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Gene LeesLrc Ad LibitumLibitwm G& JazzletterIazzletter PO BOXBox 240,240, OjaiOjai CACA93024-024093024-0240 ]une 2005 Vol. 23 N0. 6
Because the same people who would tell you how wonder- Mail BagBrg ful the USA is also want to live here for nothing. God, I miss Europe. Clarke, West Des Moines, Iowa You will never think of haiku again in the same way when I ——- Donald Clarke, West Des Moines, Iowa tell you that every single haiku everevet written can be sung to the other publication which gives me more plea- tunetune of Moonlight in Vermont. I take no other publication which gives me more plea- initially sub- -—- Frank Frost, Santa Barbara, California sure. I havehave every issue of thethe Jazzletter. I initially sub- scribed because of my love of the music. I would remain a of the topic. I live in a "red state" so Five syllables,sytlabtes, seven syllables, andandfive.five. And that song hashas subscriber regardless of the topic. I live in a “red state” so enjoy your comments about this comrpt a haiku quality in that the lyric doesndoesn't’t rhyme and contains no I particularly enjoy your comments about this conupt ever recover from the acts and verbs except in the release. ItIt's’s all images. Frank is aaformerformer administration. Can we ever recover from the acts and these morons? classicsclassics professor, a novelist, and aajazzjazz pianist. omissions of these morons? Thoughrhou gh we have never met, I consider you a dear friend. About Darwin. In science, a guess is a “hypothesis”."hypothesis"' A "Y;ffi— John fR. McCandless,i};sffiH It;,ffi*'al.l;Oklahoma City “theory”"theory" is a testable hypothesis that is supported by a large body of empirical evidence and contradicted by none.none' It would John is an attorney.attorneY. be a shame ififthethe bewildered forced an end to this terminology.terminology' so many catch'up Jazzletters, and A theory is not held to be a “fact”"fact" because no one would deny What a tln*illthrill to receive so many catch-up Jazzletters, and as usual. I have no doubt that they are now and the possibility of new evidence requiring revision, and over the alla1l fabulous as usual. I have no doubt that they are now and great historical importance' yearsyeais the validation of evolution has been enriched as the will be in the years ahead of great historical importance. to accommodate it' And the incisiveness and general acumen ofofyouryour readership theoryiheory has been expanded and modifiedmodified to accommodate it. tflLi,1l That the press and politicians are deferential to all those isi s perhapsp erhap s unprecedented,unP rec edented' certainly in this field. .,ri rorni a people who expect to live in bliss for trillions and trillions of —— Jeri Coates,s'"Xil:]illLos Angeles, Califomia years in the company of Yahweh is no small part of our me too. national deterioration. The superstition is especially puzzling And that readershipreadershiP amazes me too. in those who have actually read the Bible, where the deity donate a gift subscription to someone who appears to be a capricious destructive megalomaniac very I’dl'd like to donate a gift subscription to someone who your discretion. My life is so enriched because much like the super-villains in comiccornic books. needs it, at your discretion. My life is so enriched because — Art Hilgart, Kalamazoo,Kalartazoo, Michigan ofofyou.you. - Martha McAndrews MD, Fortville, Indiana —- Martha McAndrews MD, Fortville, Indiana Your piece Darwin in Kansas made my heart leap with joy! the largest group of subscribers is There is no contradiction between religion and science, but Next to musicians, the largest group of subscribers is people who can’tcan't see beyond their noses certainly cannot doctors. contemplate a hundred billion years, let alone infinity'infinity. 'And you know you are appreciated. I for one consider J And while I’mI'm at it, why does no one evereverpointpoint out that the I think you know you are appreciated. I for one consider and I suspect I am not alone' right-wing nuts who want to get rid of the federal govemmentgovernment you a national treasure and I suspect I am not alone. — Roderick W. Pettis, San Rafael, CalifomiaCalifornia areu* no different from the orthodox Communists, who look for the “withering"withering away ofofthethe state”?state"? Is there a difference between doesn't mean I don't like hearing it, and left-wing crackpots and right-wingrightwing crackpots? Yeah, but that doesn 't mean I don ’t like hearing it, and me going, like that little stupid drum- Why is there less and less music teaching in the schools? the letters keep me going, like that little stupid drum-
