Session details: Royal Roost Club (September 4, 1948)

Charlie Parker session details

September 4, 1948 (30 items; TT = 56:11)

Royal Roost Club, New York NY

WMCA-AM radio broadcast (B+)

Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); Miles Davis (tpt); Tadd Dameron (p); Dillon "Curley" Russell (b); Max Roach (d); Theodore "Fats" Navarro (tpt); Allen Eager (ts); Milt Jackson (vb); Tadd Dameron (p); Dillon "Curley" Russell (b); Kenny Clarke (d); Miles Davis (tpt); Michael Zwerin (tb); Junior Collins (frh); Bill Barber (tuba); Lee Konitz (as); Gerry Mulligan (bs); John Lewis (p); Al McKibbon (b); Max Roach (d); Kenny "Pancho" Hagood (voc); Symphony Sid Torin (ann); Bob Garrity (ann)

1	Announcement (Bob Garrity)	0:05
	"...Symphony Sid, and to the Royal Roost nightclub..."
2	Jumpin' with Symphony Sid (L. Young)	1:27
	"And once again, ladies and gentlemen, just as we always do, every Friday night, Saturday morning, we take our WMCA microphones right down here to the Royal Roost, on the all-night, all-frantic one, bringing you the gonest in modern jazz at Metropolitan's Bopera House [sic], the Royal Roost, 1580 Broadway between 47th and 48th Street, where you can sit back and relax between ten in the evening until four in the morning and dig the gonest in modern jazz. And don't forget, September the 7th, the great Dinah Washington comes in here, and on the 9th, the outstanding Count Basie. It'll be Count Basie and his sensational new organization, it'll be Dinah Washington, and the outstanding Miles Davis and his new sound in progressive jazz. And right now, to start things jumpin', while we sit back and relax and while you call Circle-six-two-five-hundred on the all-night, all-frantic show, we bring to you the great Tadd Dameron, Curley Russell, Allen Eager, Fats Navarro, Milt Jackson, and Kenny Clarke... Let's give 'em a great big hand as they start off.. Come on, ladies and gentlemen, a great big hand for the great Tadd Dameron organization, and as they do first a wonderful side that so many of you folks out there ask for, on a Savoy side it was made, here it is, 'The Tadd Walk'..."
3	The Tadd Walk (T. Dameron)	3:24
4	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:22
	"And so, ladies and gentlemen, there you go, 'The Tadd Walk', a wonderful side just recorded on Savoy. And right now let's do something that Tadd wrote especially for the little one. Little one, uh, my particular little one, we call her 'Symphonette'..."
5	Symphonette (T. Dameron)	4:06
6	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:22
	"Well, thanks a lot, ladies and gentlemen, we're here at the Royal Roost, the Metropolitan Bopera House, where the light are low, the music's with that real knocked-out groove, and the wonderful sensational... The wonderful music here is always gone. And right now, one that you always ask for, on a Blue Note side that was recorded by the great Tadd Dameron, his own original tune featuring Fats Navarro, one I hope you really enjoy, 'The Squirrel'..."
7	The Squirrel (T. Dameron)	3:48
8	Announcement (Bob Garrity)	0:04
	"...I mean the Royal Roost on Broadway. Once again, here's your boy, Symphony Sid..."
9	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	1:16
	"And once again, ladies and gentlemen, we take you back to the Royal Roost, the Metropolitan Bopera House, where you sit back and relax every night, every morning, and listen to a lot of the wonderful and modern jazz that I hope you really enjoy. And don't forget, here at the Royal Roost, we're bring to you starting the, um, 7th, the great Dinah Washington, and on the 9th, the great Count Basie and his wonderful organization. It'll be Count Basie, Dinah Washington, and the great Miles Davis organization. And as our surprise for this morning here on the all-night, all-frantic one, with our microphones down here at the Royal Roost, we bring to you once again the wonderful and outstanding Charlie Parker and his wonderful organization... That's right, for the weekend, ladies and gentlemen, we're bringing you the great Charlie Parker and his wonderful organization, featuring Miles Davis on trumpet, Max Roach on... on drums, Tadd Dameron on piano, and Curley Russell on bass. I know that you'll have a lot of fun over the weekend... Come on down and dig the great Charlie Parker, the one and only, the man of jazz. And to start things jumpin' let's hear... an original done by, or written by, Thelonious Monk, part of the RCA Victor album, here's '52nd Street Theme'..."
10	52nd Street Theme (T. Monk)	5:03
	During his solo Parker quotes the "Cool Blues" theme (1:22-1:26)
11	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:24
	"And there you go, the great, the great Charlie Parker, the Bird himself and his organization. If you don't come down to the Roost over the weekend, over this wonderful Labor Day weekend, you're gonna miss a treat -- the great Charlie Parker and his All-Stars with Miles Davis and the rest of the boys, and I know you're gonna have a gang of fun. And right now, here's a very favorite one that you call for all the time on the all-night, all-frantic one, the Symphony Sid show, 'Ko Ko'..."
12	Ko Ko (C. Parker)	2:30
13	52nd Street Theme (T. Monk)	0:13
