Charlie Parkers besök i Sverige i november 1950 har givit upphov till många historier. Det har berättats att han brukade sitta inne hos Topsy Lindblom på Nalen på kvällarna; trots att de inte kunde tala med varandra uppstod någon själarnas gemenskap. Professor Erik Kjellberg berättar i sin bok Svensk Jazzhistoria om Parkers tre veckor långa turné i Sverige och i Norge berättas att trumpetaren Rowland Greenberg turnérade flera veckor med Parker i Sverige. Många har talat om att de gick på bio med Parker, han kunde bara sova på bio när han hade folk omkring sig. Ja vi har till och med fått veta att Parker besökte en bonde i Skåne och spelade i ladugården för bondens kor. För att bringa lite ordning i det historiska förloppet följer här ett försök att följa Parker dag för dag under Sverigevistelsen.
Nils Hellström som ägde den svenska jazztidningen Estrad, och som också var konsertarrangör, hade länge funderat på att ta över Charlie Parker till Sverige. Han gjorde flera försök att samordna en Parkerturné med arrangörer i andra europeiska länder. Även om det fanns ett visst intresse på några håll gick det trögt med samordningen och till slut ledsnade Hellström och bestämde sig för att på eget bevåg försöka få till en Sverigeturné med Parker.
När han kontaktade Parkers agent Billy Shaw Artists, Inc. tyckte han att gageanspråken var i högsta laget. Shaw begärde 1000 dollar för en vecka, plus en flygbiljett New York–Stockholm tur och retur i första klass. Den biljetten kostade 785 dollar. Hellström tvekade men bestämde sig till slut och med mycket kort varsel kom man överens om att Parker skulle komma till Sverige en vecka i slutet av november 1950. Kontraktet undertecknades den 3 november så Hellström hann inte ens med att få in nyheten om Parkerbesöket i novembernumret av sin tidning Estrad.
Söndagen den 19 november
landade Parker på Bromma flygplats i Stockholm och möttes av svenska musiker och fans. Han kom tillsammans med Roy Eldridge och tog in på Hotell Plaza som låg i närheten av Stureplan. Den första kvällen i Stockholm var fri och trumpetaren Rolf Ericson, som skulle spela med Parker, har berättat hur Parker bad honom att gå med ut och äta. Parker hade fått förskottsbetalning av Nils Hellström och ville gå på stans finaste krog. Rolf tog med honom till Berns Salonger och där gjorde Parker enligt Rolf av med en otrolig massa pengar. Han strödde hundralappar omkring sig i dricks till personalen, bjöd restaurangens orkerster på flera omgångar drinkar och beställde bara det dyraste som fanns på menyn.
På Jazzens Museum i Strömsholm finns en kopia av Hellströms kontrakt med Parker där man kan ta del av den ekonomiska uppgörelsen för turnén. Dollarn stod då i 5:18, så Parker fick 5.180 kronor i svenska pengar. Men av detta hade hälften betalats ut i förskott till agenten i New York. Kvar för Parker i Stockholm fanns alltså 2.590 kronor. Dessa pengar skulle utbetalas med en tredjedel vid ankomsten, en tredjedel den 22 november och en tredjedel den 26 november. Den kväll Parker var med Rolf Ericson på Berns hade han alltså fått 865 kronor av Nils Hellström. Nu kanske någon börjar tvivla på Rolfs historia, men pengar hade ett annat värde 1950 än idag. En manlig butiksanställd tjänade i snitt 507 kronor i månaden och en kvinnlig 340 kronor. Parker fick alltså för sin vecka mer än en årslön för ett kvinnligt affärsbiträde.
Om vi återgår till Berns så kostade det dyraste man kunde äta där, inklusive förrätt, varmrätt, dessert och kaffe cirka 10 kronor. Till detta kom den tillåtna starkspritransonen på 15 centiliter som också kostade cirka 10 kronor och den som så önskade kunde också dricka vin utan restriktioner. Det var säkert en storslagen middag Parker bjöd på men det var snarare femmor och tior han strödde omkring sig än hundralappar.
Måndagen den 20 november
tillbringade Parker tillsammans med Carl-Erik Lindgren, musiker och medarbetar på Orkester-Journalen och trumslagaren Jack Norén. De gick bland annat och badade bastu på Sturebadet. Därefter var det repetition på Konserthuset inför kvällens två konserter. Det var en stor jazzgala som ordnades. Först spelde en svensk grupp ledd av Charlie Norman. Därefter anslöt sig Roy Eldridge till gruppen för en avdelning. Efter paus presenterades Arne Domnérus och Rolf Ericsons nybildade orkester som förutom de båda kapellmästarna bestod av Rolf Blomqvist på tenorsax, Lars Gullin barytonsax, Gunnar Svensson piano, Yngve Åkerberg bas och Jack Norén trummor. Gruppen spelade tre nummer och därefter kom Parker in och gjorde en egen avdelning tillsammans med Rolf Ericson och kompet Svensson, Åkerberg, Norén.
Efter konserterna följde Parker och Roy Eldridge med medlemmarna i Stockholms Jazzklubb till van der Lindeska valven i Gamla Stan där det var uppdukat med mat och dryck. Därefter blev det jamsession till framåt klockan fyra på morgonen. Bland dem som deltog fanns Rolf Larsson, Reinhold Svensson, Lars Gullin, Simon Brehm, Yngve Åkerberg, Jack Norén och Leppe Sundevall.
En som inte var så glad över att Parker den kvällen försvann till en källare i Gamla Stan var Topsy Lindblom på Nalen. Nalen var jazzstället i Stockholm och utländska musiker som besökte Stockholm brukade alltid dyka upp där och jamma några låtar utan ersättning. Topsy var så säker på att Parker skulle komma att han dagen innan konserten hade en stor annons i Dagens Nyheter där man kunde läsa: ”Charlie Parker i Konserthuset. Samtidigt debuterar Nalens nya orkester: ‘Sweden All-Star-Band’. Med sättningen: Roffe Ericson, Rolf Blomquist, Arne Domnérus, Lasse Gullin, Gunnar Svensson, Yngve Åkerberg, Jack Norén. Vi räknar med att alla grabbarna kommer att medverka vid måndagens nattjam:”
Det var många konsertbeökare och andra som infann sig på Nalen för att få höra Parker och då och då ropades det ut i högtalarna att ”Nu kommer han nog snart.” Men Parker dök aldrig upp.Topsy Lindblom, som på något sätt måste reparera skadan, blev nu tvungen att försöka få till en överenskommelse med Nils Hellström. Det fanns bara en kväll ledig, Parkers sista i Sverige en vecka senare. Man kom överens om att Parker då skulle komma till Nalen och nu blev Topsy för första gången tvungen att betala för att försäkra sig om det celebra besöket.
Jazztidningarna Estrad och Orkester Journalen var naturligtvis översvallande i sina recensioner av konserterna. Dagstidningarnas kritiker var också övervägande positiva men en viss svensk självgodhet vädrades också: ”Att han är en utomordentlig altsaxofonist och musiker visade den nu endast trettioårige negern stundtals vid sitt besök på Konserthuset” tyckte Öhn i Dagens Nyheter. ”Men det som framför allt gjorde kvällen lyckad var presentationen av en ny svensk orkester, sammansatt av en rad stjärnsolister med altsaxofonisten Arne Domnérus och trumpetaren Rolf Ericson i spetsen.”
”Så kom då Charlie ‘The Bird’ in på estraden och vräkte ur sig kaskader av dynamitladdade bopfraser”, skrev Olle i Aftonbladet. ”Han var i överraskande god form, och särskilt under den senare konserten höll publiken på att riva ner taket av förtjusning när han släppte på för fullt i det ena rivande snabba numret efter det andra.”
I Svenska Dagbladet skrev A.R.Ö: ”Idéer har Charlie Parker, och halsbrytande kan han spela. Ja vackert blåser han också för den delen – ganska ofta... Men kom aldrig och säg, att det befordrar unga människors harmoni och balans att höra mycket av den sortens musik!”
I Expressen skrev Lasse Klefelt ”att Roy Eldridge och Charlie Parker - får ursäkta, men behållningen av gårdagens konsert i Konserthuset blev den Ericsonska-Domnéruska orkestern. ...Jag tror inte det är någon överdrift att säga att Charlie Parker i all sin bebopska skicklighet är lite ”corny” numera.”
Tisdagen den 21 november
åkte Parker tåg till Göteborg tillsammans med de musiker som utsetts att ingå i hans turnéband. Det var Rolf Ericson trumpet, Gösta Theselius piano, Thore Jederby bas (han var också turnéledare) och Jack Norén, trummor. Dessutom ingick Arne Domnérus i gruppen. Konserterna under turnén började med att Domnérus tillsammans med de övriga svenskarna spelade en avdelning varefter Parker efter paus kom in i stället för Domnérus. I Göteborgs konserthus gav man två konserter och även här medverkade Roy Eldridge med en egen avdelning tillsammans med Charlie Norman.
Från Göteborg har Charlie Norman berättat att han och Roy Eldridge höll på att spela igenom låten Saturday Night Fish Fry i musikerrummet när Parker dök upp och stämde in i Eldridges sång. Bebop-vännerna som fanns i lokalen reagerade med förvåning på att Parker kunde en sådan swinglåt. I Estrad berättade Nils Hellström senare att Parker, när han skulle in efter Dompans och Roffes introduktionsnummer, sa: ”Oh my boy Ärne, han gör det så svårt för mej, han gör det så svårt för mej.” Från musikerrummet finns en 16 mm stumfilm på någon minut som visar Parker dels när han värmer upp på saxen, dels när han skriver autografer. Filmen togs av Bo Tak som då var 16 år och som senare blev filmfotograf vid Sveriges Television.