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would often tape beating bunny. tapes of these airshots myself: my wife would often tape them off the radio when I was playing. My collection In your story about ZootZoot'n'’n’ Al, you mentioned Zoot’sZoot's includes several hours of Al and Zoot andand Rushing, and Richie Kamuca et brothers Gene and, of course, Ray. There was another brother, nights with Phil Woods, Bobby Hackett, Richie Kamuca et this stuff. I've younger I think, whose name was Bobby. Bobby was a trumpet al. There are already bootlegs out on much ofthisof stuff. I’ve one on the player who also sang (like Ray), as occasionally did Zoot. He found a couple at the record store, including one on the Zoot Sims at and I worked together in a nondescript band around L.A. Naked City label of Tijuana, Mexico, called Zoot Sims at listed as Bill Lucky Thompson was also with the band for a while, probably the Half Note, in which the accompanists are listed as Bill When I brought it during the late ’40s.'40s. The band had one trumpet and three saxes Crow, Roger Kellaway, and Mel Lewis. When I brought it in my collection. I was and three rhythm. Obviously Bobby never got the attention that home I found it was one of the tapes in my collection. I was It was John Ray and Zoot received. I have no idea whatever happened to pissed off because they got the credits wrong.wrong' It was John up him. Beal, Mousey Alexander and me. Naked City screwed up Al Cohn Let me add another Zoot storystory to the collection. Some time the song titles, too, putting their own titles on two Al Cohn justice? in 1954 or 1955 I did a concert on a Sunday aftemoonafternoon with originals. Is there, at last, no justice? 31,7964, Zoot. Guess I took a very worthwhile aftemoonafternoon off from the In the New Year’sYear's Eve broadcast, December 31, 1964, There was an Lighthouse that day. The concert was part of a series that Dick Zoot plays the wrong song at midnight. There was an and then Zoot Bock of PacificPacific Records had been doing at a small but delight- audience count-down, “Three,"Three, two, one!”onel" and then Zoot corrected him ful little theater on Hollywood Boulevard near LaBrea. Besides playedplayed Happy Birthday. When Alan Grant corrected him — "I knew it was something- me, Chet was there and a rhythm section all of whom I have on the air! ——- Zoot said amiably, “I knew it was something forgotten. ZootZoot arrivedarived half ripped. How he got there I don’tdon't festive.”festive." —- Dave Frishberg, Portland, Oregon know, as he had no car. As the aftemoonafternoon proceeded, he got the - other half ripped. The last piece we did was a blues. The three of Zoot. homhorn players all had chairs to sit on, for obvious reasons, when These two letters summoned up two memories ofZoot. to get not soloing. When it came time for Zoot’sZoot's solo he stood up When I became editor of Down Beat, I wanted to get I did with the.formi' (barely) and did lovely Zoot things for about ten minutes. Then more interesting covers, w'hichwhich I think Idid with theformi- young art his tenor began pointing more and more skyward. His body dable help of photographer Ted Williams and a young art started forming a shape like the letter s.s' Then the top of the s director named Bob Billings. put Zoot on the cover, and I was a very opened up and up went his tenor and back he fell into his chair, I wanted to put Zoot on the cover; and -— I was a very get a shot still playing. The chair went over backwards and he ended up active photographer in those days -— planned to get a shot - noticed a house in flatflat on his back, his tenor still pointing to the skies with Zoot of him on a visitvisit to New York. I had noticed a house in balcony still playingtheplaying the shit out of it. That was one of the few times Greenwich Village that had an interesting front balcony evoked New Orleans. I that I ever saw Chet Baker laugh. with a white cast-iron railing that evoked New Orleans. I This clearly concluded our concert. Where could we go arranged to take the picture ofofZootZoot on that balcony. by a blizzard, which from there? After he put his hornhom away Zoot hobbled over to But then New York was hit by a blizzard, which forced plows did their work and there me and said, “Hey"Hey Shank, take me home.”home." So I loaded him into me to wait a day or two. The plows did their work and there particu- my Hillman Minx (one of my better automotive investments) were great long ridges of snow along the streets, particu- one in the Village. Zoot and and off we went to Inglewood to the Sims’Sims' family home. To larly those as narrowndrrow as onefindsfinds in the Village. Zoot and afriend I can't remember who it say that it was a veryvery modest home would be a very modest I went down there with afriend --— I can ’t remember who it position on the balcony and I climbed up on statement. For so much marvelous music to come from such an was.wa* He took a position on the