James Moody and Me…

Jazz is a spiritual music.

James Moody

Last Train From Overbrook (1958) signed by Moody

I remember saying to Diz one time, ‘I wish I would have gone to school and studied music.’ Diz looked at me and said, “Moody, you ain’t dead.” That lightbulb went on. I immediately went and bought some music books.

James Moody

Dizzy Gillespie Big Band (circa 1946-1948) signed by Moody, Ray Brown photo by William Gottlieb

The first night I was there, Thelonious Monk was the piano player, Ray Brown, Kenny Clarke and Milt Jackson were in the band. Clark Monroe, the manager, was a Negro, so he was probably fronting it; he dressed well and took care of business. The club was very small, and it was jammed every night; all the different people I’d heard on the radio — Coleman Hawkins, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman — would be in the audience. It was a thrill sitting there playing the music. Dave Burns showed me the line of ‘Things To Come’ just before the gig, and I played it. It was a breeze; I could read a little bit, and with time I learned to read more and more.

James Moody on his first gig with Dizzy Gillespie’s 1946 big band

Miles Davis/Tad Dameron (1949 recordings) signed by Moody

The way I came up musically was wrong, I think, from the standpoint that I thought improvising was spontaneous. I was playing by ear, and I thought you just did it; I didn’t realize that you had to practice changes. I started drinking, because people were saying how great I was, and I couldn’t play crap. It’s like I was flying an airplane but I didn’t know what the route was. If you don’t know the changes, you’re skimming. My music thing started changing later, when I started trying to find out about chords and theory.

James Moody

In The Beginning (1949) signed by Moody

Moody started off with a gift, and he developed it. As an ear player, he was already extremely advanced; right now, he’s one of the greatest players who ever lived. I admire his tenacity and focus. If he hears you play a lick or a sequence that he hasn’t heard, he’ll ask you what it is, and once you show it to him, man, Moody takes it into his own style and elaborates on it, turns it inside-out, and does everything possible with that idea to make it his own.

Jimmy Heath on James Moody

Moody With Strings (1951) signed by Moody

I’d been a friend of Moody’s since 1946 when he came to Philadelphia with Dizzy’s band. He’s still with me. We were in the same saxophone section many times and we called each other Section. And we were both indebted to the genius, Mr. Dizzy Gillespie. My whole life in music is dedicated to Dizzy. Moody felt the same way… I liked Moody on all his instruments. I liked him on flute, but at the end of his life he backed away from the flute because it wasn’t classical sounding, like Jean-Pierre Rampal. But it was James Moody on flute, and he had a jazz interpretation that was unique. I wrote a composition for Moody and the lyric tells the whole story. He was one of he most giving people I’ve ever met. He gave me hats, and he gave me dolls that played the saxophone, and mouthpieces and books. And Moody was a loving person to everybody. We went on tours together and you’d meet him at breakfast and he’d give you a kiss on both cheeks. At lunch, another kiss, at dinner, one more. I said he’s got more kisses than Hershey’s. He was all love; a beautiful person. He has a unique sound. When he had his small group after Dizzy, he didn’t know all the changes. Others could tell you every chord in every song. Moody just had a big ear for music. That solo he played on “Emenon” with Dizzy? That’s a classic. But he wanted to learn to play by the changes, so he would ask me and some others who knew the inside of music, because we were writers. He’d say, “Section, show me how you do that.” And I’d show Moody stuff on the diminished chord and he’d play it so fast, I still can’t play it as fast as he could. I showed it to him and he could outplay me on it. He was a person who could grasp anything he wanted. Tom McIntosh also showed Moody how to play by changes. When I wrote “Moody’s Groove,” he liked that.

Jimmy Heath on his friend James Moody, 2011 interview

Brass Figures (1967) signed by Moody, Kenny Barron, Jimmy Owens

An arranger, composer, flautist and saxophonist, James Moody was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925. Soon, Moody's family moved to New Jersey where he grew up, and he was influenced by the great Count Basie bands of the 1930s and 1940s, and his heroes, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. Following his discharge from the military, he joined the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band in 1946-1948 which featured future jazz legends Miles Davis, John Lewis, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Kenny Clarke.

James Moody’s Moods (1954) signed by Moody

Moody had his first big hit with "Moody's Mood For Love" in 1952. The melody was lifted out of a saxophone solo Moody did for "I'm In The Mood For Love", a song written in 1935. An early form of sampling, Eddie Jefferson wrote new lyrics: "There I go, there I go, there I go, pretty baby you are the soul who snaps my control...." and voila, a new hit song and jazz standard. In the ensuing years, "Moody's Mood" has been sung by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Barbra Streisand, Van Morrison to Amy Winehouse.

Flute ‘n’ The Blues (1956) signed by Moody

James Moody's career was almost derailed by his alcoholism. Twice. He tried a geographic cure in 1949 when he moved to Paris to live with his uncle. That worked for awhile until it didn't. Unlike many of his jazz peers who succumbed to the ravages of alcoholism and drug addiction, Moody sought help and entered the Overbrook Hospital in Cedar Grove, New Jersey in 1957. Upon his successful treatment and release, he recorded Last Train From Overbrook (1958), which included the title cut, a percussive and locomotive blues. The liner notes (written by Moody's producer, Dave Usher and novelist Frank London Brown) were quite startling. They explicitly mentioned Moody's treatment for alcoholism at Overbrook, not the usual fodder circa 1958 for an African American jazz man. I have read a lot of liner notes over the years, but none like this:

"Jimmy took his first train to Overbrook in April of this year. In talking to him prior to his voluntary commitment, he sounded almost hopelessly drowned in the juice he was hung up with.... Overbrook is a mental institution in Essex County, New Jersey. Behind him stood the clean, quiet buildings of the hospital; behind that stood the awful memory of the alcoholic, sick, confused James Moody of the past...The Last Train From Overbrook is a brief history of how one James Moody, musician wailed....fell...and got up and wailed again."

James Moody (1959) signed by Moody

To his friends and fans, James Moody had no first name, he was just Moody. He was full of life and energy, and he had an indomitable spirit that was infectious. Moody could play alto or tenor saxophone or flute with equal dexterity and proficiency. He was born partially deaf and he had a noticeable lisp or speech impediment. Only Moody didn't think so. He said, "And that's why I sound like I have a lisp. But I don't have a lisp. It's cause I don't hear S's." So he sang "Moody's Mood For Love" at every performance with as much soul and passion as Aretha, or anyone else who ever sang his song.

Cookin’ The Blues (1961) signed by Moody

At Birdland in NYC in the late 1990s after another great performance, Moody was excited when I showed him the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band poster. He grabbed it out of my hands, and took it to show his wife and some friends who were sitting at a nearby table. "Look at me! Look how handsome and young I was!" he exclaimed.  A nineteen year old Miles Davis was in the back row, along with other jazz greats like Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Ray Brown and Cecil Payne. And Dizzy was playing a straight horn, not the bent upright horn which he became famous for later in his career.

Great Day (1964) signed by Moody, Hank Jones

I never asked Moody about his recovery from alcoholism. It seemed unnecessary and intrusive. Every Moody performance was uplifting and imbued with his warmth and generous, welcoming spirit. Moody signed every album "much spiritual love” and he meant and lived every word. Jimmy Heath once said, "He was one of the most giving human beings. Everybody who knew Moody knew he was a beautiful person."

Thanks Moody. Much spiritual love indeed.

Comin’ On Strong (1963) signed by Moody

Mood To Be Wooed (1967) signed by Moody

The Blues And Other Colors (1969) signed by Moody, Kenny Barron

Never Again (1972) signed by Moody

Heritage Hum (1972) signed by Moody

Choice James Moody Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=028UoUkO7zc

“Last Train From Overbrook” Last Train From Overbrook 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe49P8u0nEk

“Moody’s Mood For Love” Live at Montreux 2000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaewAoFmy_4

“Stardust” Moody’s Mood For Love 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0LQjdAnFWM

“One Note Samba” live with Dizzy Gillespie 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwnkrcIn1VE

”Parker’s Mood” live at Carnegie Hall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4hjSJcPf90

Mmm..Hmm” live with Dizzy Gillespie 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW4SMTOOiWk

”Giant Steps” live at IAJE 1987

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i6upMImKn4

”Giant Steps” live with Tito Puente 1993

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8NoQ1Txiv0

”Over The Rainbow” Swedish All Stars Greatest Hits 1993

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liHZA3_w1dk&list=RDEMYCqCslXnlr5k0gkhw-19rg&start_radio=1

”The World Is A Ghetto” Sax & Flute Man 1973

Sax & Flute Man (1973);signed by Moody

Summit Meeting (1975) signed by Moody, Elvin Jones, Clark Terry

James Moody’s Moods (1968) signed by Moody

Something Special (1986) signed by Moody

Tony Bennett and Me...

I have a simple life. I mean, you just give me a drum roll, they announce my name, and I come out and sing. In my job, I have a contract that says I'm a singer. So I sing.
Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett Sings (1971) signed by Tony

Born and raised in Astoria, Queens, Anthony Benedetto (aka Tony Bennett) sang at an early age. He attended New York's School of Industrial Art where he studied music and painting. Tony dropped out at age sixteen to pursue his dream of being a singer, appearing in small restaurants and nightclubs as he learned his craft. Drafted into the Army in November 1944, Tony served as an infantrymen and saw front line combat as the war was ending. Later, he described his war experience as a "front row seat in hell. Anybody who thinks that war is romantic obviously hasn't gone through one."

Publicity Shot 1950s signed by Tony

Tony had his first number one hit, “Because Of You", in 1951 and it sold over one million copies. He followed with a rendition of Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart", which introduced popular music with country music's greatest songwriter. His best known hit "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" was brought to him by his long time pianist, Ralph Sharon, which they debuted at the Venetian Room in San Francisco's fabled Fairmont Hotel in 1961. Tony once said, "That song helped make me a world citizen. It allowed me to live, work and sing in any city on the globe. It changed my whole life." Tony is also an accomplished painter, and his oils sell for $50,000 or more, and can be found in several museums, including the Smithsonian and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

Tony Bennett’s All Time Greatest Hits (1972) signed by Tony

I saw Tony many times over the years at some interesting venues including the Kennedy Center, the 9:30 Club and Blues Alley in Washington, DC. A skilled and nuanced performer, one of his most memorable shows was at Blues Alley, a tiny club with seats for one hundred-fifty patrons in '84/'85. Tony was accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Trio, led by Ralph on piano. The place was packed, and Tony delivered a stirring performance. He opened with “Rags To Riches” and went through his catalog of hits from the Great American Songbook. Tony even sang "Fly Me To The Moon" without a mic, and the crowd was hushed by his riveting performance. You could hear a pin drop.

The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album (1975) signed by Tony

Shortly after the stock market crash in 1987 (a real crash, the S&P 500 was down 22% in one day!), I met Tony at an art gallery opening which was showcasing his beautiful paintings. He signed a couple of albums and I bought a poster which he signed "Benedetto", his family surname. I told Tony how much I enjoyed his Blues Alley performance from a couple years back. How did you pick such a small club? "My kids went to Georgetown and they thought it would be great for me to play such a small venue. That was a great club." He was pensive when he signed the Bill Evans duet album. "Bill was a beautiful player and person. What a terrible loss. I miss him." I couldn't resist, the market had just crashed, he's selling paintings for $50,000. Tony, are you worried about the stock market? "Yes, the crash was awful. And I live in New York, so I'm concerned. I guess I will keep on singing."

Yes. More than thirty years later, Tony Bennett is still singing and painting. Beautifully.

Art Poster signed by Tony Bennett/Benedetto

Choice Tony Bennett Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT5VOnaGRSU

“I Left My Heart In San Francisco” Ed Sullivan Show 1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ82mHBtrc8&list=PLnBE6CMNMLh2CLpu5XIaoNakMbL_0248R&index=3

“The Good Life” I Wanna Be Around 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu8XQq4PS6s

“Yesterday I Heard The Rain” Yesterday I Heard The Rain 1968

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLjXbkSm8B4

“Fly Me To The Moon” live MTV Unplugged 1994

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y22tIJ6toPY

“Rags To Riches” 1953

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OFMkCeP6ok

“Body And Soul” with Amy Winehouse 2006

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyTa_gJkYwI

“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” with Lady Gaga 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqXAmFS8bNs

“Over The Rainbow” Live By Request

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPGqZq-wTes

“Who Can I Turn To?” 1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89FStHEoZA

“I’ll Be Seeing You” 1992

Playin’ With My Friends (2001) signed by Tony

Dizzy Gillespie and Me...

His playing showcases the importance of intelligence. His rhythmic sophistication was unequaled. He was a master of harmony and fascinated with studying it. He took in all the music of his youth, from Roy Eldridge to Duke Ellington, and developed a unique style built on complex rhythm and harmony balanced by wit. Gillespie was so quick-minded, he could create an endless flow of ideas at unusually fast tempo. Nobody had ever even considered playing a trumpet that way, let alone had actually tried. All the musicians respected him because, in addition to outplaying everyone, he knew so much and was so generous with that knowledge...

Wynton Marsalis

The Greatesr Trumpet Of Them All (1958) signed by Dizzy

He told me, “It took me all my life to know what notes not to play."

James Moody

Musically, the most important facet of Dizzy’s playing is not just his rhythm, harmony, chord changes or his technical facility alone. It’s the whole thing. Knowing that horn, he can do anything with it.

Cab Calloway

Diz And Getz (1956 recordings) signed by Dizzy, John Lewis, Max Roach, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis

When we went to a gig, while many of the musicians would go backstage and change, the first thing Diz would do was go to the piano and start playing something. He would try to figure out something he was working on or improve on something he had heard. Diz was a teacher from the standpoint that if he played something and you asked him what it was, he would bring you to the piano and explain it. He knew the importance of the piano. Long ago, while pointing to a piano, he told me, “Moody, this is it, right here.” He felt that if a player knows the piano, then he will know what the trombones are doing, what the trumpets are doing, and what the saxophones are doing, because every instrument is right there on the piano. And he was right; it is there. Many of the great musicians know something about the piano, because, as Diz said, that is where everything is.

James Moody

Dizzy In Paris (1953 10” Vinyl) signed by Dizzy

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was a jazz composer, educator, performer and trumpeter with few if any equals. He and Charlie Parker were the principal architects in moving jazz from swing to bebop, or modern jazz. For his part, Dizzy was modest about his contributions: “People talk about the (Earl) Hines band being 'the incubator of bop' and the leading exponents of that music ended up in the Hines band. But people also have the erroneous impression that the music was new. It was not. The music evolved from what went before. It was the same basic music. The difference was in how you got from here to here to here...naturally, each age has got its own shit." Yes, it was some shit that Gillespie and Parker pursued...and John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins and so many others quickly followed.

Dizzy Gillespie was born in Cheraw, South Carolina, attended the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina on a music scholarship and then moved to Philadelphia when his family relocated there. His first professional gig was The Frank Fairfax Orchestra in 1935, and then Teddy Hill's Orchestra replacing his idol Roy Eldridge in 1937. His big break occurred when he joined the Cab Calloway Orchestra in 1939, and Dizzy was already plotting a new course for his music.

As bassist Milt Hinton observed in his book Playing For Changes, "Diz's music was revolutionary. Even back then he was way ahead of the times. But only a couple of us who had our ears open listened. I knew he'd take music to a new place...Diz's biggest musical problem was that he'd try playing things he couldn't technically handle. I'd often hear him start a solo he just couldn't finish. Whenever that happened, some of the older guys would look at him and make ugly faces. Cab usually showed the same kind of disgust and often scolded Diz at rehearsals or after a performance. He'd say things like, 'Why in the hell can't you play like everyone else? Why d'ya make all those mistakes and have all those funny sounds come outta your horn? Play it like the other guys do!' "

Dizzy and Cab's enmity for each other simmered and finally boiled over in the infamous "spitball" incident in 1941 at the State Theater in Hartford, Connecticut. Cab was angry that Milt Hinton had just blown a bass solo and he saw Dizzy mocking Milt's performance. Just then, a large spitball landed next to Chu Berry, the star saxophonist. Cab was watching from the wings and he became incensed. As Milt wrote, "He never saw who threw it, but in Cab's eyes, Diz was always wrong, so he didn't have to study the situation any further." After the show, words escalated to a slap across Dizzy's face by a much bigger and physically imposing Cab Calloway. Dizzy reached for his knife and sliced Cab ruining his white tux and tails stage outfit. Though Cab's wounds were superficial (he was able to perform the second and third shows!), Dizzy was fired. Many years later, their friendship was mended and Dizzy revealed the real culprit of the "spitball" - fellow trumpeter Jonah Jones, who was sitting next to him.

Dizzy Gillespie Big Band (circa 1946-1948) signed by Ray Brown, James Moody

Upon leaving Cab, the music gods smiled when Dizzy joined the Earl Hines band in late 1941 and he was reunited with the virtuoso alto saxophonist and composer Charlie Parker, whom he had met while sitting in with the Jay McShann Orchestra in 1939. The history of jazz would be forever altered as these two brilliant talents helped usher in bebop, a music of blazing tempos, rapid chord changes and unprecedented improvisation. After a short stint with singer Billy Eckstine's big band, Dizzy started his own big band in 1946, and James Moody, Thelonious Monk, Ray Brown, Kenny Clarke, Miles Davis, John Lewis, and Milt Jackson are just a few of the jazz legends who played in Dizzy's band. As the big band era drew to a close because of economics, Dizzy started a quintet: trumpet, sax, piano, bass and drums which showcased his compositions.

