. loc.
1000–1014: Stan Levey does not mention any jam
session or missing of reservations. He speaks of a 10-hour layover in Chicago
and states that the band arrived in Los Angeles a couple of days before the
opening getting lodgings at the Downtown House. Levey quickly moved to the
Drake Hotel where Al Haig was also living. |
|
December 10 |
Dizzy Gillespie and
His Rebop Six Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Al Haig
(p); Milt Jackson (vib); Ray Brown (b); Stan Levey (d). ABC Studio, Hollywood, CA. Probably 6:30–7:30
p.m. Recording of AFRS Jubilee Show. Jimmy Lyons (prod) Ernie Whitman (mc). |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=451210 https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=451217a R. E. Lotz and U. Neuert, The
AFRS “jubilee” Transcription Programs —An exploratory Discography (1985),
Nos. 162, 163, and 165. The Jubilee session on December 10 probably produced the
Parker/Gillespie material used on the Jubilee shows nos. 162, 163, and 165. It seems not very probable that the
band participated in two sessions to record 3 items. |
|
December 10 |
Dizzy Gillespie and
His Orchestra Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Lucky
Thompson (ts); Al Haig (p); Milt Jackson (vib); Ray Brown (b); Stan Levey
(d). Lucky Thompson was hired later in the engagement
because of Parker's instability. Slim
Gaillard Trio Including ‘Slim Gaillard (g); Bam Brown
(b); Unidentified (d). Harry
"The Hipster" Gibson (p, voc). Billy Berg's Supper Club, Hollywood, LA. December 10, 1945–February 3, 1946. December 17: Broadcast from unidentified station. Slim Gaillard, Billy Berg (mc). Recordings exist. |
"Dizzy Gillespie Set for Billy Berg's 1st
Hollywood Job," Billboard,
November 24, 1945, 34: opening
December 10 for at least 8 weeks. Dizzy Gillespie in D. Gillespie and A.
Fraser, To Be or Not... to Bop
(1979), 242–43. Stan Levey in D. Gillespie and A.
Fraser, To Be or Not... to Bop
(1979), 248. “With the Lamplighter,” Los Angeles Daily News,
February 8, 1946, 33: “Milton DeLugg opened Monday [February 4] at Billy
Berg’s…” https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=451217b G. Mulligan in G. Mulligan and K. Poston, Being Gerry
Milligan (2023), 44–45: Mulligan met Parker in Hollywood while Mulligan
weas working at the Palladium with Gene Krupa. Mulligan and Parker was smoking
pot outside Berg’s and were busted. Parker was not arrested, as the reefer’s
were found in Mulligan’s pocket, while the latter was put in jail. |
|
December 17 |
Slim Gaillard and
his Orchestra Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Charlie Parker (as): Jack
McVea (ts); Dodo Marmarosa (p); Slim Gaillard (g); Bam Brown (b); Zutty
Singleton (d). Electro-Vox Recording Studios,
Hollywood, CA. Commercial recordings for Bel-Tone Records. |
https://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=451217c The conventional date given for this session is
December 29, 1945. However, listening to the patter on Slim’s Jam we hear Dizzy Gillespie
saying that he must leave for a Jubilee session. R. E. Lotz and U. Neuert, The
AFRS “jubilee” Transcription Programs —An Exploratory Discography (1985),
Nos. 162, 163, and 165. The entire Gillespie band participated in a Jubilee
session on December 10. Dizzy Gillespie participated in a Jubilee session on
December 17 as a featured soloist in his own arrangement of A Night in Tunisia with the Boyd
Raeburn Orchestra. This was the last Jubilee session this year. It is not
very probable that the whole Gillespie band should have had a Jubilee session
and Gillespie and Parker also had a Bel-tone session on December 10, which
was the opening night at Billy Berg’s. As I have found no Gillespie
performances in Jubilee in 1946, I suppose that the Bel-Tone session was on
December 17. |
|
December late |
Charlie Parker Vernon Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. Charlie Parker moves in with Teddy Edwards and Gene Montgomery. Around Christmas time. |
Chan Parker (Richardson), My
Life In E-Flat (1993), 24: Teddy Edwards, Gene Montgomery, and Charlie
Parker were living together on Vernon Avenue, when she arrived at Los Angeles Jazz Oral History project. IJS, Rutgers University: Teddy Edwards interviewed by Patricia
Willard (July 1980), transcription, 138. https://ijsresearch.libraries.rutgers.edu/jazz-oral-history-project “Teddy Edwards Interview”
Cadence, April 1994, 10–11. |