Now's The Time, recorded November 26, 1945, is one of Charlie Parker's most iconic compositions and a cornerstone of the bebop blues tradition. Performed in the key of F at a relaxed medium tempo of approximately 130 BPM, this 12-bar blues features Parker's three-chorus alto saxophone solo, which is among the most transcribed and analyzed improvisations in jazz history. Miles Davis follows with a two-chorus trumpet solo that displays his emerging lyrical voice, and bassist Curly Russell takes a rare one-chorus solo that grounds the performance in the fundamental pulse of the blues. The tune's riff-based melody would prove enormously influential, later surfacing in a nearly identical form as The Hucklebuck, a 1949 rhythm and blues hit by Paul Williams. Now's The Time demonstrates Parker's ability to create profound art within the simplest of structures, and its influence on subsequent generations of jazz and popular musicians is immeasurable. This master take from the historic November 1945 Savoy session remains one of the essential recordings in American music.
