Stupendous - Charlie Parker - 1947

Stupendous
Bebop

Charlie Parker All Stars
Instrumental
Writer: Howard McGhee

Instrumentation: trumpet, 2 saxophones, piano, guitar, bass, and drums

Charlie Parker (Alto Saxophone)
Wardell Gray (Tenor Saxophone)
Howard McGhee (Trumpet)
Dodo Marmarosa (Piano)
Barney Kessel (Guitar)
Red Callender (Bass)
Don Lamond (Drums)

Catalog Number: Dial 1022-A
Matrix Number: Dial D 1074-A (Master-Take, 10", 78 RPM)
Place and Take Date: Hollywood CA, C.P. MacGregor Studios,
729 South Western Avenue, 1947-02-26
The recording on the other side of this disc: Bikini

This session, recorded for Dial Records by producer Ross Russell, marks Parker’s highly anticipated return to the studio following his six-month commitment to the Camarillo State Hospital (July 1946 – January 1947). Parker’s brief de facto confinement for substance abuse and public conduct, rather than a conventional prison sentence, indirectly inspired his creative output, leading to pieces like "Relaxin' at Camarillo." "Stupendous" showcases Parker’s successful rehabilitation and renewed musical focus.

"Stupendous" is a classic Bebop Contrafact. It maintains the harmonic structure of the 12-bar Blues, but Parker crafts a complex, angular new melody over the familiar chord changes.