Take 5 With Charlie Parker

Today is the centenary of Charlie Parker's Birth which I will celebrate with five recordings from Bird. There is no effort to select the greatest Parker or whatever, but simply some great music.

1st up is a Red Norvo session with Bird, Dizzy Gillespie, Flip Phillips, Slam Stewart, Norvo Teddy Williams, Slam Stewart and Specs Powell playing "Hallelujah."

2nd is Parker's variations on the changes of "Cherokee" with a staggering opening, "Koko." Dizzy is on trumpet and piano, Curley Russell on bass and Max Roach on drums.

3rd track is "Relaxing at Camarillo."

Next is backing vocalist Earl Coleman on the blues "Dark Shadows."

Finally, a selection of Bird with strings, "Just Friends."

Take 5 With Some Jazzy Holiday Music

Yesterday we had a brief playlist of Blues Holiday Music. Today with have a brief selection of Jazz Holiday Music. We open with a Christmas 1948 radio broadcast of Charlie Parker from the Royal Roost playing "White Christmas."

Next up is Louis Armstrong with 'Christmas in New Orleans."

I wonder if the same folks who claim "Die Hard" isn't a Christmas movie, would argue "Good Morning Blues" by Count Basie isn't a Christmas song, even though Jimmy Rushing wants to see Santa Claus.

Here is Duke Ellington with "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen."

  Finally, we have Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performing "Jingle Bells."

Have a Jazzy Christmas

On Christmas Eve, some Jazzy Christmas music.

First up is a couple of Louis Armstrong gems. Initially it is Christmas in New Orleans.

Next the classic Winter Wonderland.

Now Duke Ellington with Lena Horne singing A Christmas Surprise.

Classic Charlie Parker air check from the Royal Roost of White Christmas, recorded on Christmas night in 1948.

Dave Brubeck on Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

In lieu of Nat King Cole's recording, Ella Fitgzerald singing The Christmas Song.

A medley of Christmas songs (but not The Christmas Song) by Mel Torme.

In lieu of the familar classic, here is Nat King Cole singing Silent Night.

Bob Dorough with Miles Davis doing Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern).

Fats Waller Swingin' Then Jingle Bells.

Gene Ammons is Swingin' For Christmas.

Dexter Gordon behind Tony Bennett on White Christmas

I could not forget Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie Good Morning Blues. "Babe it is Christmas Time and I Want to See Santa Claus."

And there are countless more performances I could have chosen, but we close with Hank Jones' Dear Mister Santa Claus.

Charlie Parker Live At Jiyayr Zorthian’s Ranch

The following review was written in fall 2006 for Jazz & Blues Report, although I do not believe it was published. I received my review copy from the publication.

The release of previously unissued performances by Charlie Parker will certainly be a cause of celebration for fans of jazz history. The release, At Jiyayr Zorthian’s Ranch, July 14, 1952 (RLR Records), makes available what admittedly is not a high fidelity recording of Bird at a party held at the ranch of painter and sculptor Jiyayr H. Zorthian and was one of many he hosted of “intellectuals, artists and naked nymphs” over a half-century’s time. 

A pretty wild time was had by the attendees including, quoting the back cover “a massive strip-tease was performed and during Bird’s playing of Embraceable You. Whatever wild things were going on, the music was recorded privately and the sound is hollow and some portions had too much noise or distortion to be used and at other points, the performance is cut off, such as after Bird’s solo on Embraceable You. Also the bass and piano are not very audible. 

Playing with Bird at the party was Don Wilkerson on tenor sax, Frank Morgan on alto, Amos Trice on piano, Dave Bryant on bass and Lawrence Marable on drums with Chet Baker sitting in on one of the two versions of Scrapple From the Apple. Its interesting to hear A Night in Tunisia without someone handling Gillespie’s trumpet part and Parker sounds very good even if the sound is muffled before Wilkerson takes a solo which microphone problems required some editing before he is followed by Frank Morgan who sounds pretty good. 

The beginning of Ornithology was edited out for technical reasons with Parker caught in high flight as the track opens. Frankly the exhortations for people to take it all off could have been edited off Embraceable You, which has Parker in fine form on the ballad, while Parker and Marable trade fours on Tadd Dameron’s Hot House. The first version of Scrapple From the Apple, has a couple of nice Parker solos and Baker’s only appearance which suffers from the audio quality, while Cool Blues is a nice lengthy performance which includes Parker and Morgan trading fours as well as exchanges by all three saxophonists. 

The rest of the performances are also notable although the music will not be for casual listeners. This music has never been available in any format and while Parker is first-rate here, the audio quality will limit its overall appeal. For some, this will be a priceless addition to the known work of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists.

Some Swedish Schnapps For Charlie Parler & Arne Domnerus

The availability of some live Swedish performances by Charlie Parker on CD, ‘Charlie Parker & Arne Domnerus in Sweden - November, 22, 1950, (OKTAV), certainly is welcome. Parker is heard with a fine Swedish Band that does not sound intimidated playing with him. Trumpeter Rolf Erickson is especially noteworthy with his brash, fat-toned solo on Cheers. Parker is also heard on Anthropology, Lover Man, and a nice arrangement of Cool Blues. He is in fine form and the band acquits itself well.