An Electrifying Evening (1961) signed by Dizzy

Dizzy was a noted composer and many of his songs have become jazz standards: "Groovin' High", "Salt Peanuts", "Woody 'n' You", "A Night In Tunisia", "Con Alma." Dizzy also introduced elements of Cuban rhythms in his compositions co-written with noted Cuban congo player Chano Pozo on "Tin Tin Deo" and "Manteca." Through the aegis of the US State Department, Dizzy traveled to many countries as a musical ambassador, and helped discover Arturo Sandoval. Paquito D'Rivera and Chucho Valdes among others. As a propagandist for exquisite jazz, Dizzy was nonpareil.

Despite all his accomplishments as a composer, performer, and mentor, Dizzy is probably best known for two things: his upturned horn and puffy cheeks. The origin of his bent horn is attributed to his wife's birthday party on January 6, 1953, when two dancers, Stump and Stumpy, fell into Dizzy's horn and the bell was bent. Dizzy liked the tone so much from the damaged horn, that his wife, Lorraine, drew a picture of the horn and it was sent to his horn manufacturer, Martin to make a custom horn. Thereafter, Dizzy always appeared with this distinctive horn. His puffy cheeks were also a signature. When playing, Dizzy's cheeks would swell and puff to an almost grotesque size, as if the bellows of a fireplace blower had run amok. As a testament to his legend, a photograph of Dizzy in all his puff glory resides in theMuseum Of Fine Arts in Boston as a gift from photographer Herb Ritts.

One Night In Washington (1955 recordings) signed by Dizzy

I saw Dizzy perform many times through the years, first at the Berklee School of Music in Boston in the late 1970s (Carmen McRae opened for him!), and mostly at smaller venues later in his career, like Blues Alley, a small club in Washington DC in the 1980s and early 1990s. He always had great musicians with him and he was such an affable and engaging performer. I was struck by the speed, skill and ferocity of his trumpet which belied his genial and (almost) goofy stage presence. When Dizzy blew his horn, he was all business.

After a Sunday late show performance at Blues Alley, I snuck backstage to get some vinyl signed. I knocked on the door and Dizzy said "Come in." I cracked the door open, Dizzy was seated and the manager of the club was next to him with a bag of money, counting the week's receipts. I explained, "I don't mean to interrupt...." Dizzy cut me off quickly, all the charm and good nature drained from his visage. "You cannot come in here right now. We have to settle our bill. Please leave and I will deal with you later." "OK, I'm really sorry," I stammered as I withdrew and Dizzy closed the door. In my face. Oops, that wasn't as smooth as I thought it would go. Five or ten minutes later, the door opened, the manager left, and Dizzy welcomed me. All the charm and wit had returned. "Let's see what you got" he said reaching for an album. I apologized again for the intrusion but Dizzy would have none of it. It was time to sign the vinyl. He had been paid, the band had been paid, and there were more shows to play. A showman's life.

Dizzy Gillespie, The Greatest Trumpet Of Them All, just like the vinyl proclaims.

Evolution Of Man by Gary Larsen - Blues Alley fundraiser - signed by Dizzy

Java Man > Peking Man > Cro-Magnon Man > Jazz Man

Choice Dizzy Gillespie Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHQaUNeErVM

"Tin Tin Deo" with Kenny Barron, James Moody live 1966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkemox0461U

"A Night In Tunisia" live 1981

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRG8-LcILq8

"Groovin' High" with Charlie Parker, Max Roach live at Town Hall 1945

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbfg7i6u8-I

"Manteca" with Chano Pozo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjnMXaExUgM

"Con Alma" Live in Denmark 1970

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADyr9Qloy1c

"On The Sunny Side Of The Street" with Sonny Stitt, Ray Brown Live 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT0x84GqdJE

"Woody 'n' You" Have Trumpet, Will Excite 1959 studio

Barry White and Erin...

There’s people making babies to my music, that’s nice

Barry White

Stone Gon’ (1973) signed by Barry

Barry White, soul singer, pianist and songwriter, was reared in the very tough South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles. Barry saw his younger brother die from gang related activities, and he spent time in jail when he was only seventeen for theft - $30,000 in Cadillac tires and hubcaps. Admittedly, that’s a lot of tires and hubcaps! When Barry emerged from jail, he dedicated his life to music. Some life. Some music. He went on to sell over one hundred million records worldwide and is a music icon.

Can’t Get Enough (1974) signed by Barry

I saw him twice and he was an incredible performer. The first show was at the Painters Mill Theater in 1990, an obscure venue in suburban Baltimore (Owings Mills) with seats for maybe fifteen-hundred. Barry had just released The Man Is Back! and he was promoting it as part of a comeback tour. Erin and I took our seats in the fifth row. An orchestra of forty-plus women in silk pajamas made their way to the stage carrying their instruments. Then, Barry White joined them wearing similar garb. It was theater in the round, and the stage began to rotate as the show started. After his opening song, Barry stopped his performance, and requested the stage to stop moving. "I know how to work a crowd" he said curtly. The stage stopped directly in front of us, and he sang all of his hits in his basso profundo voice, and the juke joint was jumpin', and groovin’. Then he sat down at the grand piano and played "Goodnight My Love" so beautifully and lyrically. I was reminded that he started his career as a session pianist and played on Jesse Belvin's original 1956 hit recording of "Goodnight My Love."

Just Another Way To Say I Love You (1978) signed by Barry

After the show, Erin split for the backstage area. For almost all shows (and we've seen thousands), she has been my witting accomplice and much better half. In fact, many artists (not surprisingly) prefer her comely company. As Frank Sinatra taught me years ago, decolletage wins. Always. Along the way, similar lessons were taught by James Brown, Solomon Burke, and Les McCann, but those are stories for another day.

Rhapsody In White (1974) signed by Barry

Erin disappeared with Barry in his dressing room for probably twenty minutes. A very long twenty minutes. When she emerged, she had the albums signed in gold pen. And some stories. She told me that Barry's niece was on the Rhapsody In White album cover near the pool with the slit dress way past her thigh. Nice dress, some niece. Barry wouldn't sign the No Limit On Love album, because he had a dispute with the Scepter record label and they released it without his permission. He was angry. Not the first time an artist had been cheated in royalties and certainly not the last.

No Limit On Love (1974) unsigned

Five years later, we saw Barry again at the Nissan Pavilion, a much larger venue in Virginia. He had a similar orchestra of young women in silk pajamas. But this time, Barry upped the ante. During "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe", two twelve foot martini glasses were rolled out from backstage, and two scantily clad dancers were ensconced in the glasses. There were twenty-five thousand fans writhing to his pulsating groove. Yes Barry, I am sure they were making babies that night. The man is back indeed!

Nobody lived larger than Barry White, or sang deeper and better.

Choice Barry White Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIJJAU2YAPU

“Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” Can’t Get Enough 1974

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SA6yZON8ufQ

“Bring Back My Yesterday” I’ve Got So Much To Give 1972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5zP7eQltDE

“Never Gonna Give You Up” live 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Hw6yAaeBw

“Love’s Theme” live Mexico City 1976

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ftG9-U2sSwA

“Honey Please, Can’t Ya See” Stone Gon’ 1973

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SA6yZON8ufQ

“You’re My First, My Last, My Everything” live with Pavarotti

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LLOWYAzs9GI

“Been All Around The World” with Lisa Stansfield

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UFIxFOWINjg

“I’ve Found Someone” I’ve Got So Much To Give 1972

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u7XsYIgL-G4

“Oh What A Night For Dancing”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8ONubQ0SI4k

“Just The Way You Are” live with Liane Foly

Our tickets to Barry White shows. $25 to see Barry in 1990, 5th row center. What’s better than that?

Doc Severinsen, Nudie and Me...

Music and the arts are not just something to make people feel good. They elevate the soul and broaden the entire personality.

Doc Severinsen

Big Bags (1962) signed by Doc, Milt Jackson,, James Moody, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, Hank Jones, Jerome Richardson, Willie Ruff, Clark Terry

My first night on the show, I thought “Wow. What am I going to wear?" So I was walking down a street in New York, and passed a place that sold ties. And they had some really wild ties. And (I) wore one on the show that night. And I come out, and it was like throwing raw meat to a lion. He just went right for it. And I would come out every night in something that was pretty far out. And after I had been on the show for a lot of years, one night I just said “Aw, the heck with it. I am just going to wear a blue suit tonight." Well, I gave a cutoff to the band, and went up to my dressing room, and there was an immediate message from Johnny: “What in the hell was wrong with your outfit tonight?" And it never happened again.

Doc Severinsen

Command Performances (1966) signed by Doc Severinsen

Desperation. I was always afraid that if I didn’t succeed, I’d have to go back to eastern Oregon and do what I was doing in the first place. That was working in a gas station.

Doc Severinsen on motivation

The Great Arrival (1968) signed by Doc

When Doc asked if I would write a few words to accompany this album, Doc Severinsen, The Great Arrival, he was somewhat embarrassed about the title. I think the word “Great” underlined bothered him. And Doc wasn’t being coy about it… he’s that kind of guy. But the title is not undeserved. Doc is great in every sense of the word. I often wonder how anyone can have such absolute control over his instrument. One of my joys each night is being able to listen to the Tonight Show band, and notice the mutual respect between Doc and the rest of the musicians. The album speaks for itself, Doc Severinsen is great.

Johnny Carson

The Great Arrival back cover

Carl "Doc' Severinsen, a great trumpeter and entertainer, was the leader of the Tonight Show Orchestra for twenty-five years until Johnny Carson retired in 1992. He is best known for his breezy, affable stage presence, while serving as a comic foil to Johnny Carsons' acerbic wit. Doc also wore the most flamboyant stage clothes, particularly in the 1970s. Tom Waits may have been peeking in Doc's closet when he sang about "a serious seersucker Saturday evening cranberry accoutrement ensemble" or "danger high voltage slacks." No outfit was too loud or garish for Doc to wear.

Doc Severinsen’s Closet (1970) signed by Doc

 At his core, Doc is a really skilled trumpet player with serious jazz bona fides. He had some terrific players in the Tonight Show band over the years, including top jazz artists like Clark Terry, Herb Ellis, Shelly Manne, Louis Bellson, and Snooky Young. Although Johnny Carson was a huge jazz fan and tried to showcase the band, Doc's talents were often obscured by his crazy outfits. It is hard to take someone seriously when they're dressed like a clown. Ask Bjork.

Shortly after Johnny retired, I saw Doc perform with Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio at the Theater Lab in the Kennedy Center in Wasington, DC. The Theater Lab is a very small space with seats for 100-150. Dr. Taylor served as MC and accompanist, and there was no one more erudite or thoughtful an ambassador to jazz. Billy was the house pianist at Birdland in NYC in the 1950s, and played with jazz luminaries like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, et al. An adept and virtuoso pianist, Billy was also a wonderful storyteller.

Unplugged with the Billy Taylor Trio, Doc was revelatory, as he had serious jazz chops. Doc's discography provided little hint of his depth of talent and craft. Usually drenched in saccharine strings and playing the hits of the day, Doc's records seemed little more than elevator or lounge music. Does anyone really need to hear Doc play King Crimson or the Beach Boys?

Trumpets, Crumpets, & Things (1973) signed by Doc

 After the show, I went backstage to talk with Doc and get some albums signed. He was particularly interested in the Milt Jackson's "Big Bags Orchestra", recorded in 1962. Doc had recently joined the Tonight Show band, and this was a chance to play with some jazz greats and peers like Milt Jackson, Jimmy Heath, Hank Jones and his great friend Clark Terry. He told me that Clark got him the gig.

I told Doc that I loved his beautiful suit - black leather with patches of leopard print tastefully appointed on the collar, sleeves, jacket pockets and piping on his slacks. It seemed rather western in motif. "‘Is it a Nudie?’ I asked (after the famed Elvis jumpsuit and Gram Parsons' weed jacket designer). "Nudie? This is Versace", Doc sniffed derisively. Yes, of course, nothing screams haute couture like leopard print and black leather!

Nudie Cohn with Gram Parsons

Elvis jumpsuit designed by Nudie Cohn

Doc Severinsen, a very talented and underrated jazz musician, regardless of his wardrobe.

Choice Doc Severinsen Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCvvRR0mIIg

“Ode To Billie Joe” Tonight Show Band 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xlxIVZ0FrY

“The Court Of The Crimson King” Doc Severinsen’s Closet 1970

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76xiL8b-ma8

“I’ve Gotta Be Me” Tonight Show Band 1969

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIwpNqv1Ko

“Wave” Doc plays Jobim! 1968

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxpyTg6-8Ls

”Up Up And Away” Trumpets, Crumpets and Things 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJqQ0vJJWhA

”Old Man River” Tonight Show Band 1972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLxL0TQ0nyY

“Last Tango In Paris” Tonight Show Band 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDjYGZmPQ7k

”Abbey Road Medley” Doc plays The Beatles! 1970

Brass On Ivory (1972) signed by Doc

Jimmy Smith and Me...

People always ask me about this sound. This probably is best explained in my approach to the organ. While others think of the organ as a full orchestra, I think of it as a horn. I've always been an admirer of Charlie Parker. . .and I try to sound like him. I wanted that single-line sound like a trumpet, a tenor or an alto saxophone.

Jimmy Smith

Home Cookin’ (1959) Signed by Jimmy, Kenny Burrell

Kate’s Home Cooking, 126th Street near the Apollo Theater

photo: Francis Wolff design: Reid Miles

The Hammond has body. It's got depth -- and resonance. It's got clarity and quality, and you can feel it. It's not so much that you can hear it. It's the feeling that's important. You see, it's like a drummer. You don't want to hear him. You want to feel him. You can have the best drummer in the world, but if he's too loud, he's out of place. With the Hammond, you feel it in your bones.

                Jimmy Smith 

Crazy! Baby (1960) signed by Jimmy

model: Marion Barker car: Jaguar

Jimmy Smith, the father of the Hammond B3 in jazz, influenced many players including Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott, Charles Earland, and Richard “Groove’ Holmes, all hailing from Philadelphia, the capitol of the Hammond B3 for sure. While there were jazz organists who preceded Jimmy, no one was as important. Kenny Burrell, guitar slinger and long time collaborator, said, "He had a real genius. If you think about the jazz greats on instruments -- Miles, Charlie Parker and Coltrane, Jimmy was in that league. There were jazz organists before him, but he put it on a level with those jazz greats."

Midnight Special (1961) signed by Jimmy, Kenny Burrell, Stanley Turrentine

Jimmy started playing piano as a child and fell in love with the sounds of the mighty Hammond in the early 1950s: "I was playing piano in small bands around Philadelphia and was so impressed with the incredible number and variety of sounds you can get with the Hammond that I couldn't rest until I had my own." So Jimmy bought one, moved it to a warehouse and began to learn everything about his instrument and woodshed in exile. When he emerged one year later, he transformed the Hammond organ with his extraordinary range, and his sounds were drenched in blues, grooves and soul.

Bashin’ The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith ((1961) signed by Jimmy

The Hammond B3 uses a Leslie woofer (usually housed in a beautiful wood cabinet) that makes a distinctive whooshing flutter. Most Hammond B3 players use the foot pedals to supply the bass lines, so an electric Fender bass, or acoustic upright bass is unnecessary. There is no thicker, greasier, soulful music than a Hammond B3 cranked up, Leslie woofer whirring away in the hands of a master like Jimmy Smith or Jimmy McGriff. There is no finer sound in Jazz, Soul or Blues. In the immortal words of Parliament-Funkadelic maestro George Clinton (said in a different context), "It is one nation under a groove."

Prayer Meetin’ (1963) signed by Jimmy, Stanley Turrentine

Jimmy was a prolific recording artist who released more than ninety albums during his career, including thirty five with Blue Note. He jammed with some of the most important jazz artists, including Art Blakey, Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson, Jackie McLean, Wes Montgomery and Stanley Turrentine. And his influence extends far beyond jazz. B.B. King, Dr. John and Etta James recorded with him late in his career, and Quincy Jones, acclaimed producer/arranger and an old friend, enlisted Jimmy to perform a solo on Michael Jackson's zillion selling hit single "Bad." As hip hop artists discovered his virtuosity and funky, dope beats, Jimmy was sampled by the Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Drake and Thievery Corporation, so his influence transcends genres and generations.

Blue Bash! (1963) signed by Jimmy, Kenny Burrell

I saw him many times at clubs in New York City and he always had a great band. In 2001, he was playing at The Iridium in New York City and showcasing his recent release Dot Com Blues. At the show, Jimmy was reunited with guitarist Russell Malone who started his impressive career with Jimmy in 1988, before his stints with Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall. The quartet was sizzling and Jimmy was playing tracks from this album like "8 Counts For Rita", "C.C. Rider" and Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo."

The Dynamic Duo (1966) signed by Jimmy, Ray Barretto

After the show, I noticed Paul Shaffer, bandleader and organist of the David Letterman Show, had come by to pay his respects to the master of the Hammond B3. While Paul asked for Jimmy's absolution, I was waiting my turn and started chatting with Russell Malone. I told Russell how much I loved his noodle of "Wildwood Flower" which he dropped in as a break between songs. Russell smiled knowingly, "You must be a guitar player." "No, I don't play guitar, but I am a big Mother Maybelle Carter fan," I replied. Russell looked at me quizzically, not quite comprehending the incongruity of the Carter Family and country music matriarch Mother Maybelle with Jimmy's soulful jazz grease. It made perfect sense to me, after all, Russell was playing her song!

Livin’ It Up (1968) signed by Jimmy, Tom Scott

As expansive as Jimmy was exploring sounds while performing, he was gruff and diffident off stage. Each time I met him, he signed the records, said a perfunctory "Thanks", and ushered me out of his dressing room. Quickly. He seemed dismissive and disinterested which is perhaps as it should be. I took no offense and harbored no resentment, a genius and giant of Jazz need not trifle with me, a mere mortal and dilettante.

