Quasimado

You're looking at a 10 year time span (78's finished 1953/4) and "There's No You" was from 1944. Nice song - Jo Stafford did it in 1945, and it was fairly well covered by jazz people after that (though almost forgotten today). Body and Soul was done by everybody. Any clues? Who does the vocal/ clarinet/ group sound like? Swing/ bop influence? If it was private, as Jim mentions, there's no way to track it ... Q.

They said he was the 'the missing link between Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman'. I said that was nonsense. Q

I've heard similar nonsense said about Ernie Henry. People who say that get elements of sound mixed up with the line. Q

Just received this update and find I have lost some music files despite taking precautions per the instructions. Also my PC refuses to wake up in the morning - I have to reboot (apparently there is a fix in the works for this).

Another Konitz/ strings effort is Ralph Burns’ “Free Forms”, on Clef from 1952. This has some surprisingly good Lee on several tracks, against an incongruous, overly cute strings/ woodwinds background - his astringency cuts through the syrup. It would have been interesting to hear what listed drummer Jo Jones had to say about this session. Q.

Ko Ko is based on "Rhythm" changes? Q.

Drummer seems limited. Q

Thanks for that. I suspected as much, and it seems to fit with Loren Shoenberg's quote. Still, it's Lester at a peak - I've got to hear it! But then I have so much of this set already! Q

Medjuck's comment aside, nobody has attempted to directly answer this. The released version is one of the classic solos - and an alternate take has surfaced ... no opinions? Q.

Right - amazing Bird - what a musical mind! Q

Well, if you already have the Geneva Concert, probably not (unless you are an Ernie Henry completest like me). Rhythm-A-Ning is heavily edited, so Ernie and Monks’ solos are not included - the track opens with PCs arco solo, leading into 4’s and then to the out-theme. Bemsha Swing is complete and the band is hot, with fine, strong Henry and powerful Monk. My personal feeling is that Henry (problems aside) was the ideal reedman for Monk. He was always a fluent, intriguing soloist from the early days with Fats, Dameron etc.(’47), and he then went on to play lead alto/ soloist in Dizzy’s big band, so he was deeply schooled in bop and was also an excellent musician (which Monk liked). His solo style was based in Bird, but highly individual - quirky in fact – just perfect for Monk! It’s unfortunate there is so little recorded evidence of the two playing together. Q

Right! And the two? tracks have been appended at the end of the "Geneva Concert 1966" CD with Monk, Rouse etc. Personnel for the Philly Bluenote tracks of 11-17-56: Monk, Henry, Paul Chambers, Willie Jones. Details here: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Geneva-Concert-THELONIOUS-QUARTET/dp/B00NGVNKO8 Great find! Many thanks. Q

After "Brilliant Corners" Henry went on the road with Monk to Philly ... that would be the place ... but no tapes exist, it would seem ... Q

Very nice, of course ... but Why oh Why couldn't they have given him a chorus or two to play on? What a wasted opportunity, like the much vaunted "Clifford with Strings". Q

Nice article. I heard Ted a few years ago, and his playing was just beautiful - relaxed, spontaneous, melodic, flowing, swinging - on a par with Lee or Warne. His dedication to the music is admirable. Q

Yeah, great story ... I personally know of one of these alternates an acquaintance has had since at least mid-2011, and it wouldn't seem unreasonable to assume that it and other alternates were circulating well before that date ... Anyway, I've pre-ordered. Q

It would be interesting to know just how many of the alternate takes were available at the time "The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve" box was compiled (1988). The same can be said of the recently released "Charlie Parker with Strings" which contains "18 newly discovered, previously unreleased alternate takes". Phil's liner notes make no reference to their "rediscovery". Q

It's been brought to my notice that the "Complete Charlie Parker on Verve" was issued in 1988 (28 years ago), which could mean that although Phil had access to the Verve archives at the time, they may have been incomplete, and the new alternatives are recent discoveries. If that's true, I may have done Phil a disservice. Q

Re Bird the m/f played some of those unissued takes on Bird Flight and still didn't include them in his "complete" box! Q

As BillF said ... Q

Amazing that most of the alternate takes have not been released until now - there is some beautiful Bird here. Q.

Right Larry. That's a VERY serious album. For contrast, on the ballad "It's the Talk of the Town" Diz is beautiful, no mistake - but Getz is sublime. Q

Great Interview - thanks. Q

Very sage comment. Q