Groovin’ High / Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker

( . . . きちんと音楽を聴ける時間がやっととれた . . . )

This afternoon mother-in-law went long way back to Kobe. She stayed with us for about a month to help us with the baby. Thank you so much anyway.

The only regret with her was, for me, that she didn’t like listening to music much, and that she didn’t understand how much (and how often) I love listening to music as a daily basis. So while she was staying with us at home, the loud speaker on the right side had to stay away from the speaker-stand, because the speaker is always located in front of the window to the veranda, and she always complained that the speaker stood in her way out to the veranda with laundry . . . yes she’s right.


[Speaker, get away from the stand!]

So, for most of the time in the past three weeks, I had to listen to the music through poor small speakers while working in front of computers. This 10CD “Wallet Box” (known for budget price) by Charlie Parker was one of such albums I had to enjoy with poor small PC speakers.


[Documents 222921 Front Cover]

Now’s The Time (10CD Wallet Box) / Charlie Parker
(Documents [G] 222921)

One day I was listening only to Disc 1 of the 10CD box so many times, and I noticed I love the disc the most compared with other nine.

Disc 1 of the box features Charlie Parker’s very early era, including Jay McShann‘s “Swingmatism” (April 30, 1941) and “The Jumpin’ Blues” (July 2, 1942); Tiny Grimes‘ “Tiny’s Tempo”, “I’ll Always Love You”, “Romance Without Finance” and “Red Cross” (September 15, 1944); Cryde Hart’s “Dream Of You” (January 4, 1945); the legendary Gillespie=Parker recordings on Guild / Musicraft labels (February 28 and May 11, 1945); superb septet recordings by Red Norvo featuring Gillespie, Parker, Flip Phillips and even Teddy Wilson (June 6, 1945); and Sir Charles Thompson setpet’s interesting session with Buck Clayton, Dexter Gordon and J.C. Heard (September 4, 1945).

Every Jazz fan should agree that one of his best sessions is a series of Dial / Savoy recordings. I agree. On the other hand, such early recordings as we can hear on this Disc 1 are another interesting showcase of the “transition period” from Hot Swing to Be-Bop. We can clearly find Bird’s alto sounds so unique among hot and swingy Jay McShann’s orchestra, and at the same time we may be surprised that his revolutionary alto sound blends so well with such swingy rhythm.

Other noticeable track I found great was “Hallelujah” by Red Norvo and His Selected Sextet (June 6, 1945) – what a beautiful contrasts among Flip Phillips‘ fine-and-mellow improvisations (on 4th chorus – it’s one of my best favourite solo by “Flip” Phillips!), Teddy Wilson‘s swingy piano interpretations (on 5th chorus) and Bird’s superb boppish phrases after Slam Stewart’s solo. What a great performance!




And now I can move the speaker back on the stand, I can turn on my tube amplifier, and I can enjoy listening to CDs, vinyls and 78rpms, as long as the music is not too loud to make the baby cry. Anyway now the time has come to me!


[Guild 1001 Side-A]      [Guild 1001 Side-B]

Groovin’ High c/w Blue ‘N Boogie / Dizzy Gillespie
(Guild 1001)

[Guild 1002 Side-A]      [Guild 1002 Side-B]

Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be) c/w Shaw ‘Nuff / Dizzy Gillespie
(Guild 1002)

[Guild 1003 Side-A]      [Guild 1003 Side-B]

Salt Peanuts c/w Hot House / Dizzy Gillespie
(Guild 1003)

These are all “classic of classics” – the earliest and the finest example of Be-Bop by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. These three 78rpms (all from Guild label) sounds far better than the above 10CD box, of course, and I really enjoyed the 78rpms all the way this afternoon.


Dizzy Gillespie Sextet:
Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Dexter Gordon (ts),
Frank Paparelli (p), Chuck Wayne (g), Murray Shipinski (b), Irv Kluger (ds).
Recorded in New York City on February 9, 1945.
G555     Blue 'N Boogie          Guild 1001; Musicraft 485; Savoy MG 12020

Dizzy Gillespie Sextet:
Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Charlie Parker (as),
Clyde Hart (p), Remo Palmieri (g), Slam Stewart (b), Cozy Cole (ds).
Recorded in New York City on February 28, 1945.
G554A-1  Groovin' High           Guild 1001; Musicraft 486; Savoy MG 12020
G556     All The Things You Are  Musicraft 488; Savoy MG 12020
G557     Dizzy Atmosphere        Musicraft 488; Savoy MG 12020

Dizzy Gillespie And His All Stars:
Dizzy Gillespie (tp, vo on G565), Charlie Parker (as),
Al Haig (p), Curly Russel (b), Sidney Catlett (ds),
Sarah Vaughan (vo on G567).
Recorded in New York City on May 11, 1945.
G565A-1  Salt Peanuts            Guild 1003; Musicraft 518; Savoy MG 12020
G566A-1  Shaw 'Nuff              Guild 1002; Musicraft 354
G567A-1  Lover Man               Guild 1002; Musicraft 354; Musicraft 499
G568A-1  Hot House               Guild 1003; Musicraft 486; Savoy MG 12020



My little baby start crying every three hours asking for breast milk. This afternoon, when I was listening to the above 78rpms in the living room, she started crying again in the bed, even though she already had breast milk only an hour ago. So until my wife was ready for breastfeeding, I held my baby in my arm and took her to the living room filled with the classic Be-Bop sound comin’ from the 78rpms. Soon after that, she stopped crying and it amazed me! She even looked very curious and interested in what she was hearing. I hope she will like that Jazz of 62 years ago . . .