Off The Top (1983) signed by Jimmy, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, Stanley Turrentine

In a 1964 promotional pamphlet for the Hammond Organ Company, Jimmy wrote: "Ever since I was a child, I wanted to play the better type of music, even classics. I haven't done anything like that, but I'm going to. I'm going to scare a lot of people with the incredible number of tones on the Hammond Organ before I die." And that's exactly what he did, he scared lots of people with his artistry and creativity.

Fourmost (1991) signed by Jimmy, Kenny Burrell, Grady Tate, Stanley Turrentine

Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1964) signed by Jimmy

Jimmy Smith, a bad motherf&*$er on and off stage.

Christmas Cookin’ (1964) signed by Jimmy

Choice Jimmy Smith Cuts (per BK's request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHSptoZyDik

"Let's Stay Together" - Root Down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_m-gyi5Fno

"Midnight Special"  - Live with Mark Whitfield, guitar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqSLoxwkCYE

"The Sermon" - Live, 1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaUCSAEToaQ

"The Jumpin' Blues" - Live with Kenny Burrell and Stanley Turrentine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkLbjHnhA8Y

"The Organ Grinder's Swing" - Live with Kenny Burrell, Grady Tate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwk1saoGTC0

"Back At The Chicken Shack"

Swings Along With Stranger In Paradise (1966) front cover

Swings Along With Stranger In Paradise (1966) back cover signed by Jimmy

Eartha Kitt and Me... →

We're all rejected people, we know what it is to be refused, we know what it is to be oppressed, depressed, and then, accused, and I am very much cognizant of that feeling. Nothing in the world is more painful than rejection.
Eartha Kitt

That Bad Eartha (1953) signed by Eartha

A man has always wanted to lay me down but he never wanted to pick me up.

Eartha Kitt

Santa Baby (1953) signed by Eartha

An actor, chanteuse, and performer, I saw Eartha Kitt for the first time in the mid 1980s at the Paramount Hotel's Supper Club in New York City. A red velvet chaise lounge was placed in the center of the stage. No mere prop or an affectation, Eartha was draped languorously on the chaise, and she sang some of her best known songs: "C'est Si Bon" in French, "Uska Dara" in Turkish, "I Want To Be Evil" in English, and "Angelitos Negros" in Spanish. Fluent in four languages, she sang in seven, and Eartha seduced the entire audience, male and female, with her sensuous, provocative and sultry stage presence.

At The Plaza (1965) signed by Eartha

She lived an incredible life. Born on a plantation in South Carolina, Eartha became a dancer with Katherine Dunham in New York City in 1943, performed on Broadway in the 1950s, had six Top 40 hits, and played Cat Woman on the popular Bat Man TV series in 1967. Her career was abruptly derailed by her comments at a White House luncheon in 1968. When Lady Bird Johnson asked her about the Vietnam War, Kitt replied, "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take pot." She spent the next ten years performing mostly in Europe and Asia. Evidently the Black List didn't end with Senator Joe McCarthy in the 1950s, nor did it begin with James Spader In 2013.

Eartha Kitt Revisited (1960) signed by Eartha

In the early 1990s, I saw her perform another riveting show at Blues Alley in Washington, DC and met with her backstage. I handed her some albums to sign and I told her how beautiful she looked on Revisited. Eartha replied, “You know that white dress was one of my favorites. I had a three week engagement at “The Talk Of The Town” in London, and I wore it every night. Of course, I sent the dress to the cleaners each day to keep it fresh. On the last night, my straps broke! That was quite a show,” she laughed. I told her how I wished I were there. She smiled demurely and thought I was kidding. I was not. I was hoping that her straps would break that night and every subsequent night. And I wasn't alone, Eartha was mesmerizing and smoldering well into her seventies.

I Love Men (1984) signed by Eartha

She once said, "I do not have an act. I just do Eartha Kitt....I want to be whoever Eartha Kitt is until the gods take me wherever they take me." She was the original Material Girl, except she had real talent.

Thursday’s Child (1956) signed by Eartha

Choice Eartha Kitt Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS02GeKuWQ4

“I Want To Be Evil”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCGBqZm6Etk

“C’est Si Bon”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knRnnTpxI-w

“Usku Dara” 1953

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c7nbhueAac

“I Love Men” 1984

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atZS2PNi0pU

“Where Is My Man” 1984

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g81O70Lo4Dw

“Thursday’s Child” 1956

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68sT1xHO_6A

“I Wantcha Around” 1955

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeRSqekHh1g

“Just An Old Fashioned Girl” 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWRK8YCkpMg

“All By Myself” Live In London 1990

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDS5RAaCl3U

“Santa Baby” 1953

The Best Of All Possible Worlds (1972) signed by Eartha

Where Is My Man (1982) signed by Eartha

Ray Price and Me...

A great American country music singer, Ray Price was born in Perryville, Texas in 1926. When his parents divorced, Ray moved to Dallas with his mother when he was three. Blessed with a mellifluous baritone, Ray started singing honky tonk songs at an early age, and he relocated to Nashville in the early 1950s to pursue his career. Ray was a roommate of the great Hank Williams for a brief time, and they co-wrote "Weary Blues From Waiting", an enduring country standard for which Ray did not get a writing credit as he was signed to a competing label. When Hank died suddenly on New Year's Day in 1953, Ray managed Hank Williams' band, The Drifting Cowboys, with little success. No one replaces Hank Williams. Ever.

Hank ‘n’ Me (1976) signed by Ray

Shortly thereafter, Ray started his own band, the Cherokee Cowboys, and he gave Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Roger Miller and others their professional starts in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Willie Nelson wrote "Night Life" in 1960 (which he sold for $150!), and it became one of Ray's biggest hits and has been covered by everyone from B.B. King to Frank Sinatra. Ray was very influential in Nashville, helping younger, (then) unproven songwriters like Willie, Roger Miller and Kris Kristofferson find major audiences with his hit versions of their songs. His 4/4 phrasing with a walking bass line became so well known it was called the “Ray Price Shuffle.” It has become the honky tonk singer's standard meter and phrasing. He also pushed Country music into lush orchestral arrangements with songs like "Danny Boy" and "For The Good Times", which reached #1 on Country charts and #11 on Pop charts and sold over 11 million copies in 1970, a rare crossover hit.

Night Life (1963) signed by Ray

In 2000, I saw Ray perform at the Bottom Line, a small though storied club in NYC with seats for five-hundred. This was Ray's first performance in New York City in almost forty years, and he was in surprisingly great shape vocally. His smooth and soulful baritone was intact, and he had a great band playing with him. He sang many of his hits, "Heartaches By The Numbers", "City Lights", "Release Me" , "For The Good Times", and some newer material including a tender and heartfelt "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again." Don’t we all!

For The Good Times (1970) signed by Ray

As the show ended, the house lights came on, and I slipped backstage to get some albums signed. As I made my way, just to the left of the stage in the dark, stood a solitary man. Ray Price. I almost ran over him in my haste. He looked so timid and uncertain in the shadows. The supreme confidence that he exuded onstage minutes earlier had vanished. Ray was alone in his solitude. He trembled a bit as he reached for the albums. His eyes were watery and worn. I told him how much I enjoyed his concert and how great it was to have him back in New York City. He smiled wanly and said, "Thank you very much." He was so polite and gracious, ever the courtly, southern gentleman.

San Antonio Rose (1980) signed by Ray, Willie Nelson

Ray came back to perform in NYC one last time in 2009, when he was touring with Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson in support of their release Last Of The Breed, a great collection of country standards, weepers, and grim reapers. When the tour concluded, Merle Haggard said of Ray: 'That old man gave us a goddamn singing lesson.' He really did. He just sang so good. He sat there with the mic against his chest. And me and Willie are all over the microphone trying to find it, and he found it."

Ray Price’s Greatest Hits (1961) signed by Ray

Ray Price is a singer's singer. Country or otherwise.

The Same Old Me (1966) signed by Ray

Choice Ray Price Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUp7esRpjEE

“For The Good Times” live 1972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVG0-m9eYCQ

“Heartaches By The Number” Greatest Hits 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjvV37t5UIU

“Night Life” Night Life 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESeyLLz82mE

“Faded Love” San Antonio Rose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4CG5BC0qR8

“City Lights” live 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TWT0tQO3LA

“I Wish I Was 18 Again” live 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5dI42j36Us

“I’m Still Not Over You” With Willie Nelson 1981

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZO0rl0MNA4

“Is Anybody Going To San Antone? The Heart Of Country Music 1987

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE_UIYV7ayM

“Mansion On The Hill” Tribute to Hank Williams 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9EGDx1LCF0

“Born To Lose” The Other Woman 1965

Another Bridge To Burn (1966) signed by Ray

Born To Lose (1967) signed by Ray

Lee Konitz, Elvis Costello and Me... →

It was 100 percent music. There was no ego involved, no attitudes, no black and white. It was pure music.

               Lee Konitz

Lee Konitz With Warne Marsh (1955) signed by Lee

That’s my way of preparation—to not be prepared. And that takes a lot of preparation!

Lee Konitz

Very Cool (1958) signed by Lee

Born in Chicago, Lee Konitz is a great jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He began playing in big bands, and in 1946, Lee joined a small combo with the very influential though obscure pianist Lennie Tristano. Lee also participated in the seminal Miles Davis recording, The Birth Of The Cool (1950), which influenced many jazz musicians including Art Pepper, Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond. In his nineties, Lee continues to record and tour, and some of his later music has been the most challenging in his formidable oeuvre.

Motion (1961) signed by Lee

Duets (1967) signed by Lee, Dick Katz, Eddie Gomez, Jim Hall, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson

 A great artist with compelling sidemen, I have seen Lee perform many times over the years. For his 76th birthday, The Iridium in New York City staged a week long celebration. Lee was accompanied by three superb musicians: Bill Frisell on guitar, Gary Peacock on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums. For one night only (Lee's birthday), Elvis Costello was scheduled to sit in with these jazz greats. Elvis, a noted musicologist and sometime misanthrope, had enlisted Lee to play a solo on his (then) recently released North album (2003), and Elvis wanted to repay the favor by sitting in with Lee and his band for a very rare club engagement. 

Stereo Konitz (1968) signed by Lee

I bought four tickets, and Erin and I took a client to the show. The Iridium, a small jazz club in a basement near Times Square, has seats for maybe 125 people. Unlike other Iridium shows, this show was sold out with a long line of eager fans snaking from the club entrance and down the street. Many of the patrons, I surmised, had never been to a jazz show. They came to see Elvis Costello. Only Elvis.

The excitement was palpable as Lee and his band took the stage. The quartet started to play 'free', which meant each player was playing their own melodies, some discordant, some beautiful, and their solos went in meandering ways. This was not the song structure of typical jazz standards - verse-chorus-verse. This was avant garde. The first song, really a suite, lasted forty-five minutes with impeccable and virtuoso playing. The song finished, Lee introduced his band, then they began to play the second song, a similarly rambling excursion into space and improvisation which lasted thirty additional minutes. Lee then left the stage to a smattering of applause and bewilderment.

Oleo (1975) signed by Lee

“Where's Elvis?”  “ What the fuck was that?”  “I want my money back!”  These were some of the nicer comments which we heard. In the back of the club, a scuffle broke out. Obviously, there were some very disappointed Elvis fans. The crowd was becoming angry, unruly, and about to disintegrate. My wife helped defuse the fraying situation, as she spoke with the manager, and said, "You have to make an announcement before a riot breaks out. You need to offer refunds to placate this crowd." The manager agreed. He sheepishly told the crowd that Elvis was unable to perform, and he would offer refunds. A long line formed immediately.

Chicago (1975) signed by Lee

A year or so later, we saw Lee perform again with a nonet (nine pieces), similar to the band he played with Miles Davis all those years ago on The Birth Of The Cool. Lee was very kind and gracious as he signed a bunch of albums. I asked him about the Iridium show, what happened with Elvis? "That was a strange show. At the soundcheck, Gary (Peacock) said he wouldn't play with Elvis. He considered Elvis a pop star, and it was beneath him. So Elvis left during the soundcheck and never came back." I told Lee the show was great. Why did you play free? "I don't know, we just did. It was the only night we played free the entire week we were there." As checkered and spotty as Elvis' reputation is, it was nice to hear that he was undone by a too proud Peacock, and not his own boorishness.

Ideal Scene (1986) signed by Lee, Rufus Reid

Choice Lee Konitz Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOUHKk73KgY

“How Deep Is The Ocean?” Live in Copenhagen with Bill Evans 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsknMTc__J8

“Subconscious-Lee” Lee Konitz 1950

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRU6qiDtrb0&list=PLvxWibFr0wiIXGPVScN9yQmogGyXhprPX

“Alone Together” with Charlie Haden, Brad Mehldau 1996

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4FgjE5LzbE

“Stella By Starlight” with Chick Corea 1981

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEJOAbr5irE

“These Foolish Things” The New Tristano 1956

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIyz_jSO_4k

“I Remember You” Motion 1961

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzshls9ftd8

“Donna Lee” With Warne Marsh 1955

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Np3pGeHCGs&list=PLvxWibFr0wiLVlOvC7ydnzKuR4Xojec-h

“Stairway To The Stars” Very Cool 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n7vO7niThk

“Blues In A Flat” live with Misha Mengelberg 2001

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkkqEnpwOdo&list=PLf0gIRuu5uFJIRg1ahCR5_9ZWiRocNrzO

“Someone Took My Words Away” North 2003

All The Things We Are (1975) signed by Lee, Dave Brubeck, Roy Haynes

Lee Konitz In Rio (1989) signed by Lee

The Trombone, Curtis Fuller and Me... →

I grew up in an orphanage in Detroit. As I got older, I was put in a boy's home in Inkster... I started playing trombone at Dwyer Elementary school. Back then, I was trying to play the violin, and a teacher told me, stop it. She said you guys (blacks) don't play that. The irony is we still don't. You know, the brothers got to have a beat. In those days, some music teachers were still hostile towards jazz. If they caught you trying to play some Charlie Parker licks, they would kick you out of class.

Curtis Fuller on his humble beginnings

Machito: With Flute To Boot (1958) signed by Curtis, Johnny Griffin, Herbie Mann

He's definitely one of the biggest influences on me. He has a lot of technique for sure; he plays fast. For trombone, you're always wondering how cats can do that, since it's usually seen as a limited instrument in terms of velocity and intensity. He was one of the people that proved you can get around the horn well, and because he was on so many recordings, he was one of the people that put the sound of the trombone in people's ears. In terms of people putting a band together, what kind of instrumentation they're going to use.

trombonist Robin Eubanks on 'bone master Curtis Fuller

Blue Mitchell: Big 6 (1958) signed by Curtis, Johnny Griffin

Meeting Trane was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. It was Miles Davis who took me to New York, and Coltrane was in the band, as well as Paul Chambers, Philly Jo Jones. Trane took me aside, and, of course, we did Blue Train, which was my first album—and that started everything. He had confidence that I didn’t have; he saw something that I didn’t see. A great man. Yes, he had a very spiritual quality—I wish God would reach down and touch me the same way one day. He tried to steer me the right way, but I was a little reckless; I didn’t comprehend at the time—I was still chasing girls, and the whole bit. Trane was giving me a message; unfortunately, I didn’t get it fast enough.

Curtis Fuller

The Curtis Fuller Jazztet (1959) signed by Curtis, Benny Golson

John (Coltrane) was taking music another direction. You know, it wasn't just rhythm changes anymore, it was completely different. I made a comment on a record date: 'John, you put this music on us on a moment's notice. We got three hours to rehearse this music and we're gonna record?' And that became the title of the song, he wrote "Moment's Notice." It wasn't trombone-friendly at the time, and I walked up to him and told him once 'John, I'm uncomfortable, you know.' He said, 'Oh, you played it. I heard you, the way you played it.

Curtis Fuller

The Other Side (1958) signed by Curtis, Benny Golson, Barry Harris

A lot of people don't understand my interpretation of freedom in playing. It takes intelligence to play freedom. Too many people talking freedom know nothing about their instruments. It takes a person who has studied harmony, who really knows all about chord changes, to know what to play and what not to play. It's a matter of knowing what the rules are first, so you can break them and still be there. Like Coltrane, sort of be there and not be there.

Curtis Fuller, liner notes,Crankin' (1973)

Groovin’ With Golson (1959) signed by Curtis,Benny, Ray Bryant

Born in Detroit, Curtis Fuller was raised in an orphanage when his Jamaican-born parents died when he was a child. Notwithstanding this unenviable beginning, Curtis became an influential jazz trombonist, arranger and composer during an enduring sixty year performing and recording career. He released over thirty albums as a leader, and appeared on hundreds more vinyl as a side man with Count Basie, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson and Bud Powell, among many others. Curtis' introduction to the trombone happened while he was still in the orphanage when a nun took him to see the great Illinois Jacquet band with trombonist extraordinaire J.J. Johnson. Curtis described his concert experience: "There was something intellectual about the way he stood there; he was involved with the music. Illinois was involved with crowd-pleasing things: bitin' the reed and screamin' and layin' on his back. And J.J. just stood there and played the music. That to me showed such dignity. J.J. just seemed like he was the man, and I thought gee, that's what I want to do."