I Göteborgs-Posten skrev TOBI om konserten: ”Charlie Parker är tvivelsutan en av de allra främsta altsaxofonister Amerika fostrat. Han är tekniker till virtuositet och har en ton sällan tidigare hörd. Men tanken på vilken verkligt god jazz dessa skickliga musiker skulle ha kunnat spela, gjorde recensenten bedrövad, när han samtidigt hörde den musik, på vilken de ödslade sitt kunnande. Vilken behållning skulle man inte haft av kvällen om det stått uteslutande traditionell, eller låt oss kalla det riktig jazz på programmet i stället för detta evinnerliga skalklättrande.”
Cosy i Göteborgs Handels- & Sjöfartstidning berömde Parker för hans outtömliga uppslagsrikedom och bländande teknik. Han tyckte också att Rolf Ericson klarade sin trumpetstämma förvånansvärt bra men att han verkade blek ”när han tvingades att stå som kontrast mot den dynamiske negern.”
Onsdagen den 22 november
reste man med tåg från Göteborg till Malmö. Eldridge lämnade nu gruppen men dök upp igen dagen därpå i Köpenhamn. I Malmö gav man på kvällen en konsert på danssalongen Amiralen för ett par tusen personer och svenskarna spelade sedan dansmusik till midnatt. Delar av den här konserten spelades in på band och har senare kommit ut på flera skivmärken.
Efter konserten lyckades en ung juridikstuderande, Björn Fremer, (som senare blev journalist och en tid medarbetade i Orkester Journalen), locka med sig Parker till Lund för en jamsession. I två taxibilar åkte Fremer och några av hans vänner med Parker och Norén, Theselius, Domnérus och Ericson till Akademiska föreningen. En som var med var Lars Terje, nu pensionerad åklagare. Han minns att man ringde runt och väckte upp flera jazzintresserade och några kompisar hade ordnat med smörgåsar och en flaska Kronbrännvin. De timmar som sedan följde minns Lars Terje som ett enda flöde av jazz. Parker var outtröttlig; i hans närhet stod flaskan med Kronbrännvin. En efter en av de närvarande musikerna föll ifrån men Parker var som en självlysande fackla. Till sist satt han och spelade helt ensam till långt in på morgonen.
Efteråt skrev Björn Fremer ett tackbrev till Parker där han bland annat säger: ”We all think that it is a lovely dream that you spent last night with us, a few students and musiclovers. We just can’t understand you were so human, just like one of us, cause you are a star a genius, and we just nothing... Your playing, your talk, your wonderful smile, your cry of happiness, you in person gave me (and a bunch of othter guys too) the happiest moments of my life...” Det visade sig senare att Parker burit brevet med sig under lång tid och det publicerades så småningom i Chan Parkers och Francis Paudras bok ”To Bird with Love”.
Malmöpressen var genomgående positiv i sin kritik. Skånska Dagbladet hade som rubrik på sin recension ”Chokladbrun bebop-kung på Amiralen.” Cehå i Kvällsposten talade om ”Succé för Charlie Parker och den svenska jazzeliten.” Och när tidningen frågade Parker vad han ansåg om Domnérus svarade han med glimten i ögat: ”Han är nästan lika bra som jag själv!”
Torsdagen den 23 november
reste man till Köpenhamn för två konserter på KB-hallen. Man tog in på hotell Cosmopolite och den danske jazzforskaren Erik Wiedemann passade på att besöka Parker på hans hotellrum. Det var ett ganska kort möte men Erik mindes att han frågat om namnet på låten Klacto-veeseds-tene men bara fått till svar att den hette så. Erik hade också uttryckt sin undran över Parkers stråkinspelningar men dessa var enligt Parker mest en kommersiell historia.
De två konserterna var dåligt besökta, KB-hallen var bara fylld till hälften. Det var stor nordisk jazzgala och förutom Parker och Roy Eldridge fick publiken höra Leo Mathiesens orkester med trumpetaren Jörgen Ryg och Helge Jacobsens Giraf-Trio från Danmark, Lasse Gerlyngs Ensemble från Norge med Rowland Greenberg på trumpet, samt den svenska gruppen som nu kallades Estrad-Orkestret. Svenskarna spelade först på egen hand, sedan med Eldridge, sedan på egen hand igen innan slutligen Parker kom in och spelade tre nummer. Konserten slutade med ett jam där samtliga musiker deltog.
Berlingske Tidende berömde den svenska gruppen och tyckte att de strålande solisterna Arne Domnérus och Rolf Ericson gjorde den till aftonens bästa av de skaninaviska orkestrarna. Parker själv fick genomgående fin kritik: Nationaltidende skrev att ”Be-Bopens Konge helt tog Vejret fra Publikum, naar han lod sit udtryksfulde Instrument med det flotte, runde Vibrato klinge ud i Salens yderste Kroge. Det var Be-Bop, skulde man mene. Alt, hvad der kunde svinge, svang. Selv de bærende Konstruktioner.” Men tidningarna var besvikna över att kvällens huvudattraktion, Charlie Parker, bara spelade tre låtar.
När Parker lämnade KB-hallen uppvaktades han av den danska sånggruppen Gottliebkvintetten som sjöng en låt av ledaren Görgen Gottlieb, ”Clap hands Charlie”. Parker blev mycket förtjust och bad gruppen följa med till hotellet där han bjöd på champagne. När de skildes ville han att de skulle komma tillbaka nästa dag och äta lunch med honom. På natten besökte Parker sedan nattklubben Adlon där han för fem kronor löste ett veckomedlemskort och skrevs in som ”Yhard Bhurd”. Enligt Thore Jederby hade Parker därefter följt en ung danska hem. Jederby, som tydligen själv varit ute på nattliga äventyr, berättade också att han tidigt på fredagsmorgonen, på väg hem till hotellet, stötte ihop med Parker utanför hotell D’Angleterre. De gick in där och åt frukost innan de gick till Cosmopolite för att vila en stund.
Fredagen den 24 november
bjöd alltså Parker Gottliebkvintetten på lunch på hotellet. Vid lunchen deltog också Nils Hellström och den danske fotografen Helge Mass. Efter lunchen sjöng kvintetten några nummer för Parker i hotellets festvåning. Parker var mycket imponerad och skrev på stående fot ett intyg om att kvintetten överträffade allt han hört både i USA och Europa. (Senare i Estrad berättade Hellström om lunchen och i artikeln fanns också Parkers intyg återgivet i facksimil. Det resulterade i att Topsy Lindblom engagerade Gottliebkvintetten till Nalen vilket i sin tur ledde till många och långa engagemang för gruppen i Sverige).
På eftermiddagen reste Parker och svenskarna tillbaka till Skåne och med på resan följde också den norske trumpetaren Rowland Greenberg. Man åkte till Helsingborg där det på kvällen skulle bli två konsertter i Folkets Park. Innan konserterna gick Parker, Jederby, Domnérus och några till på bio. Arne Domnérus minns besöket:”Vi såg en film som hette ”The Broken Arrow” med Jeff Chandler som indianhövdning. I filmen har han en lång kontrovers om rasåtskillnader. Och Bird sov hela tiden, han blev så lugn när han fick folk omkring sig. Då somnade han och snarkade som fan. Men han vaknade till där, när dom snackade om rasproblem och så kommenterade han det högljutt. Så dom sa åt oss att vi skulle kasta ut negern från bion.”
De positiva omdömena fortsatte även efter Helsingborgsframträdandet. I Helsingborgs Dagblad skrev Coolman: ”Den svenska orkestern inledde konserten med Fine and Dandy, redan efter denna melodi var kvällen räddad... Parker och alla de andra visade sig vara precis så bra som man ryktesvis hört och alltså inte uppreklamerade, som fallet varit med en del andra artister.
Själv sa Parker: Sverige det bästa landet i världen! Aldrig förut har jag fått ett sådant mottagande som här.” Och till Skånska Socialdemokraten sa han: ”Tänk om jag kunde få stanna i Sverige. Jag har på dessa få dagar lärt mig tycka om ert land. Kommer tillbaka så fort jag får tillfälle.”
Också delar av konserten i Helsingborg spelades in på en trådbandspelare. Efter konserten blev det jam i en restaurang inne på Folkparkens område och den spelades också in. Också de här inspelningarna har senare kommit ut på platta.
Lördagen den 25 november
fortsatte programmet med one-nighters. Man reste med tåg till Jönköping och Rowland Greenberg följde också med. På Idrottshuset gav man på kvällen en konsert inför 2.800 personer. I Smålands Folkblad kunde man dagen efter läsa att det var Rowland Greenberg som spelat trumpet under kvällen. Rolf Ericson tycks ha haft läpproblem, vilket kanske inte var så konstigt efter sex dagars intensivt bop-spel bredvid Parker. Rowland måste alltså ha hoppat in så att Rolf fick vila en kväll.
Den norske jazzforskaren Johs Berg berättade att Greenbergs roll i den här turnén ofta överdrivits i Norge. Han menade att det, genom aningslösa skribenbter, kommit att framstå som att Rowland turnérade med Parker i flera veckor. Och enligt Johs förnekade Rowland hellar aldrig detta. Men faktum är alltså att hans medverkan inskränkte sig till denna konsert i Jönköping.
