July 29, 1946 Charlie Parker session
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The July 29, 1946 Charlie Parker recording session is famous for including the recording of the composition "Lover Man":
This recording for the Dial label provides evidence of his condition. Prior to this session, Parker drank about a quart of whiskey. According to the liner notes of Charlie Parker on Dial Volume 1, Parker missed most of the first two bars of his first chorus on the track, "Max Making Wax." When he finally did come in, he swayed wildly and once spun all the way around, going badly off mic. On the next tune, "Lover Man", producer Ross Russell physically supported Parker in front of the microphone. On "Bebop" (the final track Parker recorded that evening) he begins a solo with a solid first eight bars. On his second eight bars, however, Parker begins to struggle, and a desperate Howard McGhee, the trumpeter on this session, shouts, "Blow!" at Parker. McGhee's bellow is audible on the recording. Charles Mingus considered this version of "Lover Man" to be among Parker's greatest recordings despite its flaws. Nevertheless, Parker hated the recording and never forgave Ross Russell for releasing the sub-par performance (and re-recorded the tune in 1951 for Verve on the album Swedish Schnapps, this time in stellar form, but perhaps lacking some of the passionate emotion in the earlier, problematic attempt).
Track listing
Charlie Parker (alto sax)--Howard McGhee (trumpet)--Jimmy Bunn (piano)--Bob Kesterson (bass)--Roy Porter (drums)
The personnel
- Charlie Parker - alto sax
- Howard McGhee - trumpet
- Jimmy Bunn - piano
- Dingbod
- Roy Porter - drums