Charlie Parker’s engagement at Café Society took placeduring the last year of this famous club’s existence. Twodays before his stint began, on June 6, 1950, he hadrecorded his last studio album with Dizzy Gillespie, thecelebrated Bird & Diz, which featured Thelonious Monk onpiano. During these months, as Bird himself announced,he was playing with strings. However, for some reasonthe Café Society didn’t book him with strings but with hisquintet, featuring Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Al Haig onpiano, Tommy Potter on bass and Roy Haynes on drums.

All of the music recorded by Bird at the club is includedhere, including his only known versions of “Bewitched”and “Gone with the Wind”, as well as an amazing versionof “Summertime”, which is Parker’s only reading of thetune apart from the studio recording with strings.

Charlie Parker, alto sax

Kenny Dorham, trumpet

Al Haig, piano

Tommy Potter, bass

Roy Haynes, drums.

Tony Scott, clarinet; (added on B4 only)

Recorded live at Café Society Downtown,

New York, June-July, 1950.

• 1. 52nd Street Theme [I] 0:46
• 2. Just Friends [I] 3:08
• 3. April In Paris [I] 3:32
• 4. A Night In Tunisia Into 52nd Street Theme [Ii] 5:27
• 5. 52nd Street Theme [Iii] (0:36
• 6. Just Friends [Ii] 3:10
• 7. April In Paris [Iiernon Duke) 3:00
• 8. Medley 1: Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered / Summertime 5:02
• 9. Medley 2: I Cover the Waterfront / Gone With the Wind 4:26
• 10. Easy To Love Into 52nd Street Theme [Iv] 4:58
• 11. Medley 3: What's New? It's the Talk of the Town 6:44
• 12. Moose the Mooche Into 52nd Street Theme [V] 10:38