Session details: Royal Roost Club (January 1, 1949)

Charlie Parker session details

January 1, 1949 (23 items; TT = 52:33)

Royal Roost Club, New York NY

WMCA-AM radio broadcast (B+)

Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); Kenny Dorham (tpt); Al Haig (p); Tommy Potter (b); Joe Harris (d); Conti Candoli (tpt); Benny Green (tb); Charlie Ventura (ts); Ben Ventura (bs); Roy Kral (p); Dillon "Curley" Russell (b); Ed Shaughnessy (d); Jackie Cain (voc); Symphony Sid Torin (ann)

1	Jumpin' with Symphony Sid (with introduction) (L. Young)	1:17
	Voiceover from 0:14: "And so once again, ladies and gentlemen, as an extra-special added attraction, the all-night, all-frantic one, the Symphony Sid show, we take our WMCA microphones an hour earlier down at the Royal Roost, the Metropolitan Bopera House, on Broadway between 47th and 48th Street, right opposite the Strand Theatre, and bring you the gonest. It's a wonderful morning, a New Year's morning down here at the Royal Roost, everybody's here, everybody's havin' a lot of fun, and that's our theme in the background, done by the great Charlie Parker and the All-Stars. Charlie Parker, Al Haig, Joe Harris, everybody's down here at the Royal Roost this morning, and for two wonderful hours we're gonna have one of the greatest broadcasts on a New Year's Eve here at the Royal Roost. And without wasting too much time, here's Charlie Parker and the All-Stars, here's Charlie Parker and the All-Stars once again, with a wonderful thing I know you'll enjoy, a thing called 'Bebop'..." During his solo Parker quotes "Auld Lang Syne" (0:28-0:34)
2	Bebop (D. Gillespie)	3:49
3	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:24
	"And so there's Mr. Bop himself, the great Charlie Parker and the All-Stars, Al Haig, Tommy Potter, a wonderful group of musicians bringing you the greatest in modern progressive jazz here at the Metropolitan Bopera House, the Royal Roost. Come on down and have yourself a wonderful time. And right now, let's hear from the Bird as they do the pop thing called 'Slow Boat to China'..."
4	Slow Boat to China (F. Loesser)	4:19
	During his solo Parker quotes "Why Was I Born?" (1:11-1:16)
5	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:42
	"And so, with a 'Slow Boat to China', everybody here down at the Royal Roost are eating their... How's the chicken? Real crazy. You like the chicken? How 'bout the malteds and all the wonderful milk bars done by our very good friend Ruby Fox? He's the gentleman that takes care of the milk bar, and it's a wonderful kick to come down here to the Royal Roost and sit back and relax from 9:30 till four in the morning. Of course this morning is a different sort of a morning, who knows when we'll get through. But let's go back to the Bird, the great Charlie Parker, and the wonderful rendition of 'Ornithology'..." Incomplete (0:05) on Savoy 17021/4 and Definitive
6	Ornithology (C. Parker-B. Harris)	4:52
	During his solo Parker quotes "Jingle Bells" (1:08-1:12) and "Kerry Dancers" (1:43-1:48). Someone's loud foot-tapping is audible throughout most of Haig's solo (3:02-3:33). Parker and Dorham exchanges before closing theme (3:34-4:10)
7	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) [incomplete]	0:05
	"...studio... 'Groovin' High'..."
8	Groovin' High (D. Gillespie-F. Paparelli)	4:53
	Parker and Dorham exchanges before closing theme (3:34-4:08)
9	Interview (Symphony Sid, Parker)	1:11
	SS: "And that, uh, 'Groovin' High' does give you an idea of how all you frantic people down here at the Royal Roost really enjoy the wonderful and sensational Mr. Bop himself, the great Bird, Charlie Parker and the All-Stars. Charlie, I'd like to bring you up for just a minute. Charlie? Hold it. I wanna, you know, a lot of people are talking about the thing that you made with Machito. Ah, Norman Granz brought the records up to the station. That new thing that you did with Machito was really one of the most sensational things yet." CP: "'Mango Mangue'"? SS: "'Mango Mangue' is one of the most sensational things, recorded for Mercury on the bop series, it's received a lot of wonderful kicks." CP: "I enjoyed some very wonderful kicks... I enjoyed working with Machito, extremely, extremely." SS: "Well, it more or less puts bop in a more or less commercial sort of a groove, don't you think?" CP: "Well, if you wanna take it that way, but I mean, 'bop' is just a title, I mean, it's all still music to me." SS: "Still gone music... Bird, what we gonna do next?" CP: "Ah, we'll try 'East of the Sun'." SS: "All right, here's the Bird with a relaxed thing, 'East of the Sun'..."
10	East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) (B. Bowman)	4:44
	Dorham lays out during opening and closing choruses. "Country Gardens" closing tag (4:32-4:38)
11	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:22