Den här kvällen dröjde det innan Parker kom upp på scenen. Enligt Tore Jederby var Parker försvunnen när han skulle in och spela. Efter en stunds oroligt letande hittade Jederby honom i Idrottshusets bowlinghall där han roade sig med att resa käglor, något som han sa att han gjort som ung hemma i Kansas City. Arne Domnérus har en annan minnesbild. Enligt honom vägrade Parker att gå upp på estraden om han inte fick sig något starkt till livs. Och det var nu inte så lätt att ordna en lördagskväll i en stad som brukar kallas ”Sveriges Jerusalem”. Man fick skicka iväg en journalist till en restaurang där han beställde in vad som gick att få, smög över det i en flaska under bordet och skyndade tillbaka till Idrottshuset. Så kunde man äntligen presentera Parker för kvällens publik. Parker dök också upp senare på kvällen och spelade ett par nummer med bandet under dansmusiken.
Smålands Folkblad hade en intervju med Parker och presenterade honom i bild på första sidan med bildtexten ”Berömd svarting”. I intervjun sa Parker bland annat: ”Bopmusiken dör inte så länge jag lever! Det är förresten många andra musiker som fortsätter att utveckla be-bopen, och jag själv arbetar vidare på den när jag kommer tillbaka till USA. Resonemanget om att be-bop är ett mode på avskrivning är bara löst prat... Jag har nyss gjort några plattor tillsammans med en stråksektion, men det har ingenting med utvecklingen av bop att göra. Det är bara en kommersiell eftergift för att just de plattorna skall gå bättre.”
På frågan hur han trivdes med Sverige och de svenska musikerna svarade Parker: ”Överallt möts man av rena Newyork-andan, och man känner sig nästan hemma på 52nd Street även om man står på en estrad i Jönköping. De svenska - och norska, Rowland Greenberg - musikerna är mycket skickliga, och den här turnén är det bästa arbete jag någonsin haft. Och Sverige... Parker tog till händerna när han saknade ord att beskriva vårt land. En svepande rörelse med båda armarna från golvet upp till taket, följt av en slängkyss, det var hans sätt att beskriva sina känslor.”
Även om Parker under den här veckan visade sig från sin bästa sida så var han inte alltid helt lätt att ha att göra med. Arne Domnérus har berättat också om det: ”Det var ju varierande upplevelser med Bird får jag lov att säga, på många sätt och vis. Framför allt fick man verkligen grepp om vilken orolig människa det var. Parker led av noja på nätterna och vågade ju inte ligga ensam. Han kom och bultade på dörrarna hos oss och skulle hålla igång hela nätterna. Så det var några nätter vi satt och snackade på några rum så där. Han berättade mest när han kom igång om sin tillvaro och sina förhållanden i Amerika så där; om hur illa behandlad han blivit av vita... Han blev lite småsur på oss ibland också när vi skulle spela tillsammans, därför att han tyckte att vi representerade etablissemanget. Men vi försonades ju sen igen.”
Söndagen den 26 november
skulle man iväg tidigt. Det var en mörk och kall höstmorgon och innan tåget gick från Jönköping hann man få en kopp kaffe på järnvägsrestaurangen. Där gav Parker servitrisen en rundhänt slant i dricks med kommentaren ”For your smile!” Gruppen satte sig så på tåget för att resa till Gävle, där turnéns sista konsert i Folkets Park var utannonserad till” klockan 20 precis”. Rowland Greenberg tog tåget hem till Oslo.
Under resan gick Parker och Jack Norén och satte sig i restaurangvagnen. Någonstans under resans gång kopplades vagnarna om och när Domnérus och Jederby tittade ut genom fönstret såg de Norén och Parker sitta på ett tåg på spåret mitt emot. Norén och Parker hamnade så småningom i Stockholm där de ringde till Nils Hellström som fick ordna biltransport upp till Gävle. Konserten blev avsevärt försenad men den blev en succé enligt Saxo i Arbetarbladet: ”Det har hörts många rykten om att the Bird skulle ha mist sina vingar och råkat in i en slätstruken och kommersiell spelstil. Allt det där visade sig i går vara kvalificerat s. k. dösnack och den som påvisade det var Parker själv... Men Parker svarade inte ensam för succén utan därtill bidrog också i hösta grad de svenska elitmusiker som svarade för den musikaliska bakgrunden och inramningen.”
Måndagen den 27 november
återvände gruppen till Stockholm och enligt kontraktet skulle Parker samma dag återvända till New York. Men Nils Hellström hade lovat bort honom till Nalen på kvällen så Parker blev kvar en extra natt i Stockholm. I Topsy Lindbloms annons kunde man nu läsa: ”Möjligen skulle det kunna tänkas att Nalenpubliken i kväll får vara med om den sensation som dom gick miste om förra måndan. Tillträde för alla! Utom för kidnappare i gangsterstil. Vid 11-tiden är det kanske klokt att passa på”.
Nils Hellström gjorde nu en ekonomisk sluträkning där han kvitterade förskott, hotellkostnader och champagnenotor mot Parkers innestående gage. Det var en bekymrad Jederby som fick klart för sig att det bara blev 55 kronor kvar som han skulle överlämna till Parker. Men Parker tog emot pengarna utan kommentar, tackade och skrattade hjärligt. 55 kronor låter ju inte mycket men om man går tillbaka till jämförelsen med dåtidens svenska löner så motsvarade det ändå drygt en tiondels månadslön för ett butiksbiträde, vilket idag torde vara cirka 1.500 kronor.
Den sista eftermiddagen i Sverige tillbringade Parker tillsammans med Carl-Erik Lindgren och på kvällen infann han sig som utlovat på Nalen där han spelade med Putte Wickmans band. Med på scenen var också Toots Thielemans. Vad som hände på Nalen och den natt som följde har trumslagaren Sture ”Stubben” Kallin, som då spelade med Wickman, berättat om. Parker började med Anthropology och Stubben menade att han varken förr eller senare haft en så intensiv upplevelse. Samtidigt på Nalen spelade ett svart band från Västindien. Ledaren Cab Kaye, som också spelade trummor, tyckte att Parker egentligen borde ha spelat med hans band. Efter ett par låtar gick Kaye bort till Stubben och sa att han vill spela. Men Stubben tänkte att Parker spelar man med bara en gång i livet, så han sa åt Kaye att försvinna. Till slut trängde sig Kaye upp på estraden och försökte knuffa bort Stubben, tumult uppstod och jammet bröts. Ute i musikerrummet gav sig Kaye på Stubben, som i sin tur sa något oförskämt, varpå Kaye tog ett strupgrepp på honom. Topsy kom och skiljde dem åt och Stubben bad Kaye om ursäkt.
Efteråt ville Parker prata med Stubben och det slutade med att han följde med Parker, Carl-Erik Lindgren, Simon Brehm och Leppe Sundevall till Parkers hotellrum. Vid fyratiden på morgonen gick de på nattkafé och åt falukorv och drack lättöl. Sen åkte de och väckte upp Cab Kaye på hans hotellrum där Parker läste lusen av Kaye för hans uppträdande på Nalen. Festen fortsatte sedan långt in på morgonen.
Tisdagen den 28 november
var det dags för Parker att lämna Sverige. Han följdes till Bromma av Carl-Erik Lindgren och Leppe Sundevall. Parker åkte inte direkt tillbaka till New York utan begav sig i stället till Paris där han tillbringade en kaotisk vecka innan han återvände hem. Men det är en annan historia.
Så här långt komna kan vi konstatera att Parkers besök i Sverige varade från den 19 till 28 november, han tycks ha gått på bio en kväll under besöket, han tillbringade ungefär två timmar sammanlagt på Nalen och Rowland Greenberg framträde med honom en kväll. Men historien om bonden och korna som Parker spelade för, hur var det med den?
I Orkester Journalens sommarnummer 1958 skrev Lennart Stenbeck en artikel där han bland annat kommenterade den stora skivfloden med återutgivningar från tjugotalet och framåt. Han raljerade också lite över att bandupptagningar av Parker med sämre ljudkvalitet än King Olivers skivor från 1923 nu höjdes till skyarna, fast det ibland bara var inlednings- och slutensembler som klippts ihop med Parker-solon som tycktes kunna börja och sluta ungefär var som helst oberoende av den sedvanliga chorus-indelningen.
I anslutning till den artikeln skrev Björn Fremer en skämtsam skröna som var så uppenbart påhittad att det borde ha varit omöjligt för någon att ta den på allvar. Men bland story-älskande jazzvänner har den stannat kvar och under åren återberättats som om den faktiskt hänt.
Fremer skrev om en jazzentusiast från Arlöv som hade gjort en fantastisk upptäck hos lantbrukare Jöns Jönsson i Lomma. I ladugården hörde han jazzmusik med Charlie Parker från en gammal bandspelare. Enligt historien hade Parker under sin Sverige-turné besökt Jönsson när bilen han åkte i behövde fylla på färskvatten. Parker steg ur bilen med sin sax och i ladugården visade det sig att Jönson hade en bandspelare som spelade för korna – det var nämligen vetenskapligt bevisat, sa Jönson, att korna mjölkar bättre under musik. Parker började improvisera till musiken och Jönsson bad Parker att spela in några melodier som han kunde ha till korna. OJ:s expert Lars Werner, som hade fått lyssna på bandet menade att ”Parker verkar vara märkbart inspirerad av omgivningen och hans version av ’Cow Cow boogie’ tillhör det väsentligaste man hört av Parker .”
