Charlie Parker - FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE

[brianincairo]

Hey all:

Someone's told me that there's a bottleg cut somewhere floating around of Bird wailing a version of Flight of the Bumblebee...Is this for real? I think I've come to the conclusion that if he DID record it, it was as an uncredited side man, but, then again, I've never really been able to find an exhaustive CP bootleg list kicking around....

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

Brian

[spartacus]

Hey all:

Someone's told me that there's a bottleg cut somewhere floating around of Bird wailing a version of Flight of the Bumblebee...Is this for real? I think I've come to the conclusion that if he DID record it, it was as an uncredited side man, but, then again, I've never really been able to find an exhaustive CP bootleg list kicking around....

Any thoughts would be appreciated...
Brian

Someone is pulling your leg. That tune does not appear on any discographys I have and it does not appear in the Lawrence Koch book. Nor is it in the Bendetti tapes.

The singer Barry Manilow has performed the "Flight of the Bumble Bee" on a kazoo with an accompanying orchestra.

[brianincairo]

Thanks. I've a suspicion it was never recorded...

[kavala]

I remember hearing years ago, someone doing 'Dizzy Fingers' on sax.
It was great. I would love to track that one down if anyone can help.

[Rick Adams]

This has probably been posted before but here's Rafael Mendez playing Flight of the Bumblebee (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUij8FCg0z8) on the trumpet, followed by an amazing Mexican Hat Dance in one breath - worth watching!

[spartacus]

I remember hearing years ago, someone doing 'Dizzy Fingers' on sax.
It was great. I would love to track that one down if anyone can help.

You can get a midi of it from here and open it in Finale or Melody Assistant

http://www.perfessorbill.com/pbmidi8.shtml#dizzyfingers

When you get to the page its on (left hand col) right click and save to desktop

That should keep you busy for a day or so.

I vaguely recall that being played by Jimmy Dorsey or Trambauer. Might have been in the Dorsey sax book (my first)

[brianincairo]

Cool....thanks, everyone....

[kavala]

Spartacus, I think you could be on the money with the Dorsey suggestion.

BTW, do you have any connection to Sparta in Greece ???

[spartacus]

Spartacus, I think you could be on the money with the Dorsey suggestion.

BTW, do you have any connection to Sparta in Greece ???

No, I was a former slave in my last lifetime now dedicated to freeing the slaves of small ideas and crankiness.

I was also formerly
Governor of Antarctica
Harlem Globetrotter
Mr. Universe, Mr. World, Mr. U.S.A., Mr. Texas (all on the same day)
Tap dancing shoe shine boy
Currently
Bigamist (according to several of my ex-wives)
Leech, parasite, sponge, #^*!$* (according to my current working wife)

[kavala]

LOL Spartacus

Those Spartans were tough SOB's.

[Kelly Bucheger]

Someone's told me that there's a bottleg cut somewhere floating around of Bird wailing a version of Flight of the Bumblebee...Is this for real?
Seems unlikely that he'd actually play the tune verbatim, and it doesn't appear that anybody's finding a reference in a discography, but it's well within the realm of possibility that Bird might've quoted the tune at some point in an improv, and I wonder if that could've been what was referred to...

[spartacus]

Seems unlikely that he'd actually play the tune verbatim, and it doesn't appear that anybody's finding a reference in a discography, but it's well within the realm of possibility that Bird might've quoted the tune at some point in an improv, and I wonder if that could've been what was referred to...

Since it is primarily scales you would have a hard time picking out where exactly he was playing it. Sheet music for tenor sax is available at
http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/BumbleeTSax.html

There is also a midi link that you can download and print out if you have something like Finale (that makes it free):)