Jazz Survivor
Royal was at the core of the Count Basie Orchestra for twenty years during its resurgence in the 1950s and 1960s. Before that, he was a pioneer of jazz on the West Coast, playing with many bands in and around Los Angeles. A child prodigy, who played both violin and saxophone, Royal was literally born on the road as his parents (who were musicians) made their way West. His memoirs give a vivid account of his work in Les Hite's band at Sebastian's New Cotton Club, where Royal worked with many stars including Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. He become a founder member and "straw boss" of Lionel Hampton's Orchestra after a wartime career in US Navy bands. Leaving Hampton, Royal made countless recordings as a freelance, before joining Basie, where he was responsible for rehearsing the Orchestra.
Three chapters offer an insider's view of the latter-day Basie band. After leaving Basie, as well as continuing his prolific recording career, Royal became internationally famous as a touring soloist. The book also contains an account of Royal's trumpeter brother, Ernie, who starred in the bands of Woody Herman and Stan Kenton. This is an essential document on the history of West Coast jazz and on the development of big band jazz.
