s most collectors know adequate documenta- and were made shortly after the band had been ion of the changes that took place in American formed, before much opportunity had been zz during the early 1940s will never be pos- allowed for rehearsals. The, band's pianist at ible because of the AFIVI recording ban which this time was Joe Albany, later to be replaced ook place from 1942 to 1945. As a result the by Dodo Marmarosa, and his performances here pact and development of such, key figures as are important additions to his solography. They harlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, also plug a sizeable hole in the development of helonious Monk and Bud Powell has to be young Miles Davis' early career as well as offer- :ken, in many cases as hearsay. For recorded ing yet more previously unissued Charlie Parker xamples of their musical development the jazz performances with a band that never made it to udent must rely on bits and pieces — short the studio. los by Monk and Powell in swing groups and r early Charlie Parker, the radio transcriptions Liner Notes: ROSS RUSSELL (Jan. 1975, e made with Jay McShann for a radio station author Bird Lives) Wichita, Kansas (available on Spotlite Production: TONY WILLIAMS PJ120). Thanks to the efforts of researchers, Sleeve Design: MALCOLM WALKER ollectors and the specialist record labels some f these gaps are gradually being filled. For further information for the period during which these recordings were made Spotlite yen 'after the recording ban recording dates recommend that the chapter "Yardbird in Lotus ere often few and far between for many musi- Land" be read from Ross Russell's excellent ians involved in the new form of musical Biography on Charlie Parker "Bird Lives" xpression. Such was the case with the record- (Quartet Books). gs that appear on this album. None originate and show what the band could do when the these two giants together was stymied some orn regular studio sessions but from on loca- wraps were taken off. The players are Bird and years later when the session could not take place PERSONNEL on recordings, radio airchecks (recorded direct Diz in the front line, backed up by Haig, Brown not on this occasion for the non-appearance of : DIZZY GILLESPIE AND HIS BEBOP ff the air by enthusiasts and musicians) and and Levey — the classic bop combo, unencum- Bird but that of Tatum! Nonetheless despite SIX: - the popr sound quality on this item Bird once dio transcriptions, which, thanks to. a handfull bered by any other instruMent. Bags joins the Dizzy Gillespie tpt; Charlie Parker alt; f dedicated fans have avoided extinction for group for Dizzy Atmosphere. These three cuts more is in fine fettle and the inclusion therefore are from AF RS sources and were made as part well justified. Al Haig p; Ray Brown bs; Stan levey d. II time such as occurred to many V-Discs Hollywood — possibly Saturday, hich were recorded during that critical period of the Jubilee broadcasts originating in Holly- hen the ban was in force. wood and beamed to GIs all over the world just Side two presents a series.of recordings taken December 29, 1945. after the end of World War II. The fourth cut off the radio straight onto acetate lacquers. As + add Milt Jackson vibes. Same date. by the band is the short version of Salt Peanuts is usually the case with acetate discs of 30 years = add Lucky Thompson ten; Dizzy ardbird in Lotus Land collates most of the with Lucky Thompson added to the preceding vintage the surface noise is high due to the dry- Gillespie yd. Hollywood — probably nown non-commercial recordings made by personnel. It will be recalled that when the ing out process which takes place with such January 1946. harlie Parker during his difficult period in Berg engagement was booked, Gillespie, the con- items if not kept under ideal atmospheric con- lifornia from late 1945, when he opened at tractor, brought Jackson along as an added ditions. Neither were they well looked after @ CHARLIE PARKER QUINTET: illy Berg's, to March 1947, when he returned voice for those occasions, which he had pru- by their various owners hence the added noise Miles Davis tpt; Charlie Parker alt; Joe New York. The few recordings made out- dently anticipated, when Parker failed to show level caused by scratches and the like. However Albany p; Addison Farmer bs; Chuck de the studio during the period immediately and as explained earlier. Thompson was included the actual recorded sound is good and the noise Thompson d. rior to his departure bad< East are of such for the same reason as an added insurance. level has been reduced even further due to Los Angeles — Finale Club, probably sor sound quality that their appearance on Spotlite calling in on John R. T. Davies' exper- March 1946. cord cannot really be justified, the only ones