Koko (Parker)

"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". [Reisner, Robert George. "Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker", Da Capo Press, page 103 - ISBN 0306800691]

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 (alto saxophone), Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Sadik Hakim (piano), Curly Russell (bass), and Max Roach (drums). [Torgovnick, Marianna. "Eloquent Obsessions: Writing Cultural Criticism", Duke University Press, page 112 - ISBN 082231472X] 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). [ [http://wm07.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jvftxqygld6e The Charlie Parker Story (Savoy Jazz)] ]

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