Session details: NBC Studios (December 10, 1945)

Charlie Parker session details

December 10, 1945 (18 items; TT = 40:02)

NBC Studios, Hollywood CA

AFRS Jubilee (B)

Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); J.B. "Dizzy" Gillespie (tpt); Milt Jackson (vb); Al Haig (p); Ray Brown (b); Stan Levey (d); Mannie Klein (tpt); Red Mack (tpt); Raven Mandell (tpt); Teddy Buckner (tpt); George Washington (tb); Carl Loeffler (tb); Juan Tizol (tb); Willie Smith (as); Les Robinson (as); Corky Corcoran (ts); Jack McVea (ts); Floyd Turnham (bs); Milt Laskin (p); Allan Reuss (g); Van Clark (b); Ray Hagan (d); Jimmy Mundy (cond, arr); Kay Starr (voc); Frankie "Sugar Chile" Robinson (p, voc); Harry "The Hipster" Gibson (p, voc); Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman (ann); Vernon Smith (ann)

1	Introduction - One O'Clock Jump (Vernon Smith, Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	1:33
	VS: "One if by land, two if by sea, three, look out, for it's Jubilee! You'd better get set for this one, men, 'cause we're fixin' to throw a lot of hop right into your area. Yes, pass the biscuits, men, old Hot Horn Hall is gonna lay a mess of hot berry jam right on ya, with its groovy blue-plate special... Jimmy Mundy and his All-Star Orchestra, the twinkling tinkle of Kay Starr, Frankie "Sugar Child" Robinson, Harry the Hipster Gibson, the most talked-up new combo in the land, the sensational trumpet man Dizzy Gillespie and his band, with Charlie Parker's alto... And Jubilee's man about a mic, that pachyderm of polysyllables, Ernie "Thank you, thank you" "Bubbles" Whitman..." EW: "Thank you, thank you, Vern Smith, gracias and merci beaucoup. Welcome to the Jubilee jazz joint. Through these pools pass the giantest models that ever knocked a riff stiff or kicked a cadenza in the enza. For this since the All-Stars that man same as [undecipherable] the composer, Jimmy Mundy... And what's the first original etude, Jimmy?" JM: "Well, Ernie, it's my latest thing called 'Hello, Goodbye, Forget It'..." EW: "Blast us, man, blast us..."
2	Hello, Goodbye, Forget It (J. Mundy-L. Gaines-R. De Knight)	3:59
3	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	0:32
	EW: "Thank you, thank you, Jimmy Mundy and the All-Stars. That starts the clock right onto its top. And now gents, if you'll step over to this next display case, we've got in a new shipment of moonbeams and steamy dreams. And here to unwrap them for you, our singing star, Kay Starr... Oh, Kay, what do you say?" KS: "Well, Ernie, maybe some the fellas would like to hear a tune called 'Good-for-Nothin' Joe', and if Jimmy Mundy will lend me a few of the guys out of his band, we're ready." EW: "Have your say, Kay..."
4	Good-for-Nothing Joe (T. Koehler-R. Bloom)	3:25
5	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	0:31
	EW: "Thank you, thank you, Kay Starr. That left me numb and mum as a frozen crumb. And now Gates, here's your chance to look before you leap. Hot from old New York and currently blasting us silly at Billy Berg's standing room, comes the nation's new sensational jazz trumpet star and his cohorts -- Dizzy Gillespie..." DG: "Here's a thing I put down, and then recorded, the title of this is 'Shaw 'Nuff'..." EW: "Sho 'nuff!"
6	Shaw 'Nuff (D. Gillespie-C. Parker)	4:20
7	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	0:47
	EW: "Oh-ho, a-tisket, a-tasket, I just blew my gasket. Thank you, Dizzy, Dozey, and Doesie. Well, it's half past sleeping time here in the Jubilee gashouse, time to trot out a slight pinch of red hot. We're loading it on heavy now with Jimmy Mundy and the All-Stars, pitchin' to [undecipherable] a gang of pizzicatos and part of eighth-note [undecipherable]. Look out now, reading from left to root -- drums, Ray Hagen; bass, Van Clark, guitar, Allan Reuss; piano, Milt Laskin; trumpets, Manny Klein, Red Mack, Raven Mandell, Teddy Buckner; trombones, George Washington, Carl Loeffler, Juan Tizol; saxophones, Willie Smith, Les Robinson, Corky Corcoran, Jack McVea, and Floyd Turnham. Another Jimmy Mundy original, 'Those Wonderful Words' -- and with the jazz All-Stars, jazz all, jazz all..." Complete only on RST.
8	Those Wonderful Words (J. Mundy)	3:26
9	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	1:26
	EW: "Thank you, and mercy -- oh, that was as groovy as a four-barrel movie. And now, customers, it's our pleasure to bring... on one of the greatest new stars of music, the biggest, the loudest, a real giant of musical stature, the powerful..." FR: "Hey there, [undecipherable] face, what's all the yaddata-yaddata?" EW: "Hey... just who are you, short stuff?" FR: "Me, why I'm Sugar Chile Robinson..." EW: "Well, well, well, so you're Frankie "Sugar Chile" Robinson, eh? My, but you're awful little, aren't you? But tell me, Frankie, everyone says that you're only six years old. How old are you, really?" FR: "Oh, I'm old enough to get around." EW: "Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. Well, I can see I'm not getting anywhere, so why don't you play something, Sugar?" FR: "You bet, Ernie-face. Wait till I bring in my... my [undecipherable]... Hey, character!" EW: "It's Harry 'The Hipster' Gibson..." FR: "Hey, Gibby, have you been down on the apple lately?" HG: "Why don't you talk [undecipherable]? Hey, you with it, kid?" FR: "Sure, I dig you, daddy-o." HG: "Oh, how 'bout that? This kid might grow up to be another hipster. Come on, [undecipherable], what's you say it's [undecipherable]?" FR: "You got a deal McNeil..."
10	Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy (D. Raye-H. Price)	2:18
11	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	0:14
	"Oh, I'd better relax a bit after that blast, and all that men on your heels. We're back to the [undecipherable] game, which means we're set to unzip some of that zoot song root. 'Cept here she is, Kay Starr sending you right out of this cosmos with 'Honeysuckle Rose'..."
12	Honeysuckle Rose (A. Razaf-F. Waller)	2:23
13	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	0:19
	"Oh, thank you, Kay and all the Stars, that left us fried, tied, and dyed. The time has come, the walrus said, to put this Jubilee to bed. So grab your camera and [undecipherable], gang, we're gonna give you a fistful jam that'll ruin your nightcap for a [undecipherable] early grave. That's all that our Stars shine [undecipherable], some great jazz and a new mess of bounce, 'One O'Clock Boogie'..."
14	One O'Clock Boogie (J. Mundy)	3:44
15	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	0:21
	"That put the cart back [undecipherable]. We'll be lock, stock, and barrel [undecipherable]. So drop by, will you? Till then, with an ocean of notions, I remain your [undecipherable], Ernie 'Bubbles' Whitman, saying from the bottom of my big vest, heart, so long and good luck!"
16	One O'Clock Jump (inc) (C. Basie)	0:44
	"This is the Armed Forces Radio Service..."
17	Dizzy Atmosphere (D. Gillespie-C. Parker)	4:24
	Included on Jubilee 163 and 209, preceded by Whitman's announcement: EW: "And now maybe you figured Dizzy'd cut out, but no indeed, here comes the professor of rebop now with his whole class of cats. Hey Dizzy, come here, man. Dizzy -- come on, come on, come on." DG: "Uh-huh?" EW: "What are you gonna play for the customers now?" DG: "'Dizzy Atmosphere'..." EW: "Oh, it is that, heh-heh-heh..." After the tune Whitman adds "Thank you, Dizzy Gillespie, I mean it. Come back again any time..."
18	Groovin' High (D. Gillespie-F. Paparelli)	5:36