balcony and I climbed up on good positionfor the picture. I set environment is really remarkable. that snow ridge to get a good position for the picture. I set the image on the glass Thanks for all your great words and lyrics, and especially it up carefully, looking down into the image on the glass "Are you ready? " He said for your friendship. atop my Rolleiflex. I asked Zoot, "Are you ready? ” He said — Bud Shank, Tucson, ArizonaArizona he was. - And at that moment the snow gave way under me and I to my waist or maybe the armpits. WABC did a regular Friday night radio broadcast in stereo sank instantly to my waist or maybe the armpits. than he did that day. from the Half Note from 1963-1966. It was an hour show You never saw Zoot laugh harder than he did that day. hauled me out of the snow, I got my called Portraits in Jazz with Alan Grant.Grant.I'veI’ve got a bunch of He and ourfiiendour friend hauled me out ofthe snow, Igot my
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"former"oilmen?), I predicted picture, and I ran it on the cover.cover believe that he and Bush are ‘former ”oilmen ?), Ipredicted I shot another cover involving Zoot, this one atqt the second every event that has come to pass. Whenlfrhen they invaded, I the ground, Monterey Jazz Festival. I wanted a photo that said "Califor-"Califor' said they would have to put 500,000 troops on the ground, nia" and so I got some of the guys, including Zoot, Urbie drawing on the French and American experiences in Viet And given the Green, and Conte Candoli, took them out by a ratherratherfamousfamous Nam and that of the British in Malaya. And given the deployed, wind-bent Monterey pine, lined them up with their instruments number of National Guard units that have been deployed, to assure against the sunset, and took my shot. It was a black-and-white the country doesndoesn't’t have enough troops at home to assure (1.5. learn what photo, but Bob Billings ran the cover with a sky-blueslqt-blue overlay, domestic security. It'sIt 's insane. The U.S. needs to learn what and ittt waswus quite striking.strrking. the British and French learned to their chagrin: colonialism On our way back in a station wagon, Zoot said he liked the is expensive. one of Dukes ofDixieland.of Dixieland. That group was anathema in "hip"hip""jazz iazz The United States made a promise to the world, one of Revolution and circles, and one oftheo.f the musicians climbed all over him. How every manman'sfreedom.'sfreedom. It inspired the French Revolution and now purely couldcoulcl he possibly like them? Zoot said in his imperturbable so influencedinJluenced Britain that the monarchy is now purely way,way,"Well,“Well, you know me, man, I’veI've got no taste.taste."" ceremonial (and should be abolished). I expect the U.S. to live up to that promise; I demand the highest standards of I do not plan to renew my subscription, not because I don’tdon't it. " was enjoy the insightful, intelligent manner in which you present Lincoln called it “the"the last best hope of man. ”AndAnd he was (1782-1852) saw this youryour jazzjazzopinions.opinions. I’mI'm cancelling because ofofyouryour strong anti- right. And Senator Daniel Webster (I 782-I852) saw this Constitu- United States bias and your juvenile views of politics in even earlier. He said."said: “Hold"Hold on, mymyfriends,friends, to the Constitu- Miracles do not general, which I feel are uncalled for in a publication of this tion and to the RepublicRepublicforwhichfor which it stands. Miracles do not type.type' cluster andandwhatwhat has happened once in 6,6,000years000years may not -— Anthony Gagliardi happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the - American Constitution should fall, there will be anarchy " And what type ofpublicationof publication is that? throughout the world. ” The anarchy has Before I ever wrote about music, I was a political reporter The Constitution is under attack. The anarchy has andandforeignforeign correspondent. I covered the French entanglement already begun in the Middle East. March 4, 1837, Andrew in Algeria,Algeria,fromfrom which they had to withdraw, and their defeat In his farewell address on March 4, I 83 7, Andrew "But my citizens, in and withdrawalwithdrawql from Viet Nam. And so when John FF. JacksonJacl June 2005 7 r 4 requirements as a nation and the duties imposed by the nation where shock and humor have traditionally depended on upon the individual,"individual; balance between actions of the moment sexual subjects. and the national welfare of the future. Good judgment seeksseel June 2005 v . 