This Is Always, recorded February 1, 1947, marks Parker's triumphant return to recording following his hospitalization at Camarillo State Hospital. Performed by the Charlie Parker Quartet in E-flat at approximately 71-73 BPM, this Harry Warren ballad features a 24-bar AAB form with a ballad feel. The stripped-down quartet setting pairs Parker with Erroll Garner on piano, Red Callender on acoustic bass, and Doc West on drums. Callender contributes a brief bass solo, while Parker plays a partial chorus of alto saxophone with renewed lyrical focus, and Garner adds a partial chorus on piano in his distinctive, orchestral style. The pairing of Parker and Garner, two of jazz's most individual voices, creates an unusual textural combination. This session, recorded for Dial Records in Los Angeles, represents the beginning of a remarkably productive period that would yield some of Parker's finest studio recordings. After the turmoil of 1946, the sensitivity and control evident in this ballad performance signaled that Parker had emerged from his ordeal with his artistry fully intact.
