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Charlie Parker session details

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February 19, 1947 (13 items; TT = 38:04)
C.P. MacGregor Studio, Hollywood CA
Commercial for Dial

Charlie Parker (as); Erroll Garner (p); George "Red" Callender (b); Harold "Doc" West (d); Earl Coleman (voc)

1 This is Always (take 3 (master)) (M. Gordon-H. Warren) 3:12
2 This is Always (take 4) (M. Gordon-H. Warren) 3:08
3 Dark Shadows (take 1) (S. Henry) 4:01
4 Dark Shadows (take 2) (S. Henry) 3:09
5 Dark Shadows (take 3 (master)) (S. Henry) 3:04
6 Dark Shadows (take 4) (S. Henry) 2:57

Sonically inferior
7 Bird's Nest (take 1) (C. Parker) 2:50

Dial 1014 was pressed in two different versions, one with take 1 on the A side, the other with take 2
8 Bird's Nest (take 2) (C. Parker) 2:48

Dial 1014 was pressed in two different versions, one with take 1 on the A side, the other with take 2
9 Bird's Nest (take 3 (master)) (C. Parker) 2:41

Listed as "Bird's Nest Soup" on Dial 1021
10 Cool Blues (take 1) [Hot Blues, Blowtop Blues] (C. Parker) 1:57

Listed as "Blowtop Blues" on Dial 1015 and as "Hot Blues" on Dial LP 201
11 Cool Blues (take 2) [Blow Top Blues] (C. Parker) 2:22

Listed as "Blowtop Blues" on Dial LP 901
12 Cool Blues (take 3 (master)) (C. Parker) 3:06
13 Cool Blues (take 4) (C. Parker) 2:49


1 This is Always (take 3 (master))
78 rpm: Dial 1015
12" LP: Dial LP 905, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, ESP-Disk 4050, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

2 This is Always (take 4)
10" LP: Dial LP 202
12" LP: Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

3 Dark Shadows (take 1)
10" LP: Dial LP 202
12" LP: Dial LP 901, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, ESP-Disk 4050, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

4 Dark Shadows (take 2)
12" LP: Dial LP 901, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

5 Dark Shadows (take 3 (master))
78 rpm: Dial 1014
12" LP: Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

6 Dark Shadows (take 4)
12" LP: Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

7 Bird's Nest (take 1)
78 rpm: Dial 1014
12" LP: Dial LP 905, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

8 Bird's Nest (take 2)
78 rpm: Dial 1014
12" LP: Dial LP 905, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

9 Bird's Nest (take 3 (master))
78 rpm: Dial 1015, 1021
10" LP: Dial LP 202
12" LP: Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

10 Cool Blues (take 1)
78 rpm: Dial 1015
10" LP: Dial LP 202
12" LP: Dial LP 901, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

11 Cool Blues (take 2)
12" LP: Dial LP 901, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

12 Cool Blues (take 3 (master))
78 rpm: Dial 1015
10" LP: Dial LP 202
12" LP: Dial LP 901, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333

13 Cool Blues (take 4)
12" LP: Dial LP 901, Spotlite SPJ 102
CD: Toshiba/EMI CJ25 5043/6, Toshiba TOCJ 6201/4, Toshiba/Spotlite TOCJ 0001/10, Mosaic MD9-260, Definitive DRCD 11152, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1333


These are Parker's only recordings with Erroll Garner. Although "Dark Shadows" is often credited to Coleman, Ira Gitler quotes Coleman as saying "Shifty Henry was a bass player... He wrote 'Dark Shadows' and he brought it to me" (Swing to Bop, p. 181). The four takes of "Cool Blues" are an interesting study -- Parker and Garner are clearly comfortable at very different tempos, and they end up compromising on take 4.

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