Koko (Parker)

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"Koko" is a 1945 recording featured on alto saxophone Charlie Parker, with trumpeters Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. It is considered by many to be the very first time bebop was ever recorded. Charlie Parker is said to have "realized" bebop while playing Ray Noble's tune "Cherokee." He played that song so many times that by the end he hated it, but he had mastered the chords perfectly in all 12 keys. "Koko" has a partially improvised head and the chords are based on "Cherokee".

In 2002, the Library of Congress honored the song "Koko" by adding it to the National Recording Registry.

Recording session

"Koko" was recorded on November 26, 1945, New York City at Savoy Records (MG 12079), with Charlie Parker (also saxophone) Miles Davis (trumpet), Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Sadik Hakim (piano), Curly Russell (bass), and Max Roach (drums). Other recordings at this session were "Billies Bounce," "Warming Up A Riff," "Nows the Time," "Thriving on a Riff," and "Meandering." Out of this session came the album The Charlie Parker Story (Savoy Jazz) (1945).

Footnotes

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Last updated on Thursday January 10, 2008 at 07:09:23 PST (GMT -0800)
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