Tilläggas kan att författaren Larry Sährendal använde sig av den här historien i sin roman ”Charlie, Charlie...” som utkom 1979. Romanen är en ren fiktion där Särhendal använt Parkers Sverigebesök för att, som det står i baksidestexten, ”väva samman en saga om en fantastisk resa genom ett fantastiskt land.”
Som ett memento för jazzforskaren, och som ett bevis på hur lätt skrönor sprids i jazzvärlden, kan man notera att historien om Parker och korna nu trängt ända in i Ken Burns TV-serie om jazzens historia.
söndag 8 juli 2007
Charlie Parker in Sweden
Charlie Parker’s sojourn in Sweden in November 1950 is the source of many stories. Among them is how he used to stay up evenings with manager Topsy Lindblom at Nalen (a dance and jazz venue in Stockholm) and that in spite of the fact that they couldn’t speak with each
other, a fellowship of souls grew. In his book Swedish Jazz History, Professor Erik Kjellberg tells how Parker travelled three weeks in Sweden. In Norway you can hear how norwegian trumpeter Rowland Greenberg travelled several weeks with Parker through Sweden. Many persons have related how they went to the movies with Parker since he could only sleep when there were lots of people around him. And yes, we’ve been told how Parker visited a Scanian farmer and played in the cowshed for his cows. However, so as to bring some order in the story flora, below is an attempt to follow Parker day for day during his time in Sweden.
Nils Hellström owned the Swedish jazz journal Estrad and was also a concert organizer. He had thought about bringing Charlie Parker to Sweden for a long time and had made several tries at co-ordinating a Parker tour with arrangers in other European countries. Still, though interest existed in several places, the co-ordinating dragged and Hellström finally tired of the whole thing, deciding to try to arrange a Sweden tour for Parker on his own.
When he got in touch with Parker’s agent Billy Shaw Artists, he thought the fee was on the high side. Shaw asked $1000 for one week, plus a first-class air ticket New York-Stockholm-New York at $785. Hellström hesitated, but finally chose to go with it, deciding on very short notice that Charlie would come to Sweden for one week at the end of November 1950. The contract was signed on the 3rd, meaning that Hellström did not even manage to get the news about Parker’s visit in the November issue of Estrad.
Parker landed at Bromma Airport in Stockholm on November 19 and was met by Swedish musicians and fans. He was accompanied by Roy Eldridge and checked into the Hotel Plaza close to Stureplan. As there was no program the first evening Parker asked trumpeter Rolf Ericson, who was going to play with him, to join him for a bite to eat. Parker had been given an advance by Nils Hellström and wanted to go to the finest restaurant in town. So Rolf took him to Berns Salonger where, according to Rolf, Charlie spent a lot of money. He spread C-notes like paper as tips to the waiters, bought several rounds for the orchestra and ordered only the most expensive items on the menu.
There is a copy of Hellström’s contract with Parker at the Museum of Jazz in Strömsholm showing what the financial terms were for the tour. At that time the exchange rate was 5.18 kronor to the dollar, meaning that Parker got 5180 kronor. However, half of this had been paid in advance to the New York agent, leaving 2590 kronor for Parker in Stockholm. One third was paid at arrival, another third on November 22 and the rest on November 26. In other words, prior to the evening at Berns with Rolf Ericson, Parker had received 865 kronor from Nils Hellstr_m. Some doubt at the story might be in order here, especially when one remembers that money was valued differently then. A male shop assistant received an average of 507 kronor per month and a female 340. In other words, Parker’s week brought him more than a female
assistant earned in a year.
If we return to Berns, it is worth noting that the most expensive item on the menu, including appertizer, main dish, dessert and coffee, cost around ten kronor. Add to this the allowable spirits ration of 15 cl, it too at ten kronor, and the fact that the diner could drink as much wine as he or she wished. It was probably a very generous dinner Parker laid out, but his largesse was sooner fives and tens than hundreds.
On Monday, November 20, Parker was with Carl-Erik Lindgren, musician and contributor to the Orchestra Journal, and drummer Jack Norén. Among other things, they went to Sturebadet to visit the sauna, followed by rehearsal at the Concert Hall for the two concerts that evening. It was a major jazz gala starting with a Swedish group conducted by pianist Charlie Norman. After that, the same group was joined by Roy Eldridge. After the intermission, the newly formed orchestra led by altoist Arne Domnérus and Rolf Ericson was introduced, a group that in addition to the two leads included Rolf Blomqvist on tenor sax, Lars Gullin on baritone sax, Gunnar Svensson on piano, Yngve Åkerberg on bass and Jack Norén on drums. After three numbers, Charlie Parker came in to play a section with Rolf Ericson, accompanied by Svensson, Åkerberg and Norén.
After the concerts Parker and Roy Eldridge went with members of the Stockholm Jazz Club to the ”van der Lindeska valven” a restaurant in the Old Town where food and drinks were waiting. The meal was followed by a jam session lasting to four in the morning and including Rolf Larsson and Reinhold Svensson piano, Lars Gullin baryton sax, Simon Brehm and Yngve Åkerberg bass, Jack Norén drums and Leppe Sundewall trumpet.
However, Topsy Lindblom at Nalen was not at all happy that Parker disappeared to an Old Town cellar that evening. Nalen was the jazz scene in Stockholm and foreign musicians playing in Stockholm would always arrive there and jam some tunes without pay. Topsy was so sure Parker was coming that he had placed a big advert in the Dagens Nyheter daily the day before
saying: "Charlie Parker at the Concert Hall. Simultaneous debut of Nalen’s new orchestra called the Sweden All-star Band with Rolf Ericson, Rolf Blomquist, Arne Domnérus, Lasse Gullin, Gunnar Svensson, Yngve Åkerberg and Jack Norén. We’re counting on the guys for the Monday evening jam session."
Many were the concert goers and others who came to Nalen to listen to Parker. Now and then the loudspeaker would announce his imminent arrival, but he never came. Topsy, who had to make good the damage in some way, was forced to try to reach an agreement with Nils Hellström. Only one open evening was left and that was Parker’s last in Sweden, one week later. An agreement was reached that he would come to Nalen, though for the first time Topsy was forced to pay to secure the celebrity visit.
Naturally the two jazz journals Estrad and Orchestra Journal were effusive in their concert reviews. Though most of the critics at the daily newspapers were positive, a certain Swedish self-conceit could be discerned. Öhn in the Dagens Nyheter daily opined that "during his visit to the Concert Hall, the 30-year old Negro displayed now and then that he is an extraordinary
alto sax player and musician. However, the primary reason for the evening’s success was the introduction of a new Swedish orchestra composed of a number of star soloists with alto sax player Arne Domnérus and trumpeter Rolf Ericson at the head of the list."
"And so Charlie ’The Bird’ entered the scene and poured out cascades of bop phrases loaded with dynamite," said Olle in the Aftonbladet evening paper. "He was on surprisingly good form, especially during the second concert when the public nearly brought the house down in joy as he put the pedal to the metal in one rapidly paced number after the other."
Svenska Dagbladet’s A.R.Ö. wrote in the daily: "He does have ideas, this Charlie Parker, and can play at a breakneck speed. And indeed he plays beautifully too, most often. But do not suggest that it promotes young people’s sense of harmony and balance to listen to much of this kind of music!"
And Lasse Klefelt wrote in the Expressen evening paper "that with due apologies to Roy Eldridge and Charlie Parker, the value from yesterday’s concert at the Concert Hall derives from the Ericson-Domnérus orchestra. I don’t believe I’m exaggerating when I opine that by now Charlie Parker with all his bebop skill is somewhat corny!"
Tuesday, November 21, saw Parker on a train to Gothenburg together with the musicians in his tour band. These were Rolf Ericson on trumpet, Gösta Theselius on piano, Thore Jederby on bass and Jack Norén on drums. Jederby was tour manager and Arne Domnérus was also part of the group. The tour concerts began with Domnérus and the other Swedes and after the intermission, Charlie came in instead of Domnérus. There were two concerts in the Gothenburg Concert Hall, which also included a segment with Roy Eldridge playing with Charlie Norman.
From the Gothenburg visit Norman tells the story that he and Roy Eldridge were playing through Saturday Night Fish Fry in the warm-up room when Parker came and joined in Eldridge’s song. The bebop aficionados in the locale were surprised that Parker knew a swing piece like that. Nils Hellström wrote in Estrad later that when Parker was supposed to follow Dompan (Domnérus) and Rolf on stage after their intro, he said: "Oh my boy Arne, he makes it so hard for me, he makes it so hard for me!" There is a 16-mm silent film clip about one minute long from the warm-up room showing Parker both as he warms up and as he signs autographs. It was taken by Bo Tak, 16 at the time and later film photographer for Sweden Television.
In the Göteborgs-Posten daily TOBI wrote that "Charlie Parker is without a doubt one of the absolutely best alto saxophonists America has reared. He is a technician to the point of virtuosity and owns a sound seldom heard before. However, this reviewer was truly grieved when he heard the music they wasted time on, imagining the superb jazz these skilful musicians are capable of playing. What profit could not the evening have paid if it had been exclusively traditional, nay true jazz on the program instead of these endless scales up and down."
