September 18, 1948: Parker's Mood

What can be said about some of the best three minutes ever recorded in the history of music?

First, just play the song:

Then, maybe just give some context. From the previous entry:

After his release from a six-month stay at the Camarillo Mental Institution in early 1947, Charlie Parker was in the best health he would ever be: not drinking so much and going on what he called a "health kick", that is, eating at regular hours and not doing anything stronger, for stimulants, than beer and benzedrine. Well, and heroin, of course.

But soon Bird was back in New York and he seemed stronger than ever. In fact, 1947 and 1948 mark what for many is the peak of his recording career. In 1947 he records quite a number of classics: "Klactoveedsedstene", "Chasin' the Bird", "Scrapple from the Apple"...

Then comes another recording ban by the American Federation of Musicians. And so for 10 months Parker does not record, instead playing regularly in clubs in NYC (specially the Royal Roost on Broadway) and elsewhere with a classic band that includes Miles Davis and Max Roach.
The Roost was an new type of jazz club. Its innovations included a 75-cent cover charge (the first one in the city) and a milk bar for the underage.

In this club Parker finds singer Babs Gonzales, who reportedly berates him for his heroin use, to which Bird allegedly replies: "Wait until everybody gets rich off your style and you don't have any bread, then lecture me about drugs."

But in September 1948 —clandestinely since the recording ban is still in effect—Parker finally records again after 10 months away from a studio, doing what will in fact be his 2 last sessions for Savoy, before going on to Verve and a modicum of final recognition and fame before his early death. It happens at Harry Smith Studios in NYC (2 West 46th Street in New York City), with Harry Smith as engineer. There was only one microphone.

The band is called the Charlie Parker All Stars. The session from September 18th, 1948 is absolutely mesmerizing. It includes only 4 songs, 3 of which are, to my ears, absolute masterpieces: "Ah-Leu-Cha", "Barbados" and, of course, "Parker's Mood", one of the key moments in jazz history.

Parker's Mood is just a 'simple' 12-bar blues —with a wonderful intro and coda— that becomes in Parker's hands and mind a mesmerizing performance, a miracle of beauty, warmth and groove. There were two full takes of the song recorded on that date. 5 takes total, 3 being little most than a few seconds before Parker calls to "hold it!" (take 1 bearing the distinction of being the shortest take by Charlie Parker ever: 5 seconds, two notes). Both are recorded by Charlie Parker (alto sax), John Lewis (piano), Curley Russell (bass) and Max Roach (drums). Miles Davis was present on the take above, the commercially released one, which was take 5 in the session, but did not play in it. He was a busy man and arrived late to witness take 2, the 'alternative' complete take of the song.

Much is made of how Parker's solos varied so much from take to take as to warrant commercial release, and thus there are editions like The Complete Savoy and Dial Studio Recordings, with every single take, including the 0:05 one, put together. It gets to be annoying to hear five false starts or minute-aborted versions in a row, but a case like this alternative version of Parker's Mood justifies the effort, makes the pain worth it and provides a wonderful occasion to confirm how, indeed, Parker's genius changed things around enough to be equally wonderful in a different way. There are those, in fact, who prefer this alternative take, so here's Parker's Mood, take 2:

Now I really should tell you a sad ironic story about Parker's tomb in Kansas City and how much Bird hated one particular version of Parker's Mood —how a thing of such incredible beauty could become ugly to his soul—, but that will have to be the next entry.