Jazz Changes

Songs from 1939 to 1951

Bebop through the years

Bebop is the jazz of players such as Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and Thelonious Monk on piano. This page follows 17 of their tunes, from Tadd Dameron's Lady Bird around 1939 to Parker's Blues for Alice and Monk's Straight, No Chaser in 1951. Some are built on older songs: Donna Lee on Indiana, Ornithology on How High the Moon, and Half Nelson on Lady Bird. Each decade shows who played them next, from and groups to singers, guitarists and big bands.

Through the years

  1. 1910s

    One song underneath comes from before . The Original Dixieland Jass Band records Indiana for Columbia on May 31, 1917, one of the earliest jazz records, and its later carry Donna Lee.

    Original Dixieland Jass Band Donna Lee · 1917
  2. 1930s

    Tadd Dameron writes Lady Bird around 1939, the earliest of these tunes, but it is not released until 1948. It is a tune, short enough to learn by heart.

  3. 1940s

    Fourteen of the 17 tunes are written in the 1940s. Charlie Parker's groups make the first recordings of seven of them between 1945 and 1947, and Dizzy Gillespie's groups record A Night in Tunisia, Anthropology, Confirmation and 'Round Midnight in 1946. Thelonious Monk records four of his tunes in 1947 and Miles Davis leads his first session. Tadd Dameron's Lady Bird is issued in 1948, and Bud Powell's trio records Ornithology in 1949.

    Cootie Williams 'Round Midnight · 1944Charlie Parker's Reboppers Anthropology · 1945Charlie Parker's Re-Boppers Billie's Bounce · 1945Charlie Parker's Re-Boppers Now's the Time · 1945Dizzy Gillespie A Night in Tunisia · 1946Charlie Parker Septet A Night in Tunisia · 1946Dizzy Gillespie Anthropology · 1946Charlie Parker Quintet Billie's Bounce · 1946
    18 more
    Dizzy Gillespie Jazzmen Confirmation · 1946Charlie Parker Septet Ornithology · 1946Dizzy Gillespie Sextet 'Round Midnight · 1946Charlie Parker Septet Yardbird Suite · 1946Charlie Parker All Stars Donna Lee · 1947Miles Davis All Stars Half Nelson · 1947Thelonious Monk Quintet In Walked Bud · 1947Miles Davis All Stars Lady Bird · 1947Thelonious Monk Quintet 'Round Midnight · 1947Thelonious Monk Trio Ruby, My Dear · 1947Charlie Parker Quintet Scrapple from the Apple · 1947Thelonious Monk Trio Well You Needn't · 1947Tadd Dameron Sextet Lady Bird · 1948Paul Williams and His Hucklebuckers Now's the Time · 1948Charlie Parker Quintet Ornithology · 1948Charlie Parker Quintet Confirmation · 1949Miles Davis / Tadd Dameron Quintet Lady Bird · 1949Bud Powell Trio Ornithology · 1949
  4. 1950s

    The last two tunes are written: Parker records Blues for Alice and Monk records Straight, No Chaser, both in 1951. Cool jazz players such as Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz take up the older tunes, and so do groups led by Art Blakey, Jackie McLean and Max Roach. Miles Davis's quintet records three of them in 1956, and Monk plays In Walked Bud with Blakey in 1957.

