Bobby Rosengarden #52 - Dick Cavett - Johnny Carson
100 drummers I’ve seen and heard in my lifetime
Bobby Rosengarden (1924-2007)
I’ve mentioned several times about, The Village Lounge. This was a small venue on Disney property. It was basically a lounge for jazz fans, a rest stop for diners. Guest musicians could have a seasonal 2-week gig.
In the early days of publishing, my Quadragrip book, I started reaching out to academic institutions, publishers and drummers. This was 1980, decades before you know what (aka) the internet, social media, email and the rest.
When the regular Disney Employee musicians, Village Lounge Trio got a vacation, Disney brought in a guest group. The drummer was Bobby Rosengarden, Derek Smith on piano and Milt Hinton on bass. I was familiar with Bobby Rosengarden from his television gigs on Johnny Carson’s, Tonight Show and Dick Cavett.
I don’t remember my official introduction to Bobby Rosengarden, but, I made an appointment to meet him at his guest chalet in the afternoon. This was 1980.
Entering his studio-guest apartment, he was in his bathrobe. I had a seat, as he was talking on the phone. Overhearing the conversation, it was about an upcoming gig with Tony Bennett. He said he couldn’t do it and recommended drummer, Joe LaBarbera. Bobby was saying, the Tony gig was easy, zero or very little rehearsal. It would be fine for the other drummer, don’t worry.
After he completed his call, I showed him my Quadragrip package. It included my little book and a cassette with recorded examples that demonstrated the book. I had a portable cassette player.
Bobby listened, said he liked my drum sound. It was similar to his. My kit was my Fibes drums. He was playing a set of Slingerland at the time. I can understand his comparison to sound and tuning.
That was about it. I guess, my motivation was just to share my idea with another drummer, one with knowledge and recognition.
What I walked away with from our meeting included, seeing him off stage, how professional he was, talking to an agent on the phone, his connections from being very good at his craft.
I remember watching and listening to him play in a trio setting. He had similar characteristics of Joe Morello. Bobby’s touch, sound, feel and swing was great. He had an awareness of the listener. His drum solos included playing with his hands. Joe Morello, John Bonham and others have done this. It can be a great musical demonstration of the drumset, not a gimmick.
Bobby Rosengarden was the bandleader for the Dick Cavett Show. Paul Anka wrote the theme song for Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. The royalty residual payment for that is substantial. Writers of television themes can become millionaires with a successful theme song.
I thought, Bobby Rosengarden wrote the Dick Cavett theme. It was a very catchy melody with an up-tempo samba beat.
My research produced a different composer.
That particular theme was a snippet “glitter and be gay” from the music of Candide, composed by Leonard Bernstein. BaDaBoom