5 a set of would be here to be embarrassed by it. It was driven into and wives slept in twin beds, though I never saw a set of as a child. And when it hiding under Cromwell’sCromwell's Roundheads. twin beds in any home I knew as a child. And when it in a movie to tell her husband I do not use profanity in the body text of my writing, not became necessary for a wife in a movie to tell her husband statement was always because I am a puritan but because it breaks the flow ofofthethe she was in a family way, the direct statement was always "Darling, I have to tell writing by drawing attention to itself'itself. When, in the editing of avoided. She’dShe'd say something like, “Darling, I have to tell poor dolt of a husband would my Johnny Mercer biographer, a New York copy editor wrote you, I’mI'm . . . .”." To which the poor dolt of a husband would you're . . . you're . in “pissed"pissed oft”off ' for “annoyed.”"annoyed." I threw out all his work and had say something like, “You"You mean, you’re . . . you’re . .' .' '" in the movies never got big, him removed from thejob.the job. “Yes.”"Yes." And pregnant women in the movies never got big, or On the other hand, if someone uses “profanity”"profanity" in an even though most kids in America had seen their mothers or my mother used to interview, I will not remove it, considering that to be censor- their mothers’mothers' friends looking like, as my mother used to a ship. In my school years, I worked in the summers as a put it, “a"a ship in full sail.”sail." In recent years we have seen a covet of Vanity Fair, longshoreman and later lab technician among some really nude and pregnant Demi Moore on the cover of Vanity Fair, o'bad" protrusion. (I have never felt rough, tough guys, andand never heard that kind of “bad” lan- her abdomen in ugly profileprofile protrusion. (I have never felt pregnant women. There should guage among them. anything but compassion for pregnant women. There should ways When I was a young newspaper reporter, you were not be an easier way to get into this life, not to say easier ways had no such restrictions on allowed to use the word “rape”"rape" in a story. The euphemism was to get out of it.) French filmsfilms had no such restrictions on American audiences' “assault.”"assault." That was in Canada, but I think it was pretty much them, which made them seem racy to American audiences. You Kinda Glad We the same in the States. Sexual stories simply were not covered, And to me, the Gershwin songsongAren'tAren ’t You Kinda Glad We Krupa with Buddy Stewart except in the few weekly sleazesleazejournals,joumals, forerunners of the Did? in its recording by Gene Krupa with Buddy Stewart Had to Go and Lose It at National Inquirer. InInToronto,Toronto, the two aftemoonafternoon newspapers, seemed pretty wild. The songsong She Had to Go and Lose It at far-out. And does anybody but me thethe Star and the Telegram had a pool service for magistrates the Astor was equally far-out. And does anybody but me record / Wanna Get Married court coverage: you filedfiled to both papers.papers' As I recall there were remember Gertrude Niessen’sNiessen's record I Wanna Get Married in pajama tops"? four magistrates courts, designated A, B, C, and D. Sexual with its daring line, “I"I want to sleep in pajama tops”? a lot of racy lines in Broadway cases, which meant for the most part prostitution arrests, were There were of course a lot of racy lines in Broadway Porter's "I want tolaze in a daisy assigned to C Court, and we all liked to catch the C Court musicals, including Cole Porter’s “I want to laze in a daisy into the general culfural assignment for the day. You couldn’tcouldn't write the stories, which chain,”chain," but they never escaped into the general cultural couldn't sleep and would- meant you did no work;work;youyou just sat there and heard (I assure atmosphere. And Larry Hart’sHart's “I"I couldn’t sleep and would- shouldn't sleep" was you) all sortssorls of really interesting tales. I was still of sufficientsufficient n’tn't sleep until I could sleep where I shouldn’t sleep” was Porter's Love naivete that I found it hard to believe that such things as bowdlerized in its release on recordings. Cole Porter’ s Love even in instrumental electric chairs and prostitutes existed. for SaleSalewasbarredwas barred fromfromnetworkradionetwork radio even in instrumental this, Alec Wilder wrote a One story I covered was the attempted rape of Patti Page.Page' versions. Rebelling against all this, Alec Wilder wrote a Kay (tell her I love her), and man- Some clown found out the number of her hotel room and took song called If You See Kay (tell her I love her), and man- network radio until some her flowers,flowers, pretending to be a messenger boy, and then tried aged to get perfonnancesperformances on network radio until some to rape her. She fought him off. I think the news stories executive figuredfigured out what it spelled. to here? That could make the referred to “attempted"attempted assault.”assault." Years later, when I got to know How did we get from there to here? That