Session details: Birdland (May 9, 1953)

Charlie Parker session details

May 9, 1953 (9 items; TT = 18:48)

Birdland, New York NY

WABC-AM radio broadcast (B-)

Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); John Lewis (p); Dillon "Curley" Russell (b); Kenny Clarke (d); Candido Camero (bgo); Bob Garrity (ann)

1	Introduction (Bob Garrity, Parker)	0:22
	BG: "And Bird...?" CP: "Hello, Bob." BG: "It's a real pleasure having you back in Birdland once again, it'll be for a couple weeks, what is it two or three?" CP: "That's right, two weeks." BG: "For two weeks, with your real unusual plastic axe here." CP: "That's right..." BG: "Looks good. What do you want to get things goin' with? You want that 'Cool Blues', that old Dial thing?" CP: "Well, I think that would be all right..." BG: "All right, Charlie Parker, alto, the group, and 'Cool Blues'..."
2	Cool Blues (C. Parker)	3:39
	Parker and Clarke exchanges following Lewis' solo (2:48-3:10)
3	Introduction (Bob Garrity)	0:28
	"'Cool Blues' done by Charlie Parker, ladies and gentlemen. In the quartet, Bird and the guys, you'll find on piano John Lewis, John... On bass is Curley Russell... And Kenny Clarke at the drums... And I think you know the man with that alto -- naturally, it's the Bird, Charlie Parker... This next one, Bird, it's a thing titled 'Star Eyes', am I right? OK..."
4	Star Eyes (D. Raye-G. DePaul-P. Johnston)	4:57
5	Introduction (Bob Garrity)	0:19
	"'Star Eyes' -- I remember that one now, although I didn't at the beginning by the title. That's that old one from way back. Sounds real nice. Let's keep on moving with the Charlie Parker quartet here. This is a show, at least a good part of it, that will be here until Wednesday in Birdland. Back to the four guys, and a lot of music now, it's titled 'Moose the Moocher'..."
6	Moose the Mooche (C. Parker)	5:09
	"During his solo Parker quotes "Let's Fall in Love" (1:35-1:44) and "Over There" (2:28-2:37). Parker and Clarke exchanges following Lewis' solo (3:34-4:33); during the exchange Parker quotes "Woody Woodpecker" (4:25-4:29)
7	Lullaby of Birdland (with introduction) (G. Shearing-G. Weiss)	0:49
	"Voiceover from 0:15: ""Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, Charlie Parker and the quartet, and we have room for just about three or four minutes more to complete our show this morning from Birdland, Broadway at 52nd Street. And so to add to the group, to bring us to the 3 o'clock part at the end of our broadcast this morning, we'd like to bring to the stage right now the sensational conga and bongo drummer Candido. Candido, ladies and gentlemen... And Candy, what do we want to do, we gonna do 'Broadway'? OK, 'Broadway' -- the Charlie Parker quartet plus Candido..."
8	Broadway Rhythm (A. Freed-N.H. Brown)	2:45
	Parker audible only on opening and closing themes
9	Lullaby of Birdland (with closing announcement) (G. Shearing-G. Weiss)	0:20
	"Voiceover from 0:06: "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, thank you, Charlie Parker, that's our show from Birdland, Broadway at 52nd Street. Sorry to cut it short but it allows you to go back to the studio, back to 'Record Loop' on WABC (undecipherable), New York..."


1 Introduction (Bob Garrity, Parker) CD: Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342
2 Cool Blues 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 20, Klacto MG 100 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3016, Sound Hills SSCD 8032, Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342
3 Introduction (Bob Garrity) CD: Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342
4 Star Eyes 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 20, Klacto MG 100 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3016, Sound Hills SSCD 8032, Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342
5 Introduction (Bob Garrity) CD: Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342
6 Moose the Mooche 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 20, Klacto MG 100 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3016, Sound Hills SSCD 8032, Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342
7 Lullaby of Birdland (with introduction) 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 20, Klacto MG 100 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3016, Sound Hills SSCD 8032, Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342
8 Broadway Rhythm 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 20, Klacto MG 100 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3016, Sound Hills SSCD 8032, Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342
9 Lullaby of Birdland (with closing announcement) 12" LP: Bird Box 01-22 LP 20, Klacto MG 100 CD: New Sound Planet JUTB 3016, Sound Hills SSCD 8032, Ember CD 509, Philology Volume 34 (W 865), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1342

Parker is in fine form, and his solos on "Cool Blues" and "Moose the Mooche" are especially adventurous. This session is sometimes dated June 26, because the tapes (made by Chan Parker) bear that date.