Cosy wrote in Göteborgs Handels- & Sjöfartstidning praising Parker for his boundless innovative richness and blinding technique. He also though that Rolf Ericson handled the trumpet part surprisingly well, but that he seemed to pale "when he was forced to stand as contrast to the dynamic Negro."
Wednesday, November 22, included a train ride to Malmö where Eldridge left the group, only to come to light again the next day in Copenhagen. That evening there was a concert at the dance emporium Amiralen for several thousand individuals, followed by dance music to midnight supplied by the Swedes. Parts of this concert were recorded and have later been released on
several labels.
After the concert a young law student, Björn Fremer, succeeded in persuading Parker to come to nearby University town Lund for a jam session. Fremer, a few of his friends, Parker, Norén, Theselius, Domnérus and Ericson, rode in two taxis to the Academic Association. Lars Terje, one of the participants and now a retired district attorney, remembers that calls were made to wake several jazz enthusiasts. They and some buddies arranged for sandwiches and a bottle of Swedish aquavit. He recalls the hours that followed as a single flow of jazz. Parker never slowed – the bottle stood at his elbow. One by one the other musicians dropped out, but Parker was like a self-illuminating torch. Finally he was alone, playing into the wee hours.
Afterwards Björn Fremer wrote a thank you note to Parker that included thefollowing: "We all think that it is a lovely dream that you spent last night with us, a few students and music lovers. We just can’t understand you were so human, just like one of us, cause you are a star a genius, and we just nothing... Your playing, your talk, your wonderful smile, your cry of happiness, you in person gave me (and a bunch of other guys too) the happiest moments of my life..." Parker would carry the letter with him for a long time and eventually it was published in the book ”To Bird with Love” by Chan Parker and Francis Paudra.
The Malmö press was positive throughout. The headline in the Skånska Dagbladet daily was "Chocolate brown bebop king at the Amiralen." Cehå in the Kvällsposten evening paper stated "Success for Charlie Parker and the Swedish jazz elite." And when the paper asked Parker what he thought about Domnérus, he answered with a wink: "He’s almost as good as me!"
Thursday, November 23, took the group to Copenhagen for two concerts at the KB Hall. Everybody checked into Hotell Cosmopolite and the Danish jazz researcher Erik Wiedemann took the opportunity to visit with Parker in his hotel room. It was a rather short meeting, but Erik remembers asking about the name on the piece Klacto-veeseds-tene, only to be told that that is what the name was. Erik also wondered about Parker’s string recordings, but was told by Parker that these were mostly a commercial matter.
The attendance at the two concerts was low, only filling the hall to half. The concert was a big Scandinavian jazz gala and in addition to Parker and Eldridge the audience was treated to Leo Mathiesen Orchestra with trumpeter Jörgen Ryg, the Helge Jacobsen Giraf-Trio from Denmark, the Lasse Gerlyng Ensemble from Norway with Rowland Greenberg on trumpet, and the Swedish grup now named as Estrad-Orkestret. The Swedes first played alone, then with Eldridge, then alone again and then three numbers with Parker. The concert closed with a general jam including all the musicians.
The Berlingske Tidender daily praised the Swedish group and opined that the brilliant soloists Arne Domnérus and Rolf Ericson raised it to the best of the evening’s Scandinavian orchestras. Parker received positive reviews from all. The Nationaltidender wrote that the "King of Bebop took the audience’s breath away when he let his expressive instrument with its wonderfully round vibrato soar into the farthest corners of the hall. This was truly bebop. Everything that could was swinging, including even the very structure of thebuilding." But the papers were disappointed that though the evening’s main attraction, Parker only played three pieces.
When Parker left the KB Hall he met the Danish song group the Gottlieb Quintet who sang a song written by their director Görgen Gottlieb titled Clap hands Charlie. Parker was thrilled and asked the group to follow him to the hotel for a bit of the bubbly. When they started to leave, he invited them back the next day to share lunch with him. Later on he went to the night club Adlon where he paid five kronor to become a one-week member under the name of ’Yhard Bhurd’. As Thore Jederby tells the story, Parker then followed a young Danish lovely home. Jederby, also he apparently after a nightly adventure, met Charlie early Friday morning in front of Hotel
d’Angleterre where they went to eat breakfast. Then they returned to Hotel Cosmopolite for some rest.
On Friday, November 24, Parker treated the Gottlieb Quintet to lunch at the hotel. Other guests were Nils Hellström and the Danish photographer Helge Mass. After lunch the quintet sang several numbers for Charlie in the banquet facilities, so impressing him that he then and there wrote a testimonial stating that the quintet surpassed anything he had heard in both the USA and Europe. Hellström described the events in an issue of Estrad, including a copy of the testimonial letter in the article. As a result, Topsy Lindblom invited the quintet to sing at Nalen, which in turn led to many, long gigs for the group in Sweden.
That afternoon Parker and the Swedes went back to Sweden, taking with them the Norwegian trumpeter Rowland Greenberg. The trip went to Helsingborg where two evening concerts were scheduled in the People’s Park. Before the concerts Parker, Jederby, Domnérus and a some others went to the movies. Arne Domnérus remembers the visit as follows: "We saw a film called ‘The Broken Arrow’ with Jeff Chandler as the Indian chief. In the film Chandler has a long controversy about race differences. And Bird slept the whole time – he was always so relaxed when surrounded by people. So he fell asleep and snored to beat the band. Still, he woke up just when they were discussing the race problem and began to comment on it in a loud voice. So the other viewers told us to throw the Negro out."
The positive reviews continued even after the Helsingborg performances. Coolman wrote in the Helsingborg Dagblad daily: "The Swedish orchestra opened the concert with Fine and Dandy, saving the evening from the start... Parker and all the others proved themselves as good as their reputations, scotching the thoughts of overselling as has been the case with some other artists." Parker’s own comment was: "Sweden’s the best country in the world! I haven’t been accepted this well anywhere else!" To the Skånska Socialdemokraten he opined: "Imagine if I could stay in Sweden. I’ve really come to like your country during these few days. I’ll come back as soon as I get the chance!"
Parts of the Helsingborg concert were recorded on a metal wire machine. After the concert there was a jam session at the restaurant in the park. That was recorded as well and both recordings have later been released.
Saturday, November 25, brought yet another one-night stand, this time reached by train to Jönköping with Rowland Greenberg in tow. That evening there was a concert at the Sports Hall for 2800 listeners. The Smålands Folkblad reported that it was Greenberg who played trumpet for the concert. Rolf Ericson seems to have had problems with his lips, probably not too surprising after six-days intense bop playing with Parker. In other words, Rowland stepped in to give Rolf an evening’s rest.
The Norwegian jazz researcher Johs Berg has revealed that Greenberg’s role in the tour has often been exaggerated in his country. He blames naive reporters for creating the impression that Rowland toured with Parker for several weeks. Nor, according to Johs, was this ever denied by Rowland. But the fact is that his collaboration was limited to this one concert in
Jönköping.
It was a while before Parker came up on stage this evening. According to Tore Jederby he had disappeared when he was supposed to play. After some worried searching, Jederby found him setting pins in the bowling hall, something he claimed to have done as a boy back in Kansas City. However, Arne Domnérus remembers it differently, stating that Parker refused to come
up on the scene until he had taken something strong – no easy thing to arrange on a Saturday evening in a city known as Sweden’s Jerusalem. Finally a journalist was sent to a restaurant to order what was legal, pour it in a bottle under the table and hurry back to the Sports Hall. And so it was finally possible to introduce Parker to the audience. He also came in later in the evening and played a few numbers with the band during the dance.
After an interview with Parker, Smålands Folkblad put a picture of him on the front page with the text "Famous blackie". The interview included the comment by Parker that "bop music won’t die as long as I live! For that matter there are many other musicians who continue to work on developing bop music. I’ll do it myself when I get back to the States. The argument that
be-bop is a trend on the way out is only loose talk... I’ve just cut several records with a string section, but that isn’t part of developing bop. It’s just a commercial thing to make sure those records go well."
To the question of how it felt to be in Sweden working with Swedish musicians, he answered: "Everywhere you go you’re met by a true New York spirit. It’s almost like being at home on 52nd Street even if you’re standing on a Jönköping stage. The Swedish – and Norwegian, Rowland Greenberg – musicians are very good and this tour is the best gig I’ve ever had. And as to Sweden... Parker used his hands when he lacked words to described our country. His way of describing his feelings was to make a sweeping movement with both hands reaching from the floor to the roof and finishing by throwing a kiss”.
Even if Parker was on his best behaviour that week, he could be difficult to work with. Arne Domnérus has told about that as well: "Too true that times with the Bird included some ups and downs. Mainly you really came to understand how restless he was. Nights would drive Parker up the wall – he didn’t dare to sleep alone. He would pound on our doors and wanted to keep
going all night. The result was that several of the nights we sat and jawed. He was most open when he started to talk about his existence and his life in America and all, how badly he’d been treated by whites... He got a bit annoyed at us sometimes when we were going to play together, because he thought we represented the establishment. But we made up after a while."
