Now's The Time

Now's the Time is a blues composition by Charlie Parker, first recorded on November 26, 1945, for Savoy Records during a session by Charlie Parker's Reboppers with Miles Davis on trumpet, Sadik Hakim and Dizzy Gillespie alternating on piano, Curly Russell on bass, and Max Roach on drums. The tune is built on a compact, riff-based melody over standard twelve-bar blues changes, with a catchy six-note figure that emphasizes blues simplicity and swinging momentum through repetition and subtle variation. Multiple takes were recorded at the session; the fourth take was issued as the master, though the third take has been noted for the quality of Parker's solo. Rooted in the Kansas City blues tradition Parker grew up in, the composition balances accessible, bluesy directness with the rhythmic sophistication of bebop phrasing, making it one of Parker's most enduring works. Parker revisited the tune in later sessions for Clef and Verve in 1952 and 1953, with personnel including Hank Jones, Al Haig, Percy Heath, Teddy Kotick, and Max Roach. Now's the Time became one of the most widely performed jazz blues heads in the repertoire, a staple of jam sessions and jazz education alike. Its memorable melody and straightforward harmonic framework have made it a common entry point for musicians learning the jazz blues tradition, and it has been recorded hundreds of times across a range of styles.