Miles Davis Nonet
September 4, 1948
Royal Roost, New York NY
WMCA radio broadcast
Source: WMCA Radio Broadcast
Lineage: Radio Broadcast > ? > wave > ? > flac
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); Add Hagood (voc)
d1t01 Birth of the Cool Theme
d1t02 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)
d1t03 Move (cut)
d1t04 Why Do I Love You?
d1t05 Godchild
d1t06 Introduction (Symphony Sid Torin)
d1t07 S’il vous Plait
d1t08 Moon Dreams
d1t09 Hallucinations
Notes: Sound quality is ok. Lots of snaps and crackle but that seems par for the course throughout most of these early recordings.
d1t03- End of song is cut
“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 the Royal Roost and occasionally the Apollo Theater. This set by the Davis Nonet is probably the third transmission from this night — Sid introduces the broadcast with “And right now, ladies and gentlemen, we’re back to the Royal Roost…” The first broadcast was probably the Tadd Dameron Group, which typically opened with the “Jumpin’ with Symphony Sid” theme. Next was a set with the Charlie Parker Quintet (with Davis on trumpet). After a studio break, “Impressions of Modern Music, done with the new Miles Davis organization.”
Pace Ken Vail, who claims that the Nonet recordings were made on September 11 and 18, most discographers place the Nonet broadcasts on September 4 and September 18. Here’s the evidence:
In an interview published in Downbeat (January 27, 1950, pp. 18-19), Pat Harris notes that the Davis Nonet engagement at the Roost lasted two weeks. Davis confirms this in his autobiography: “Monte Kay booked us [i.e. the Nonet] into the Royal Roost on Broadway for two weeks.”
In introducing the Parker Quintet on September 4, Symphony Sid remarks, “And don’t forget, here at the Royal Roost, we’re bringing to you starting the 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…”
But which organization? Variety reviewed the second-week Roost lineup on September 15, and after enthusing about Count Basie and Dinah Washington, the review concludes, “Relief crew is Miles Davis’ outfit. With three rhythm, one trumpet and a sax, it cuts a good session.” This would be the All-Star Quintet with Davis and Lee Konitz, not the Nonet. In the December
1996 issue of Jazz Journal, Konitz is quoted as saying, “The way I remember it, the band [the Nonet] did the first week, and for some reason Miles and I did the second week as a Quintet, with John Lewis, Al McKibbon, and Max Roach.”
A September 9 advertisement (sorry, I no longer have the source) includes the following:
Opening Tonite Monte Kay Presents “Count Basie & His Great NEW Orchestra,” Dinah Washington, and “Miles Davis Quintet featuring Max Roach”
The extant live Roost material from September 11 consists of ten tunes by the Count Basie Group, nothing by other artists.On the basis of this evidence it seems that Davis was booked at the Royal Roost for most of September:
Sept 2-8: Charlie Parker Quintet and Miles Davis Nonet (9/4 recordings of both groups extant)
Sept 9-15: Miles Davis All-Star Quintet (no recording has surfaced)
Sept 16-22: Miles Davis Nonet (9/18 recording extant)
Sept 23-29: Miles Davis All-Star Quintet (9/25 recording extant)
I’m very grateful to Leif Bo Petersen for help with the circumstances of the Royal Roost sessions.”
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