Sunday, November 26, was an early morning. It was a dark and cold and before the train left Jönköping the group took a cup of coffee at the station restaurant. Parker gave the waitress a big tip with the comment: "For your smile!" The group got on the train for the trip to Gävle where the last concert of the tour was advertised for the People’s Park at "exactly 8 p.m.!" Rowland took the train home to Oslo. During the trip Parker and Jack Norén went to the dining car. Somewhere along the way the cars were switched around and when Domnérus and Jederby looked out the window they saw Parker and Norén on the train opposite. They finally ended up in Stockholm where they called Nils Hellström, who was forced to arrange car transport to Gävle. The concert started way late, but according to Saxo in the Arbetarbladet it was a great success: "There have been many rumours that the Bird has lost his wings, falling into a flat, commercial playing style. But all of that proved to be plain bullshit disproved by Parker himself... But Parker was not alone in creating the success. The Swedish elite musicians contributed strongly to the musical background and framework."
Monday, November 27, the group returned to Stockholm. According to the contract, Parker was to return to New York the same day. But Nils Hellström had booked him in Nalen that evening, so Parker stayed an extra night in Stockholm. Topsy Lindblom’s advert offered the following: "It is possible that tonight the Nalen audience will share in sensation they missed last
Monday. Everyone is welcome! Except for mafia-style kidnappers! The wise fan comes around 11."
That day Nils Hellström did a final financial accounting, including ticking off advances, hotel costs and champagne checks against the rest of Parker’s fee. It was a worried Jederby who understood that there were only 55 kronor left to give to Parker. But Charlie accepted the money without comment, thanked the messenger and laughed heartily. The sum seems very small, but if you once again compare it to that day’s Swedish salaries, it corresponded to a bit more than one-tenth of a monthly wage for a shop assistant, something that today would stand around 1500 kronor.
Parker spent his last afternoon in Sweden with Carl-Erik Lindgren and in the evening he appeared as promised at Nalen where he played with Putte Wickman’s band. Toots Thielemans was on the scene as well. The events of that evening at Nalen and the night that followed it has been described by Wickman’s drummer Sture ’Stubben’ Kallin. Parker began with Anthropology and Stubben stated that neither before nor after has he gone through such an intense experience. At the same time [as Parker] there was a black band from the West Indies playing at Nalen. The leader Cab Kaye, who also played the drums, felt that Parker should really have been playing with his band. After a few pieces, Kaye went over to Stubben and said he wanted to play. But Stubben figured that you only get to play with Parker once in a lifetime and told Kaye to butt out. Finally Kaye forced his way onto the stage and tried to push Stubben away. In the resulting hullabaloo, the jam session broke off. Once in the warm-up room, Kaye attacked Stubben, who in turn said something insulting, upon which Kaye started to choke him. Topsy came in and separated them and Stubben told Kaye he was sorry.
Afterwards Parker wanted to talk to Stubben and eventually he followed Parker, Lindgren, Simon Brehm and Leppe Sundevall to Parker’s hotel room. Around four in the morning they went to a night cafe, ate Falu sausage and drank some light beer. Then they went to Cab Kaye’s hotel room, woke him up and Parker bawled him out for his behaviour at Nalen. Then the party continued into the morning hours.
Tuesday, November 8, was the day for Parker to leave Sweden. Carl-Erik Lindgren and Leppe Sundevall went with him to Bromma Airport where he took a plane for Paris, instead of directly home to New York. He spent a chaotic week in the French capital, but then that is another story.
So far we have been able to confirm that Parker’s visit to Sweden lasted from November 19 to the 28th, he seems to have gone to the movies one evening, spent about two hours in all at Nalen and Rowland Greenberg performed with him one evening. But what happened to the story about the farmer and the cows Parker serenaded?
In the 1958 summer number of the Orchestra Journal Lennart Stenbeck wrote an article where, among other things, he commented on the immense flood of re-releases of recordings from the 1920s and on. He also joked about how people were giving high praise to tapes of Parker with worse sound quality than those by King Oliver from 1923, even though it sometimes was only
intros and final ensembles clipped together with Parker solos. The last seemed to begin and end wherever, regardless of the customary chorus structure.
Tied to that article was a humoresque by Björn Fremer that was so completely imaginary that it should have been impossible for anyone to take it seriously. However, story-loving jazz aficionados being what they are, the tale has stayed and over the years has been retold as if it were true. What Fremer described was a jazz enthusiast in Arlöv who had made an amazing discovery while visiting a farmer Jöns Jönsson (Old McDonald) in Lomma. He heard music on an old tape-recorder in the cow shed featuring Charlie Parker. The story was that during his Sweden tour Parker had come to the farm when the car he was travelling in needed fresh water. Parker stepped out of the car with his sax and heard that Jönsson was playing for the cows on a tape-recorder – it was namely a scientific fact, said Jönsson, that cows gave more milk whil listening to music. Parker began to improvise to the music and Jönsson asked him to record a few melodies he could use with the cows. Having listened to the tape, the journal’s expert Lars Werner thought that Parker seemed noticeably inspired by the setting and that his version of Cow Cow Boogie was the most significant Parker you ever heard.
In addition, author Larry Sährendal used this history in his novel ”Charlie, Charlie...” published in 1979. The novel was pure fiction, where the autor, according to the text on the dust cover, "used Parker’s visit to Sweden to weave a tale about a fantastic journey through a fantastic country".
As an additional memento for jazz researchers and a proof of how easily tall tales spread in the jazz world, it is interesting to note that the story about Parker playing for cows has gone so far as to Ken Burns’ TV-series on the history of jazz.
Martin Westin is a contributor to the Orchestra Journal and Secretary for the Group for Swedish Jazz History.
Translation by Sven Borei
other, a fellowship of souls grew. In his book Swedish Jazz History, Professor Erik Kjellberg tells how Parker travelled three weeks in Sweden. In Norway you can hear how norwegian trumpeter Rowland Greenberg travelled several weeks with Parker through Sweden. Many persons have related how they went to the movies with Parker since he could only sleep when there were lots of people around him. And yes, we’ve been told how Parker visited a Scanian farmer and played in the cowshed for his cows. However, so as to bring some order in the story flora, below is an attempt to follow Parker day for day during his time in Sweden.
Nils Hellström owned the Swedish jazz journal Estrad and was also a concert organizer. He had thought about bringing Charlie Parker to Sweden for a long time and had made several tries at co-ordinating a Parker tour with arrangers in other European countries. Still, though interest existed in several places, the co-ordinating dragged and Hellström finally tired of the whole thing, deciding to try to arrange a Sweden tour for Parker on his own.
When he got in touch with Parker’s agent Billy Shaw Artists, he thought the fee was on the high side. Shaw asked $1000 for one week, plus a first-class air ticket New York-Stockholm-New York at $785. Hellström hesitated, but finally chose to go with it, deciding on very short notice that Charlie would come to Sweden for one week at the end of November 1950. The contract was signed on the 3rd, meaning that Hellström did not even manage to get the news about Parker’s visit in the November issue of Estrad.
Parker landed at Bromma Airport in Stockholm on November 19 and was met by Swedish musicians and fans. He was accompanied by Roy Eldridge and checked into the Hotel Plaza close to Stureplan. As there was no program the first evening Parker asked trumpeter Rolf Ericson, who was going to play with him, to join him for a bite to eat. Parker had been given an advance by Nils Hellström and wanted to go to the finest restaurant in town. So Rolf took him to Berns Salonger where, according to Rolf, Charlie spent a lot of money. He spread C-notes like paper as tips to the waiters, bought several rounds for the orchestra and ordered only the most expensive items on the menu.
There is a copy of Hellström’s contract with Parker at the Museum of Jazz in Strömsholm showing what the financial terms were for the tour. At that time the exchange rate was 5.18 kronor to the dollar, meaning that Parker got 5180 kronor. However, half of this had been paid in advance to the New York agent, leaving 2590 kronor for Parker in Stockholm. One third was paid at arrival, another third on November 22 and the rest on November 26. In other words, prior to the evening at Berns with Rolf Ericson, Parker had received 865 kronor from Nils Hellstr_m. Some doubt at the story might be in order here, especially when one remembers that money was valued differently then. A male shop assistant received an average of 507 kronor per month and a female 340. In other words, Parker’s week brought him more than a female
assistant earned in a year.
If we return to Berns, it is worth noting that the most expensive item on the menu, including appertizer, main dish, dessert and coffee, cost around ten kronor. Add to this the allowable spirits ration of 15 cl, it too at ten kronor, and the fact that the diner could drink as much wine as he or she wished. It was probably a very generous dinner Parker laid out, but his largesse was sooner fives and tens than hundreds.
On Monday, November 20, Parker was with Carl-Erik Lindgren, musician and contributor to the Orchestra Journal, and drummer Jack Norén. Among other things, they went to Sturebadet to visit the sauna, followed by rehearsal at the Concert Hall for the two concerts that evening. It was a major jazz gala starting with a Swedish group conducted by pianist Charlie Norman. After that, the same group was joined by Roy Eldridge. After the intermission, the newly formed orchestra led by altoist Arne Domnérus and Rolf Ericson was introduced, a group that in addition to the two leads included Rolf Blomqvist on tenor sax, Lars Gullin on baritone sax, Gunnar Svensson on piano, Yngve Åkerberg on bass and Jack Norén on drums. After three numbers, Charlie Parker came in to play a section with Rolf Ericson, accompanied by Svensson, Åkerberg and Norén.
After the concerts Parker and Roy Eldridge went with members of the Stockholm Jazz Club to the ”van der Lindeska valven” a restaurant in the Old Town where food and drinks were waiting. The meal was followed by a jam session lasting to four in the morning and including Rolf Larsson and Reinhold Svensson piano, Lars Gullin baryton sax, Simon Brehm and Yngve Åkerberg bass, Jack Norén drums and Leppe Sundewall trumpet.