[You Groovin' High?]

( . . . so, you now “Groovin’ High” ? . . . )

10 thoughts on “Groovin’ High / Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker

  1. shaolinさん、愛娘さんのご誕生、おめでとうございます。早くもSPの音に反応されたご様子ですね(笑)
    このパーカーの10CD~何度か見かけましたが、ほとんどが手持ち音源とダブリそうなので見送ってました。
    1枚目の音源に「フリップ・フィリップス入りのレッド・ノーヴォ」が入ってるんですね!フィリップス好きなのに知りませんでした(笑)さっそくパーカーの手持ちレコードを調べてみましたが・・・その音源LPは(spotlite SPJ-127かな)持ってませんでした。う~ん・・・こりゃ、そのshaolinさんが大好きなHallelujahを聴いてみたいですね。たしか10CDでもだいぶ安かったような記憶があるので「即・入手盤」ですね!(笑)

  2. bassclef さんご無沙汰しております。
    > ほとんどが手持ち音源とダブリそうなので
    > たしか10CDでもだいぶ安かったような記憶があるので
    はっきりいって無茶苦茶な値段設定ですからね (笑)
    新品で 1,480円、中古だと 840円とかですから、10枚組なのに。
    ま、その代わり、パーソネルやライナーの類は一切ありませんが . . .
    Hallelujah での Flip さん、たった 1コーラスだけのソロですが、
    直前の Red Norvo の 2コーラスに渡るソロの印象を吹き飛す程。
    Ben Webster マナーに沿いつつも、更にモダンに更に軽やかに . . .
    彼が出てきただけで、バックの雰囲気が一変してるのがよく分かります。
    オリジナルの Dial レーベルの SP はさすがに手に入らないかしら?
    # 持ってる方いらっしゃったら聴かせて下さい (笑)
    同日のセッションの中では「Get Happy」「Congo Blues」(この CD にも入ってます)
    のソロの方が、Flip Phillips さんを堪能するには更に良いかも知れませんが、
    個人的には「Hallelujah」での颯爽とした登場のしかたに軍配をあげます。
    しかし昭和20年6月 (って書くとリアリティが増すな) に海の向こうではこんな音楽をやってたかと思うと . . .

  3. PEUGEOTがTAOCに踏まれてるよぉ〜
    おいそがしい日々でしょうが数十年後振り返るとき、今がもっとも懐かしい日々になっているのかもしれませんね。
    レコードのコレクション以上にShaolinさんが羨ましいです。
    結婚すればって? 
    相手がぁ〜。。。

  4. Shaolinさん、お久しぶりです。
    「Hallelujah」オリジナルはComet T-6 という12-inch SP です。
    「Get Happy」「Congo Blues」はT-7 として発売されています。
    是非、聴きに来てください(笑)

  5. > 踏まれてる
    1997年 7月19日に自らの不注意で全損事故を起こした中古車の遺品です > エンブレム
    その 3ヶ月後に同じエンブレムがついた後期型を中古で買って今に至ります (笑)

  6. 正確に記すと
    Hallelujah (T8-2) Dial 1045
    Hallelujah (T8-3) Comet T6
    Get Happy (T9-3) Dial 1035
    Get Happy (T9-4) Comet T7
    Slam Slam Blues (T10-1) Dial 1045
    Slam Slam Blues (T10-2) Comet T6
    Congo Blues (T11-4) Dial 1035
    Congo Blues (T11-5) Comet T7
    ということになります。

  7. 一番正確と思われる THE DIAL RECORDINGS OF CHARLIE PARKER A Discography Compiled by Edward M. Komara (1998 Greenwood Press) によると
    Hallelujah (T8-A) Dial LP903
    Hallelujah (T8-B) unissued
    Hallelujah (T8-C) unissued
    Hallelujah (T8-D) unissued
    Hallelujah (T8-E) Dial 1045
    Hallelujah (T8-F) Comet T6, Dial LP903
    Get Happy (T9-A) unissued
    Get Happy (T9-B) Dial 1035, Dial LP903
    Get Happy (T9-C) unissued
    Get Happy (T9-D) Comet T7, Dial LP903
    Slam Slam Blues (T10-A) Dial 1045, Dial LP903
    Slam Slam Blues (T10-B) Comet T6, Dial LP903
    Congo Blues (T11-AA uncompleted take) Dial LP903
    Congo Blues (T11-BB uncompleted take) Dial LP903
    Congo Blues (T11-A) Dial LP903
    Congo Blues (T11-B) Dial 1035
    Congo Blues (T11-C) Comet T7, Dial LP903
    Note : Dial 1045 & Dial 1035 is a 10″ dubbing from the original 12″ comet master
    ということになっています。Tom Lord はまだまだですね。やはり、複数のディスコグラフィは必要のようです。

  8. 瀬谷さん、Komara 本からの情報ありがとうございます。
    これを元にあっちのデータも見直してみます。

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