An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46 - photo 1
An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46 - photo 2
An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46 - photo 3
An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46 - photo 4
An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46 - photo 5

An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46

Lot 172
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 12 600
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 1016476
Lot 172 | An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46
Estimate value
£ 6 000 – 8 000
An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46

Charles “Charlie,” Jr Parker

PARKER, Charles “Charlie,” Jr (1920-1955), Lester YOUNG (1909-1959), et al.



An archive of eleven rare 78 rpm Savoy Records test pressings, including Charlie Parker’s landmark first studio recordings as leader, from the collection of legendary Savoy producer Teddy Reig, 1944-46, comprising: four of Charlie Parker’s Reboppers, recorded 26 November 1945 at Manhattan’s WOR Studios, the tracks including Warming Up A Riff, Now’s The Time, Thriving on a Riff, and Ko Ko; three of the Lester Young Quintet, recorded 1 May 1944, the tracks including (I Don’t Stand) A Ghost of a Chance, Back Home in Indiana, and Jump, Lester, Jump (labelled Savoy Jump); three of Cozy Cole and His Orchestra, featuring Coleman Hawkins, recorded May and June 1944, the tracks including Ridin’ the Riff, Flat Rock, and Jump Awhile (labelled ‘Jump Street’); and one of Booby Hatch by the Allen Eager Quartet, featuring Max Roach, recorded 22 March 1946; all eleven tracks released by Savoy as 78 rpm records.



As artistic director at Savoy Records, self-proclaimed “jazz hustler” Teddy Reig produced the first recordings with Charlie Parker as leader. ‘Had he done nothing else,’ says biographer Edward Berger, ‘this accomplishment alone would have ensured his place in history.’ Credited as Charlie Parker’s Reboppers, Bird led a quintet featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Curly Russell, Argonne Thornton, and a young Miles Davis. Biographer Ross Russell wrote of the historic date: ‘The definitive session, toward which bop had been striving, was realised November 26, 1945, by Savoy. The element missing from the previous flawed sessions was present at last in the person of percussionist Max Roach. Few sessions have begun with less promise. Thelonius Monk was the intended pianist, but failed to show. Argonne Thornton, located in Hector’s Cafeteria, was pressed into service as a substitute… The trumpet player of record was nineteen-year-old Miles Davis, then a day student at Julliard School of Music and sitter-in on The Street by night. Charlie was late as usual. During the warm-up his reed developed an unmanageable squeak and a messenger had to be sent to midtown band-instrument stores in search of Rico number fives. Hipsters and fellow musicians trouped in and out of the studio as if it were a bus depot. Once recording got underway there were breaks to send out for soft drinks, ice, food, liquor, narcotics, and girlfriends. Miles Davis took a thirty-minute nap on the floor of the studio. Savoy A&R director Teddy Reig half dozed through it all like an Oriental deity, directing with a minimum of effort. The three-hour union time limit was ignored. Despite distractions enough to have wrecked an ordinary date, the results were such that Savoy would refer to the occasion as “The Greatest Recording Session in Modern Jazz History.”’ Four of the six tracks cut during that session are present here. Russell, Bird Lives (1980), 195. Berger, Reminiscing in Tempo, vii.



Eleven single-sided 11-inch 78 rpm shellac test pressings, the white labels with holographic credits and Savoy matrix number etched into the shellac, in later sleeves, housed in a carpet covered flight case; accompanied by documents concerning the provenance. Provenance: Teddy Reig (1918-1984; producer) – Norman Saks (jazz collector).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.09.2023 – 28.09.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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