Session details: NBC Studios (April 1946)

Charlie Parker session details

April 1946 (5 items; TT = 9:51)

NBC Studios, Hollywood CA

AFRS Jubilee (B)

Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); Willie Smith (as); Benny Carter (as, tpt); Nat "King" Cole (p); Oscar Moore (g); Johnny Miller (b); Buddy Rich (d); Miles Davis (tpt); Fred Trainer (tpt); Calvin Strickland (tpt); Walter Williams (tpt); Ira Pettiford (tpt); Candy Ross (tb); Johnny Morris (tb); Al Grey (tb); Charley Johnson (tb); Bob Graettinger (as); Joe Epps (as); Harold Clark (ts); Hubert "Bumps" Myers (ts); Willard Brown (ts); James Cannady (g); Sonny White (p); Thomas Moultrie (b); Percy Brice (d); Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman (ann)

1	Introduction (Whitman, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker)	1:25
	EW: "Right, here's where we have another approach shot on the stratosphere. We got a mess of talent lined up that'll square the squares. Pull up your socks, Jackson, and you can jump into this. Shake hands with Esquire's gold award winner for this year on alto saxophone, Benny Carter..." BC: "Thanks, Ernie, but right now I want you to meet somebody." EW: "OK, Benny, who is it?" BC: "It's this year's ?m>Down Beat poll winner on alto saxophone. His name is Charlie Parker!" EW: "Yo! Welcome, Charlie, what's your story?" CP: "Well, Ernie, I want you to meet one of the nation's all-time greats on alto saxophone. He's Down Beat's winner, his name is Willie Smith." EW: "Oh, Willie Smith. Hey, wait a minute, wait a minute. Willie and Charlie. Now I know what's goin' on..." CP: "You do, Ernie?" EW: "Yes sirree. Here we have the greatest alto men in music today. That means a bit of jammin' the likes of which have never been heard before, or even previously. All right, gents, catch this. Willie Smith, you lead off this mess, Benny Carter on deck, Charlie Parker in the hole. Buddy Rich on drums and the ever-lovin' King Cole Trio backing up in the background. Every man for himself, no holds barred, a jazz free-for-all that's free for all of you. It's a great Jubilee first! Go in swingin', men, go in..."
2	Tea for Two (Willie Smith solo) (V. Youmans-I. Caesar)	2:44
	Smith solos; Parker out
3	Body and Soul (Benny Carter solo) (J.W. Green-E. Heyman-R. Sour-F. Eyton)	2:32
	Carter solos; Parker out
4	Cherokee (Charlie Parker solo) (R. Noble)	2:49
5	Announcement (Whitman)	0:21
	"Thank you, Willie Smith, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker, King Cole Trio, and Buddy Rich. That did it, gentlemen, that really did it...


1 Introduction (Whitman, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
2 Tea for Two (Willie Smith solo) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Sounds 1206 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
3 Body and Soul (Benny Carter solo) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Sounds 1206 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
4 Cherokee (Charlie Parker solo) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Sounds 1206 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
5 Announcement (Whitman) 10" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Sounds 1206 12" LP: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050

This material was included in Armed Forces Radio Service's Jubilee #186. The Carter group performed a number of tunes including "One O'Clock Jump," "Just You, Just Me," "Lover Man" (with Lucy Elliot, voc), "Bugle Call Rag," and a closing "One O'Clock Jump." The Nat Cole Trio performed "Route 66" and "Sweet Georgia Brown." Carter and the Cole group were joined by Willie Smith and Parker, who at the time were part of an all-star group assembled by Norman Granz for Jazz at the Philharmonic.

For the full listing of this session, see the entry for early April 1946.

A nearly complete discography of the Jubilee series was published by Rainer Lötz and Ulrich Neuert: 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. I am grateful to Craig Neilson, Jan Lohmann, and Leif Bo Petersen for their help with these Jubilee sessions, and to Tommaso Urbano for his expertise in identifying the trumpet soloists.

A version of "Ornithology," performed with a rhythm trio, is sometimes grouped with these tunes, e.g. on RLR 88634. It is from a May 23, 1948 performance at the Washington Music Hall.