Fats Navarro and Friends: “52nd Street Theme”

I started out aiming to do a post on Fats Navarro, and sort of made it.

This is “52nd Street Theme,” which Wikipedia says was written by Thelonious Monk, with Navarro on trumpet. The other players, according to the posting at YouTube, are Charlie Parker on alto sax (its his quintet), Tommy Potter on bass, Walter Bishop on piano and Roy Haynes (identified at YouTube as The GREAT) Roy Haynes on drums. I am not expert, but that sounds like an all star lineup to me. It was recorded at Birdland on June 30, 1950. The photo montage is absolutely outstanding.

Please check out an interview about Parker with jazz critic Scott Yanow. Also check out a Parker playlist, including “Yardbird Suite,” one of the greatest pieces of music ever, in my opinion.

Here is more on Navarro.