Nostalgia

"Nostalgia" was recorded in New York on December 5, 1947 for Savoy by the Fats Navarro Quintette: Navarro on trumpet, Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Tadd Dameron on piano, Nelson Boyd on bass and Art Blakey on drums. The same session produced "Barry's Bop", "Be Bop Romp" and "Fats Blows", all credited to Theodore Navarro, and Freshsound times "Nostalgia" at 2:41. Two takes survive, S3483-1 and S3483-6; take 6 is the issued master, on Savoy 955, XP 8025, MG 9019 and MG-12133, and take 1 is on Fat Girl: The Savoy Sessions (SJL 2216, 1977), though jazzdisco lists Savoy 955 for Dexter Gordon's "Dextrose" as well, so the number should be checked. The LP Nostalgia (Fats Navarro Memorial No. 2, Savoy MG 12133, 1958 or 1959) takes its title from the tune.

It is based on the harmony of Johnny Green's "Out of Nowhere", as were Dameron's "Casbah", Gigi Gryce's "Sans Souci" and Lennie Tristano's "317 East 32nd Street". Alan Kurtz at jazz.com calls it one of bebop's most catchy melodies, notes a thoughtful introduction unusual for the idiom, a relaxed tempo uncommon for bop and a tenor and trumpet front line less sharp than the usual alto and trumpet, and says Navarro's cup-muted solo quotes an Irish jig and "Rockin' in Rhythm" and shows where Clifford Brown's joyful style came from. At the 2002 headstone dedication Jon Faddis played it. Nothing from Navarro about the song, no chart history and no covers were found, and it is not known whether our upload is the issued master.