The exact source of Salt, Peanuts is obscure but tise in the de-clicking, de-popping department. od enough being already issued on Spotlite in a Downbeat interview more than ten years ago John spent many hours removing several hun- % CHARLIE PARKER—WILLIE SMITH 7 and 103. This album therefore concentrates Milt Jackson said that the band had been given dred especially bad pops and bangs, concentrat- —BENNY CARTER alto with:— n items recorded during the late 1945-1946 a two minute shot at the end of the Rudy Vallee ing specifically during Bird's solos. To clean up Nat Cole p; Oscar Moore g; Johnny riod. Charlie's commercial recordings under broadcast and as the playing time of this item the whole performances would take up many Miller bs; Buddy Rich d. Hollywood — is own name for the entire period °are available fits this could well be a possible source. Irres- hundreds of hours and was not really considered March/April 1946. n Spotlite 101,102 and 103. pective of where the tapes came from these necessary in this case. * CHARLIE PARKER alto with:— sixteen minutes of Bird and Diz with the probably the above rhythm section. otably missing from this time are performances The Finale was an after hours bottle' club, where _ marvellous Haigh—Brown—Levey rhythm sec- probably Hollywood — c. March/ ith the Billy Berg band, brought out from a tion present small band jazz of the bop period "members" paid a door fee and brought their ngthy engagement at the Three Deuces club at its definitive best. own liquor and were served setups by the April 1946. n Fifty-Second Street to give West Coast jazz management. It was operated by the well-known SIDE ONE (31:14) ns a taste of the new music. This band con- dancer, Foster Johnston and flourished for a The rest of side one of Yardbird in Lotus Land Shaw 'nuff (Gillespie-Parker) 4:11 sted of Dizzy Gillespie, Parker, Milt Jackson, offers three Parker radio/concert appearances short time, three months at the most, in the Grooving High (Gillespie) 5:35 + Dizzy Atmosphere (Gillespie) 4:18 I Haig, Ray Brown, Stan Levey and, on occa- ,made in Hollywood during the same period. early part of 1946. It was closed by the vice = Salt peanuts (Gillespie-Clarke) 2:04 ons Lucky Thompson who either was sitting Here he shares on the medley the solo spot with squad of the Los Angeles Police Department just % Medley: for an absent Charlie Parker or increasing the Willie Smith, heard at length on Tea for Two, as it had established itself as the after hours Tea for two (Youmani-Caesar) 2:40 ze of the unit from a sextet to a septet. This Benny Carter who plays Body and Soul, and rendezvous for residernt and visiting jazz Body and Soul (Green-Sour-Heyman) 2:43 2:45 .nd minus Parker did, make one recording Cherokee, the Parker speci'ality which puts other musicians. During its short career the contrac- Cherokee (Noble) * Ornithology (Parker) 3:07 ssion for Dial which will shortly be issued on saxophonists to rout. Ornithology is probably tor for the house band, was Charlie Parker. The otlite SPJ132. However the band with Bird personnel varied and included, Howard McGhee, from the same period and with what sounds SIDE TWO (21:55) the lineup was indeed a formidable group and like a similar rhythm section. Unfortunately on 0 Miles Davis, Sonny Criss, Art. Farmer, Addison @ Anthropology (Gillespie-Parker) 2:50 e of the great small bands of all time and all versions of this particular recording so far Farmer, Dodo Marmarosa, Joe Albany, Chuck @ Billie's bounce (Parker) 3:42 @ Blue 'n boogie (Gillespie-Paparelli) 5:01 anks to the persistence of Tony Williams, one found the piano solo has been chopped out. Thompson, Woody Isbell, Any Garrison, Vivian @ All the things you the world's leading Parker collector's and Garry, Roy Porter, Serge Chaloff, Red Callender, Quite likely whoever was responsible for the are (Kern) 5:08 scographer, four tracks by that band have - original recording thought the inclusion of the Russ Freeman, Hampton Hawes, and Jack McVea. @ Ornithology (Parker) 4:55 en discovered and are included here collec- piano solo unnecessary and sought only to take Visitor's- included the who's who of any band vely for the first time on one record, some down the altoists performance. A pity, espe- that passed through Los Angeles that Spring. r the first time ever! cially if it was Nat Cole for almost certainly ,_a rare treat has been lost for all time. Nat's The tunes played include five prominent in the haw 'nuff and Grooving High are both lengthy comping on -Cherokee gives us just a faint bebop repertory: Blue 'n boogie, Billie's bounce, Spotlite SR1123 ts, considerably longer than the three minutes , glimmer of how Bird and Art Tatum might have' Anthropology, Ornithology and All the things posed on the 78 rpm recordings of the time, sounded.