    Charlie Parker Quintet Scrapple from the Apple · 1950Bud Powell Trio A Night in Tunisia · 1951Dizzy Gillespie - Charlie Parker Quintet Anthropology · 1951Charlie Parker Quintet Blues for Alice · 1951Thelonious Monk Quintet Straight, No Chaser · 1951Charlie Parker, Chet Baker and Sonny Criss Donna Lee · 1952The Quintet A Night in Tunisia · 1953Charlie Parker Quartet Confirmation · 1953
    39 more
    Stan Getz - Chet Baker Quartet Half Nelson · 1953Charlie Parker Quartet Now's the Time · 1953Chet Baker and Stan Getz Yardbird Suite · 1953Art Blakey Quintet Now's the Time · 1954Bud Powell Trio Confirmation · 1955Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh Donna Lee · 1955Bud Powell Trio Lady Bird · 1955Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Lady Bird · 1955Carmen McRae Yardbird Suite · 1955Jackie McLean Sextet Confirmation · 1956Miles Davis Quintet Half Nelson · 1956Miles Davis Quintet 'Round Midnight · 1956Kenny Drew Trio Ruby, My Dear · 1956The Miles Davis Quintet Well You Needn't · 1956Lee Morgan A Night in Tunisia · 1957Sonny Rollins Trio A Night in Tunisia · 1957Bud Powell Trio Billie's Bounce · 1957Wes Montgomery Billie's Bounce · 1957The Red Garland Quintet Billie's Bounce · 1957Clark Terry Quintet Donna Lee · 1957Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk In Walked Bud · 1957Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker Ornithology · 1957Thelonious Monk 'Round Midnight · 1957Thelonious Monk Quartet Ruby, My Dear · 1957Phil Woods with Red Garland Scrapple from the Apple · 1957Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan Scrapple from the Apple · 1957Wes Montgomery Straight, No Chaser · 1957Bud Powell Trio Yardbird Suite · 1957The Max Roach 4 Yardbird Suite · 1957Thelonious Monk Quartet with Johnny Griffin In Walked Bud · 1958Miles Davis Straight, No Chaser · 1958Hampton Hawes Yardbird Suite · 1958Chet Baker Sextet Lady Bird · 1959Lambert, Hendricks & Ross with Zoot Sims Now's the Time · 1959Wes Montgomery Trio 'Round Midnight · 1959Thelonious Monk Ruby, My Dear · 1959Wes Montgomery and the Eddie Higgins Trio Ruby, My Dear · 1959Sonny Stitt with the Oscar Peterson Trio Scrapple from the Apple · 1959Kenny Burrell Trio Well You Needn't · 1959
  5. 1960s

    Singers take the tunes. Ella Fitzgerald sings A Night in Tunisia in 1961, Eddie Jefferson records his own words to Billie's Bounce in 1962, and Les Double Six join Dizzy Gillespie on Anthropology in 1963. Sonny Stitt records a Parker tribute album that year, Roland Kirk plays Blues for Alice, and Monk's quartet records Straight, No Chaser in 1967. Dexter Gordon and James Moody play Lady Bird together in 1969.

    Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers A Night in Tunisia · 1960Ella Fitzgerald with the Paul Smith Quartet Ornithology · 1960Ella Fitzgerald A Night in Tunisia · 1961Barry Harris Quintet Anthropology · 1961Roland Kirk Quartet Blues for Alice · 1961The Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Quintet In Walked Bud · 1961The Cannonball Adderley Quintet Well You Needn't · 1961Eddie Jefferson Billie's Bounce · 1962
    11 more
    Oscar Peterson Trio Now's the Time · 1962Phineas Newborn Jr. Trio Well You Needn't · 1962Dizzy Gillespie and Les Double Six Anthropology · 1963Sonny Stitt Confirmation · 1963Sonny Stitt Ornithology · 1963Dexter Gordon Scrapple from the Apple · 1963Thelonious Monk Quartet Straight, No Chaser · 1964Thelonious Monk Quartet Well You Needn't · 1965Thelonious Monk Quartet Straight, No Chaser · 1967Thelonious Monk with Jon Hendricks In Walked Bud · 1968Dexter Gordon Lady Bird · 1969
  6. 1970s

    Players take the tunes into new settings. Jaco Pastorius opens his debut album with Donna Lee on electric bass, Joe Pass plays Now's the Time alone on acoustic guitar, and Jim Hall plays Scrapple from the Apple with a guitar trio and no piano. Anthony Braxton plays Donna Lee and Half Nelson in Copenhagen in 1974, Dexter Gordon plays Billie's Bounce and Ruby, My Dear, and Art Pepper plays clarinet on Anthropology in 1979.

