thedoctormachine1
Charlie Parker’s “She Rote”, often (ever since the liner notes on the original Verve LP) stated as being based on “Out of Nowhere,” is actually based on the chords of “Beyond the Blue Horizon.” The relative obscurity of that tune as a jazz standard -- no bebopper ever played it to my knowledge-- along with the furious tempo of Bird’s superb performance, has caused it to be generally overlooked as the source for “She Rote,” which careful listening will definitely indicate has no relation to “Out of Nowhere” -- a tune Bird frequently recorded elsewhere though never at this tempo or for that matter, in this key (Bb). As he often did, Bird resurrected a hitherto neglected standard and made brilliant use of it!
Charles Coffman, saxophonist