could make the it briefly: Patti, I reminded her of the incident; she was amazedamazed that subject ofaof a very substantial book.book" But to consider it briefly: raciest visual materials were the anyone remembered it. A nice lady, by the way, and a good When I was a kid, the raciest visual materials were the leggy girls by George Petty singer, despite the songs she recorded such as The Tennesseeknnessee stylized Esquire paintings of leggy girls by George Petty Then there several magazines such as Waltz andand How Much Is That Doggy in the Window.Window' (I sublet and Alberto Vargas. Then there several magazines such as that pronounced itself as favoring a an apartment in New York from her pianist Rocky Cole, bomborn Sunbathing and Health that pronounced itself as favoring a But every little boy who Coluccio, who had been in the Artie Shaw Navy band in the wholesome approach to nudism. But every little boy who what that stuffreally was for' South Pacific.Pacific. He was always away on the road with her.) got his hands on a copy knew what that stuff really was for. demure, even the pictures of Betty Inln the olden days, you will recall, the restraints on the movie Everything was rather demure, even the pictures of Betty Pornography industry forbade the use of the word “pregnant”."pregnant". Otto Paige that became popular in the 1950s. Pomography gradual increase in shock Preminger’sPreminger's movie The Moon Is Blue couldn’tcouldn't get a seal of progressesprogr.tt.t by increments, by the gradual increase in shock movies. Al1 those nude approval because the girl in the story, played by Maggie value. This is also true of horror movies. All those nude courts, were airbrushed to McNamara, uses the word “virgin.”"virgin." In the movies, husbands ladies, gamboling on tennis courts, were airbrushed to June2005June 2005 r - 6 vindictive, psalm-singing Kenneth remove all pubic hair. They looked like statues. This was even creepy-crawly, pietistic, vindictive, psalm-singing Kenneth how much true when Hugh Hefner started Playboy, whose women StarrStan did. By the way, have you ever noticed how much other and Rush (though photographed) were as artificialartificial as the Vargas paint- Starr and Karl Rove resemble each other — and Rush Mama's boys who- probably ings. Hefner began his series of incredibly pretentious essays Limbaugh? Fat-faced little Mama’s boys who probably illuminating ono, hishit “Playboy"Playboy philosophy”philosophy" which was nothing more than his never in life got it on their merits, each of them illuminating puritanism is "the puerile call for irresponsible libertarian sex, in which women H.L. Mencken’sMencken's observation that puritanism is “the somewhere, may be huppy'" were reduced to objects of amusement and enjoyment, blowup haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” example exquisitely illustrates dolls to be used and abandoned. Then came Bob GuccioneCuccione and And the Kenneth Starr example exquisitely illustrates that "morality is the rationaliza- Penthouse, in which the ban on pubic hair disappeared.disappeared' Still Northrop Frye’sFrye's statement that “morality is the rationaliza- it, nobody else should have later, Guccione proceeded to the glorificationglorification of the vertical tion ofjealousy.”ofjealousy." IflIf I can'tcan’t have it, nobody else should have smile.smile. Penthouse rantan letters in which people recounted wild it either. for Clinton. I cannot look at sexual adventures in twosomes and threesomes. All of them Not that I am apologizing for Clinton. I cannot look at his taking advantage of pathetic, were suspect: they were so alike in style that they seemed to him without thinking of his taking advantage of pathetic, on her knees under his desk' me to be house written. ambitious Monica Lewinsky on her knees under his desk. office, but by making a gift of Between Hefner, Guccione, Gloria Steinem, and rock music He not only disgraced his office, but by making a gift of the Democratic — with its on-your-knees-baby ethos — things proceeded such a weapon to his enemies he reduced the Democratic - America to be rapidly- downhill, and the monogamous glue that held this party to quadriplegic impotence, leaving America to be multi-national cotporations, its society together, exemplifiedexemplified in the love-for-a-lifetime songs ruled and exploited by the multi-national corporations, its jobs exported, and its educational of the earlier era as opposed to sex-for-a-minute songs of the unions broken, its jobs exported, and its educational foreign students now attend present, gradually dissolved. Steinem’Steinem'ss stake in the matter was systems in such ruin that more foreign students now attend thatthut she.h" wanted equal sexual rights with men. She got them, university in China than here. that CBS, NBC, and ABC are