Style:

Swing, usually played at a medium-up tempo.

Form:

12 Bar Bird Blues

Arrangements:

The final phrase is sometimes repeated and used as a tag ending on the head out.

Key:

F Major

Harmony/Overview:

This  composition is a 'Bird Blues', which is structurally identical to a 12  Bar Major blues only with several sophisticated reharmonizations.  Instead of the typical brief visit to IV7 in the 2nd bar, the harmony  continues with a II - V to VI. Bars 3-4 then use a III - VI - II - V of  IV to arrive at IV7 in the 5th bar, which is then followed by IVmi. Bars  7-8 can simply be treated as IIImi7 - bIIImi7, although it is also  common to use descending II - V's instead. Other 'Bird Blues'  compositions by Parker include "Chi-Chi", "Laird Baird", and "Back Home  Blues" to name a few.

Recordings:

This  song has been recorded over 25 times and is one of the most widely  known 'Bird Blues' in the repertoire. Charlie Parker first recorded it  himself on a 1951 session for Verve Records. Since then it has recorded  by many other notable musicians, and it continues to be performed  frequently to this day.

JGC Top Picks:

Mark Whitfield, True Blue, 1994

Anthony Braxton, 20 Standards (Quartet), 2003

Aaron Goldberg, Bienestan, 2011