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Miles Ahead session details

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February 26, 1949 (17 items; TT = 29:28)
Royal Roost Club, New York NY
WMCA-AM radio broadcast (B)
Show chatter

Charlie Parker (as); Kenny Dorham (tpt); Eli "Lucky" Thompson (ts); Milt Jackson (vb); Al Haig (p); Tommy Potter (b); Max Roach (d); Dave Lambert (voc); Buddy Stewart (voc); Miles Davis (tpt); Ted Kelly (tb); Sahib Shihab [Edmund Gregory] (as); Benjamin Lundy (ts); Cecil Payne (bs); Tadd Dameron (p); John Collins (g); Dillon "Curley" Russell (b); Kenny Clarke (d); Carlos Vidal (bgo); Symphony Sid Torin (ann)

1 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 0:09
2 Half Nelson (M. Davis) 3:32
3 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 0:16
4 A Night in Tunisia (D. Gillespie-F. Paparelli) 4:37

The band seems not to know the arrangement. Parker plays some odd figures over the rhythm section until 0:20, when Jackson and Thompson join in
5 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 0:24
6 Scrapple from the Apple (C. Parker) 4:40
7 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 0:26
8 Deedle (D. Lambert-B. Stewart) 2:05

Parker plays a half-chorus solo (1:21-1:35), then obbligatos during the out chorus
9 Introduction (Dave Lambert) 0:16
10 Hurry Home (B. Bernier-R. Emmerich-J. Meyer) 2:36
11 Introduction (Buddy Stewart) 0:17
12 What's This? (D. Lambert-B. Stewart) 1:35
13 Jumpin' with Symphony Sid (inc) (L. Young) 0:41
14 Milé [Milano] (T. Dameron) 3:41
15 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin) 0:12
16 Casbah (J. Lewis) 3:40
17 Closing announcement (Symphony Sid Torin) 0:21


1 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153

2 Half Nelson
12" LP: Savoy MG 12179, SJL 1108, SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153

3 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153

4 A Night in Tunisia
12" LP: Savoy MG 12186, SJL 1108, SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153, Philology Volume 57 (W 888)

5 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443)

6 Scrapple from the Apple
12" LP: Savoy MG 12179, SJL 1108, SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153

7 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443)

8 Deedle
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153

9 Introduction (Dave Lambert)
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443)

11 Introduction (Buddy Stewart)
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443)

12 What's This?
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443), Savoy SVY 17021/4, Definitive DRCD 11153

13 Jumpin' with Symphony Sid (inc)
12" LP: Savoy SJL 1173
CD: Savoy ZDS 4411/4, K30Y 6241/4, Nippon Columbia COCY 75791/8, COCB 50408 (= COCB 53443)

14 Milé
12" LP: Beppo BEP 503, Cicala BLJ 8032, Jung Cat RBD 948
CD: Fresh Sound FSCD-1008, Philology Volume 20 (W 850), Definitive Records DRCD 11164, FAP 001/3

15 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)
12" LP: Beppo BEP 503, Cicala BLJ 8032, Jung Cat RBD 948
CD: Fresh Sound FSCD-1008, Philology Volume 20 (W 850), Definitive Records DRCD 11164, FAP 001/3

16 Casbah
12" LP: Beppo BEP 503, Cicala BLJ 8032, Jung Cat RBD 948
CD: Fresh Sound FSCD-1008, Philology Volume 20 (W 850), Definitive Records DRCD 11164, FAP 001/3

17 Closing announcement (Symphony Sid Torin)
12" LP: Beppo BEP 503, Cicala BLJ 8032, Jung Cat RBD 948
CD: Fresh Sound FSCD-1008, Philology Volume 20 (W 850), Definitive Records DRCD 11164, FAP 001/3


The Tadd Dameron Big Ten were booked at the Roost from February 12 through March 16, where Charlie Parker was already in residence. Recordings of the Dameron group survive from February 12, 19, 26, and March 5. The March 5 items are missing from Philology W 850, which purports to include "the complete Tadd Dameron Tentet 1949 Royal Roost recordings."

In the notes to Savoy Jazz SVY-17021/4, Loren Schoenberg suggests that Davis also plays trumpet on "A Night in Tunisia" with the Parker group. This seems unlikely. In light of the recent blow-up between Davis and Parker, I doubt that Parker would have invited Davis to play, or that Davis would have agreed to do so. Despite the raggedness of the performance here, it sounds like Kenny Dorham; and in any case, if Davis had replaced him, Symphony Sid would surely have had something to say about it, but there's no mention of it.

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