Charlie Parker in Sweden

https://plus.google.com/s/charlie%20parker%20Guitarradeplastico%20your%20favorite%20musician/top

http://martinwestin.blogspot.com.es/2007/07/charlie-parker-in-sweden.html

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...................................................

AND OTHER PAGES IN :

https://plus.google.com/s/charlie%20parker%20Guitarradeplastico%20your%20favorite%20musician/top

http://martinwestin.blogspot.com.es/2007/07/charlie-parker-in-sweden.html