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Charlie Parker session details

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Late 1947 (?) (6 items; TT = 14:59)
Unknown venue, Waukegan IL
Private recording (Acetate) (C+)

Charlie Parker (as); Miles Davis (tpt); Irving "Duke" Jordan (p); Tommy Potter (b); Max Roach (d)

1 Dexterity (incomplete) (C. Parker) 3:47

Nice Davis solo (2:32-3:47)
2 The Way You Look Tonight (incomplete) (J. Kern-D. Fields) 3:04
3 All the Things You Are (incomplete) [Bird of Paradise] (J. Kern-O. Hammerstein) 2:04

Parker quotes "Kerry Dancers" at 1:12-1:24. Excerpt (1:17) on Philology W 844 is about a quarter-tone sharp
4 52nd Street Theme (incomplete) (T. Monk) 2:05
5 Diggin' Diz (incomplete) (G. Handy) 3:05
6 Embraceable You (fragment) (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin) 0:54


1 Dexterity (incomplete)
12" LP: Philology Volume 4 (W 18)
CD: Philology Volumes 1/4 (W 5/18), Volume 65 (W 896)

2 The Way You Look Tonight (incomplete)
12" LP: Philology Volume 4 (W 18)
CD: Philology Volumes 1/4 (W 5/18), Volume 65 (W 896)

3 All the Things You Are (incomplete)
12" LP: Philology Volume 4 (W 18)
CD: Philology Volumes 1/4 (W 5/18), Volume 14 (W 844)

4 52nd Street Theme (incomplete)
12" LP: Philology Volume 4 (W 18)
CD: Philology Volumes 1/4 (W 5/18), Volume 40 (W 871), Volume 65 (W 896), Stash STB 2500

5 Diggin' Diz (incomplete)
12" LP: Philology Volume 6 (W 29)
CD: Philology Volumes 5/6 (W 19/29), Volume 65 (W 896)

6 Embraceable You (fragment)
CD: Philology Volume 14 (W 844), Volume 40 (W 871), Volume 65 (W 896), Stash STB 2500


These items are very fragmentary, edited to Parker solos for the most part, although "Dexterity" has a nice Davis solo. These may be dubs of wire recordings -- the fidelity is very poor throughout. As issued on Philology most of the tunes are off-speed; the timings above are from a pitch-corrected recording.

Although these tunes are usually dated (as on Philology) in December 1947, this is doubtful. The Parker Quintet was booked for two weeks at Chicago's Argyle Show Lounge (November 11-23, 1947), then for four nights at the Pershing Hotel Ballroom (January 3-6, 1948). The group played a Saturday night dance at the New Savoy Ballroom on January 3, and two items from this date appear on Philology Volume 14.

Three other tunes -- "Barbados," a longer version of "Embraceable You," and "How High the Moon" -- are usually listed with these tunes (as e.g. on Philology Volumes 1/4), but they are probably from the Pershing Hotel Ballroom, March 28-April 10, 1949, with Kenny Dorham on trumpet. Two of these items are issued on Philology Volume 14, although the speed is different and "Embraceable You" is incomplete. But the music is the same.

Thanks to Massimo Urbano and John Griffin for help with this session.

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