Crankin’ (1973) signed by Curtis, George Cables, Lenny White, Stanley Clarke

In the 1940s and 1950s, Detroit was a thriving jazz scene which afforded an indelible impression and experience. Not only did Curtis go to high school with bassist Paul Chambers and trumpeter Donald Byrd, he was also exposed to other Detroit jazz legends Kenny Burrell, Tommy Flanagan, Milt Jackson, Hank Jones, Thad Jones, and Yusef Lateef. Curtis recalled his early gigs, "The first was Kenny Burrell, he gave me my first job at Klein's Showbox in 1955...he had Pepper Adams in the band, Tommy Flanagan. After Kenny left to go with Oscar Peterson, Pepper Adams and I started the Bone and Baritone band." They got additional exposure from an unlikely source, their appearances on Soupy Sales' television show in Detroit: "He was very good to jazz—that brought the Bone and Baritone to prominence. We used to play all Thad Jones shit. (Baritone saxophonist) Pepper Adams, he literally made me play all that old hard shit," Curtis ruefully recounted. And Curtis began to develop his own sound as Miles Davis and others had wisely counseled, "I was told coming up by Miles and everybody, 'Get off of J.J., don't play his shit, play your own shit.' " Words and truth from one master musician to another.

Jazz For The Thinker (1957) signed by Curtis, Louis Hayes

After moving to New York City, Curtis recorded Jazz For The Thinker in 1957, an album of five original Yusef Lateef compositions, with other transplanted Detroiters, drummer Louis Hayes, pianist Hugh Lawson, and multi-instrumentalist Lateef. Then John Coltrane came calling. They recorded the brilliant Blue Train which marked the only time Coltrane recorded with trombone and is Coltrane's sole recording as a leader for the Blue Note label. The opening bars to the title track showcase the magnificent trombone of Curtis, an earthy growl stunning in its simplicity and soul which sets the tone for the ten-minute blues which follows. It is a masterpiece, and John Coltrane cited it as his own favorite recording in a 1960 interview. More studio work followed for Curtis and then a two year stint with The Jazztet, featuring the formidable front line of Art Farmer on trumpet, Benny Golson on tenor saxophone, and Fuller on trombone. Their initial recording, Meet The Jazztet, also marked the recording debut of McCoy Tyner, a twenty-one year old piano wunderkind. 

Meet The Jazztet (1960) signed by Curtis, Benny, Art Farmer, McCoy Tyner

Art Blakey was next to enlist Curtis in 1961 as he joined Art's Jazz Messengers, and they would record eleven albums over the next four years. Curtis remembered, "I ran into him all the time. He was always there checking, because Lee Morgan had put the bug in his ear. Miles, everybody had told him, J.J., everybody ...He just came to me one night, 'I want you in the band...You got any music? Tell me you write. Write a song, we're going into the studio next week.' Art gave me the chance; that was Art." The song Curtis wrote,"A La Mode", was the first track on Jazz Messengers!!!! and the only original song on the 1961 album along with the jazz standards "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You", "I Hear A Rhapsody" and "You Don't Know What Love Is." "A La Mode" would remain a featured song and staple in the Jazz Messenger songbook until Art's death in 1990.

Ugetsu (1963) signed by Curtis, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, Reggie Workman

As Curtis' reputation and skills grew, he was solicited by Trummy Young to replace him as Louis Armstrong's trombonist in 1964. After twelve years on the road with the Armstrong band, Trummy decided to leave and become a Jehovah's Witnesses' priest in Hawaii. It was not entirely a bad decision, there are probably worse places to proselytize than in Hawaii! Curtis explained, "Trummy told me he got $1,500 a week. I started spending the money in my mind. Those were the early days. If you had $300 or $400 a week, you thought you were rich. Trummy was a mainstay with the group, and he was telling Pops about me — I got a little man, you gotta hear him. He took me to rehearse for him, and I heard Pops talking, and he said, 'Nah, too much bebop. I don't like that stuff.' I started crying. Louis Armstrong, my hero, didn't like me. My whole world crashed down on me. But he didn't like Dizzy (Gillespie), either, so I don't feel bad." No, Louis Armstrong's loss was bebop's gain!

A Long Drink Of The Blues (1961) signed by Jackie McLean, Louis Hayes, Curtis Fuller

The first time Erin and I saw Curtis, he was performing with a reunited Jazztet in 1985, with Art Farmer on trumpet and Benny Golson on tenor saxophone, at Charlie's Georgetown in Washington, DC, an elegant supper club named after guitarist Charlie Byrd. Curtis and The Jazztet played an exquisite set, flawlessly executed including "Along Came Betty", "Killer Joe", and "I Remember Clifford", a beautiful, elegiac ballad written by Golson as a tribute to Clifford Brown, a trumpet prodigy whose life was cut short tragically at age twenty-five in a car accident.(Interestingly, the only known live footage that exists of Clifford Brown comes from a Soupy Sales episode, circa 1953/54!). After the show, Curtis was quiet and humble as he signed some vinyl. 

Back To The City (1986) signed by Curtis, Benny Golson,, Art Farmer

Over the next twenty-five years, I saw Curtis many times at jazz clubs in New York City, and I was always struck by how large a sound came from a rather diminutive man. In his capable hands, the trombone slide glided effortlessly and his tone could be as lyrical and lovely on ballads as it was guttural and gruff on blues. One night after a gig at the Jazz Standard, I asked him where he lived, he seemed to be such a regular in New York City clubs. "I live in a small town in Massachusetts, Millbury, you've probably never heard of it," came his response. 'Oh, I knew it very well,' I told him, 'my mother was born there and my cousins still live there.' Curtis seemed as surprised as I was at our common bond. "It's really beautiful there and quiet, far away from New York City, which I like and need," he added with a smile. Yes, I didn't think that many of his neighbors knew that they lived next door to a bebop jazz giant, and he probably reveled in the anonymity. 'You know, my Mom loves John Coltrane. She always asks me to make her mixtapes,' I confided. "Well, I love John Coltrane too," Curtis said with a laugh. As he signed more vinyl, I thanked him for his generosity and his music. He signed most albums “Peace + Love” and you could tell that he meant it.

The Magnificent Trombone Of Curtis Fuller (1961) signed by Curtis

In a recent interview, Curtis revealed, "God took my parents, but He gave me a wonderful musical life and He breathed life into my soul. The other day, I was sitting at home looking out at the lake thinking about how blessed I am." A beautiful sentiment filled with gratitude from a beautiful man. Thank you Curtis, for breathing life through your music into all of our souls. I guess there must be something in the water in Millbury.

Soul Trombone (1962) signed by Curtis, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Cobb

Jazz Is A Kick (1961) signed by Curtis, Bob Brookmeyer, Hank Jones

Cedar’s Blues (1985) signed by Curtis, Cedar, Billy Higgins, David Williams

Real Time (1986) signed by Curtis, Benny Golson, Art Farmer

Choice Curtis Fuller Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1GrP6thz-k

"Blue Train"  Blue Train  John Coltrane  1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZQpxZ9cG-Y

"Killer Joe"  Meet The Jazztet  1960

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGgAjdK1bHA

"Autumn Leaves  with Zoot Sims, Tommy Flanagan  1961

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw-C3ROp-Rg

"Blues March" Live in 1982 with Art Blakey, Benny Golson, a young Wynton Marsalis, and a younger Terence Blanchard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVUigIHWq54

"A La Mode"  Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers  1961

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcRfhuNdGAQ

"Stormy Weather" Curtis with Red Garland on piano  1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx6BtLlzHJo

"In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning"  Soul Trombone  1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wJDuimYf_A

"The Clan"  Soul Trombone  1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41v2TrZf7JM

"It's Allright With Me"  The Curtis Fuller Jazztet  1959

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87fQ8iW2ztI

"Cantaloupe Island"  Up Jumped Spring  2003

Bonus Cut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iuP3CfFZDQ

"Oh Lady Be Good"  The great Clifford Brown on Soupy Sales TV show circa 1953-54

Nice People (1988) signed by Curtis, Jimmy, Percy and Albert Tootie Heath, Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, Clark Terry, Cedar Walton

Ahmad Jamal and Me...

We had to send for them mail order. I did all my collecting in my formative years, which would have been in the ’40s and ’50s. I was real eclectic. Georgie Auld and Boyd Raeburn recordings with Erroll Garner. Savoy records with Don Byas. Those early things Martial Solal did for Contemporary. The old Comet 12-inch masters with Art Tatum and Tiny Grimes and Slam Stewart, and Nat [Cole], and Lester Young playing‘Body and Soul.’ Lucky Thompson, all that kind of stuff,             

                Ahmad Jamal crate digging, circa 1940s

That’s a unique thing about people in American Classical Music, which is a phrase I coined some time ago: you have to know the best of both worlds. I was playing Franz Liszt in competition when I was ten years old, but I was also playing Duke Ellington. So that’s a marvelous thing about the wonderful players that make up our genre. We have to be multi-dimensional. Dave Brubeck has to know Mozart. He has to know Duke Ellington, and it’s the same way with George Shearing; he can play the concertos but he can also write “Lullaby of Birdland.” So that’s the wonderful thing about people that are working in our field. They’re multi-dimensional; they’re not one-dimensional. That’s why I call them “American Classicists.” I think that “jazz” does not define properly what we do. I’m not paranoid about the term “jazz” but I don’t call myself a “jazz musician.” I call myself and my colleagues, the John Coltranes, and the Duke Ellingtons, “American Classicists."

                         Ahmad Jamal, interview 2011

Happy Moods (1960) signed by Ahmad

He knocked me out with his concept of space, his lightness of touch, and the way he phrases notes and chords and passages. When people say Jamal influenced me a lot, they’re right…

                         Miles Davis

I always write first and the composition dictates itself to me. I write the music and to me, the music dictates the title. The dynamics are important, the research is important, the melodic line of the song is important. Everything is important with music. It is always a challenge. Music is a constant challenge. You are not ever finished. People ask me what my favorite record is and I say that it is the next one. That is about the size of it. I am always looking forward to the next go around because I always am learning something during the process of recording and when it comes out, I am faced with more challenges, happily so. I had several ideas and the main idea was to record a wealth of tracks, which I find is very necessary. It is much better to have more than not enough...as was the case with my model release, At the Pershing, which is really a historic piece of recording or historic musical document. I had forty-three tracks when I went into the studio. I only used eight. I always had the concept of recording a wealth of tracks because you have got to have choices. When you don't have enough choices, you run into trouble and so I always had a concept of recording enough so I can have some good selections.

                         Ahmad Jamal, interview 2003

I’m trying to figure out what the black and white keys do after eighty-six years! I first sat down at the piano when I was three years old, and I’m still trying to figure out what they do! I learn something new every time I sit down. I sat down early this morning, because what I like to do is get to the piano first. I finally learned that, because if I don’t, all this other mess — computers and this and that and Facebook and other junk — it drains you. So I have nothing left for the piano, especially at eighty-nine years old! 

                         Ahmad Jamal, 2019 interview

Ahmad Jamal’s Alhambra (1961) signed by Ahmad

Ahmad Jamal and Me…

The great Ahmad Jamal left the bandstand on April 16, 2023, He was ninety-two. Marvelously inventive and influential, Ahmad released over fifty records as a leader during his seven decade-plus career, and he was a hero to pianists Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and McCoy Tyner who cite him as a seminal influence, but also to musicians of every stripe and discipline. As Miles Davis once stated, "All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal," and it wasn't hyperbole. Miles' early repertoire was eerily similar and seemingly cribbed from Ahmad's setlist: "Ahmad's Blues," "Autumn Leaves," "A Gal In Calico," "New Rhumba," and "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" were some of the songs that Miles played and recorded with his band after hearing Ahmad's expert interpretations. It didn't stop there. Miles even sent his pianist Red Garland to check out his gigs to help him learn and assimilate Ahmad's techniques. 

Poinciana (1963) signed by Ahmad

Ahmad was born Fredrick Russell “Fritz” Jones in 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Awash in the vibrant Steel City jazz scene, Ahmad was surrounded by gifted pianists and musicians Earl 'Fatha' Hines, Mary Lou Williams, and Errol Garner, "my major, major influence." Starting at age three at the behest of an uncle who encouraged Ahmad to mimic him, a lifelong love affair with the piano and composing began, "Music chose me. I didn't choose it. I was playing at three years old. When you are that young, you don't make choices. Choices are made for you. The instrument was in my mother's house. It was already there, so I passed by it one day and sat down. The rest is history." And what a fabulous history and legacy it is.

Live At The Pershing: But Not For Me (1958) signed by Ahmad

Ahmad’s skills were honed in the American Federation of Musicians’ local 471 Musician's Hall which was a thriving hub for visiting musicians and local stars like bassist profundo Ray Brown, guitarist George Benson, saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, among other Pittsburgh denizens. Ahmad was only fourteen but he was warmly embraced, "I was playing with Honey Boy Minor and guys sixty years old when I was eleven, because I knew the repertoire. We had the musicians union. The union had a minimum age, and I joined the union when I was fourteen. I escalated my age, and the president...he knew I wasn't sixteen." It didn't make any difference to the members. If you had the chops to perform, you were welcome, and Ahmad was most welcome. Upon graduation from Westinghouse High School, Ahmad toured with the George Hudson Orchestra and performed in nightclubs as a sideman. Ahmad had hopes of attending Juilliard School of Music in New York City but the opportunities for an African American pianist in those days were scant and fleeting, so he concentrated on gigs, “It was 25 cents here, $6 there. When I got up to $60 a week, which was as much as my father was making, I said, well, this is it.” The road beckoned and Ahmad accepted the challenge.

The Awakening (1970) signed by Ahmad, Jamil Nasser

Born a Baptist, he converted to Islam while on the road in Detroit and changed his name to Ahmad Jamal. He was attracted to the religion because “Our motto is 'Love for all; hatred for none.’ Whenever I veer off the straight-and-narrow, that's when I make my mistakes, and I've made a lot of them in my life, believe me." In a 1959 Time Magazine article he also explained, “I accepted Islam because it took me from darkness into light and gave me direction...When my people were brought over here from Asia and Africa, they were given various names, such as Jones and Smith, I haven't adopted a name. It's a part of my ancestral background and heritage: I have re-established my original name. I have gone back to my own vine and fig tree."

Digital Works (1985) signed by Ahmad, Happy New Year

His delicate touch, phrasing and sense of space was emulated by many, and hip hop artists Common, Jay-Z, J Dilla, Nas, and De La Soul also sampled his works in some of their recent songs. In fact, over two hundred-seventy tracks from hip hop artists have used Ahmad’s glorious riffs. Ahmad could also turn pop ephemera like the "Theme From MASH" into a jazz tour de force with his florid and virtuoso playing. A 2012 studio release, Blue Moon showcased Ahmad's skills as he re-invented the title track (a 1934 Richard Rodgers show tune) into a marvelously, percolating ten minute Latin percussive burner. "Blue Moon" never sounded fresher or better than in his eighty-two years young hands!

Digital Works (1985) signed by Ahmad, “To Just Sign It family”

Erin and I were fortunate to see Ahmad many times and he always put on a great show. For fifteen-plus years, he did a New Year's Eve show at Blues Alley in Washington, DC which was a highlight of the holiday season. He was always kind and gracious when we met him and he signed a bunch of albums over the years. He personalized each album to me, my wife, my kids, whomever. After going through a stack in 1999 at the Iridium Jazz Club, when he got to Digital Works (a copy which he had signed "Happy New Year" at Blues Alley many years earlier), I told him he could just sign it. He smiled, scribbled away, and handed it back. The inscription read, "To: 'Just Sign It' family, Ahmad Jamal". 

All Of You (1961) signed by Ahmad

Harold Mabern, the great Memphis jazz pianist once observed, “The space that Ahmad leaves in his playing creates a tension that captivates his audience....I tried to practice a trill that he makes look so easy, but I gave up." And as the great Thelonious Monk reminds us, "What you don't play can be more important than what you do.”

Macanudo (1963) signed by Ahmad

Ahmad Jamal, a master of time and space, he made it look so easy and sound so beautiful. His words about his unrelenting drive to create music say it best: “When I pass a piano anywhere, I have to touch it or play it, The reward of being a musician is not money. It’s the wonderful, indescribable feeling of knowing you’re performing at your highest level. It’s a spiritual feeling. You can always make money, but you can’t always latch onto your own spirit. Maybe these moments represent the ultimate freedom." 

Asalamalakum Ahmad. We'll see you on the other side.

Choice Ahmad Jamal Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0e2G32f3IU

“Poinciana” Live At The Pershing 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcUvkO4A5Vo

“Blue Moon” Blue Moon: The New York Session 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnW9wNN_IVg

“Autumn Leaves” live in Paris 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Iboh0JPLfk

“Ahmad’s Blues” live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPLNWFpPQlQ&list=PL21Bp_pAILgf_cItY7ACkolXIcyNdgRLW&index=2

“I Love Music” The Awakening 1970

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixsSkaCRaAw

“I Hear A Rhapsody” A Quiet Time 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9quwLksJbNA

“The World Is A Ghetto” Ahmad Jamal’73 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCPtNRl1q0w

“Theme From MASH” Digital Works 1985

But Not For Me (Chess reissue, 1986 release) signed by Ahmad

Lou Rawls, Erin and Me… →

Tobacco Road (1964) signed by Lou

I don't put myself in any particular category. Whatever the occasion calls for, I rise to the occasion. There are no limits to music, so why should I limit myself?

Lou Rawls

Soulin’ (1966) signed by Lou “Soulfully Yours”

Lou Rawls Live! (1966) signed by Lou, Herb Ellis

Music is the greatest communication in the world. Even if people don't understand the language that you're singing in, they still know good music when they hear it.

Lou Rawls

Carryin’ On (1966) signed by Lou

Too Much! (1967) signed by Lou

I've gone the full spectrum - from gospel to blues to jazz to soul to pop - and the public has accepted what I've done through it all. I think it means I've been doing something right at the right time.