However, Topsy Lindblom at Nalen was not at all happy that Parker disappeared to an Old Town cellar that evening. Nalen was the jazz scene in Stockholm and foreign musicians playing in Stockholm would always arrive there and jam some tunes without pay. Topsy was so sure Parker was coming that he had placed a big advert in the Dagens Nyheter daily the day before
saying: "Charlie Parker at the Concert Hall. Simultaneous debut of Nalen’s new orchestra called the Sweden All-star Band with Rolf Ericson, Rolf Blomquist, Arne Domnérus, Lasse Gullin, Gunnar Svensson, Yngve Åkerberg and Jack Norén. We’re counting on the guys for the Monday evening jam session."
Many were the concert goers and others who came to Nalen to listen to Parker. Now and then the loudspeaker would announce his imminent arrival, but he never came. Topsy, who had to make good the damage in some way, was forced to try to reach an agreement with Nils Hellström. Only one open evening was left and that was Parker’s last in Sweden, one week later. An agreement was reached that he would come to Nalen, though for the first time Topsy was forced to pay to secure the celebrity visit.
Naturally the two jazz journals Estrad and Orchestra Journal were effusive in their concert reviews. Though most of the critics at the daily newspapers were positive, a certain Swedish self-conceit could be discerned. Öhn in the Dagens Nyheter daily opined that "during his visit to the Concert Hall, the 30-year old Negro displayed now and then that he is an extraordinary
alto sax player and musician. However, the primary reason for the evening’s success was the introduction of a new Swedish orchestra composed of a number of star soloists with alto sax player Arne Domnérus and trumpeter Rolf Ericson at the head of the list."
"And so Charlie ’The Bird’ entered the scene and poured out cascades of bop phrases loaded with dynamite," said Olle in the Aftonbladet evening paper. "He was on surprisingly good form, especially during the second concert when the public nearly brought the house down in joy as he put the pedal to the metal in one rapidly paced number after the other."
Svenska Dagbladet’s A.R.Ö. wrote in the daily: "He does have ideas, this Charlie Parker, and can play at a breakneck speed. And indeed he plays beautifully too, most often. But do not suggest that it promotes young people’s sense of harmony and balance to listen to much of this kind of music!"
And Lasse Klefelt wrote in the Expressen evening paper "that with due apologies to Roy Eldridge and Charlie Parker, the value from yesterday’s concert at the Concert Hall derives from the Ericson-Domnérus orchestra. I don’t believe I’m exaggerating when I opine that by now Charlie Parker with all his bebop skill is somewhat corny!"
Tuesday, November 21, saw Parker on a train to Gothenburg together with the musicians in his tour band. These were Rolf Ericson on trumpet, Gösta Theselius on piano, Thore Jederby on bass and Jack Norén on drums. Jederby was tour manager and Arne Domnérus was also part of the group. The tour concerts began with Domnérus and the other Swedes and after the intermission, Charlie came in instead of Domnérus. There were two concerts in the Gothenburg Concert Hall, which also included a segment with Roy Eldridge playing with Charlie Norman.
From the Gothenburg visit Norman tells the story that he and Roy Eldridge were playing through Saturday Night Fish Fry in the warm-up room when Parker came and joined in Eldridge’s song. The bebop aficionados in the locale were surprised that Parker knew a swing piece like that. Nils Hellström wrote in Estrad later that when Parker was supposed to follow Dompan (Domnérus) and Rolf on stage after their intro, he said: "Oh my boy Arne, he makes it so hard for me, he makes it so hard for me!" There is a 16-mm silent film clip about one minute long from the warm-up room showing Parker both as he warms up and as he signs autographs. It was taken by Bo Tak, 16 at the time and later film photographer for Sweden Television.
In the Göteborgs-Posten daily TOBI wrote that "Charlie Parker is without a doubt one of the absolutely best alto saxophonists America has reared. He is a technician to the point of virtuosity and owns a sound seldom heard before. However, this reviewer was truly grieved when he heard the music they wasted time on, imagining the superb jazz these skilful musicians are capable of playing. What profit could not the evening have paid if it had been exclusively traditional, nay true jazz on the program instead of these endless scales up and down."
Cosy wrote in Göteborgs Handels- & Sjöfartstidning praising Parker for his boundless innovative richness and blinding technique. He also though that Rolf Ericson handled the trumpet part surprisingly well, but that he seemed to pale "when he was forced to stand as contrast to the dynamic Negro."
Wednesday, November 22, included a train ride to Malmö where Eldridge left the group, only to come to light again the next day in Copenhagen. That evening there was a concert at the dance emporium Amiralen for several thousand individuals, followed by dance music to midnight supplied by the Swedes. Parts of this concert were recorded and have later been released on
several labels.
After the concert a young law student, Björn Fremer, succeeded in persuading Parker to come to nearby University town Lund for a jam session. Fremer, a few of his friends, Parker, Norén, Theselius, Domnérus and Ericson, rode in two taxis to the Academic Association. Lars Terje, one of the participants and now a retired district attorney, remembers that calls were made to wake several jazz enthusiasts. They and some buddies arranged for sandwiches and a bottle of Swedish aquavit. He recalls the hours that followed as a single flow of jazz. Parker never slowed – the bottle stood at his elbow. One by one the other musicians dropped out, but Parker was like a self-illuminating torch. Finally he was alone, playing into the wee hours.
Afterwards Björn Fremer wrote a thank you note to Parker that included thefollowing: "We all think that it is a lovely dream that you spent last night with us, a few students and music lovers. We just can’t understand you were so human, just like one of us, cause you are a star a genius, and we just nothing... Your playing, your talk, your wonderful smile, your cry of happiness, you in person gave me (and a bunch of other guys too) the happiest moments of my life..." Parker would carry the letter with him for a long time and eventually it was published in the book ”To Bird with Love” by Chan Parker and Francis Paudra.
The Malmö press was positive throughout. The headline in the Skånska Dagbladet daily was "Chocolate brown bebop king at the Amiralen." Cehå in the Kvällsposten evening paper stated "Success for Charlie Parker and the Swedish jazz elite." And when the paper asked Parker what he thought about Domnérus, he answered with a wink: "He’s almost as good as me!"
Thursday, November 23, took the group to Copenhagen for two concerts at the KB Hall. Everybody checked into Hotell Cosmopolite and the Danish jazz researcher Erik Wiedemann took the opportunity to visit with Parker in his hotel room. It was a rather short meeting, but Erik remembers asking about the name on the piece Klacto-veeseds-tene, only to be told that that is what the name was. Erik also wondered about Parker’s string recordings, but was told by Parker that these were mostly a commercial matter.
The attendance at the two concerts was low, only filling the hall to half. The concert was a big Scandinavian jazz gala and in addition to Parker and Eldridge the audience was treated to Leo Mathiesen Orchestra with trumpeter Jörgen Ryg, the Helge Jacobsen Giraf-Trio from Denmark, the Lasse Gerlyng Ensemble from Norway with Rowland Greenberg on trumpet, and the Swedish grup now named as Estrad-Orkestret. The Swedes first played alone, then with Eldridge, then alone again and then three numbers with Parker. The concert closed with a general jam including all the musicians.
The Berlingske Tidender daily praised the Swedish group and opined that the brilliant soloists Arne Domnérus and Rolf Ericson raised it to the best of the evening’s Scandinavian orchestras. Parker received positive reviews from all. The Nationaltidender wrote that the "King of Bebop took the audience’s breath away when he let his expressive instrument with its wonderfully round vibrato soar into the farthest corners of the hall. This was truly bebop. Everything that could was swinging, including even the very structure of thebuilding." But the papers were disappointed that though the evening’s main attraction, Parker only played three pieces.
When Parker left the KB Hall he met the Danish song group the Gottlieb Quintet who sang a song written by their director Görgen Gottlieb titled Clap hands Charlie. Parker was thrilled and asked the group to follow him to the hotel for a bit of the bubbly. When they started to leave, he invited them back the next day to share lunch with him. Later on he went to the night club Adlon where he paid five kronor to become a one-week member under the name of ’Yhard Bhurd’. As Thore Jederby tells the story, Parker then followed a young Danish lovely home. Jederby, also he apparently after a nightly adventure, met Charlie early Friday morning in front of Hotel
d’Angleterre where they went to eat breakfast. Then they returned to Hotel Cosmopolite for some rest.
On Friday, November 24, Parker treated the Gottlieb Quintet to lunch at the hotel. Other guests were Nils Hellström and the Danish photographer Helge Mass. After lunch the quintet sang several numbers for Charlie in the banquet facilities, so impressing him that he then and there wrote a testimonial stating that the quintet surpassed anything he had heard in both the USA and Europe. Hellström described the events in an issue of Estrad, including a copy of the testimonial letter in the article. As a result, Topsy Lindblom invited the quintet to sing at Nalen, which in turn led to many, long gigs for the group in Sweden.
That afternoon Parker and the Swedes went back to Sweden, taking with them the Norwegian trumpeter Rowland Greenberg. The trip went to Helsingborg where two evening concerts were scheduled in the People’s Park. Before the concerts Parker, Jederby, Domnérus and a some others went to the movies. Arne Domnérus remembers the visit as follows: "We saw a film called ‘The Broken Arrow’ with Jeff Chandler as the Indian chief. In the film Chandler has a long controversy about race differences. And Bird slept the whole time – he was always so relaxed when surrounded by people. So he fell asleep and snored to beat the band. Still, he woke up just when they were discussing the race problem and began to comment on it in a loud voice. So the other viewers told us to throw the Negro out."
