Charlie Parker Groovin Hihg January 1st, 1949, Royal Roost

There was a simple algorithm to Charlie Parker’s life: he did whatever he felt like doing at any given moment, regardless of the consequences. Doing whatever you want, whenever you want is the most basic form of freedom, and makes it possible to live entirely in the moment once you’ve disabled your concept of the future, which is where consequences reside. Bird needed to do this to achieve his goals as an improviser and he succeeded. The future didn’t exist for him. The story of his life is the story of the freedom he chose and the consequences brought down upon him.

Is the set of music recorded on New Year’s morning, 1949. Bird was on the bandstand at the Royal Roost and Boris Rose was at home with his radio and disc cutter. Kenny Dorham was now playing trumpet in Bird’s working quintet, having recently replaced Miles. Regulars Al Haig (piano) and Tommy Potter (bass) were on hand, but Max Roach was absent, replaced for the night by Joe Harris, Dizzy’s drummer.