Lou Rawls

You’re Good For Me (1968) signed by Lou

Feelin’ Good (1968) signed by Lou

Lou Rawls is one of the great soul singers and like so many, he started singing in the church. He was lucky to have a great mentor in the immortal Sam Cooke, and their rendition of “Bring It On Home To Me” in 1962 with Lou supplying harmony is the definitive version for sure, with their call and response at its finest in the gospel tradition.

Bring It On Home (1970) signed by Lou, seated in front of Norte Dame Cathedral In Paris

 I first met Lou in 1991 when he was playing a week long gig at Blues Alley, a small jazz club in Washington, DC, housed in an 18th century carriage house with exposed brick. It is an intimate venue, with seats for 150, a small stage and fabulous acoustics. All of the greats have played there since it opened in 1965, and Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and Sonny Rollins, are a few of the performers I saw there many years ago.

I was excited to see Lou in such a small venue. I invited a client and his wife, and with my wife, Erin, bought four tickets to opening night. As always, I brought some Lou albums from his vast catalog (and my deep library). I picked four of my favorites and left the other twenty-some-odd behind and we went to the show. Lou was in great voice and had a great quartet with him (piano, bass, guitar, drums). Lou bounded down the stairs from his dressing room, and commanded everyone’s rapt attention as he sang hits like “Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing”, “Lady Love”, “You’ll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine)”, and “See You When I Get There." He even included the Budweiser jingle which he sang at every show. He explained that Anheuser-Busch had been the principal sponsor of his telethon which raised funds for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), which to date had raised $80m (now over $200m). He was as loyal to them as they were to him. Yeah, Buddy!

Silk & Soul (1972) signed by Lou “Golden Slumbers Fill The World!”

After the show, I excused myself from my wife and client and went up to his dressing room to meet Lou. He was very gracious and he was interested in a couple of the albums in particular. As Lou signed Silk & Soul, an obscure 1972 MGM release, I told him that he sang the definitive version of The Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers”. You need to start singing these songs again, I counseled him, and from 1971’s Natural Man, “Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’” and  “When I Fall In Love”. He seemed very thoughtful for awhile and then said, “Neil, I don’t have any of these albums and they’re all out of print. Would you mind making me some tapes? I’d like to give them to my music director and see if he can make up some arrangements, ‘cause we’re on the road for awhile.” Sure Lou, I’ll be happy too. Where should I leave them?  “I’m staying around the corner at the Latham Hotel, just drop them off there, and I’ll put you and Erin on the guest list for Friday.” 

Natural Man (1971) signed by Lou

 I floated down the stairs and rejoined Erin and my guests. “Are you alright? Everything OK?” Erin asked, concerned with my nearly thirty minute absence. ‘Yes, everything’s great, Lou just wanted to spend some time talking about each album and track, and best of all, he wants me to make him some tapes.’ We left. Hurriedly. I had work to do.

So we went home and I made two ninety-minute cassettes with the albums Lou requested, along with some additional material. It was a labor of love which took nearly four hours. There was no point, click and drop  into an iTunes playlist in those days: making mixtapes was grueling and time consuming. The next morning, though bleary, I dropped the tapes off at the hotel with a brief note.

That afternoon, I called the Latham Hotel. 'Lou Rawls, please?' Hold on. The phone rang through, “Hello, is Mr. Lou Rawls there please?' I nervously stammered . “Speaking, who’s calling?” comes  the response in the most mellifluous baritone. Unmistakably Lou. 'It’s Neil Kirk, I just wanted to make sure you got the tapes.' “Hello, Neil, Yes I got the tapes, thank you very much. I’ll see you at the show on Friday, just check for your name on the guest list. See you then.” I hung up. Friday can’t come soon enough.

Unmistakably Lou (1977) signed by Lou

 Early Friday afternoon, Erin got a call from an old college friend and his wife who were driving from Atlanta to New York City, and they wanted to spend the night with uS in Georgetown. She tells them we’re seeing Lou Rawls, do you want to go? Of course comes the quick reply. They meet us at our house around 6pm and  I tell them the story. They are impressed. I call Blues Alley to add them to our names on the guest list. “ You’re not on the guest list and Lou was just here for the sound check, and your name isn’t on the list. ” 'OK, I need 4 tickets  for tonight. “ I’m very sorry, the show is sold out, and the wait list is already over fifty. Sorry.” The harsh click echoed in my ears. Now my confidence is starting to wane, and doubt is creeping. I am starting to perspire, and have difficulty swallowing. I’ll just call the Latham, Lou will straighten this out, I stammer to no one in particular. I call the Latham, “Mr. Rawls is not taking any calls” is the terse reply. Shaken, i leave a message for Lou. Now I’m falling hard and picking up speed.

Five or ten minutes later (it seemed an eternity), Lou Rawls calls me back. Erin is talking with her Mom, when Lou clicks in. She hangs up on her mom, with a curt “Mr. LouRawls is on my phone”, and she hands me the phone. I explain my predicament to Lou. He says, “ Don’t worry. You will be on the guest list with your friends. Just look under Neeeeeeeeeeil.” He drops his deep, buttery smooth bass, and my name becomes  polysyllabic. It never sounded so good.

We go to the show at Blues Alley and we are seated to the left of the stage. The band is playing a nice blues vamp, Benny Golson’s  “Killer Joe”, as a warm up. As the song ends, Lou comes on stage to great applause. He looks to his left, says “Hey how you doing”, looks center stage says the same, looks to his right, sees me and says, “Hey Neil, how you doing?” Now I am floating again. The show was masterful as Lou took us through his entire catalog of hits. One surprise was a new arrangement of “When I Fall In Love” which Lou gave me a knowing smile before he started.

All Things In Time (1976) signed by Lou

Shades Of Blue (1981) signed by Lou, with backing vocals by Cissy and Whitney Houston

 After the show, we went backstage and I brought all the Lou albums I had.  We took pictures, and he took us through all the albums, where they were recorded, where the pictures were taken, the players, it was fascinating. I handed him Shades Of Blue, an album on which Whitney Houston sang  backup vocals, one of her first recordings when she was 15 or 16 years old. “Yes, she sang with me, I’ve known her mom (Cissy) from the old gospel days and I wanted to do her a favor.” Some favor. Lou also showed us his lucky gold chain which he always wore, and he was unfailingly kind and generous. We saw him several times after that initial run at Blues Alley, and we were always greeted warmly.

 Frank Sinatra once said of Lou, “ he had the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game.” And he was one of the nicest men I’ve ever met.

See you when I get there Lou, indeed.

At Last (1989) signed by Lou, David Fathead Newman, Dianne Reeves, Stanley Turrentine

Love All Your Blues Away (1986) signed by Lou

Your Good Thing (1969) signed by Lou

The Way It Was, The Way It Is (1969) signed by Lou, twice!!

You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (1970) signed by Lou, walking with Lou, Jr.

A Man Of Value (1972) signed by Lou

She’s Gone (1975) signed by Lou

Choice Lou Rawls Cuts (per BKs request)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hpMQhcdxlv8

“You’ll Never Find” live 1970s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfxIznJJESg

“Bring It On Home To Me” with Sam Cooke 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeEcLUl0tTw

“Golden Slumbers” Live At Century Plaza 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h86uwWZYY88

“That’s Where It’s At (with Ray Charles)” At Last 1989

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH4GafWfUw8

“Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing” live on Ed Sullivan Show 1966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqwLq41SfYo

“She’s Gone” She’s Gone 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sb0d9jX3Fo

“Autumn Leaves - On A Clear Day” Soulin’ 1966

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-zLfOtZZ7n8

“Lady Love” When You Hear Lou… 1977

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqkfWwdOzGE

“When I Fall In Love” Natural Man 1971

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Df06SPJKk

“Tobacco Road” live with Aretha Franklin White House 1994

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqE7RuIbfjE

“The Girl From Ipanema” Live! 1966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZqGrcU4LoI

“It Was A Very Good Year” live at UNCF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtrqU7QnEus

“Natural Man” Natural Man 1971

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnnveB0xmt0

“Budweiser Theme” Mr. Lou Rawls!!!

When You Hear Lou… (1977) signed by Lou

Let Me Be Good To You (1979) signed by Lou

Sit Down And Talk To Me (1980) signed by Lou

Now Is The Time (1982) signed by Lou

When The Night Comes (1983) signed by Lou

Family Reunion (1987) signed by Lou

Tommy Flanagan, John Coltrane and Me...

I like to play like a horn player, like I'm blowing into the piano. The sound of a piece – its overall tonality – is what concerns me.

               Tommy Flanagan

Saxophone Colossus (1956) signed by Tommy, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach

The Cats (1957) signed by Tommy, Roy Haynes, Louis Hayes

It’s Magic (1957) signed by Tommy, Curtis Fuller, Louis Hayes

Moods ille (1957 signed by Tommy, Roy Haynes

All Day Long (1957) signed by Tommy, Donald Byrd, Frank Foster, Kenny Burrell

A great American pianist and composer, Tommy Flanagan was born in Detroit in 1930, and his early influences were Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, and Teddy Wilson. He moved to New York in 1956 and participated on two very important and seminal jazz recordings: Sonny Rollins' landmark Saxophone Colossus (1956) and John Coltrane's equally iconic Giant Steps (1960).

Tommy was very prolific and he recorded over thirty-five albums as a leader, and he played on over two-hundred as a sideman. He was also the music director and accompanist for Ella Fitzgerald (1962-65 and 1968-78) and Tony Bennett in 1966.I saw Tommy many times over the years and his trio was a regular at the Village Vanguard, the oldest and most famous jazz club in New York City, if not the world. One of the last times I saw Tommy was at the Jazz Standard in NYC. He was touring and showcasing his live release, Sunset And The Mockingbird (1997) which was recorded at the Vanguard. The title track is a gorgeous Duke Ellington ballad, rather obscure, but in Tommy's skilled hands, an exquisite masterpiece of Ellingtonia. It was nominated for a Grammy, one of five nominations which Tommy received in his storied career.

After the show, I went back stage to get some albums signed. Sitting with Tommy in his dressing room was Jimmy Heath, a renowned jazz saxophonist, composer and educator. I had seen Jimmy Heath many times and he was part of a very rich musical family: older brother Percy was a bassist for the Modern Jazz Quartet for forty years, and younger brother Albert “Tootie” Heath was a gifted drummer.

Really Big! (1960) signed by Tommy, Jimmy and Tootie Heath, Clark Terry

Jazz n Samba (1964) signed by Tommy, Milt Jackson, Jimmy Heath, Richard Davis

Opus De Funk (1975) signed by Tommy, Jimmy and Percy Heath, Milt Jackson, Ron Carter

As Tommy signed the albums, he paused and looked carefully at Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. He loved Sonny and was glad to be part of such an important recording. I asked him about John Coltrane's Giant Steps. Tommy and Jimmy both laughed as Heath and Trane grew up in Philadelphia and were very close, Tommy said, "Shit man, everyone always asks me about Giant Steps. What was it like? What was Coltrane all about? Man, Trane had that shit all figured out long  before we got there. The record company told me to be at the studio at 2pm on a Tuesday and that's what I did. I showed up. Trane had it all figured out. We just played. It was just another gig for me and the rest of us."

So that's how one of the great jazz masterpieces was created? Tommy just showed up for the gig? I think Tommy was being exceedingly humble and gracious, but there's no doubt "Trane had that shit all figured out." Tommy laughed when he saw The Magnificent album cover. His eyes were slits. Maybe you had a cold, or allergies? I suggested. "Maybe I was on some bad shit," he laughed as he signed near his almost shut eyes.

The Magnificent (1981) signed by Tommy, Al Foster

Kenny Barron, a great jazz pianist, described Tommy Flanagan as his hero: "He became an influence and continued to be an influence till the day he died. And he still is."

A beautiful and loving tribute to a beautiful and elegant jazz pianist.

Bean Bags (1958) signed by Tommy, Kenny Burrell, Milt Jackson

Tokyo Recital (1975) s Tommy, Keter Betts

Choice Tommy Flanagan Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXwT_qIMfeY

“Sunset And The Mockingbird” live 1999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6NCx0wcrC4

“Giant Steps” Giant Steps with John Coltrane 1959

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkXerGtKtKM

“Giant Steps” Giant Steps 1982

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ix0foeqecY&list=PLPerpmZr43T6ZSf5GiOBMhjww-RB-_9G-&index=2

“How Long Has This Been Going On” The Cats 1959

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwHG6_Qgnrg

“Someone To Watch Over Me” live 1999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrpHO1_vx8Y&list=RDrrpHO1_vx8Y&start_radio=1&rv=rrpHO1_vx8Y&t=0

“Speak Low” The Magnificent Tommy Flanagan 1981

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j87yfawcJs

“Willow Weep For Me” The Smart Attitude 2011 release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r49MoAPmomA&list=RD7ChOkkdT2zw&index=4

“Moritat (aka Mack The Knife)” with Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus 1956

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-L492oAZio

“Peace” Something Borrowed, Something Blue 1978

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOd5Ixfe130

“Goodbye Mr. Evans” Night At The Vanguard 1986

Something Borrowed, Something Blue (1978) signed by Tommy

Our Delights (1978) signed by Tommy, Hank Jones

I’m All Smiles (1983) signed by Tommy, Hank Jones

Chico Hamilton and Me...

Well, when I was around eight years old, my mother took me to the Paramount Theater to see Duke Ellington, and that's when the band was set up in a pyramid. Sonny Greer, who was the drummer, was set up at the top of the whole pyramid and he had a zillion drums. I was impressed with him and I said, "Hey, that's what I want to do."

               Chico Hamilton

Chico Hamilton Quintet In Hi Fi (1956) signed by Chico and Jim Hall

“Thanks Neil that it is”

I've always seen the drums as a melodic instrument, not a percussive one. I developed a touch, it may not be as loud, but it's mine!

               Chico Hamilton 

Why not just call it music? That's what it is. Basically,...all we're dealing in is human emotions...and I don't expect you to feel the same way that I do about a note or sound. And it's good that you don't feel the same way, because that way we have an abundance of a variety of emotions. Everybody puts their feelings into a mood and it becomes different, which is dynamite. Because if it all sounds the same, it would be boring as hell...

               Chico Hamilton 

With Strings Attached (1959) signed by Chico

Yeah, I've been playing these kinds of grooves for quite a while. Even during the bebop period, I was still playing my kind of thing. I was always a little different from everybody else, and it wasn't easy being different. But it was totally impossible for me to play like Jo Jones, Sid Catlett, Sonny Greer, Max Roach, Art Blakey and people like that. So I had to build my own way of playing.

               Chico Hamilton

Meet Chico Hamilton (1957) signed by Chico

First of all, it's totally impossible for two drummers to play alike, because of the physical aspect. One might have long arms, one might have short arms, and if you have short arms, that means that you have to sit closer to your instrument. If you have long arms, you sit back...for reach. And just the space between makes a difference in the sound you're going to get, or the touch you're going to acquire to get the sound. I don't sound like anybody else, and I don't know of anybody who sounds like me. So the old adage, "Hey, give the drummer some", that's the bottom line. But, I don't know, I just do what I do. And Louis Hayes does what he does, Max Roach does what he does, Kenny Clarke does what he does, Jo Jones did what he did, Sonny Greer, all of them....that's how broad and beautiful this whole thing is...

              Chico Hamilton

  A lot of guys came out of my band, Charles Lloyd, Gabor Szabo, Larry Coryell, I groomed these guys, man, I let them find themselves.

               Chico Hamilton 

The Dealer (1966) signed by Chico

Born in Los Angeles, Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton is an acclaimed drummer, arranger, band leader, and composer. He released more than sixty-five albums as a leader in his prolific career, which included an appearance in the Sweet Smell Of Success, a 1957 film starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. In the movie, Chico is a band leader in a New York City jazz club and he also released a soundtrack for the film which featured his quintet of drums, bass, cello, guitar, and flute or saxophone. Dubbed "Chamber Jazz",  the Chico Hamilton Quintet was as influential as it was unusual.

Chico attended Jefferson High School in Los Angeles and some of his fellow classmates included tenor saxophone giant Dexter Gordon, Count Basie trumpeter Ernie Royal, and future bandmate and multi-instrumentalist, Buddy Collette. It was a fertile music environment and it remained so when soul icons Barry White and Etta James matriculated at Jefferson years later. And Chico's Hollywood bona fides didn't stop there. His younger brother, Bernie, best known for his role as "Captain Dobey" on the 1970s cop show Starsky & Hutch, started a record label and released an album, Captain Dobey Sings The Blues in 1975. Certainly, no vinyl collection is complete without it!

“Captain Dobey” aka Bernie Hamilton, Chico’s brother

After playing with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, and many other jazz legends, Chico did a stint backing up singers, including Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine, Billie Holiday and nearly eight years with the divine Lena Horne. Chico recounted, "I spent about fifteen years playing for singers, and brushwork was the name of the game, being able to lay down a groove and stay quiet underneath them. Playing for singers, you learn to accompany, which enhances your ability to play behind a horn because you develop a sense of listening and timing. If a horn player does a strange kind of phrase, you're right on it." Then, Chico started his quintet.

He had keen and discerning ears for talent, especially guitar players. Guitarists Jim Hall, Howard Roberts, Gabor Szabo, and Larry Coryell all recorded and toured with the Chico Hamilton Quintet and later enjoyed prominent jazz careers as leaders and composers. And not only jazz guitarists excelled, alto saxophonist Charles Lloyd, multi-reed man Eric Dolphy, trombonist Steve Turre and uber bassist Ron Carter all credit their early sessions in Chico's quintet as seminal experiences in developing their talents.