The positive reviews continued even after the Helsingborg performances. Coolman wrote in the Helsingborg Dagblad daily: "The Swedish orchestra opened the concert with Fine and Dandy, saving the evening from the start... Parker and all the others proved themselves as good as their reputations, scotching the thoughts of overselling as has been the case with some other artists." Parker’s own comment was: "Sweden’s the best country in the world! I haven’t been accepted this well anywhere else!" To the Skånska Socialdemokraten he opined: "Imagine if I could stay in Sweden. I’ve really come to like your country during these few days. I’ll come back as soon as I get the chance!"
Parts of the Helsingborg concert were recorded on a metal wire machine. After the concert there was a jam session at the restaurant in the park. That was recorded as well and both recordings have later been released.
Saturday, November 25, brought yet another one-night stand, this time reached by train to Jönköping with Rowland Greenberg in tow. That evening there was a concert at the Sports Hall for 2800 listeners. The Smålands Folkblad reported that it was Greenberg who played trumpet for the concert. Rolf Ericson seems to have had problems with his lips, probably not too surprising after six-days intense bop playing with Parker. In other words, Rowland stepped in to give Rolf an evening’s rest.
The Norwegian jazz researcher Johs Berg has revealed that Greenberg’s role in the tour has often been exaggerated in his country. He blames naive reporters for creating the impression that Rowland toured with Parker for several weeks. Nor, according to Johs, was this ever denied by Rowland. But the fact is that his collaboration was limited to this one concert in
Jönköping.
It was a while before Parker came up on stage this evening. According to Tore Jederby he had disappeared when he was supposed to play. After some worried searching, Jederby found him setting pins in the bowling hall, something he claimed to have done as a boy back in Kansas City. However, Arne Domnérus remembers it differently, stating that Parker refused to come
up on the scene until he had taken something strong – no easy thing to arrange on a Saturday evening in a city known as Sweden’s Jerusalem. Finally a journalist was sent to a restaurant to order what was legal, pour it in a bottle under the table and hurry back to the Sports Hall. And so it was finally possible to introduce Parker to the audience. He also came in later in the evening and played a few numbers with the band during the dance.
After an interview with Parker, Smålands Folkblad put a picture of him on the front page with the text "Famous blackie". The interview included the comment by Parker that "bop music won’t die as long as I live! For that matter there are many other musicians who continue to work on developing bop music. I’ll do it myself when I get back to the States. The argument that
be-bop is a trend on the way out is only loose talk... I’ve just cut several records with a string section, but that isn’t part of developing bop. It’s just a commercial thing to make sure those records go well."
To the question of how it felt to be in Sweden working with Swedish musicians, he answered: "Everywhere you go you’re met by a true New York spirit. It’s almost like being at home on 52nd Street even if you’re standing on a Jönköping stage. The Swedish – and Norwegian, Rowland Greenberg – musicians are very good and this tour is the best gig I’ve ever had. And as to Sweden... Parker used his hands when he lacked words to described our country. His way of describing his feelings was to make a sweeping movement with both hands reaching from the floor to the roof and finishing by throwing a kiss”.
Even if Parker was on his best behaviour that week, he could be difficult to work with. Arne Domnérus has told about that as well: "Too true that times with the Bird included some ups and downs. Mainly you really came to understand how restless he was. Nights would drive Parker up the wall – he didn’t dare to sleep alone. He would pound on our doors and wanted to keep
going all night. The result was that several of the nights we sat and jawed. He was most open when he started to talk about his existence and his life in America and all, how badly he’d been treated by whites... He got a bit annoyed at us sometimes when we were going to play together, because he thought we represented the establishment. But we made up after a while."
Sunday, November 26, was an early morning. It was a dark and cold and before the train left Jönköping the group took a cup of coffee at the station restaurant. Parker gave the waitress a big tip with the comment: "For your smile!" The group got on the train for the trip to Gävle where the last concert of the tour was advertised for the People’s Park at "exactly 8 p.m.!" Rowland took the train home to Oslo. During the trip Parker and Jack Norén went to the dining car. Somewhere along the way the cars were switched around and when Domnérus and Jederby looked out the window they saw Parker and Norén on the train opposite. They finally ended up in Stockholm where they called Nils Hellström, who was forced to arrange car transport to Gävle. The concert started way late, but according to Saxo in the Arbetarbladet it was a great success: "There have been many rumours that the Bird has lost his wings, falling into a flat, commercial playing style. But all of that proved to be plain bullshit disproved by Parker himself... But Parker was not alone in creating the success. The Swedish elite musicians contributed strongly to the musical background and framework."
Monday, November 27, the group returned to Stockholm. According to the contract, Parker was to return to New York the same day. But Nils Hellström had booked him in Nalen that evening, so Parker stayed an extra night in Stockholm. Topsy Lindblom’s advert offered the following: "It is possible that tonight the Nalen audience will share in sensation they missed last
Monday. Everyone is welcome! Except for mafia-style kidnappers! The wise fan comes around 11."
That day Nils Hellström did a final financial accounting, including ticking off advances, hotel costs and champagne checks against the rest of Parker’s fee. It was a worried Jederby who understood that there were only 55 kronor left to give to Parker. But Charlie accepted the money without comment, thanked the messenger and laughed heartily. The sum seems very small, but if you once again compare it to that day’s Swedish salaries, it corresponded to a bit more than one-tenth of a monthly wage for a shop assistant, something that today would stand around 1500 kronor.
Parker spent his last afternoon in Sweden with Carl-Erik Lindgren and in the evening he appeared as promised at Nalen where he played with Putte Wickman’s band. Toots Thielemans was on the scene as well. The events of that evening at Nalen and the night that followed it has been described by Wickman’s drummer Sture ’Stubben’ Kallin. Parker began with Anthropology and Stubben stated that neither before nor after has he gone through such an intense experience. At the same time [as Parker] there was a black band from the West Indies playing at Nalen. The leader Cab Kaye, who also played the drums, felt that Parker should really have been playing with his band. After a few pieces, Kaye went over to Stubben and said he wanted to play. But Stubben figured that you only get to play with Parker once in a lifetime and told Kaye to butt out. Finally Kaye forced his way onto the stage and tried to push Stubben away. In the resulting hullabaloo, the jam session broke off. Once in the warm-up room, Kaye attacked Stubben, who in turn said something insulting, upon which Kaye started to choke him. Topsy came in and separated them and Stubben told Kaye he was sorry.
Afterwards Parker wanted to talk to Stubben and eventually he followed Parker, Lindgren, Simon Brehm and Leppe Sundevall to Parker’s hotel room. Around four in the morning they went to a night cafe, ate Falu sausage and drank some light beer. Then they went to Cab Kaye’s hotel room, woke him up and Parker bawled him out for his behaviour at Nalen. Then the party continued into the morning hours.
Tuesday, November 8, was the day for Parker to leave Sweden. Carl-Erik Lindgren and Leppe Sundevall went with him to Bromma Airport where he took a plane for Paris, instead of directly home to New York. He spent a chaotic week in the French capital, but then that is another story.
So far we have been able to confirm that Parker’s visit to Sweden lasted from November 19 to the 28th, he seems to have gone to the movies one evening, spent about two hours in all at Nalen and Rowland Greenberg performed with him one evening. But what happened to the story about the farmer and the cows Parker serenaded?
In the 1958 summer number of the Orchestra Journal Lennart Stenbeck wrote an article where, among other things, he commented on the immense flood of re-releases of recordings from the 1920s and on. He also joked about how people were giving high praise to tapes of Parker with worse sound quality than those by King Oliver from 1923, even though it sometimes was only
intros and final ensembles clipped together with Parker solos. The last seemed to begin and end wherever, regardless of the customary chorus structure.
Tied to that article was a humoresque by Björn Fremer that was so completely imaginary that it should have been impossible for anyone to take it seriously. However, story-loving jazz aficionados being what they are, the tale has stayed and over the years has been retold as if it were true. What Fremer described was a jazz enthusiast in Arlöv who had made an amazing discovery while visiting a farmer Jöns Jönsson (Old McDonald) in Lomma. He heard music on an old tape-recorder in the cow shed featuring Charlie Parker. The story was that during his Sweden tour Parker had come to the farm when the car he was travelling in needed fresh water. Parker stepped out of the car with his sax and heard that Jönsson was playing for the cows on a tape-recorder – it was namely a scientific fact, said Jönsson, that cows gave more milk whil listening to music. Parker began to improvise to the music and Jönsson asked him to record a few melodies he could use with the cows. Having listened to the tape, the journal’s expert Lars Werner thought that Parker seemed noticeably inspired by the setting and that his version of Cow Cow Boogie was the most significant Parker you ever heard.
In addition, author Larry Sährendal used this history in his novel ”Charlie, Charlie...” published in 1979. The novel was pure fiction, where the autor, according to the text on the dust cover, "used Parker’s visit to Sweden to weave a tale about a fantastic journey through a fantastic country".
As an additional memento for jazz researchers and a proof of how easily tall tales spread in the jazz world, it is interesting to note that the story about Parker playing for cows has gone so far as to Ken Burns’ TV-series on the history of jazz.
Martin Westin is a contributor to the Orchestra Journal and Secretary for the Group for Swedish Jazz History.
Translation by Sven Borei
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