The Genius of Charlie Parker is an LP record by Charlie Parker, released posthumously by Savoy Records. All but one of tracks on this album had been previously released on other formats, but is the first 12-inch release of these master takes. It contains selections from six sessions recorded between 1944 and 1948, and contains a previously unreleased alternate take from one these sessions.
Background
recorded seven studio sessions for Savoy Records between 1944 and 1948; five as a leader, two as a sideman. Twenty-nine tracks from these sessions were released by Savoy on 78 rpm records. Twenty-seven of these tracks were reissued on 7 inch EPs and 10 inch LPs under Parker's name. The longer playing 12 inchLP became popular in the mid-1950s and Savoy inaugurated its 12-inch LP series with two albums which reissued previously released master takes along with previously unreleased alternate takes. Savoy released three more 12 inch albums completing the reissue of the previously released master takes, and the original issue of most of the unreleased takes from these seven sessions. Parker's entire Savoy ouvre was finally issued on Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy Studio Sessions in 1978. The master take of "Koko", included here, is controversial in that it is unclear who, precisely, plays trumpet and\or pianoon the track. The liner notes credit Miles Davis with trumpet for the session, but also credit Dizzy Gillespie with both trumpet and piano. Several sources claim Gillespie played trumpet on this track, while others deny it. Some sources claim Gillespie also played piano on this track, while others credit pianistSadik Hakim. See the article on The Charlie Parker Story for further discussion. The December 29, 1945 session was led by guitarist, pianist and vocalistSlim Gaillard, and was originally recorded for Bel-Tone Records in Hollywood, California, which released these tracks on 78 rpm records. When Bel-tone folded the rights to Slim Gaillard's recordings were acquired by Majestic Records which reissued these tracks, also on 78 rpm records. When Majestic folded, Savoy acquired the rights to this recording and subsequently issued the tracks on 7 inch EP and 10 inch LP records. This is the first 12-inch LP issue of these tracks.
Track list
The names of the takes are as listed in the liner notes of the album. Previously released takes are shown in boldface.