Man From Two Worlds (1963) signed by Chico

Influential on the West Coast jazz scene, Chico was a role model to jazz and rock and roll drummers. Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones was an early fan and later traded beats with Chico on "Here Comes Charlie Now", a track from the 2001 release Foreststorn. Chico explained their connection, "My manager saw an interview where Charlie said that when he was a kid, I inspired him to play when he heard me with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet playing "Walking Shoes" with brushes. He said he used to call himself Chico Watts. I met him in New York at Birdland when he came over with his jazz group. He couldn't get over the fact that I came to see him. We became friends, and one thing led to another."

I saw Chico a number of times in the late 1990s in New York City at the Iridium and Birdland. Unlike most jazz or rock drummers, Chico had his drum kit set up at the front of the stage. He had his usual quintet: electric guitar, bass, alto and soprano saxophone. No piano. Chico introduced the innovative piano-less quintet in 1955, and it served his music well through the years. This night, the mix of electric guitar and bass fused with the hard bop of Eric Person's searing alto saxophone. All the while, Chico sat at his drum kit in the front, directing the action, hardly touching his sticks, using mallets and brushes mostly, a swirling and melodic performance by a master percussionist.

El Chico (1965) signed by Chico

“Neil, this is the one”

After the shows, I visited with Chico and he signed some of his vinyl from his impressive discography. He was always warm and gracious. "This is one of my favorites," he said as he inscribed El Chico, "This is the one". In the liner notes, he states, "I've always liked Latin rhythms, but I never felt quite ready to try an entire album utilizing the idiom. In the past three or four years, however, I began to pay increasing attention to the essence of the Latin rhythmic approach and to its similarities with jazz. Finally, I felt immersed in the whole Latin feeling and decided to go ahead. But I also wanted to surround myself with the best Latin players available, and that's why Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja are present." The Latin sound is enhanced by the Eastern European flourishes of guitar extraordinaire Gabor Szabo, a Hungarian by birth, a freedom fighter and émigré by choice.

I asked Chico why he never played the Village Vanguard, the finest jazz club in the world with the best acoustics, and the site of many legendary recordings. "Nah, they don't want to hear my shit," he said with a dismissive wave toward his drums and other electric instruments. "They just want straight ahead jazz and my shit is anything but..." We both laughed and I handed him the cover for Chico Hamilton Quintet In Hi Fi, "That was a wild gig, we played our music and the artists were all around making their art." The cover photo by William Claxton, a world renowned photographer, was taken at The Clay Workshop on Beverly Drive in Los Angeles. Vito Paulekas, depicted in the foreground on the album cover, ran the studio for nearly twenty years. Vito, a sculptor, teacher and a bohemian in every sense, was plugged into the art and music scene, and the studio eventually became rehearsal space for sixties icons, The Byrds, Arthur Lee and Love, and several of Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention. Vito provided the art and the space, and the musicians provided the tunes, a great symbiosis. Finally, I asked Chico to dedicate an album cover to my daughter, Kendall, who had just celebrated her first birthday. Chico smiled mischievously and handed me back the Passin' Thru cover, "Kendalla, What do you think?"

Passin’ Thru (1963) signed by Chico

“Kendalla, What do you think?”

Chico Hamilton, an influential band leader, composer, and drummer. As he said, "I never try to point too definite a direction. Music is changing all the time because people change, and we try to keep ourselves open to new experiences, new timbres, new ways of feeling music as a unit." 

Always changing and challenging, Chico kept the grooves coming. 

The Best Of Chico Hamilton (1972) signed by Chico

Choice Chico Hamilton Cuts (per BK's request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx-vsmRSDTw

"Walkin' Shoes" with Gerry Mulligan  1952    Charlie "Chico" Watts favorite!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BJNxVf_iLM

"Conquistadores"  El Chico  1965 

One Latin nation under a groove!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoxTkPFOB9I
"Forest Flower"  Man From Two Worlds  1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-s4eojiVSc

"People"  El Chico  with Gabor Szabo on guitar  1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzdoWfBAMx8

"Blue Sands"  Live at Newport 1958 with Eric Dolphy, John Pisano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saNdX5EESZ0

"Gengis"  The Master  with Lowell George on slide guitar  1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ly2Sgw5c8

"Close Your Eyes"  With Strings Attached  1958

Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois and Me...

I don't ever worry about whether I'm being true to my country roots. My country roots were adopted. I never worry about what I can do, or what I should do. I just do what I want to do.

               Emmylou Harris

Luxury Liner (1977) signed by Emmylou

I was 21 when I moved to New York City. That’s pretty young, I guess. I didn’t know anyone except the wonderful singer-songwriter Paul Siebel, who introduced me to David Bromberg and Jerry Jeff Walker and all the people who were making music in the [Greenwich] Village. It was a very creative time. I started making music with friends, trying to get little gigs, learning my craft. I was very inspired by the people I heard play, like Joni Mitchell and Townes Van Zandt – I was quite astounded the first time I saw him. I never imagined I would end up recording “Pancho and Lefty,”;which became a real central part of my repertoire..

Emmylou Harris

Blue Kentucky Girl (1979) signed by Emmylou

I discovered my voice by singing harmonies with Gram (Parsons). That became a launching pad for everything. Rodney (Crowell) came in and filled that role in making the first record. It helped me a lot to have that voice to cling to. I’m not an educated musician; I don’t know what the baritone part is. Instead I think of harmony as an alternate melody that combines with the other voice to create a third voice.

Emmylou Harris

The Ballad Of Sally Rose (1985) signed by Emmylou

If I could go back to my younger self, especially in the most difficult times, I would just say, don’t worry. Just do what you feel in your heart and everything will be all right. Because it always did turn out okay. There was a time when I went into deep debt over a project, The Ballad of Sally Rose. But I don’t have any regrets about doing it at all because it was real creative reclaiming. After that I had to work my way back up but then, all of a sudden, I did this record called Trio with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton, so the creative chances always seemed to come along. Certainly, there were times when it seemed like I was treading water. But I didn’t really have any other talents – the only thing I knew how to do was sing so, in a sense, I had no choice..

Emmylou Harris

Trio (1987) signed by Emmylou

I’d like to tell my younger self that though it will be very difficult when Gram dies, it will be okay again, eventually. That was a very hard time because I really felt I had found where I was supposed to be. Even though I probably assumed that at some point I would make a record on my own, that was something I wasn’t even thinking about. I just was thinking about what we would do together. Musically, I mean. Then suddenly I’d lost a friend and a teacher, someone I felt I still had so much to learn from. It was devastating. But I had wonderful support from my family and my musical friends, and they helped me take one step at a time. I was nourished and I gathered strength and was able to move forward.
Emmylou Harris

At The Roman (1992) signed by Emmylou

The Ryman was about to be torn down,. There were only a couple of funky dressing rooms, and you couldn’t sit in the gallery because it was considered unsafe. We could only invite 200 people for each of the three shows we recorded, because they could only sit downstairs. No one had been doing any music there, but I got permission. I was so focused on making the record that I didn’t realize the importance of doing it there. But suddenly people got interested in the Ryman again, and they decided not to tear it down. They said, ‘Maybe we can renovate the old girl.’
Emmylou Harris on helping save the Ryman Auditorium

Ramble In Music City (1990 recordings, 2021 release) signed by Emmylou

I was riding that pony a bit hard. My voice was getting worn down, and my spirit was getting worn too. I was whining to my friend John Starling, ‘I need to take a year off.’ And John said, ‘Sam Bush has just left the New Grass Revival. Why don’t you give him a call?’ And suddenly it made sense to ‘go back to bluegrass school,’ as Chris Hillman says.

None of us remembered that we’d recorded that show,. That’s why I was so amazed when I heard it, because not a single note was out of place. I felt I owed it to that particular performance to put it out. What happened, I think, was this: All the songs on Ramble in Music City were material I’d already released. For my next album, we decided to work up all new songs for what became Live at the Ryman, like I had with The Hot Band on Last Date.It was a way to make the old material new, to give it a new coat of paint. I was worried. Would the songs have the same emotional impact? I shouldn’t have worried.

Emmylou, releasing Ramble In Music City in 202, 1990 recordings

White Shoes (1983) signed by Emmylou

I really have shaken hands with where my voice is right now. I think it's got a little deeper, it's got some more grooves in it.

Emmylou Harris

Gliding Bird (1969 recordings, 1978 reissue) signed by Emmylou

It doesn’t make a difference who’s the ‘lead singer,’ It’s all about creating that third voice. You start with an emotion, but it turns into something physical. Especially in duet singing, it’s intuitive; you’re free to move around. The lead voice is defining something that seems to work, and you move around that. It’s like you’re dancing together. Harmony singing is Ginger Rogers following Fred Astaire, but she’s doing everything backward in high heels.

Emmylou Harris singing with Gram Parsons

Cimarron (1981) signed by Emmylou

Born in Birmingham, Alabama to a military family, Emmylou Harris moved to Woodbridge, Virginia and graduated as the valedictorian of her high school class. After dropping out of college, she moved to Greenwich Village to participate in the folk scene in the late 1960s. Emmylou recorded her first release Gliding Bird in 1969 before relocating to the suburbs of Maryland in the early 1970s, and playing in local bars like the The Red Fox Inn in Bethesda, Maryland and The Childe Harold in Washington, DC. There, Chris Hillman of The Byrds saw her perform and recommended her to his friend Gram Parsons.

Roses In The Snow (1980) signed by Emmylou

Emmylou became a protege and performing partner of the great Gram Parsons until his untimely demise in 1973, They were together only a year but Gram's influence would last a lifetime. As she recalled, “I really believe no one would have paid me any attention if it wasn’t for Gram. When I met him I had not found my own voice. I was an imitator; you have to start that way. But I really do believe that it was Gram who gave me, not just my voice, but he taught me about understanding music and feeling music, the way it came through me. Of course, I certainly had something to build on, but he was that last rocket boost and, after that, everything kind of fell into place.”

In 1975, Emmylou began recording for Reprise Records, a label started by Frank Sinatra in 1960 and home to Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Frank Zappa and many others. Over her long and illustrious career, Emmylou has sold millions of records and garnered thirteen Grammys and counting.

Angel Band (1987) signed by Emmylou

Whether in a club, theater, music hall or, in recent years, headlining The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco before hundreds of thousands, Emmylou puts on a fabulous show. She is always surrounded by consummate skilled musicians: Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, and Jerry Douglas are just a few of the string virtuosos who have performed in her bands. A fine interpreter of songs, she has also written classics like "Boulder To Birmingham", "Tulsa Queen", "Prayer In Open D", "Waltz Across Texas Tonight", and "Boy From Tupelo."

Wrecking Ball (1995) signed by Emmylou

In 1995, Emmylou released Wrecking Ball, a masterpiece produced by Daniel Lanois, best known for his work with U2, Bob Dylan, and Peter Gabriel. A brilliant album, it was quite a sonic departure for Emmylou as it veered more toward alternative rock than country. This was not your father's Grand Ol' Opry. Fiddles, banjos, and upright basses were replaced by bass pedals, electric mandolins, organ, percussion and lots of atmospherics. Lanois brought along some  interesting musicians (Malcolm Burn, Larry Mullen Jr. of U2, Neil Young, Steve Earle, and Lucinda Williams) who performed a very challenging and diverse playlist.

Red Dirt Girl (2000) signed by Emmylou

Emmylou did a very brief tour with Daniel Lanois in support of Wrecking Ball in November 1995, and Erin and I saw her at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, Pennsylvania. A small venue, maybe 1000 seats, Keswick is a converted movie theater. Emmylou came on first with just her acoustic guitar and she beautifully strummed "My Songbird" and "Prayer In Open D" with her crystalline voice soaring. Then her band appeared: Daniel Lanois on electric guitar, Daryl Johnson on electric bass, and Brady Blade on drums. They tore into a blistering cover of Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love" which was equal parts distortion, fuzz and wah wah pedals. There was a smattering of boos from some in the crowd who wanted their country music served neat with gingham check, not snarling leather. The response was not quite as heretical as Dylan plugging in at Newport in 1965, and I didn't hear anyone yell "Judas", but it was unsettling to some in the audience. Undaunted, Emmylou and her band played most of her (then) new album and ended with a 10 minute scorching version of Lanois' swamp gospel burner "The Maker." The encore was a soulful version of William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water" from the fabled Stax canon of soul. Country meets Memphis near the New Orleans Bayou, it was an amazing band and performance.

Elite Hotel (1975) signed by Emmylou, fingers crossed “flipping”

After the show, we hung around to get some records signed, and it was bitterly cold, polar vortex cold before it became de rigueur. Emmylou was so kind, she invited us on the bus to provide warmth and comfort. She laughed when I pointed out the original Elite Hotel album cover which was deemed too offensive because her fingers were crossed. Subsequent albums were issued with the fingers air brushed to avoid the appearance of "flipping." She couldn't have been any more gracious, posing for pictures and signing away.

Elite Hotel (1975) signed by Emmylou, fingers air brushed, “no flipping “

I have seen Emmylou Harris many times over the years with other great musicians like Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, Willie Nelson and Jerry Jeff Walker, but there was nothing quite as memorable as that Keswick show and the brief tour she did with Daniel Lanois.

Diane, Emmylou And Me… Concert For Landmine Free World, Washington DC

Flying Shoes (1978) signed by Emmylou, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt

Tennessee Inaugural Ball back signed by Emmylou, Johnny Cash, Jerry Jeff Walker

Light Of The Stable (1979) signed by Rodney Crowell

Choice Emmylou Harris Cuts (per BKs request)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbaz_T6BN3g

“Tulsa Queen” Old Grey Whistle Test 1976

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6iGP9P5coM

“My Songbird” live with Buddy Miller 1997

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3RdttpefBU

“May This Be Love” Emmylou shreds Jimi! 1995

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1TIZYEa9J8&list=RDr1TIZYEa9J8&start_radio=1

“Blackhawk” Wrecking Ball 1995

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scX50O2hDkI

“Pancho And Lefty” Old Grey Whistle Test 1976

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEb9dEMV3p8

“Making Believe” Old Grey Whistle Test 1977

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZTwBRcZPuU

“Wrecking Ball” live with Buddy Miller 1997

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWEQDyrbphE

“The Sweetest Gift” live with Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt 1977

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpzK-c9Jxeg

“Calling My Children Home” live with Spyboy 1998

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aur5KEaNtKc

“The Maker” with Willie Nelson, Daniel Lanoisk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-4ESw_cPxo

“The Maker” with Daniel Lanois NYC 1995

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY2gNbJFKn8

“Gulf Coast Highway” live with Dave Matthews

Frank Morgan, San Quentin and Me...

I was a superstar in prison. All the fear of going to prison was taken out of the whole thing, because it became a really comfortable haven. It's taken me a long time to get out of the comfortable situation of the prison and really face up to life. If, after my first solo at the Village Vanguard after I came out, they hadn't applauded me so loudly, if someone had said "Boo", I'd have run back to San Quentin.

               Frank Morgan

BeBop Lives! (1986) signed by Frank, Cedar Walton, Buster Williams

I met Bird after the show and told him I wanted to learn how to play one of those things. I didn't even know it was called an alto at that time. I remember I was mad at Bird for a while for insisting that I should begin on clarinet and then go to saxophone. It was good advice and the next day my father got me started on clarinet. Bird was a beautiful person and it's the memories of him and his music that have sustained me throughout my life. He is certainly the prime factor in my love for the music I play.

               Frank Morgan on his idol Charlie Parker

Yardbird Reflections (1989) signed by Frank, Mulgrew Miller, Ron Carter, Al Foster

What comes out of his horn is soulful, full of fire and timeless.

               Wynton Marsalis describing Frank Morgan

Reflections (1991) signed by Frank, Joe Henderson,Ron Carter, Mulgrew Miller, Al Foster

We were inclined to accept a little erratic behavior, given his status. When he played the horn, you forgot about those things.

               bassist Ron Carter on Frank Morgan

Major Changes (1987) signed by Frank, McCoy Tyner, Avery Sharpe, Louis Hayes

 Born in Minneapolis, Frank Morgan moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to live with his dad, Stanley Morgan, a guitarist with The Ink Spots, a popular band in the 1940s and 1950s. Frank was an exceptionally gifted saxophonist and his idol was Charlie Parker. They met when Frank was only seven years old and Charlie remained a big influence in Frank's life, both good and bad. While living in Los Angeles, Frank was exposed to other important jazz players like Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray and Charles Mingus. When he was only fifteen, Frank was asked to replace the great Johnny Hodges in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. His father deemed him too young to be on the road, so Frank joined the house band at the fabled Club Alabam on Central Avenue in Los Angeles, where he backed Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, and many others.

Frank started his recording career in 1953, but soon was arrested for drugs. So began a lifetime of addiction and incarceration, and Frank was in and out of prison for the next thirty years. When Frank finally emerged from his last prison stint in 1985, he was fifty-three years old. Broke but not broken, he began to record and tour prolifically to make up for the thirty year gap between the release of his first and second records. I saw him several times, and he had such a beautiful tone and was lightning fast in the hard bop tradition.

Double Image (1986) signed by Frank, George Cables “Duet To it!”

 One night while he was signing some records we talked about his career. I asked Frank, what's the best band you ever played with? "That's easy, San Quentin. We had Art Pepper (on alto), Hampton Hawes (on piano), Leroy Vinnegar (on bass) and Frank Butler on drums. We used to play every Friday night (for fellow inmates). We would color our white stripes with charcoal to make them look like tuxedos. There's a film of us somewhere in the National Archives." Who were some of the other great players you played with? " Bunch of guys in San Quentin. You wouldn't know their names, no one's ever heard of them. They did some bad things and they're never getting out, but they practice and play ten to twelve hours a day and they are incredible."