Three other tracks feature the same band with a Swedish Parker disciple, Arne Domnerus. Opening with ‘Fine and Dandy, which some will remember as the theme of The Bugs Bunny Show, Domnerus shows quite a bit of Parker’s influence although perhaps a little bit of Lester Young’s style mixed in. Out of Nowhere, was a staple of Parker’s repertoire and nicely done by the Swedes here and I imagine Parker enjoyed hearing these musicians who obviously not only idolized him but displayed their musical indebtedness to him.

It should be noted that this November 22, 1950 recording from Marno, Sweden clocks in at under 40 minutes, but that is the only negative one can raise about it.

This review originally appeared in the July 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 306) and I likely received my review copy from that publication.

Charlie Parker In Washington DC

Uptown Records, who not to long ago issued a legendary Town Hall (NYC) concert by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, have another surprise that will be welcomed by jazz lovers. Washington D.C., 1948 is a release of Charlie Parker’s contribution to a May 23, 1948 concert produced by Willis Conover entitled ‘Dixieland v. Bebop,’ held at a long-closed venue, The Music Hall that was in Northwest Washington, near Howard University.

The booklet that accompanies this CD, has extensive notes that chronicle the history of this event, the performers and the music. As indicated from the concert title, Parker came to Washington as part of a concert that presented Dixieland musicians in addition to a bebop group. The Dixieland musicians included Wild Bill Davidson, clarinetist Tony Parenti and trombonist Benny Morton who are only held on one of the tracks on this disc, which is devoted to the surviving bebop oriented tracks. In addition to Parker, the best known musician here was the great drummer Buddy Rich. Others heard here include drummer Joe Theimer (who had been in the Navy band that included John Coltrane) on the opening number, tenor saxophonist Ben Lary, pianist Sam Krupit, bassist Al Phipps and trombonist Rob Swope.

The opening number here is Tiny’s Blues, before Rich, Phipps and Parker are brought up for Bernie’s Tune, and the ballad These Foolish Things, before a lengthy Scrapple From the Apple. After these three numbers, the band becomes simply a quartet for Ornithology and KoKo (Bird’s legendary transformation of Cherokee). Parker is clearly at the forefront, with Rich swinging things along. Krupit takes an extended, slightly frantic piano solo on KoKo after which Bird and Rich trade fours before Rich takes a solo. These two performances stand out with Bird’s brilliant playing and Rich’s charismatic percussion.

After this is an abbreviated C Jam Blues on which the three Dixieland horns joined the full band, but cut short when Davidson got angry at Parker’s very audible laughter offstage during a fine solo by Parenti. An unfortunate end to what sounded like a very promising performance that would have given more a chance to display the common ground between alleged musical adversaries. Sound quality is adequate given the circumstances and one can certainly hear what was played without difficulty if not in highest fidelity.

The accompanying booklet includes insights and the evening’s history from Ron Fritts, Ira Gitler and Ross Firestone and adds to this valuable restoration of a piece of jazz history that will be essential to Charlie Parker aficionado as those who love classic bebop, especially given the unusual backing band for Bird heard here.

This review originally appeared in the November 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 310). I likely received my review copy from that publication.

Nica's Dream Is Fascinating Story of the Jazz Baroness

Nica’s Dream: The Life and Legend of the Jazz Baroness
David Kastin
New York: WWNorton

Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter played an intriguing, even crucial role, in New York City’s jazz scene in the fifties through the eighties. A member of the Rothschild family, Nica, as she was known, was a patron to a number of the most significant jazz artists of the time including Art Blakey, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Barry Harris, Mary Lou Williams, and Thelonious Monk. She was, in the eyes of some, a controversial and scandalous figure as some of the tabloid sheets wrote about her and the death of Charlie Parker. David Kastin has attempted to separate fact from myth in providing her story, one he was able to cast from news accounts and interviews with many of the musicians who knew her as well as published interviews with her. Unfortunately limited assistance were provided by her children who have generally held to Rothschild family custom of not talking about family matters. Still Kastin weaves a fascinating portrait


Kastin provides a background in the history of the Rothschilds, including the immediate ancestors and siblings of Pannonica which include individuals who would be viewed as eccentric as she would. Her early life, including the somewhat sheltered life she had, her marriage and her experiences as part of the French Resistance in World War II are described as is her introduction to jazz while living in Mexico with her husband, who was a diplomat, when she heard excerpts of Duke Ellington’s “Black, Brown & Beige.” She had met Teddy Wilson in Europe and started making forays into New York City with Wilson, who in his Harlem apartment played Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight,” which would prove pivotal.


Estranged from her husband who tried to have a very controlling relationship, she moved to New York beginning a remarkable life over several decades where she befriended and hosted so many famous musicians at the Stanhope Hotel, and two other hotels . She outwore her welcome in each because of her relationship with musicians coming in at all hours. Eventually, she had a home in New Jersey, overlooking Manhattan known as the Cathouse because of the countless felines that lived there along with musicians who would come by at all hours (like they had when she was at a hotel). Kastin weaves in a history of big band jazz, bebop along with other progressive artist groups like the beats and painters like Jackson Pollack.


