Au-Leu-Cha, recorded September 18, 1948, is a Parker original based on the chord changes of Honeysuckle Rose, performed by the Charlie Parker All Stars at approximately 177-178 BPM in F with a 32-bar AABA form. Parker's one-chorus alto saxophone solo is followed by a half-chorus from Miles Davis on trumpet and a half-chorus from John Lewis on piano. The tune's melody is a characteristically angular bebop line that transforms the familiar Honeysuckle Rose changes into something unmistakably Parker's own. The medium-up tempo produces a comfortable, swinging groove that brings out the best in all three soloists. Parker's chorus is a model of balanced construction, with ideas developing organically from phrase to phrase. Davis and Lewis each make concise, well-shaped statements in their half-chorus solos. Au-Leu-Cha would later be recorded by other ensembles, including Miles Davis's mid-1950s quintet, but this original version with Parker remains the definitive reading and captures the composition as its creator intended it to be performed.