	Voiceover from 0:05: "And so, ladies and gentlemen, you've heard the great Charlie Parker and the All-Stars with Max Roach, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Curley Russell. And the wonderful organization down here at the Royal Roost, our special guest, and don't forget to fall by over the weekend, this wonderful Labor Day weekend, and you'll have a ball diggin' some of the gonest in modern jazz. And right now once again, ladies and gentlemen, we take you back to the all-night, all-frantic one, right to the studio, and here's Bob Garrity..." Incomplete (0:12) on Savoy 17021/4 and Definitive
14	Announcement (Bob Garrity)	0:38
	"Thanks Sid, we're back up here in the studios at WMCA, goin' to take just a little time out... and then we'll be back at the Royal Roost. This just about takes care of the first half hour... of this morning's jazz hour the Symphony Sid show, and of course every Saturday morning, it's the same deal that comes to you direct from the Metropolitan Bopera House, the Royal Roost nightclub, right on Broadway between 47th and 48th Street. And during the last half-hour this morning, from 3:30 until four, we're going to hear from Miles Davis and his nine-piece jazz group with a few new sounds in modern jazz, a group that just opened there this morning. Right now, though, Sid would like to talk to you about that product, Snow White..."
15	Commercial break	1:20
	You've got to hear this one: (900KB .mp3). "Have you been singing the hot weather blues these days, face powder caked or disappear, nose shiny? Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do. After all I've been tellin' you about Snow White Face Powder, the kind that can't cake, the kind that clings for hours. And haven't I told you that a box costs only a quarter? Well how come you haven't tried it? Get hip, get straight, won't you? Snow White has it all over other ordinary face powders, because it's designed especially for the kind of skin that you'd like. It comes in special shades, for dark brown complexions, and even very light cream-colored tones, too. And remember, you get your choice of five different shades. You get to pick out the one that does the very most for you. And remember, when you use it, you get the kind of soft, becoming make-up that make men take a second glance... why, even a third. So don't fool around with face powders that aren't designed for you. Get Snow White. Be radiant, be lovely, be gone. Beautiful, that's what I'm talkin' about. And remember, a box of Snow White Face Powder costs a mere twenty-five cents at your favorite drug store. Try it soon, and try the other fine Snow White beauty products, too. Snow White, like with the seven dwarfs, that's the name you can count on for beauty."
16	Announcement (Bob Garrity)	0:45
	Garrity begins on the phone: "...naturally we can't play records, when it's a live broadcast. You see? So we can get it for you after four. OK. Right, thanks a lot for calling. Don't forget to call Circle-six-two-five-hundred for your requests. Well, the best deal to do is not to call now but to wait until 4:03, guess the gone side, and then call. If you can guess the gone side we'll play your request between four and five o'clock. Just a short reminder that this Symphony Sid show with music recorded is coming to you over America's leading independent station, WMCA, first on your dial in New York. And now, well let's get back down there on Broadway where things are really jumping, back to the Metropolitan Bopera House, the Royal Roost nightclub. Once again, here's your boy, Symphony Sid..."
17	Birth of the Cool Theme (G. Evans)	1:17
	"And right now, ladies and gentlemen, we're back to the Royal Roost, where the lights are low and the music with that gone groove, right here at 1580 Broadway between 47th and 48th Streets. It's right opposite the Strand Theatre, where you can sit back and relax and dig some of the wonderful things. And right now, ladies and gentlemen, we bring you something new in modern music, we bring you Impressions in Modern Music with the great Miles Davis and his wonderful new organization, featuring Max Roach on drums, John Lewis on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Lee Konitz on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone -- you all remember Gerry from the Disk Jockey Jump that he did with, ah, Gene Krupa and the band -- Bill Barber on tuba -- that's right, Bill Barber on tuba -- Junior Collins on french horn, and Mike Zwerin on trombone. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give them a big hand for something new in modern jazz... Ladies and gentlemen, the Miles Davis organization, as they do for you a John Lewis arrangement, their fa... their first tune, a thing called 'Move'..." Incomplete on Royal Jazz
18	Move (D. Best)	3:33
19	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:35
	"Ah, ladies and gen... gentlemen, leave it to the Royal Roost to bring you a new sound , and that's right, it's a brand new sound and I'd like once again for you to dig the lineup. Max Roach on drums, of course it's Miles Davis on trumpet, John Lewis on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Lee Konitz on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone, for the first time in modern jazz a tuba, done by Bill Barber... Junior Collins on french horn, and finally Mike Zwerdin [sic] on trombone. Ladies and gentlemen, the old showboat, 'Why Do I Love You?'"
20	Why Do I Love You? (J. Kern-O. Hammerstein)	3:42