    Jackie McLean - Dexter Gordon Quintet Half Nelson · 1973Joe Pass Now's the Time · 1973Anthony Braxton Donna Lee · 1974Anthony Braxton Half Nelson · 1974Dexter Gordon Quartet Billie's Bounce · 1975Jaco Pastorius Donna Lee · 1975Jim Hall Scrapple from the Apple · 1975Al Haig Trio Blues for Alice · 1977
    3 more
    Oscar Peterson Donna Lee · 1978Dexter Gordon Quartet Ruby, My Dear · 1978Art Pepper Anthropology · 1979
  7. 1980s

    'Round Midnight reaches the screen in 1985 in the film of the same name, and Dexter Gordon records it during the shoot. Carmen McRae's 1988 Monk album sets words to four of these tunes, and three get new titles: Dear Ruby, Get It Straight and It's Over Now. Kenny Barron and Ray Bryant lead trios, Keith Jarrett's trio plays Billie's Bounce, and Archie Shepp plays Blues for Alice as a duet with a bassist.

    Archie Shepp & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Blues for Alice · 1980Ray Bryant Trio In Walked Bud · 1980Kenny Barron Trio Straight, No Chaser · 1983Dexter Gordon 'Round Midnight · 1985Keith Jarrett Trio Billie's Bounce · 1986Boulou Ferré Confirmation · 1986Carmen McRae 'Round Midnight · 1988Carmen McRae Ruby, My Dear · 1988
    3 more
    Carmen McRae Straight, No Chaser · 1988Carmen McRae Well You Needn't · 1988Frank Morgan Quartet Yardbird Suite · 1988
  8. 1990s

    Half Nelson turns up on saxophone records: Jack Nimitz leads a baritone quartet in 1995, Frank Morgan an alto quartet in 1996, and Lee Konitz puts a tenor saxophone beside his alto in 1997. Konitz also plays Anthropology at Birdland in 1991, Biréli Lagrène records Ornithology in Paris in 1992, Louis Smith and Mark Whitfield record Blues for Alice, and Keith Jarrett's trio plays Scrapple from the Apple live in 1998.

    Lee Konitz featuring Barry Harris Anthropology · 1991Biréli Lagrène Ornithology · 1992Louis Smith Quintet Blues for Alice · 1993Mark Whitfield Blues for Alice · 1994Jack Nimitz Quartet Half Nelson · 1995Frank Morgan Half Nelson · 1996Lee Konitz and Rich Perry Half Nelson · 1997Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette Scrapple from the Apple · 1998
  9. 2000s

    Roy Haynes, who played drums with Parker in 1949 and 1950, leads a quintet with Kenny Garrett and Roy Hargrove on a 2001 tribute that includes Now's the Time and Yardbird Suite. Anthony Braxton's quartet plays Blues for Alice live in 2003, Phil Woods plays Anthropology with the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra in 2004, and Bobby Broom's guitar trio records In Walked Bud in 2009 for an album of Monk tunes.

    Roy Haynes Now's the Time · 2001Anthony Braxton Quartet Blues for Alice · 2003Phil Woods and the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Anthropology · 2004Bobby Broom, Dennis Carroll and Kobie Watkins In Walked Bud · 2009
  10. 2010s

    Joe Lovano closes his album Bird Songs with a twelve-minute Yardbird Suite, and Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau play Ornithology live in Madrid in 2011. Kenny Barron and Dave Holland record In Walked Bud as a duo, Ethan Iverson's trio plays Confirmation, and in 2017 Joey Alexander plays Straight, No Chaser and Vanessa Rubin opens an all-vocal Dameron tribute with Lady Bird. Brian Landrus and Fred Hersch close an album with Ruby, My Dear in 2019.

    Joe Lovano Us Five Yardbird Suite · 2010Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau Ornithology · 2011Kenny Barron and Dave Holland In Walked Bud · 2014Ethan Iverson Confirmation · 2016Vanessa Rubin Lady Bird · 2017Joey Alexander Straight, No Chaser · 2017Brian Landrus and Fred Hersch Ruby, My Dear · 2019
  11. 2020s

    Emmet Cohen records Well You Needn't in 2025 with Ron Carter, Jeremy Pelt and Joe Farnsworth, for an album marking the 2026 centennials of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. John Beasley's MONK'estra plays his big band arrangement of Donna Lee, which wins the 2021 Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.

    Emmet Cohen feat. Ron Carter, Jeremy Pelt and Joe Farnsworth Well You Needn't · 2025

The tunes