Billie's Bounce

Last updated
"Billie's Bounce"
Composition by Charlie Parker
Released1945
RecordedNovember 1945
Genre Jazz
Label Savoy
Composer(s) Charlie Parker

"Billie's Bounce" (also known as "Bill's Bounce") is a jazz composition written in 1945 by Charlie Parker in the form of a 12 bar F blues. Some sources claim that the song was dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie's agent, Billy Shaw, although according to Ross Russell, Shaw's "name was misspelled" [1] accidentally. However, others claim that the song was in fact dedicated to Shaw's secretary, who was called Billie. [2] The original recording by Charlie Parker and His Re-Boppers was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. [3]

Contents

Originally an instrumental, lyrics were added later by Jon Hendricks and by Eddie Jefferson. [4]

Personnel

The original 1945 recording was performed by the following lineup: [4]

Renditions

See also

Charlie Parker's Savoy and Dial Sessions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Parker</span> American jazz musician (1920–1955)

Charles Parker Jr., nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique, and advanced harmonies. He was a virtuoso and introduced revolutionary rhythmic and harmonic ideas into jazz, including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and chord substitutions. Parker was primarily a player of the alto saxophone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Shavers</span> American jazz trumpeter

Charles James Shavers was an American jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday. He was also an arranger and composer, and one of his compositions, "Undecided", is a jazz standard.

"Hot House" is a bebop standard, composed by American jazz musician Tadd Dameron in 1945. Its harmonic structure is identical to Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?". The tune was made famous by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker as a quintet arrangement and become synonymous with those musicians; "Hot House" became an anthem of the bebop movement in American jazz. The most famous and referred to recording of the tune is by Parker and Gillespie on the May 1953 live concert recording entitled Jazz at Massey Hall, after previously recording it for Savoy records in 1945 and at Carnegie Hall in 1947. The tune continues to be a favorite among jazz musicians and enthusiasts:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curley Russell</span> American jazz bassist

Dillon "Curley" Russell was an American jazz musician, who played bass on many bebop recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Levey</span> American drummer

Adolph Stanley Levey known professionally as Stan Levey was an American jazz drummer. He was known for working with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in the early development of bebop during the 1940s, and in the next decade had a stint with bandleader Stan Kenton. Levey retired from music in the 1970s to work as a photographer.

"A Night in Tunisia" is a musical composition written by American trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie around 1940–1942. He wrote it while he was playing with the Benny Carter band. It has become a jazz standard. It is also known as "Interlude", and with lyrics by Raymond Leveen was recorded by Sarah Vaughan in 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke Jordan</span> American jazz pianist

Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan was an American jazz pianist.

"All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II.

Gene M. Roland was an American jazz composer and musician. He played many instruments during his career, but was most significant as an arranger/composer and for his association with Stan Kenton. Roland was one of only two arrangers to write for Kenton, in all four decades of the band's existence, the other being Ken Hanna.

Teddy Kotick was an American jazz bassist, who appeared as a sideman with many of the leading figures of the 1940s and 1950s, including Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, Artie Shaw, Horace Silver, Phil Woods and Bill Evans.

"Lover Man " is a 1941 popular song written by Jimmy Davis, Roger ("Ram") Ramirez, and James Sherman. It is particularly associated with Billie Holiday, for whom it was written, and her version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Potter</span> American jazz double bassist (1918–1988)

Charles Thomas Potter was an American jazz double bass player, best known for having been a member of Charlie Parker's "classic quintet", with Miles Davis, between 1947 and 1950.

"Ko-Ko" is a 1945 bebop recording composed by Charlie Parker. The original recorded version lists Parker on alto saxophone with trumpeter Miles Davis, double bassist Curley Russell and drummer Max Roach. Due to the absence of Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie was enlisted to play piano, instead of his usual trumpet. Pianist Sadik Hakim, then known as Argonne Thornton, was also known to be present at the session. Rumors persist to this day about precisely who played trumpet and piano on this piece; some say it's young Miles Davis who plays trumpet and Gillespie comping at piano, on both takes; most say Gillespie plays trumpet and, or instead of, piano; some say Hakim is the pianist on all or part of one or both of the takes. However, Miles Davis confirms in his autobiography that he did not play trumpet on "Ko Ko":

"I remember Bird wanting me to play "Ko-Ko," a tune that was based on the changes of "Cherokee." Now Bird knew I was having trouble playing "Cherokee" back then. So when he said that that was the tune he wanted me to play, I just said no, I wasn't going to do it. That's why Dizzy's playing trumpet on "Ko-Ko," "Warmin' up a Riff," and "Meandering" on Charlie Parker’s Reboppers, because I wasn't going to get out there and embarrass myself. I didn't really think I was ready to play tunes at the tempo of "Cherokee" and I didn't make no bones about it."

The Metronome All-Stars were a collection of jazz musicians assembled for studio recordings by Metronome Magazine, based on its readers' polls. The studio sessions were held in the years 1939–42, 1946–53, and 1956, and typically consisted of two tracks which allowed each participant a chance to solo for one chorus. Earlier recordings feature more swing style, while the later sessions tend more toward bebop.

<i>Bud Plays Bird</i> 1997 studio album by Bud Powell

Bud Plays Bird is a studio album by the jazz pianist Bud Powell, recorded late 1957/early 1958 for Roulette, but unreleased until 1997, when it was rediscovered by Michael Cuscuna and released by Blue Note as part of The Blue Note Collection.

<i>To Bird with Love</i> 1992 live album by Dizzy Gillespie

To Bird with Love is a live album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie with an array of guest stars. It was recorded at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City on January 23–25, 1992 and released on the Telarc label. Gillespie's performances at the club in January and February of that year yielded two additional live albums, Bird Songs: The Final Recordings and To Diz with Love. Together, these three titles represent his final recordings prior to his death in 1993.

<i>To Diz with Love</i> 1992 live album by Dizzy Gillespie

To Diz with Love is a live album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie with an array of guest stars recorded at the Blue Note in 1992 and released on the Telarc label. The album, along with To Bird with Love and Bird Songs: The Final Recordings, represent the last recordings made by the trumpeter before his death in 1993.

<i>The Charlie Parker Story</i> 1956 studio album by Charlie Parker

The Charlie Parker Story is an LP record by Charlie Parker, released posthumously by Savoy Records. While many of the tracks on this album had been previously released on other formats, this is the first album that chronicles the entire session, recorded November 26, 1945, including all takes of all pieces. This session is famous in that it is the first recorded under Parker's name. It is also controversial, in that to this day it is unclear who the pianist and trumpet player are on all of the tracks.

References

  1. Russell, Ross (1996). Bird Lives! The High Life & Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker. New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN   0-306-80679-7.
  2. ""Billie's Bounce" | Stories of Standards". KUVO. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  3. Grammy Hall of Fame Archived July 7, 2015, at the Wayback Machine - retrieved on 28 April 2009
  4. 1 2 Billie's Bounce at jazzstandards.com - retrieved on 28 April 2009
  5. "Tina May – Live In Paris". Discogs.