She was able to develop a relationship with musicians of totally different circumstances who learned that she appreciated them as artists and did not regard them as exotics. She also appreciated their music and they learned to value her opinions as well, advice and patronage. Charlie Parker took ill, but not wanting to go to a hospital, she had her personal doctor look after him. He died watching television at her Stanhope hotel suite leading to scandal in the papers (the white rich woman and black jazz artist) and leading her husband to finally file for divorce, although the scandal was more of ‘no good deed going unpunished.’


Other jazz greats would have lengthy associations with Nica, but none more importantly than Thelonious Monk. There relationship was of strong, close, platonic friends and Monk’s wife Nellie also became a good friend. A good portion of this book is the story of Nica and Monk’s relationship, and how she fostered and supported his music and person. The affection Monk had for her is reflected in the two compositions he wrote for her, “Pannonica” and “Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lue-are.” The latter tune refers to the Hotel Bolivar, where she moved after the Stanhope management made it clear she was no longer welcome them. Monk was not alone in celebrating Nica. Sonny Clark, Kenny Dorham, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Drew, Gigi Gryce, Freddie Redd, Barry Harris, and Horace Silver also wrote memorable compositions in her honor.


The lengthy discussion of Monk and Nica complements that in Robert Kelley’s superb biography, “Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of An American Original.” Kelley in fact provides a blurb praising this book as “a stunning cultural biography of New York City and a riveting portrait of one the most fascinating figures of the twentieth century.” Kelley’s succinct comments summarize my feelings about this volume on a lady who made substantial contributions to the jazz scene of the fifties through eighties without playing a note. Her story will captivate any fan of this music as it did me.


I purchased this book.

Bird and Prez Live

Sunday August 29 will be (I believe) the 90th Birthday of one Charlie Parker, a musical trail brazer, who life and music has been recounted, celebrated and mythologized. The Jazz Blog, jazzwax.com has been running an interview with Phil Schaap who has been doing a show devoted to Parker’s music for over thirty years and well worth reading. http://tinyurl.com/schaaponbird5
Also this weekend WKCR in New York is broadcasting its annual Lester Young and Charlie Parker Birthday celebrations. All Lester Young Friday and all Charlie Parker on Saturday.  http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/wkcr/

Three Wishes is a Marvelous Look at Jazz

Today, I was at Barnes & Noble, in downtown Washington DC, and browsing the jazz and blues books section when I come across a book, Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats. I pick it up skim through it and then purchased it. It is published by Abrams Image and the credits have it compiled and photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter with a forward by Gary Giddins and an Introduction by Nadine de Koenigswarter, granddaughter of Pannonica. Pannonica is better known as Nica, the Baronness who befriended so many jazz musicians for such a long period of time. She was the person in whose apartment Charlie Parker died. Later, when she purchased a house in New Jersey, many jazz musicians visited or stayed with her. In 1957, she helped Thelonious Monk regain his caabaret license and also campaigned for its elimination which occurred when John Lindsay was elected Mayor. Monk had encouraged her to buy a house and she did ,which was named the Cathouse, and Monk himself moved there with his family in 1973, staying there until he passed. Others moved in or stayed for a period.

What the book compiles is the answers of about 300 jazz musicians to what three wishes in life they had. The text consists of their answers. Included are countless photographs of jazz legends from Monk, Barry Harris, Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Art Blakey, Bud Powell, Sonny Clark John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Mary Lou Williams, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and countless others. Most of her photos were taken with a Polaroid camera, and several of the images are from worn photos, but the pictures, like their words, speak to us decades later. Some of informal, intimate images of them at the house, others sghow them perforing at the Cathouse. This is a book one can easily get lost with for days and hopefully should be available at your better book store or from the large internet retailers.

Frank Morgan keeps Bop Flame Burning Brightly

One of several saxophonists that was labeled the next Bird, Frank Morgan notes that was the worst thing to happen to him as it was something no one could live up to and then having three decades of adversity including addiction and prison. Since he has returned to the scene the mid-eighties with a string of excellent recordings for Contemporary, he has certainly re-established himself as a superior player in the tradition of Parker. HighNote has issued A Night in the Light: Live at the Jazz Standard Vol. 3 with a marvelous band including pianist George Cables, bassist Carmen Lundy and drummer Billy Hart. I have not heard the earlier two volumes but based on the performances. No surprises in the repertoire, with four of the songs staples of Charlie Parker’s repertoire, Confirmation, Half Nelson, Hot House and Billie’s Bounce, along with On Green Dolphin Street and It’s Only a Paper Moon. These are songs Morgan has been playing for decades but familiarity does not make these performances sound routine. There is plenty of full-bodied playing here with a marvelous rhythm section and while Morgan may take these in a more relaxed fashion than Bird would have 55 years ago, Morgan’s playing is quite satisfying. Certainly nice that he has aged so gracefully and continues to enliven us with this disc.