jointly and as my mother predicted, “Women’s"Women's lib will liberate men.”men'" You may know that CBS, NBC, and ABC are jointly Commission to I consider Gloria Steinem one of the evils of American petitioning the Federal Communications Commission to violent television civilization, perhaps not in a class with the Mitchell Brothers, give them the freedom to do raunchy and violent television cable TV. I don't know why they are but bad enough. like that you see on cable TV. I don’t know why they are just Ingrid Bergman was drummed out of HollywoodHollylvood and the bothering. They’reThey're just about there. and I certainly don't watch Ser United States for having an affair with Italian director Roberto I never watch sitcoms, and I certainly don’t watch Sex Housewives. But while channel Rosselini. Today Hollywood stars, male and female, commonly and the City andand, Desperate Housewives. But while channel in the latter in have babies out of wedlock, and it makes no difference surfingsurfing the other day, I paused on a scene in the latter in around a dinner table and one of whatever to their careers. And the sexuality ofofthethe cookie-cutter which the ladies are sitting around a dinner table and one of masturbating." blondes is light years from Lana TumerTurner and her sweater, as them says, “I"I spent the aftemoonafternoon masturbating.” networks want of the FCC? exemplifiedexemplifiedbypeopleby people such as Britney Spears, whomwhomDonlmusDon Imus So what more do the networks want of the FCC? to a couple of things I'd like you to calls a “pop"pop tart.”tart." TumerTurner had a taste forfot jazz musicians, having All this is prefatory to a couple of things I’d like you to jazz circuit you may akeady done the deed with Tommy Dorsey, Buddy Rich, and Gene see; if you’reyou're on the jazz emailemail circuit you may already whizzed swiftly around' Krupa, along with being married to Artie Shaw.Shaw Ava Gardner have seen them, for certainly theythey whizzed swiftly around. the second I would say that, too likedliked jazz musicians.musicians. We can guess why. But the movie The firstfirst speaks for itself. Of the second I would say that, Drew Jr. is a superb studios kept all of the affairs of Hollywood carefully hushed like his father before him, Kenny Drew Jr. is a superb I wouldn't for a moment up, gay and straight alike. pianist. As for his use of profanity, I wouldn’t for a moment has one other useful And then came Bill Clinton to put fellatio on the front page itri*think of censoring it. For profanity has one other useful of the New York Times,Times,leavingleaving many a mother to explain to function. Expressing anger. her children what was meant by this term that they were hearing even on television. A young mother in Ojai was asked AcademyAwardsAcademy Awards by her little daughter what it meant, and, uncomfortably, the winning song of 1936 was The Way mother explained. The little girl said, “You"You mean like my The Academy Award winning song of 1936 was The Way from the film Swing Time, music by brother? Oh yeuch.”yeuch." Everybody in show business knew about You Look Tonight from the film Swing Time, music by lyrics by Dorothy Fields. John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe and others of his toys, Jerome Kem,Kern, lyrics by Dorothy Fields. but their affair didn’tdidn't make the newspapers. Clinton and the June 2005 7 'fore leave up out of this bitch Some day, when I’mI'm awfully low, I’mI'm trying to get rich ’fore I leave up out of this bitch hard fo a pimp when the world is cold, I’mI'm trying to have things but it'sit’s hard fo a pimp to God I don't slip, yeah I will feel a glow But I'mI’m prayin and I’mI'm hopin to God I don’t slip. yeah just thinking of you and the way you look tonight. (Chorus) dodgin bullets everyday Oh but you’reyou're lovely, Man it seems like I’mI'm duckin dodgin bullets everyday got hos on the tray with your smile so warm,warrn, Niggaz hatin on me cause I got hos on the tray gotta stay above water and your cheek so soft. I But I gotta stay paid, gotta stay above water when shit got harder There is nothing for me Couldn’tCouldn't keep up with my hos, that’sthat's when shit got harder Street bound but to lovelove you, North Memphis where I’mI'm from,from,I'mI’m 7"‘7'h Street bound lost and never found justjust the way you look tonight. Where niggazniggaz all the time end up lost and never found Man these girls think we prove thangs, leave a big head they don't end up being dead With each word, They come hopin every night, they don’t end up being dead a black girl too your tendemesstenderness grows, Wait I got a snow bunny, and a black girl too do both to you tearing my fearfear apart, You pay the right price and they’llthey'll do both to you game goes, gotta keep it strictly pimpin and that laugh That;sThat’s the