[light] [dark]

Charlie Parker session details

[Return to main page]

February 4, 1946 (1 item; TT = 2:51)
Electro Broadcast Studio, Glendale CA
Commercial for Dial

Charlie Parker (as); J.B. "Dizzy" Gillespie (tpt); Eli "Lucky" Thompson (ts); George Handy (p); Arvin Garrison (g); Ray Brown (b); Stan Levey (d)

1 Diggin' Diz (G. Handy) 2:51

Listed as "Bongo Beep" on Dial LP 207


1 Diggin' Diz
78 rpm: Dial 1004
10" LP: Dial LP 207
12" LP: Spotlite SPJ 101
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Classics 935, ESP-Disk 4050, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1332


This is the only commercial recording of the Billy Berg band with Parker, who failed to show up for the follow-up Dial session on February 7. At this second session Gillespie re-made "Diggin' Diz" (which was given the title "Diggin' for Diz") and added two takes of "Dizzy Atmosphere" (released as "Dynamo A" and "Dynamo B" and beginning discographical confusion that continues to this day); "Confirmation"; and two takes each of "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" and "'Round Midnight." The February 7 session was originally supposed to include Lester Young, who never showed up; Lucky Thompson was at recruited at the last minute to take his place.

Later in February Parker signed a one-year exclusive contract with Dial.

I am grateful to Leif Bo Petersen and Chieo Yamada for help with this session.

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