1 Introduction - One O'Clock Jump (Vernon Smith, Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
2 Hello, Goodbye, Forget It CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
3 Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
4 Good-for-Nothing Joe CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
5 Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2, Stash STCD 535, Masters of Jazz MJCD 121, Philology Volume 44 (W 875), Definitive DRCD 11250, ESP-Disk 4050, Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642
6 Shaw 'Nuff 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Verve B0032477 CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2, Stash STCD 535, Masters of Jazz MJCD 121, Philology Volume 44 (W 875), Definitive DRCD 11250, Musica Jazz MJCD 1102, ESP-Disk 4050, Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1332
7 Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2, Stash STCD 535, Masters of Jazz MJCD 121, Philology Volume 44 (W 875), Definitive DRCD 11250, Musica Jazz MJCD 1102, ESP-Disk 4050
8 Those Wonderful Words CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
9 Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
10 Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
11 Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
12 Honeysuckle Rose CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
13 Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
14 One O'Clock Boogie CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
15 Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
16 One O'Clock Jump (inc) CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2
17 Dizzy Atmosphere 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Verve B0032477 CD: RST JUBCD 1011-2, Canby CACD-1004, Stash STCD 535, Charly Le Jazz 21, Masters of Jazz MJCD 121, Philology Volume 44 (W 875), Definitive DRCD 11250, ESP-Disk 4050, Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1332
18 Groovin' High 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Verve B0032477 CD: Stash STCD 535, Charly Le Jazz 21, Masters of Jazz MJCD 121, Philology Volume 44 (W 875), Definitive DRCD 11250, ESP-Disk 4050, Rare Live Recordings RLR 88642, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1332

The first sixteen items are included in Jubilee #162. The last two items were almost certainly recorded during this session but were included in other Jubilee transcriptions: "Dizzy Atmosphere" was included in Jubilee #163 (also #209) along with material by the Boyd Raeburn Orchestra; and "Groovin' High" was included in Jubilee #165 along with material by Lionel Hampton and others.

Parker plays only on "Shaw 'Nuff," "Dizzy Atmosphere," and "Groovin' High." These three titles are sometimes listed as having been recorded on December 29. One reason for this date is Gillespie's remark to Slim Gaillard during "Slim's Jam" (recorded for Bel-Tone and usually dated December 29) that he's got to leave to make a Jubilee date. But according to Rainer E. Lotz and Ulrich Neuert, the AFRS ledgers show that (See The AFRS Jubilee Transcription Programs: An Exploratory Discography, Vol. 1-2 (1985). Dennis M. Spragg has updated the discography and maintains it on the Glenn Miller Archive website, http://www.colorado.edu/amrc/glenn-miller-archive/gma-catalogs/jubilee.) It seems more likely that both the Beltone and Jubilee sessions took place on December 17, when Gillespie (but not Parker) returned to NBC Studios for another Jubilee session.

Whitman's announcements were used in a number of different Jubilee recordings. For example, part of the introduction to "Shaw 'Nuff" here was re-used as the introduction to "Groovin' High" as included on Jubilee #165 and #209. There are many other such examples. It's often impossible to tell where the announcements originally fit.

Gillespie and Parker were booked at Billy Berg's Club in Hollywood from December 10 until February 3, 1946. Following this engagement, Parker remained in California while the rest of the group returned to New York.

Thanks to Leif Bo Petersen, Bruno Leicht, and Noal Cohen for help on this session.