Frank's eyes were cloudy and worn, from the road and prison life. I asked him how long he'd been clean and sober, as I told him that I had had some troubles. Frank said he was on methadone since getting out of prison. "It's harder to kick than heroin" he said with resignation, but he was happy to be playing and recording. And free.

Frank Morgan was as kind and generous as a man could be, and prodigiously talented in spite of his demons.

Mood Indigo (1989) signed by Frank, George Cables, Al Foster, Buster Williams

Easy Living (1985) signed by Frank

Lament (1986) signed by Frank, Buster Williams

Choice Frank Morgan Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr1tMYyfwPU

“The Nearness Of You” Gene Norman Presents Frank Morgan 1955

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seRa6N_Xm84

“All The Things You Are” with McCoy Tyner, Los Angeles 1986

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHCq-Moml7U

“Emily” Major Changes 1987

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7fE5Mujsq4

“Georgia On my Mind” City Nights 2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsAybzECd3k&list=PLccpwGk_xup8HNgK0yvKAv3qgJk6yQwFx

“Walkin’ “ Reflections 1989

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG2P1zBylfo

“Easy Living” Easy Living 1986

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoOBp3o9g-U&list=PLUcYmqxjRiQUKCqIq-2fEckUR24-65M-l

“Lullaby” Mood Indigo 1989

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdAqWxP4iic&list=PLUcYmqxjRiQUKCqIq-2fEckUR24-65M-l&index=5

“Blue Monk” Bop! 1996

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZR7pHnIq3g

“All Blues” City Nights 2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvHoUuDRzT8

“Until It’s Time For You To Go” Lament 1986

Mood Indigo (1989) signed by Frank, George Cables, Al Foster, Buster Williams

Solomon Burke and Erin...

Soul is the deep feeling that is expressed from the heart and the mind: from a musician, an artist, a dancer, a photographer or from a writer. When your open your heart and pour out your spirit, and you feel something that makes a difference in your life: that is the meaning of soul.

               Solomon Burke

I think I met Elvis two times. The first time I met him was a very brief situation in Tennessee. He remarked about my singing. He liked my singing and my style of singing and things like that. I said 'Hey man, we all love what you're doing. You're doing it baby.' It was that type of situation. And the next time he asked me about my gold suit. I had a gold suit that I wore. He asked me where I got it and I told him. Next thing I know, Elvis had his own gold suit. When I went back to my tailor to get another gold suit made, which I was only paying $450 for, which was big money in those days, my tailor said "Oh no man, I make suits for Elvis now. Those suits are $900." I can't believe you man. I'm the guy who started it. But, that's the way life is, man.

               Solomon Burke on Elvis Presley

I was here in Los Angeles, visiting Sam. That evening, we ate at a local restaurant. Afterwards, I went back to the hotel he'd booked for me. There I got a call saying he was dead. I said, 'That can't be. I was with him an hour ago.' That same day, Delores (wife number two) had told me that she wanted a divorce. I sat down and started to write '"Got To Get You Off My MInd." I never want to go through anything like that again.

               Solomon Burke on visiting with Sam Cooke, December 11, 1964

From The Heart (1981) signed by Solomon Burke

During that period a man by the name of Andy Kaulkin was watching that show that Saturday and he stayed over Sunday to see what would happen. He came over to us and my daughter said 'Dad, this guy is trying to talk to you. He's with Fat Possum or something', and I said 'Oh God, I hope it's not one of those football teams'. They had asked me to be a mascot and a sponsor for a group called the Big Bears earlier. Can you imagine me in a big bear costume? I said 'I'll give money, but I'm not gonna put the costume on to be a mascot. You have to get another guy running out as a Fat Possum'. I didn't ignore him, but kinda tried to get away from him. How lucky for myself that we met at the airport at the same time catching the same plane, and he was sitting right behind me....That’s the beginning of that story. We hit it off, had lunch, and made a record. It was one of the greatest moments in my career and the first record company that was ever sincere and dedicated and real; it has left an everlasting memory in my mind. We had a two-page contract; they lived up to every word of that contract and they did everything they possibly could for that record to bring it home and they gave me my first Grammy. But they gave me great songs—Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, come on, that was an incredible CD.

               Solomon Burke on signing with Fat Possum and recording Don't Give Up On Me

Don’t Give Up On Me (2002) signed by Solomon Burke

I remember being in the studio, recording that album. I'd told everybody I'd allow no smoking or drinking. The studio is a holy place when I am recording. There are candles. There are flowers. My throne is there. Visible. That is where I record from. God has set me down. It was time to do "The Judgment." I hadn't rehearsed these songs, I did them as they were handed to me. I heard people shouting, 'Elvis is here! Elvis is here!' At first, I thought they must be smoking crack. Anyhow, Costello came in and told me he wanted to hear me sing the song. I said, 'Hear It? You're going to teach it to me.' When he sang it, it was just wonderful. I said, 'Right, OK, let's record that right now.' What people fail to realize is that a great song has no color. That's a beautiful song that he wrote.

               Solomon Burke recording "The Judgment", Don't Give Up On Me 2002

I'd sit with Don Covay writing those songs and just cry. I'd say, 'Don, you have such a beautiful wife, but mine is probably out somewhere slashing my tires because I was off with some chick.' I was a young man, girls were coming from every angle. I couldn't love 'em all, but I certainly tried.

               Solomon Burke

A Change Is Gonna Come (1986) signed by Solomon Burke

Father of twenty-one children, Grandfather to ninety, Solomon Burke, "The King of Rock 'n' Soul", lived life large. It was said that his favorite scripture was "Be fruitful and multiply" to which he readily ascribed, admitting "I got stuck on that verse." Born in West Philadelphia, Solomon started in the church when he was only seven years old, testifyin' and proselytizin'. He was dubbed "The Boy Wonder Preacher" for his magnetic and engaging sermons, and by the time he was twelve, Solomon was preaching on the radio and traveling to cities, performing in tent revivals carrying his Gospel message. Joel Osteen clearly had nothing on him! His Grandmother, Eleanor Moore, a seer and spiritualist, ran a church out of her home, The United House Of Prayer For All People. It was a ripe and fertile music environment that affected Solomon deeply, "Every day they had a service, and the music never stopped. There was always a band with two or three trombones, tubas, tambourines, cymbals, guitars, pianos. When I speak of the music, I get choked up. It was a message to God, something you feel down to your bones and your soul and your heart." Grandmother Eleanor also foretold Solomon's prominence: "She predicted my career, the size of my family, the people I would meet, how I’d travel. She told me so often that I thought I would have to be Superman to do it all.”

Indeed, Solomon Burke was a super man who lived a remarkable life. Solomon wrote his first song as a tribute to his Grandmother when he was fourteen. "God gave me the song on December 10, I finished the song on December 17, and on the 18th she said that she wanted to speak to me. She said, 'I want you to see your Christmas present.' And I said, 'Now?' She said, 'Yes, look under my bed.' And I looked under her bed, and there was a guitar wrapped in a pillow case. And then I sang my little song that I had written for her, called 'Christmas Presents From Heaven', not knowing that it was a prophecy for me, to alert me to the future. Then on the morning of the 19th my grandmother passed in her sleep, so she only heard the song one day - but that whole day she was briefing me and telling me the different things that were going to happen and all the children that I would have, the loves in my life, just laying it out: 'You'll have big homes, fancy cars' - but I'll never forget the most exciting thing she said to me, and then the most depressing thing, too. The most exciting thing was that I would be able to reach out and touch people and help them spiritually, thousands of people, millions of people, and then she said to me that I would go down to the pits of Hell and submerge at will, and I've been there a couple of times... I've been there you know."

Whatever fantastical vision Grandmother Eleanor had for Solomon pales in comparison to what actually transpired, as his descent came almost as rapidly as his ascent. Solomon signed with Apollo Records as a fifteen year old, wrote and released nine singles with limited success, but scored a hit with "You Can Run, But You Can't Hide", a riff on retired Heavyweight Boxing Champ Joe Louis' mantra, "He can run, but he can't hide."  Joe Louis' wife smartly held a trademark and she insisted that Solomon give a co-writer credit to her husband. Solomon acquiesced and he ended up touring with Joe for nearly a year which culminated with an appearance on the Steve Allen Show in 1957, heady national television exposure for a seventeen year old! Years later, Solomon remembered the circumstances, "Joe Louis was supposed to introduce me. Steve Allen said to Joe, 'And who did you bring with you tonight as a special guest?' And Joe Louis couldn't remember my name, but he remembered the song, of course. And at the same time, Dick Haymes had covered this record.....so he said 'Dick Haymes.'  The record company people must've had a heart attack! It was so funny. Joe was such a wonderful person. His personality and charm was unbelievable...It was a year that I will always remember, It was a very beautiful year."

Shortly thereafter, Solomon got into a violent argument with his manager over royalties and he was dropped from Apollo Records rather abruptly. The next few years were difficult as Solomon endured homelessness when his parents kicked him out of their house for his worship of "the devil's music." Estranged from his church and family, Solomon lived in abandoned cars, "There was no place I could turn. I was shamed. I was a bum." It got worse. Leaving a club, Solomon was hit by a car and the driver, Othella Thompson, the wife of a dentist, took him home and helped nurse him back to health. Solomon ended up marrying her niece, Delores, and before resuming his singing career, he became an apprentice mortician, learning a valuable trade. As he said, "I loved the work. At a moment when there is no hope for the family, a mortician can give them hope." Later, Solomon opened a string of funeral homes in Los Angeles and his daughter, Victoria ran a lucrative business. As fellow soul singer Joe Tex wryly observed, "Solomon Burke knock you dead from the bandstand. Then he gift wrap you for the trip home."

In November 1960, Solomon re-entered the music business, joined Atlantic Records and the hits soon followed. His second single, "Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)", a Patsy Cline cover, was his first million seller. If Atlantic Records was "The House That Ruth (Brown) Built" in the early 1950s, Solomon certainly did his part to keep it afloat in the early 1960s, especially since Ray Charles and Bobby Darin had recently departed the label. "If You Need Me", "Cry To Me", "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love", "Tonight's The Night", and his only number one hit  "Got To Get You Off My Mind" made Atlantic Records millions. Like many artists, Solomon gave away some of his publishing to his producers. Unseemly, unscrupulous and unfortunately, not an uncommon industry practice, Solomon explained, "That's how they got a piece of the song. They didn't write a word. In those days, it didn't make any difference. You wanted to get your product out....We didn't know what publishing was. We thought we had to give our publishing to the record company so the record could get out."

Back To My Roots (1976) signed by King Solomon Burke

Solomon's rewriting of a country song in the public domain, "Down In The Valley" yielded an unlikely hit and an even more unlikely fan base. He got mistakenly booked at a Ku Klux Klan rally in Mississippi with 30,000 wrong-minded attendees. "My drummer was saying to me, 'Will we ever get out of here alive?' I said, 'Just keep playing until they say we're done.' I think we played 'Down In The Valley' for forty-five minutes." After the show, a police escort spirited them to the highway out of town. Solomon's music cut across blues, country, gospel, rock and soul, but that cross over was almost too much.

Solomon's career ebbed in the 1970s as music tastes changed and disco music became prevalent. Then, The Blues Brothers movie came out in 1980. It featured Wilson Pickett singing "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love." At the end of the film, the credits scrolled and Solomon was shocked to see his producer Jerry Wexler and Wilson Pickett listed as the songwriters. Solomon's attorneys threatened an injunction to stop the hit movie. As Solomon related, "We started calling and the producers said, 'We thought Solomon died.' Well, he has risen....and he would like a check!" A check for $20,000 from Atlantic Records showed up the next day. To that end, Solomon became very protective of his copyrights as a result or his early mistreatment, however, he did license "Cry To Me" in the Dirty Dancing movie in 1987. With all due respect to Baby, nobody puts Solomon in the corner!

King Solomon testfyin’ BB Kings, March 4, 2005

Erin and I went to see Solomon perform at BB King's Club in New York City on March 4, 2005. As a special treat, our great friends from Washington, DC, Danny and Karen Callahan joined us at a nice red leather banquette about fifteen feet from the stage. The curtain was closed on stage as we enjoyed some pre-show libations. Just then, the house lights dimmed, and the curtain slid open to reveal the mighty King Solomon in all his splendor and munificence, perched on a throne. He was regal and stately, even though he remained seated for the duration of the show. And what a show! Fueled by a twelve piece band which included his daughter Candy on back up vocals, Solomon launched into his hits, "Cry To Me", "If You Need Me", "Down In The Valley", a beautiful soul meets country take on Eddy Arnold's "I Really Don't Want To Know", and the sublime gospel of "A Change Is Gonna Come" from the pen of his friend Sam Cooke. Then, Solomon spent time talking about how lucky he was to meet Joe Henry, the producer of his (first!) 2003 Grammy award winning album, Don't Give Up On Me. Joe had requested that some of his favorite songwriters contribute tracks that Solomon might record, and Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, and Brian Wilson all responded. With his deep, buttery baritone, Solomon transformed these songs into his own. They were equal parts soul shoutin' and soul testifyin', the profane never straying too far from the sacred.

Solomon Burke handing out roses, BB Kings, March 4, 2005

For his encore, Solomon invited all the ladies on stage to join him on "Everybody Wants Somebody To Love." Even in his sixties and confined to a wheelchair, his unerring eye and appetite for the ladies remained intact. Of course, Erin and Karen bounded up on stage and sang back up with a bevy of other beauties. The chorus never sounded better. After the show ended, the curtain closed and Solomon was whisked by wheelchair to his dressing room. Erin followed in hot pursuit with some vinyl.

Here's what she told me:

She followed Solomon into his dressing room with the albums, and he received her with a warm bear hug and a solicitation to sit on his lap while they looked at the albums. Erin declined his gracious invitation and told him what a terrific show he had just performed. He again requested that she sit on his lap, tapping on his thigh. She laughed and wisely handed him the albums, placing them in his lap. Then, Solomon signed the albums with beautiful inscriptions, "You are the best, May God's blessings be yours",  "You are God's blessed" and "To Erin, Love & God's blessings." While others were now in the dressing room, including his daughter, and other back up singers, Solomon was still trying to get a lap dance. Even off stage, the sacred Solomon never strayed far from the profane. Erin thanked Solomon for the show, grabbed the vinyl and left. Without a lap dance!

Solomon Burke, business man, ladies man, minister, mortician, singer, songwriter, soul shouter. As producer and "co-writer" Jerry Wexler described him, "A piece of work, wily, highly intelligent, a salesman of epic proportions...the best soul singer of all time." 

Amen. Long live the reign of King Solomon!

King Solomon and friends, BB Kings March 4, 2005

Choice Solomon Burke Cuts (per BK's request!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU5Ny7mF_1g

"Cry To Me"   Live 2002

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy7lsju3RmA

"Cry To Me"  original 1962  re-released 1987  Dirty Dancing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJylh19OfCg

"That's How I Got To Memphis"  Live 2005 with Buddy Miller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2OgM6CflF8

"Diamond In Your Mind"  Solomon sings Tom Waits   2002

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0bsWl-GnOo

"Don't Give Up On Me"  Live....truth, respect, words

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDtCOvAEpUM

"Everybody Needs Someone To Love" Live with The Rolling Stones  2002

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW4jyPxqFY0

"Everybody Needs Someone To Love"  Live 1987

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GimsDeBWTSs

"Down In The Valley"  Live  2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4lciVIIO4s

"Got To Get You Off My Mind"  1965 #1 Single

Jerry Jeff Walker, Bojangles and Me...

This guy, Bojangles, he was a street dancer in New Orleans, and what he'd do, he'd go from bar to bar and... he'd put money in the juke box, or get somebody else to... And then he'd either dance or pantomime the tune. And for that, people would buy him drinks and get him pretty drunk, and then he'd go on to the next bar, and the next one, until it was closing time... After a few nights of this, he'd end up on the corner, and the cops would pick him up and then take him to the drunk tank -- which is where Jerry Jeff met him.
Jerry Jeff wasn't there on a research project -- I mean, the way I got that story, I may have that wrong, but the way I got that is that he propositioned the right woman at the right time in the wrong place -- and her husband, the bartender... called the cops, and they took Jerry to the Parish jail. And he and this guy just talked for three days in the cell...

               David Bromberg on the origin of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles"

Jerry Jeff Walker (1972) signed by Jerry Jeff, David Bromberg

Well, we play country music. We're just not sure what country it is.

                Jerry Jeff Walker

Jerry Jeff Walker (1972) back cover signed by David Bromberg “David &Me”

Walker’s Collectibles (1974) signed by a bleary Jerry Jeff

Born Ronald Clyde Crosby in Oneonta, NY, Jerry Jeff Walker joined the National Guard after high school, went busking around the Southwest in the early 1960s, before settling in New York's thriving folk music scene in Greenwich Village in the mid 60s. Shortly thereafter, Jerry Jeff wrote "Mr. Bojangles" ,a song which has been covered by everyone from Sammy Davis Jr. to Bob Dylan, Cornell Dupree to Nina Simone. "Mr. Bojangles" is not based on the influential vaudeville hoofer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson who starred in "Stormy Weather" and movies with Shirley Temple in the 1940s. According to Jerry Jeff, it was a composite sketch of drifters he had met along his itinerant ways. And the fellow Jerry Jeff met in that New Orleans jail in 1965 was white, as the New Orleans jails were still segregated. Jerry Jeff relocated to Austin, Texas in the early 1970s and released several brilliant country rock albums with stellar musicians including David Bromberg, Gary P. Nunn, and Lloyd Maines (father of lead Dixie Chick Natalie Maines).