way the game goes, gotta keep it strictly pimpin off these women, that wrinkles your nose Gotta have my hustle tight, making change offthese women, touches my foolish heart. yeah. I Lovely, never never change. tWhat the Fuck I lrpp.ned to Keep that breathless charm. What the Fuck Happened to Won’tWon't you please arrange it, Black Popular Music? ’cause'cause I love you Jr. just the way you look tonight. By Kenny Drew,Dreq Jr. to add this section to my web site as a vehicle The Academy Award winning song of 2006 is ItIt's’s Hard Out I'veI’ve decided to add this section to my web site as a vehicle my views on various topics, musical and other- Here for a Pimp, from the filmfilm Hustle and Flow, music and to express my views on various topics, musical and other- for mind lately. lyrics by Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, and Paul wise, that have been on my mind lately. may wonder why I'm talking about popular music in Beauregard. You may wonder why I’m talking about popular music in this firstfirst installment, since I am generally thought of as a musician. However, anyone who knows me knows You know it’sit's hard out here for a pimp (you ain’tain't knowin) “jazz”"jazz" musician. However, anyone who knows me knows are very eclectic (as are those ofmost When he trying to get this money for the rent (you ain’tain't that my tastes in music are very eclectic (as are those ofmost jazzmusicians, quiet as it's kept). In fact when I started my knowin) jazz musicians, quiet as it’s kept). In fact when I started my professional musician, I was not playing jazz' I For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain’tain't knowin) career as a professional musician, I was not playing jazz. I started out playing in R&B groups and Top 40 bands' We Will have a whole lot of witches jumpin ship! started out playing in R&B groups and Top 40 bands. We only played jazzjazzifif thetheclubclub was almost empty! The ’60s-’80s'60s-'80s an incredible time for all styles of popular music, In my eyes I done seen some crazyctazy thangsthangs in the streets waswai iuchsuch an incredible time for all styles of popular music, the sake of this discussion I will concentrate specifi- Gotta couple hos working on the changes for me but for the sake of this discussion I will concentrate specifi- black music (or rhythm-and-blues, or funk, or But I gotta keep my game tight like Kobe on game night cally on black music (or rhythm-and-blues, or funk, or hell you want to call it). Like takin from a ho don’tdon't know no better, I know that ain’tain't whatever the hell you want to call it). I've been listening to a lot of my favorite music right Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of my favorite music from that time, and to be honest, I am disgusted and sickened Done seen people, done seen people deal far our music has declined in the quality of the music Done seen some people live in poverty with no meals at how far our music has declined in the quality of the music How the hell did we get from Motown to It’sIt's fucked up where I live, but that’sjustthat's just how it is and its message. How the hell did we get from Motown to Row; From Earth Wind and Fire to Ludacris; from Itit might be new to you, but it’sit's been like this for years Death Row; From Earth Wind and Fire to Ludacris; from Vandross to 50Cent? It'sIt’s blood sweat and tears when it comes down to this shit Luther Vandross to 50Cent? June 2005 qr 8 "military intelligence" I remember a time in our music when songs had great Rap music (an oxymoron similar to “military intelligence” two elements melodies and chord changes, you actually had to be able to and “jumbo'Jumbo shrimp”)shrimp") has discarded the firstfirst two elements sing or playplay ananinstrumentinstrument to become a musician, and Michael and is left with nothing but rhythm. music is present in most of this Jackson was black. It’sIt's a sad commentary on our culture and Since only one element of music is present in most of this justiff called music. Our culture society when the biggest thing in popular music is an ex-crack crap, it doesn’tdoesn't even justify being called music. Our culture point where it doesn't even dealer whose claim to fame is being shot nine times, and one has been dumbed down to the point where it doesn’t even can't tell the differ- of the greatest entertainers in the world was on trial for child justify being called music. Americans can’t tell the differ- who's molestation. If that’sthat's not ah sign of the coming Apocalypse, I ence between a truly great musician and somebody who’s Playing a musical don’tdon't know what is. And if 5OCent was really shot nine times, been studying their instrument for a week. Playing a musical well-respected skill why couldn’tcouldn't one of those bullets have hit a vital organ? Who