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Charlie Parker session details

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May 15, 1953 (17 items; TT = 73:18)
Massey Hall, Toronto (Canada)
Private recording (Tape) (B)
Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); J.B. "Dizzy" Gillespie (tpt); Earl "Bud" Powell (p); Charles Mingus (b); Max Roach (d)

First set
1 Perdido (J. Tizol) 8:16
2 Wee (D. Best) 6:45
3 Introduction (Dizzy Gillespie) 0:08
4 A Night in Tunisia (D. Gillespie-F. Paparelli) 8:01

Second set
5 Drum Conversation (M. Roach) 4:34

Roach solo
6 Cherokee (R. Noble) 4:54

Omit Gillespie and Parker
7 Embraceable You (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin) 4:22

Omit Gillespie and Parker
8 Hallelujah [Jubilee] (C. Grey-L. Robin-V. Youmans) 3:58

Omit Gillespie and Parker
9 Sure Thing (J. Kern-I. Gershwin) 2:10

Omit Gillespie and Parker
10 Lullaby of Birdland (G. Shearing-G. Weiss) 2:31

Omit Gillespie and Parker
11 I've Got You Under My Skin (C. Porter) 2:59

Omit Gillespie and Parker
12 Introduction (Charlie Parker) 0:11
13 Salt Peanuts (D. Gillespie-K. Clarke) 7:25

Add Parker, Gillespie (voc)
14 Introduction (Dizzy Gillespie) 0:05
15 Hot House (T. Dameron) 9:07
16 All the Things You Are [Bird of Paradise] (J. Kern-O. Hammerstein) 7:14
17 52nd Street Theme (T. Monk) 0:38


1 Perdido
10" LP: Debut DLP 2
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

2 Wee
10" LP: Debut DLP 4
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

3 Introduction (Dizzy Gillespie)
10" LP: Debut DLP 4
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

4 A Night in Tunisia
10" LP: Debut DLP 4
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

5 Drum Conversation
12" LP: Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

6 Cherokee
10" LP: Debut DLP 3
12" LP: Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

7 Embraceable You
10" LP: Debut DLP 3
12" LP: Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

8 Hallelujah
10" LP: Debut DLP 3
12" LP: Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

9 Sure Thing
10" LP: Debut DLP 3
12" LP: Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

10 Lullaby of Birdland
10" LP: Debut DLP 3
12" LP: Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

11 I've Got You Under My Skin
10" LP: Debut DLP 3
12" LP: Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

12 Introduction (Charlie Parker)
10" LP: Debut DLP 2
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

13 Salt Peanuts
10" LP: Debut DLP 2
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, vCraft Recordings 888072530768

14 Introduction (Dizzy Gillespie)
10" LP: Debut DLP 4
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

15 Hot House
10" LP: Debut DLP 4
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

16 All the Things You Are
10" LP: Debut DLP 2
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768

17 52nd Street Theme
10" LP: Debut DLP 2
12" LP: Debut DEB 124, Craft Recordings 888072530805
CD: Fantasy 12DCD 4402, Debut DCD 124, Philology Volume 48 (W 879), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342, Jazz Factory JFCD 22856, Craft Recordings 888072530768


These recordings were made by Charles Mingus. The concert was opened by a sixteen-piece band led by Graham Topping. The Parker-Gillespie Quintet then played the first set before an intermission. During the intermission the band watched Rocky Marciano knock out Jersey Joe Walcott in the first round of their heavyweight match. The second set began with only Roach on stage for a solo ("Drum Conversation"). Powell, Mingus, and Roach then performed several trio numbers. Parker wandered in during this set and joined the band for the remaining titles. The Topping band returned or a few numbers and the Quintet joined them for a closing jam on an unknown blues.

In his book Cool Blues: Charlie Parker in Canada 1953 (Nightwood, 1990), Mark Miller suggests that the concert progressed as follows:

First set
Topping Big Band: "The Goof and I," "Why Do I Love You?", "All the Things You Are," "Harvard Blues," "Mambo," "Beaver Junction," "The Nearness of You," "Fugue for Reeds and Brass," "What's Shmoo?", "Elevation."
Parker-Gillespie Quintet: "Perdido," "Salt Peanuts," "All the Things You Are," "52nd Street Theme."

Second set
Roach solo: "Drum Conversation"
Powell, Mingus, Roach: "Cherokee," "Embraceable You," "Jubilee," "Sure Thing," "Bass-ically Speaking," "Lullaby of Birdland," "I've Got You Under My Skin"
Parker-Gillespie Quintet: "Wee," "Hot House," "A Night in Tunisia"
Topping Big Band: "Lover Come Back to Me," "Just Where You Are," Mambo Macocoa"
All together: unknown blues ("Tiny's Blues"?)

Unfortunately there don't seem to be any recordings of the Topping Band with or without the members of the quintet. My listing above owes a lot to discussions with John Griffin, who was kind to send me several reviews and accounts of this concert. I am also grateful to Robert Shoji for further help.

Several titles were originally issued (e.g. Debut LP 124) with bass overdubs; these titles appear both with and without the overdubs on Fantasy 12DCD-4402. The CD equivalents of the original Debut LP typically include Mingus' overdubs. The Jazz Factory CD, thankfully, omits them. Both versions are included on the Craft Recordings reissue.

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