[light] [dark]

Charlie Parker session details

[Return to main page]

Late November 1949 (13 items; TT = 55:51)
Pershing Hotel Ballroom, Chicago IL
Private recording (Tape) (C+)

Charlie Parker (as); Red Rodney [Robert Chudnick] (tpt); Al Haig (p); Tommy Potter (b); Roy Haynes (d); Unknown (voc)

1 Wahoo [Perdido] (T. Dameron) 1:24

Rodney/Parker exchanges and closing theme only
2 Wee [Allen's Alley] (D. Best) 6:10
3 Hot House (T. Dameron) 6:17

Rodney quotes "Country Gardens" during his solo (3:01-3:04); he returns to it in his exchanges with Parker (5:30-5:32)
4 Cheryl (C. Parker) 4:52
5 I Can't Get Started (V. Duke-I. Gershwin) 6:26

Parker and Rodney play the "Country Gardens" tag with an extended trill (6:13-6:24)
6 Groovin' High (D. Gillespie-F. Paparelli) 5:31
7 I Cover the Waterfront (E. Heyman-J.W. Green) 3:00

"Country Gardens" tag (2:51-2:58)
8 Confirmation (C. Parker) 5:47
9 Now's the Time (C. Parker) 6:36

Rodney quotes "Country Gardens" in his exchanges (5:55-6:00). He and Parker are really out of sync on the closing theme
10 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (J. Kern-O. Harbach) 3:57

Haig's piano solo begins "Ruby My Dear."
11 Ruby, My Dear (T. Monk) 2:10

Parker and Rodney play the "Country Gardens" tag with an extended trill (1:58-2:09)
12 Big Foot [Air Conditioning] (C. Parker) 1:27
13 Stardust (H. Carmichael-M. Parish) 2:14

"Country Gardens" tag (2:04-2:12)


1 Wahoo
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

2 Wee
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

3 Hot House
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

4 Cheryl
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

5 I Can't Get Started
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

6 Groovin' High
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 5/6 (W 19/29), Volume 66 (W 897)

7 I Cover the Waterfront
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

8 Confirmation
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

9 Now's the Time
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

10 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

11 Ruby, My Dear
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

12 Big Foot
12" LP: Philology Volume 2 (W 214)
CD: Philology Volume 2/3 (W 12/15), Volume 66 (W 897)

13 Stardust
CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Volume 66 (W 897)


This is the first recording of Parker and Red Rodney together. (Rodney joined the Quintet in October.) Max Roach is listed as the drummer on Philology; this is possible, but it's more likely Roy Haynes. The piano is badly out of tune on this date (listen to Haig's solos on "Now's the Time," "Ruby My Dear," and "Hot House"), and there are places where the speed of the source varies quite a bit.

Philology Volume 2/3 includes two versions of most of these titles: shorter versions consisting mostly of Parker solos and exchanges, and longer more nearly complete versions. So in addition to the items listed above, Volume 2/3 contains: "I Cover the Waterfront" (1:57, splice at 0:55); "Confirmation" (2:58, splice at 1:57); "Now's the Time" (2:49, splice at 2:13); "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (1:03); "Ruby My Dear" (0:41); "Wee" (5:36); "Hot House" (4:59); "Cheryl" (2:33, splice at 1:32); "I Can't Get Started" (2:00, splice at 0:54).

Philology Volume 2/3 also includes a short version of "Groovin' High" (3:14, splice at 2:23). The complete version appears on Philology Volume 5/6.

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