instrument at a high level is no longer a well-respected skill that ever really was.) To be the fuck was shooting at him A Stevie Wonder? And as far as in our society. (I’m(I'm not sure that it ever really was.) To be - in music schools all these black rappers getting shot, how about a little equal honest, I think that most of the students in music schools jazz are wasting opportunity violence here? Can’tCan't somebody pop a cap in today who are studyingjazzstudying andand classicalclasstcal music are wasting (Boy, am I going to get in Eminem’sEminem's white ass? their and their parents’parents' money. (Boy, am I going to get in that time mastering Another issue in the decline of music today is the stupidity trouble for saying this)!) Why spend all that time mastering just get a drum machine and a and negativity in the lyrics and the video images that accom- an instrument when you can just get a drum machine and a about bitches, ho's pany this so-called “music”."music". I recently discovered that there is microphone, write some asinine lyrics about bitches, ho’s Sometimes I wonder nowno* au fomrform of rap called “coke"coke rap"rap” in which the lyrics deal and pimps, and make a ton of money? Sometimes I wonder called the mainly with the sale, distribution, and use of coke and crack. whether I'mI’m wasting my time in this cesspool called the the only way to I findfind it offensive that any record company would try to make music industry. These days it seems like the only way to money in music is to produce some bullshit a profitprofit from glorifying something that has decimated the black make any serious money in music is to produce some bullshit community the way that crack has. I hope that one day while that doesn’tdoesn't even sound like music! if I know! But I did 5OCent is lounging by the pool in his humongous mansion So what’swhat's the solution here? Damned ifl know! But I did the news recently. A billboard surrounded by beautiful groupies, he might considerconsiderhowhow many see an encouraging story in the news recently. A billboard put up in a black lives were ruined by the poison he used to sell, and how many advertising 50Cent’s50Cent's new movie was put up in a black In the billboard 5OCent more lives will be potentially damaged by the musical poison neighborhood not far from a school. In the billboard 5OCent with his he’she's selling now. is seen with his heavily tattooed back to the camera with his pose with a microphone in There’sThere's a video by LudacrisLudacri's that I’veI've seen of a song called amrsarms outstretched in a crucifixcrucifix pose with a microphone in the Act a Fool. All I can remember is that there a lot of shots of one hand and a gun in the other.other' Understandably, the protests, got some him and his boys running from the cops. Don'tDon’t we have community was outraged. They held protests, got some getting the enough young black men running around acting like fools media coverage, and eventually succeeded in getting the we use without some idiot rapper encouraging it? But then again, movie company to remove the billboard. I say that we use Ludacris probably makes more money in one month than I'llI ’ll this as a model nationwide. of rap music; perhaps by make in my entire life as a jazz musician.musician. So who'swho’s the idiot I propose a nationwide boycott of rap music; perhaps by offices and major here? Maybe it’sit's me. picketing in front of record company offices and major the "Disco Sucks" Remember when the lyrics in our music spoke of love and record store chains. Anybody remember the “Disco Sucks” "Rap the loss of love? Who can forget the uplifting message of movement in the ’70s?'70s? Maybe it’sit's time for a “Rap Sucks”Sucks" peace, hope, and spirituality in the lyrics of Earth Wind & movement. Who’sWho's with me here? that music Fire? Or the social consciousness and protest messages in the (Actually, looking back on the disco era, that music the tap garbage lyrics of Gil Scott-Heron and Marvin Gaye? How the hell did sounds like Beethoven in comparison to the rap garbage we get fromfrom Just to Be Close to You Girl to Back that Ass Up that’sthat's poisoning our airwaves now.) rally some- Bitch? How the hell did we get fromfrom What’sWhat's Goin’Goin' On? and Maybe we should have a big “Rap"Rap Sucks”Sucks" rally some- as long as it doesn't escalate into a riot like the You HavenHaven't’t Done Nothin to Me So Horny andand My Hump? where —- as long as it doesn’t escalate into a riot like the Last, but not least, it’sit's time to address the musical quality of “Disco"Disco Sucks”oneSucks"one did. this bullshit, or more accurately, the lack of it. Way back when, when I firstfirst started studying music, I was told that music had -—KDJr to consist of three elements: melody, hannony,harmony, and rhythm. -KDJr June 2005