	"And so once again, ladies and gentlemen, we're back here at the Royal Roost where everybody's relaxed, everybody's having a lot of fun, diggin' the great and wonderful Mr. Bop himself, the great Charlie Parker and the All-Stars, Al Haig at the piano, Joe Harris on drums, and Tommy Potter on bass, and Kenny Dorham on trumpet, bringing you another one of the great sides that you ask for, 'Cheryl'..." Incomplete (0:19) on Savoy 17021/4 and Definitive
12	Cheryl (C. Parker)	4:21
	Parker and Dorham exchanges after Haig solo (3:23-3:49)
13	You Don't Know What Love Is (D. Raye-G. DePaul)	3:34
14	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	1:03
	SS: "Ohh... So wonderful, so relaxed here at the Royal Roost. Let's see, the time now is just about ten minutes after three, and remember if you haven't... if you're riding in a car, if you're home... and if you haven't come down to the Royal Roost, you haven't lived. Oh, it's so wonderful here: the lights are crazy, the music is gone, Charlie Ventura is out of his mind, everybody's havin' a wonderful time. Even his manager's losin' his mind too. And his wife. Symphonette (?), Leonard Feather, Jack Healy, Rocky Graziano... everybody's havin' a wonderful time. And so... let's... 52nd Street..." Unknown: "Burt Lancaster here, Burt Lancaster..." SS: "Burt Lancaster, where's Burt Lancaster?" Unknown: "Right over there, right over there..." SS: "Where?" Unknown: "Right over there." SS: "Well, solid, man. Hi, Boit!" Unknown: "Cary Grant's here, too." SS: "Hey Charlie Ventura... Don't be a... don't be. And so let's go back to the group. Here's one we played before I left the studio, one I think you'll really enjoy, Jackie Cain, Roy Krals [sic], Benny Green, 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'..."
15	I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles (J.W. Kellette-J. Kenbrovin)	3:07
16	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:19
	"'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'... Oh, what a bunch of meeskites... 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'. Well, we talk about, we talk about the trombone men in the organization, one of the great and modern trombonist of our time. Let's hear him solo in a relaxed groove. Benny Green, 'Pennies from Heaven'..."
17	Pennies from Heaven (J. Burke-A. Johnston)	2:09
18	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:12
	"And so, with the wonderful 'Pennies from Heaven', I see Charlie Ventura grab hold of his baritone horn and we do 'Lover, Come Back to Me'..."
19	Lover Come Back to Me (S. Romberg-O. Hammerstein)	4:47
20	Once in a While (M. Edwards-B. Green)	3:08
21	Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)	0:04
	"And now let's get in a Latin-American groove and get the band to do 'Piña Colada'..."
22	Piña Colada (C. Ventura-R. Kral)	2:41
23	High on an Open Mic (C. Ventura)	0:30
	Voiceover from 0:06: "And so once again, ladies and gentlemen, we have 'High on an Open Mic' done by Charlie Ventura and the great all-star bop group, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral doing the bop vocals, and the wonderful and sensational Benny Green on the trombone, just about wind up... the wonderful portion done by the great and wonderful Charlie Ventura..."


1 Jumpin' with Symphony Sid (with introduction) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259, Spotlite SPJ 110, ESP Bird-2 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
2 Bebop 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259, Spotlite SPJ 110 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
3 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
4 Slow Boat to China 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259, Spotlite SPJ 110, ESP Bird-2 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
5 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
6 Ornithology 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259, Spotlite SPJ 110, ESP Bird-2, Audiofidelity AFE 3-7 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Philology Volume 58 (W 889), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
7 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
8 Groovin' High 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259, Spotlite SPJ 110, ESP Bird-2, Audiofidelity AFE 3-7 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
9 Interview (Symphony Sid, Parker) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441)
10 East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259, Spotlite SPJ 110, ESP Bird-2 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
11 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335
12 Cheryl 12" LP: Savoy SJL 2259, Spotlite SPJ 110, ESP Bird-2 CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50406 (= COCB 53441), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1335

Some discographies put "Cheryl" and the preceding announcement on January 8. If this is right, I wonder where the other titles are. Was there a broadcast on January 8?

Members of the Charlie Ventura Group (also booked at the Roost) joined the Parker Quintet for a New Year's Eve/Day jam session.