I saw Jerry Jeff many times over the years, and he was a great performer.… when he showed up. One night, Jerry Jeff was (not) playing the Worcester (Massachusetts ) Auditorium in the late 1970s. Jonathan Edwards opened and played a set which closed with his 70s stoner staple, "Shanty", replete with the sing along chorus "Gonna sit around the shanty, mama, and put a good buzz on." Jerry Jeff 's band, The Lost Gonzos, came out and played for about 45 minutes. No Jerry Jeff. The announcer said that Jerry Jeff's bus was delayed and he wouldn't be appearing. So Jonathan Edwards sat in with the band for the rest of the show. The encore was "Shanty." No one needs to hear that song in the same concert twice. Ever. So Jerry Jeff's whole band got there safely, but not Jerry Jeff? They took different buses? I think Jerry Jeff hung around the shanty and put too good a buzz on, probably not the first nor only time!

Many years later in November 1994, I saw Jerry Jeff play a Thanksgiving concert in Luckenbach, Texas, a town with a population of four, made famous by a stunning Jerry Jeff album recorded there in 1973, Viva Terlingua, and a Willie Nelson/Waylon Jennings song released in 1977,  "Luckenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics Of Love)". The town consists of a dance hall, a defunct post office (now a general store), a parking lot. and some great and glorious music.

Viva Terlingua! (1973) signed by Jerry Jeff, “$1 per person”

In Luckenbach, I ran into Jerry Jeff in the General Store and he signed a bunch of albums.  Jerry Jeff laughed when he saw his first album, Mr. Bojangles (1968). On the back cover, there was a picture of his long time friend and accompanist, David Bromberg with special thanks noted for David's "photogenicism." It was as unflattering a photo of Bromberg as you could imagine. I showed Jerry Jeff  the album cover of It’s A Good Night For Singin’  in which Jerry Jeff leads a boisterous crowd in song in a late night cantina. I recognized Guy Clark and Waylon Jennings in the crowd. Who are some of the others? Jerry Jeff said, "That's Jim Stafford with his back to us. That's Charlie Louvin (of the fabled Louvin Brothers). That's Susan (his wife)." What about this guy? as I pointed to a Weird Al Yankovic lookalike. Is that who I think it is? Jerry laughed, "Yes, let's just not say for sure who that is." I understood perfectly. Why mar a great photo with terrific musicians with the taint of Weird Al Yankovic?

It’s A Good Night For Singin ‘ (1976) signed by Jerry Jeff

The show in Luckenbach was revelatory. Jerry Jeff had a talented band and he played songs from his extensive catalog. It was rowdy, raucous and everything you would expect in a Texas roadhouse. There was a lot of drinkin', dancin' and carryin' on but there was a deep reverence for Jerry Jeff and his music. I was amazed to see a group of young college students who knew all his song lyrics. Many of these songs had been written before they were born, and much of Jerry Jeff's discography had been out of print due to a protracted squabble with MCA, his litigious record label. It just proves that all good music finds a way into your soul, regardless of age.

There was something so pure and perfect about seeing Jerry Jeff Walker in Luckenbach, Texas. I imagine it was akin to seeing Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club in the 1920s, Miles Davis at the Village Vanguard in the 1950s, or the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore in the late 1960s.

Jerry Jeff embodies the American dream. If Ronald Crosby from upstate New York can reinvent himself into an Austin cosmic cowboy and country rock legend, and write one of the most beloved and recorded songs in the Great American Songbook, then possibilities are endless...

Ridin’ High (1975) signed by Jerry Jeff

Jerry Jeff, Erin And Me… Luckenbach, Texas November 1995

Mom and Dad celebrate with Jerry Jeff In Luckenbach

Nolan Ryan (He’s A Hero To Us All) (1990 45”) signed by Jerry Jeff

Tennessee Inaugural Ball 1993 back signed by Jerry Jeff, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris

Ramsey Lewis, Warren Scott and Me...

An Hour With (stereo-1959) signed by Ramsey

Everything comes from one thing, everything comes from the Spirit. Jazz would not exist had it not been for gospel music, the blues would not exist had it not been for spiritual blues, which goes back to slave songs our fore fathers were singing while they were out in the field. So it’s all one continuous growth from one group of people. Of course jazz now is played by various cultures and colors around the world. But the stimulus is One Voice.
               Ramsey Lewis

Stretching Out (1960) signed by Ramsey

Country Meets The Blues (1962) signed by Ramsey

Bossa Nova (1963) signed by Ramsey

From the very beginning we have striven for a true group sound, a true group image in which each participant's role is of equal importance instead of two of the members serving primarily as accompanists. Among the jazz groups that I feel have most nearly accomplished this sound are, The Modern Jazz Quartet, The Bill Evans Trio, and the original Miles Davis Quintet ( with Coltrane, Garland, and Philly Joe).

              Ramsey Lewis

At The Bohemian Caverns (1964) signed by Ramsey

Ramsey Lewis is an acclaimed jazz pianist who has released more than eighty albums in his sixty year career. He has seven gold records, three Grammys and sold millions of records. "The In Crowd", a hit in 1965, almost didn't happen. As a follow up to The Ramsey Lewis Trio At The Bohemian Caverns which had been released the previous year with great success, the band was looking for a soul song, a groover to spice up their material. They were discussing their needs at breakfast at a diner the day of the Bohemian Caverns show, and as Ramsey recalled, “Nettie Gray, our waitress, said, ‘Well, what about “The In Crowd,” by Dobie Gray?’ (drummer) Redd (Holt) and (bassist) Eldee (Young) said: ‘Oh, yeah, that’s a good one! I know that!’ I did not. So they put it on the jukebox, and I liked it." As they were finishing their first set that night, they were about to play a blues theme when Redd Holt said, "Hey man, let's play 'The In Crowd' Jack, hook it up!" Ramsey explained, “We never actually got to the theme that night. They wouldn’t let us off the bandstand, ‘The In Crowd’ had gone over so big. They were clapping, hooting and hollering and cheering.” And you can hear the exuberance captured on the record when it was released six months later in May,1965. It became Ramsey's first million seller and catapulted the trio into the top 5 of the Billboard charts. They were not overnight sensations though, The Ramsey Lewis Trio had toiled for nearly a decade and they had already released eighteen records. The serendipitous meeting of a waitress and a jazz man.....

The In Crowd (1965) signed by Ramsey

It was never a millstone. It doesn’t sound anything like the record anymore when we play it. But yes, it reminds me of the good times—when I was able to pay my bills on time.

Ramsey Lewis 2015 interview

I saw Ramsey perform a solo recital recently at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. My brother's old college friend, Warren Scott, was the promoter and I attended the show as his guest. Warren has led a colorful life as a rock and roll impresario and he earned his stripes as the chief booker at The Channel for eleven years, arguably Boston's most important rock club during that time. So many great artists played this seventeen-hundred seat club like James Brown, The B-52s, Big Audio Dynamite, The Cars, The Jam, Roy Orbison, etc. and Warren's taste and style made it all happen. And the stories, there are so many that Warren's stories have stories.

We met before the show and it was great to see an old friend. I couldn't remember the last time we saw each other, probably a Steel Pulse or Big Audio Dynamite show from the hazy Channel daze. We laughed about those times, happy that we both survived, faculties dimmed but relatively intact. Warren graciously took me back to Ramsey's dressing room for an introduction. This was the easiest transition ever, no guile or subterfuge to outwit a security guard, a simple knock on the door and direct access. Just me, Ramsey. his lovely wife Jan, Ramsey's tour manager, and a security guard. And my stack of records.

I expressed my condolences to Ramsey on the loss of his friend, producer and one time drummer, Maurice White (founder of Earth, Wind & Fire). "Thank you," he said quietly, "It is a huge loss."  Later from the stage, Ramsey was more expansive as he dedicated "Sun Goddess" to his friend. "Maurice was a very talented drummer. In those days, each studio, like Capitol, Columbia or Chess, where I recorded, had a house band. If you needed a drummer or bassist or horn section, you could use them. Maurice became very in demand as a drummer and he was so versatile. He could play straight ahead jazz with Gene Ammons or Sonny Stitt, or he could play rock and roll or rhythm and blues. He was so soft spoken and so talented. After Redd (Holt) left, I needed a drummer. I asked Maurice, he said yes and we stayed together for three or four years (they recorded nine albums together including "Wade In The Water", a gospel hymn that was another million seller!). After awhile, Maurice came to me and said softly, 'I want to go to Los Angeles and start a band. This band will be like no other. We will have uniforms, a horn section and dance routines, and we will play jazz, soul, rock and roll, and pop tunes.' I looked at him and said, well Maurice I think you need to take a couple aspirin. Of course, he was right, the band - Earth, Wind & Fire - was fantastic and very successful, and he ended up producing a couple of my records."

In the dressing room before the show, I asked Ramsey about his recent European tour. "It was very successful and all the shows were sold out. I had my quartet: Henry Johnson on guitar, Joshua Ramos on bass, and Charles Heath on drums." Is Charles related to the Heath Brothers? I asked. "Yes, he's a cousin. How do you know them?" he said warily. Oh, I've seen Jimmy, Percy, and Tootie many times, I replied. It was time to play "name drop jazz artists", a skill I have mastered. I asked Ramsey about his influences, "Oscar Peterson and The Modern Jazz Quartet, came his quick retort. John Lewis (the MJQ pianist)? "Not just him" he added, "The entire band, Milt (Jackson), Percy (Heath) and Connie (Kay), all great musicians." I mentioned how much I loved Dr. Billy Taylor and how underrated I think he is as a pianist. Ramsey grew animated, "Yes he is really underrated. He is in my top five for sure." Who else is in your top 5  besides Oscar, John Lewis, and Billy Taylor? Ramsey grew reflective, "Well there are so many great pianists, Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal.... I really don't like these lists. I think each pianist should bring something new and contribute to the next one. That's how it should work and that's what interests me." Hank Jones, McCoy Tyner? I prodded. "Well, now you're talking about the heavyweights,” Ramsey affirmed. What about newer pianists? Brad Mehldau? "Yes, I listen to Brad. He is in my iPod." Me too, Ramsey, and in my never ending campaign to extoll the joy and wonder of Dwike Mitchell and Willie Ruff, I asked Ramsey about Dwike Mitchell? "Mitchell Ruff Duo? “Yes, of course I love those guys."

Pleasantries concluded, it was time to get some signatures. As Ramsey signed the albums he was blown away by the pristine condition. "It looks like you just walked into a record store yesterday and bought them" as he held a fifty year old copy of his biggest hit. The In Crowd. I'm a collector, I explained, and I have a very discerning eye. As he signed Mother Nature's Son, a collection of Beatles covers, I mentioned that it was sampled by many artists. How do you feel when A Tribe Called Quest or others sample your work? "I feel it is a huge compliment." And do you get paid? "Yes, Sound Exchange processes all that and sends me a check. It works fine, and they're some nice sized checks, too", he said with a big smile.

Mother Nature’s Son (1968) signed by Ramsey

Now it was time for the show. The concert was sold out, so Warren set me up on a stool just off stage in the wings. Ramsey opened with Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" from West Side Story, then "Satin Doll." As Ramsey said, "Anyone who is serious about jazz must play or attempt 'Satin Doll', Duke Ellington's master work." He played the beautiful ballad "When I Fall In Love", and he admitted, "I am a classic romanticist at heart."  "Sun Goddess" was prefaced by his warm remarks about his recently departed friend, Maurice White, then he launched into a rollicking romp of Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City."  "The In Crowd" led to a medley with snippets of "Wade In The Water" and "Hang On Sloopy" thrown in. He also played "Dear Lord", a beautiful gospel hymn by John Coltrane, with exquisite touch and gentleness, unlike the "sheets of sound" and frenetic fury usually associated with Trane's experimental work. As he walked on stage for his second encore, someone from the crowd shouted "The Party's Over." He smiled wryly, then played several bars of the classic jaunty vamp, and then settled into a bluesy, soulful version of "Willow Weep For Me." It was a masterful performance by a master jazz pianist.

After the show, Warren and I walked back with Ramsey to his dressing room. I thanked him for his kindness and generosity, especially his moving performance of Coltrane's "Dear Lord." I thought it was very uncharacteristic of Coltrane's work. "Yes, it is surprising, but if you listen to his later work, he quieted down." Like Ascension? "Yes exactly, and Meditations." I told him I was looking forward to seeing him in April in Purchase, New York in the coming months. "Thank you very much. I will look for you," he said. He may come to regret those remarks. Another stack of records awaits....

Ramsey Lewis, Live At Bryant College, February 18, 2016

Bach To The Blues (1964) signed by Ramsey

Goin’ Latin (1967) signed by Ramsey

More Sounds Of Christmas (1964) signed by Ramsey

Choice Ramsey Lewis Cuts (per BK's request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsFST-7Hx-Y

"The In Crowd" - Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIX8qQ8TZ8E

"Wade In The Water"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIX8qQ8TZ8E

"Dear Lord" - Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfVYSruxFG0&list=PLvy11NbZJ_kHBaQ1KuzQcx1bxm-ughYEd&index=2

"Sun Goddess" Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55X-Qm1MF9c&index=11&list=PLvy11NbZJ_kHBaQ1KuzQcx1bxm-ughYEd

"Living For The City"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNnqRcG7P4c

"Hang On Sloopy" - Live

Lou Reed and Me...

My God is rock 'n' roll. It’s an obscure power that can change your life. The most important part of my religion is to play guitar.

               Lou Reed

Transformer (1972) signed by Lou Reed

What I wanted to do [was] write rock & roll that you could listen to as you got older, and it wouldn't lose anything. It would be timeless, and the subject matter and the literacy of the lyrics.

               Lou Reed

The Velvet Underground (1967) signed by Lou Reed

Lou Reed, an influential rock icon, began his career as a member of the Velvet Underground, a semial New York City rock band in 1965. Brian Eno, the acclaimed producer and recording artist, once quipped, "They only sold 30,000 copies (of their first album) in the first five years, but everyone who bought one started a band." Lou was the principal lyricist for the band, using writing skills he honed as an honors graduate with an English degree from Syracuse University in 1964.

Berlin (1973) signed by Lou Reed

 Lou's writing was spare and graphic. His biggest Top 40 hit, "Walk On The Wild Side" released in 1972, was a bleak description of hookers, transgenders, and male prostitutes in a gritty urban landscape, not the usual Top 40 lyrics then or now. Featuring saxophone and upright bass, it was an unusual sonic departure with jazz overtones, David Bowie said upon listening, "I had never heard anything quite like it. It was a revelation to me."

Rock n Roll Animal (1974) signed by Lou Reed

I saw Lou many times over the years, the last time at the Knitting Factory on November 30, 1998. A downtown New York City club, the Knitting Factory featured an interesting mix of avant garde jazz and rock and roll. Diverse artists like Pharoah Sanders, Cecil Taylor, Charles Lloyd, and David Byrne were some of the shows I saw there. It was small and intimate with a capacity around three-hundred including a small upstairs balcony.

 Lou always put on a good show, especially in New York. He was clean and sober since the 1980s and a long way from the wreck he was in the 1970s. I remember an old college friend saw him in Boston in the late 1970s and he told me that Lou was a mess. Lou had just released Metal Machine Music, an unlistenable suite of industrial noise (on two LPs of course!) and he performed it exclusively at this show. The music was grating, but my friend really enjoyed the show from a sociological viewpoint. Lou was being heckled mercilessly by fans who wanted to hear his hits, but Lou didn't care. He was strung out, and he was alternately nodding and combative, a memorable and combustible performance.

New York (1989) signed by Lou Reed

 After a crisp and loud Knitting Factory show, I went upstairs to the dressing rooms to see Lou. There was a line of folks with backstage passes waiting. When the door opened, I slid in with the small group of close friends and family and entered. There were a couple of couches in the dressing room where Laurie Andersen (Lou's wife and noted performance artist) was sitting. I saw Lou and asked him to sign a couple albums. He looked at me warily. I sensed his suspicion, so I said, ‘Hey Lou, my brother-in-law just saw you perform at the White House for Vaclav Havel (the recently elected President of Czech Republic and huge Velvet Ungerground fan). He said it was surreal. What did you think? ‘ After a long, uncomfortable pause, Lou replied, "It was........surreal." He quickly signed the albums, then he looked past me, "Bill? Where's Bill? Has anyone seen Bill?"

That was my cue. Bill was his tour manager and Lou didn't want to spend any more time talking to me. I was an intruder and it was time to leave. So I left. Thereafter, whenever boundaries blur, I act creepy or stalk some other artist, one of my closest friends pulls me back with this unsubtle reminder: "Bill? Where's Bill? Has anyone seen Bill?"

Hope our paths cross soon.

New Sensations (1984) signed by Lou Reed

Choice Lou Reed Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdWPeHFAMk

“Sweet Jane” Rock N Roll Animal 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6fayQBm9w

“Walk On The Wild Side” Transformer 1972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SHCsgqZvQM

“Coney Island Baby” Coney Island Baby 1975

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo9nZEalABQ

“Berlin” Berlin 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWFgGxe-CjI

“Pale Blue Eyes” live 1998

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCpkwAkNJj0

“Perfect Day” live at The BBC 2003

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQsJK0voNRI

“September Song” Lost In The Stars 1985

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Ch4O7wmuY

“Heroin” Rock N Roll Animal 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH96BsL1R3U

“Dirty Blvd.” New York 1989

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4VEXl4vsq4

“Waiting For The Man” live with David Bowie 1997