	Add Hagood (voc)
21	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:09
	"Ahhh, and that John Lewis really dresses up these old-timers, and I hope you really enjoy that Pancho Kenny Hagood doing the vocals... (splice) ...'Godchild'..."
22	Godchild (G. Wallington)	5:53
	Incomplete (5:15) on issues prior to RJCD 514, CDP 94550, and DRCD 11159
23	Commercial break	1:37
	..."And we're back with little bit of time to ask you if you have to wash, or shave, or do dishes or small laundry in cold water. (skip) Yes, you can have running hot water. The sensational new Kem hot water heater (skip) and instantly turns running cold water into running hot water, and we mean just as hot as you want it. This beautiful little heater is made of shiny silver metal. No bigger than a small drinking glass, it comes with a long electric cord, doesn't cost any more to use than an ordinary electric iron. Now to get a Kem heater for the amazing prize of just three dollars and ninety-eight cents plus postage, all you have (skip) Symphony Sid, WMCA, New York 19. Write down your name and address and the word Kem, K-E-M, and we'll mail you this heater for only 3.98 plus postage, which you give the mailman. And you know the Kem heater is guaranteed. If the Kem heater does not give you hot water instantly, return the heater within 5 days and your heater will be refunded in full. Nothin' to lose, a lot to gain with this Kem hot water heater, so send those cards to Symphony Sid, WMCA, New York 19, with your name and address and the word Kem, or call right now if you can would be the best way, faster service. Call Circle-six-two-five-hundred here in the studios, give us your name and address, and we'll send (skip) for 3.98 plus postage. That telephone number once again Circle-six-two-five-hundred, so come on ahead and call for your Kem hot water heater. And while you do call let's get back to some more of that wonderful music Miles Davis' new nine-piece jazz group, Impresssions in Jazz. Back to the Royal roost night club and here's Symphony Sid..."
24	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:36
	"And right now ladies and gentlemen back here at the Royal Roost where we take our WMCA microphones every, every Friday... night Saturday morning, and play for you some of the gonest things that I know you'll really enjoy. And don't forget, it's Impressions in Modern Music, done with the new Miles Davis organization, with Max Roach on drums, John Lewis on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Lee Konitz on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone, Bill Barber on tuba, John ah, that is Junior Collins on french horn, and Mike Zwerdin [sic] on trombone. Here's a wonderful thing, a little thing that John Lewis knocked out, it's his own blues called 'S'il vous Plait'..." Incomplete on Royal Jazz
25	S'il vous Plait (J. Lewis)	4:31
26	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:15
	"And now in a relaxed groove you'll probably remember this old Glenn Miller tune arranged by Gil Evans, a thing called 'Moon Dreams'..."
27	Moon Dreams (C. MacGregor-J. Mercer)	3:13
28	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:24
	"Ah that was so crazy, so wonderful and beautiful a real relaxed thing, 'Moonbeams' [sic], a Gil Evans arrangement, an old tune done by the late Glenn Miller. Right now to change the groove and to wind up here at the all-night, all-frantic one, right from the Royal Roost, Metropolitan Bopera House, let's hear a thing that was written by Bud Powell, one of the greats in modern jazz on piano, 'Hallucinations'..."
29	Hallucinations [Budo] (B. Powell-M. Davis)	3:31
	Voiceover from 2:55-3:31: "And so, ladies and gentlemen, we've brought you the new sound, the new Impressions in Modern Music, here at the Royal Roost. Don't forget, Monty Kay presents the wonderful concert here at the Royal Roost, along with your boy Symphony Sid, a lot of the wonderful music that I know a lot of you folks out there really enjoy. And, uh, don't forget that it'll be Charlie Parker and the All-Stars over the weekend, and the Tadd Dameron group, and the great and wonderful Miles Davis' organization. Hope you've had a ball, ladies and gentlemen -- now let's go back to the all-night, all-frantic one, the Symphony Sid show, right over there at WMCA studios, with Bob Garrity..." Incomplete on issues prior to CDP 94550 and DRCD 11159
30	Closing announcement (Bob Garrity)	1:08
	"And the Symphony Sid Show is presented over America's leading independent station, WMCA, first on your dial, New York. When you hear the signal the time will be thirty seconds past four o'clock. (bell rings, and Garrity reads the news) And here's the four o'clock edition of Associated Press news from the WMCA newsroom. More than 16,000 CIO oil workers have gone on strike in five Western states after failure of last-minute negotiations on a wage increase. The strike became effective at 3:01 this morning Eastern time. Union District director J.E. Brown says in San Francisco, 'No further talks have been scheduled with the companies'. And a bulletin from New Orleans, the first lash of a small gulf hurricane now has hit the Louisiana coast about sixty miles south of New Orleans. High winds roared into the area between Luma and Grand Isle. The center of the storm was reported out in the gulf about eighty miles from New Orleans..."


