NEW LPs, OLD FAVORITES: TATUM, GILLESPIE, PARKER . . .

“BIRD AT THE ROOST: THE SAVOY YEARS.” Charlie Parker. Savoy SJL 2260. Will it never end? This is the second of three volumes that represent, we are told, “the complete Royal Roost performance.” Recorded in 1949, it starts with a chaotic “How High the Moon” in which the announcer, Symphony Sid, interrupts every solo to tell us when we are hearing. The other cuts are all retreads of pieces best known through Parker’s studio versions; there are four different treatments of “Scrappie From the Apple.”

Because the recording in general is better, and because Parker has his own regular group (Kenny Dorham on trumpet and a rhythm section), this two-LP set includes enough inspired Parker to justify its release and purchase. Unlike the Stash material, it offers a reasonably audible glimpse of Bird during his peak period. For Bird, 3 stars.