Remembering Stan...

Parker 51

Dear Friends,
this last days I read two different informatons: the tune "Parker 51" was composed by Stan Getz or by Jimmy Raney? And the album "The greatest of Stan Getz" contains a performance of "Parker 51" from 1951 live session at Storyville? THANK YOU. Daniela

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Permalink Reply by Denis Ouellet on December 9, 2008 at 3:00pm: Daniela, Parker 51 is credited to Jimmy Raney.
And yes from that recording "The Greatest of Stan Getz"
the track Parker 51 is from a live broadcast from Storyville
in Boston October 28 1951.
Surely one of the greatest live recordings.

Cheers
Denis; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Daniela D'Ercole on December 9, 2008 at 3:14pm: Thank you Denis. This is the first page of this composition, sended me from a friend of mine. I don't understand why from the top of the page is wrote "a Stan's classic composition".

Regards

Daniela; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Denis Ouellet on December 9, 2008 at 5:29pm: Parker 51 has been transcribed by Tim Price in his book "Great Tenor Sax Solos".
So maybe he can shed some light on this.
Well unless I am mistaken most likely this is a transcribtion of Stan's solo.
Of course the head is printed first. The solos must be following after;))

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Permalink Reply by Daniela D'Ercole on December 9, 2008 at 9:02pm: I have the entire solos, this is just the first page. The point is that after the title I reeding "Parker 51 is Stan's classic composition on Cherokee chord changes".
Thank you

Daniela; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Thomas Kushin on December 10, 2008 at 1:06am: Hi Daniela!

What a nice discussion you have started!

That statement you cite ("'Parker 51' is Stan's classic composition") must be a typo, error or miswording, as the tune seems definitely to have been written by Jimmy Raney. Of course, the tune itself stands out in our memories more because of Stan's solo rather that the head itself, and this is not to say the head is at all lacking but rather that Stan's solo is very impressive for such an early date; not only could Stan keep tempo on such a difficult tune but he did so with such fluency of command that he sounds refreshingly playful throughout. And Charlie Parker himself would agree about Stan's playing here. In a 1953 interview on a radio station in Boston, John McLellan plays the tune for Bird and he reacts very positively.

To quote the interview, McLellan plays an excerpt of "Parker 51" for Bird, and then they converse briefly as follows:

McLELLAN: And there we have about all we have time to hear of "Parker 51" -- Stan Getz from his "Jazz at Storyville" album, and his obvious salute to you. Is that the first time you've heard that?

PARKER: Yes, that's the first time I've heard it, John.

McLELLAN: Do you feel he captured your own mood?

PARKER: Oh, yes. He's really too much. I sure like that, that was "Cherokee," a sad time "Cherokee."

"He's really too much." -- That's a great compliment from Bird! And I love his description of the performance as a "sad time 'Cherokee'."

I hope you are having a beautiful weekend, beautiful Daniela, and that you are inspired, even as you inspire others!
Thomas

Daniela D'Ercole said:
I have the entire solos, this is just the first page. The point is that after the title I reeding "Parker 51 is Stan's classic composition on Cherokee chord changes".
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Permalink Reply by Daniela D'Ercole on December 10, 2008 at 6:20am: Thank you Thomas. You are everytime so kind. I'm making a tesis on the great Stan Getz, but the informations, sometimes are so different. Have a beautiful day.
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Permalink Reply by Denis Ouellet on December 10, 2008 at 9:01am: Thank you Thomas. I could not have said it better.
I hope this clears it up Daniela.

Denis; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Daniela D'Ercole on December 10, 2008 at 2:02pm: Thank you Denis; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bev Getz on December 10, 2008 at 9:49pm: My goodness.... a WEALTH of information here! Thanks guys!! I wouldn't know any of this without ya'll!!

Just a quick hello as I'm in a not so friendly internet area... hardly any connection, but managed to get on here for a second!! Be home soon!!

Love you all!
B
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Permalink Reply by Denis Ouellet on December 11, 2008 at 8:26am: Thanks Bev, see you soon.:)

Hugs
Denis
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Permalink Reply by michug on June 21, 2009 at 10:32pm: I am the tune was composed by Jimmy Raney. First because Stan Getz never really composed anything. There are a few tunes in his discography which were signed under Getz's name, but they are most of all improvisations on blues or standard chord changes. In his collaboration with Jimmy Raney, Getz mostly played standards arranged by Raney or some original compositions of the guitarist. So Parker 51 is likely to be one of those.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stephen Ashworth on July 7, 2009 at 8:56am: Stan Getz "never really composed anything"?

Tunes I've found attributed to him on the CDs in my collection are:

Sweetie Pie (Gold Dejavu Retro Collection, CD1)
Ah-Moore (ditto)
Stan's Blues (Live at Montmartre, vol.1)

Each of these has a head, before the improvised solos. What evidence do we have that Stan did not compose the heads, even if to the chord changes from another song? (A common practice at the time.)

Stephen
7 July 2009; ▶ Reply to This