1 Announcement (Bob Garrity) 12" LP: Sneaker TDFN-829 CD: Milestone MCD-47041
2 Jumpin' with Symphony Sid 12" LP: Sneaker TDFN-829 CD: Milestone MCD-47041
3 The Tadd Walk 12" LP: Sneaker TDFN-829 CD: Milestone MCD-47041
4 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Sneaker TDFN-829 CD: Milestone MCD-47041
5 Symphonette 12" LP: Sneaker TDFN-829 CD: Milestone MCD-47041
6 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Sneaker TDFN-829 CD: Milestone MCD-47041
7 The Squirrel 12" LP: Sneaker TDFN-829 CD: Milestone MCD-47041
8 Announcement (Bob Garrity) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2260 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153
9 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2260 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
10 52nd Street Theme 12" LP: Savoy MG 12186, SJL 2260, ESP Bird-2, Audiofidelity AFE 3-7 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
11 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2260 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
12 Ko Ko 12" LP: Savoy MG 12186, SJL 2260, ESP Bird-2, Audiofidelity AFE 3-7 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Philology Volume 43 (W 874), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
13 52nd Street Theme 12" LP: SJL 2260 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153
14 Announcement (Bob Garrity) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2260 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153
15 Commercial break 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2260 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153
16 Announcement (Bob Garrity) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2260 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50405 (= COCB 53440), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153
17 Birth of the Cool Theme CD: Capitol CDP 94550, Definitive Records DRCD 11159
18 Move 12" LP: Ozone 2, Durium-Cicala BLJ-8008, Rarelp 08 CD: Tokuma TKCB-30024, Tokuma TKCB-71891, Fresh Sounds FSCD-1008, Royal Jazz RJCD 514, Capitol CDP 94550, Definitive Records DRCD 11159
19 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) CD: Royal Jazz RJCD 514
20 Why Do I Love You? 12" LP: Ozone 2, Durium-Cicala BLJ-8008, Rarelp 08 CD: Tokuma TKCB-30024, Tokuma TKCB-71891, Fresh Sounds FSCD-1008, Royal Jazz RJCD 514, Capitol CDP 94550, Definitive Records DRCD 11159
21 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) CD: Royal Jazz RJCD 514
22 Godchild 12" LP: Ozone 2, Durium-Cicala BLJ-8008, Rarelp 08 CD: Tokuma TKCB-30024, Tokuma TKCB-71891, Fresh Sounds FSCD-1008, Royal Jazz RJCD 514, Capitol CDP 94550, Definitive Records DRCD 11159
24 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) CD: Capitol CDP 94550, Definitive Records DRCD 11159
25 S'il vous Plait 12" LP: Ozone 2, Durium-Cicala BLJ-8008, Rarelp 08 CD: Tokuma TKCB-30024, Tokuma TKCB-71891, Fresh Sounds FSCD-1008, Royal Jazz RJCD 514, Capitol CDP 94550, Definitive Records DRCD 11159
26 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) CD: Royal Jazz RJCD 514
27 Moon Dreams 12" LP: Ozone 2, Durium-Cicala BLJ-8008, Rarelp 08 CD: Tokuma TKCB-30024, Tokuma TKCB-71891, Fresh Sounds FSCD-1008, Royal Jazz RJCD 514, Capitol CDP 94550, Definitive Records DRCD 11159
28 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Royal Jazz RJCD 514
29 Hallucinations 12" LP: Ozone 2, Durium-Cicala BLJ-8008, Rarelp 08 CD: Tokuma TKCB-30024, Tokuma TKCB-71891, Fresh Sounds FSCD-1008, Royal Jazz RJCD 514, Capitol CDP 94550, Definitive Records DRCD 11159

This session is the first of a long series of WMCA broadcasts of Parker from the Royal Roost. There are many Roost recordings of Parker, Tadd Dameron, Fats Navarro, Allen Eager, Charlie Ventura, Chubby Jackson, Woody Herman and others from August-November 1948. The Parker Quintet was booked as a Labor Day weekend guest act -- the main act was Tadd Dameron's sextet with Fats Navarro. The Roost recordings are remarkable for their fidelity, completeness (including Symphony Sid Torin's inimitable introductions and announcements), and excellent playing.

During this period Symphony Sid Torin's Friday night/Saturday morning "all-night, all-frantic" show consisted of Sid and Bob Garrity taking requests and playing records, interspersed with short live broadcasts from venues like the Royal Roost and the Apollo Theatre. Here we have performances by three 'organizations': the Dameron sextet, the Parker quintet, and Miles Davis' nine-piece band.