A Knight of the Jazz Table

JUNE 2014 - ISSUE 146 YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENE NYCJAZZRECORD.COM ANDRÉ PREVIN A KNIGHT OF THE JAZZ TABLE RAVI • CHARLES • NORMA • FOR • EVENT COLTRANE GAYLE WINSTONE TUNE CALENDAR So, I think that’s probably what stuck in Peter’s mind. Peter’s in stuck what probably that’s think I So, where I met the band, and we left there to go on the road. the on go to there left we and band, the met I where the side of the table, you know (drumming with hands). hands). with (drumming know you table, the of side the got her first trio. That’s when I…he was 19, I was 21. was I 19, was I…he when That’s trio. first her got March 24, 2014 24, March Miles when the tour was over I was leaving, too. leaving, was I over was tour the when Miles that. He had Arnett Cobb’s Mob, or something like that. that. like something or Mob, Cobb’s Arnett had He that. joined right at 125th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. That’s That’s Avenue. Nicholas St. and Street 125th at right joined So, we’d listen to all the records and be doing this on on this doing be and records the all to listen we’d So, that and that’s how we met and that’s actually how she she how actually that’s and met we how that’s and that — Jimmy Cobb with Damon Smith Damon with Cobb Jimmy — York. We were already planning to form the trio, so I told told I so trio, the form to planning already were We York. “Yeah, man.” So, I joined the band. That was 1950 and I I and 1950 was That band. the joined I So, man.” “Yeah, out there from before, because Arnett Cobb used to do do to used Cobb Arnett because before, from there out Keter Betts and myself had to play for her. So, we did did we So, her. for play to had myself and Betts Keter what he was saying so they quit and came back to New New to back came and quit they so saying was he what they’d all come and gobble that up. that gobble and come all they’d to quit. Do you want to go on the road with us?” I said, said, I us?” with road the on go to want you Do quit. to I think that was probably Peter. The name was already already was name The Peter. probably was that think I can read more about Jimmy in his upcoming autobiography. upcoming his in Jimmy about more read can traveling with a piano player, Wynton—it was Wynton, Wynton, was Wynton—it player, piano a with traveling was actually a misunderstanding, but they misunderstood misunderstood they but misunderstanding, a actually was could make a peach cobbler or something like that and and that like something or cobbler peach a make could came with Earl Bostic and said, “Our drummer’s going going drummer’s “Our said, and Bostic Earl with came Thank you, Jimmy for sharing some of your history! You You history! your of some sharing for Jimmy you, Thank Getting back to Dinah, when Dinah sang—she was only only was sang—she Dinah when Dinah, to back Getting Who came up with the name, Cobb’s Mob? Cobb’s name, the with up came Who They’d had some argument over money with Miles that that Miles with money over argument some had They’d some stuff and we’d eat snacks and stuff. At one point, I point, one At stuff. and snacks eat we’d and stuff some Howard Theater and we got to be friends. One time he he time One friends. be to got we and Theater Howard with Miles until they both quit in the middle of a tour. tour. a of middle the in quit both they until Miles with yesterday. I always enjoyed the way we played together. together. played we way the enjoyed always I yesterday. he used to come and we’d listen to the records. I’d cook cook I’d records. the to listen we’d and come to used he and we had to go to the hospital, but that’s what it was. it what that’s but hospital, the to go to had we and at a little place that was right down the corner from the the from corner the down right was that place little a at Brad got famous, then it was Richard Wyands. Richard was it then famous, got Brad he got Wynton and we were together for several years years several for together were we and Wynton got he started to play years ago but I remember it like it was was it like it remember I but ago years play to started neighborhood, he was little older than me, Walter Watkins, Watkins, Walter me, than older little was he neighborhood, riding with Dinah or something. He ran into something something into ran He something. or Dinah with riding to come to Washington while I was still there and play play and there still was I while Washington to come to Smoke a lot and we usually used the same clientele until until clientele same the used usually we and lot a Smoke Evans left, we said, “Well, get Wynton, get Wynton!” So, So, Wynton!” get Wynton, get “Well, said, we left, Evans Yeah. It just sounds like us. It sounds like when we first first we when like sounds It us. like sounds just It Yeah. to come by and hang out. This one particular guy in the the in guy particular one This out. hang and by come to he went to sleep when I wasn’t with him. I was probably probably was I him. with wasn’t I when sleep to went he the Earl Bostic Band.” Keter Betts, the bass player, used used player, bass the Betts, Keter Band.” Bostic Earl the out. Over the years, we did a lot of gigs. We worked at at worked We gigs. of lot a did we years, the Over out. ask all the guys and then go check them out. After Bill Bill After out. them check go then and guys the all ask daytime after school looking after her so the guys used used guys the so her after looking school after daytime let nobody else drive his Cadillac. Eventually, one time, time, one Eventually, Cadillac. his drive else nobody let Dinah. In fact, the attraction was “Dinah Washington and and Washington “Dinah was attraction the fact, In Dinah. on the first floor, and that’s basically where we started started we where basically that’s and floor, first the on The band has a relaxed, easygoing feel on this record. this on feel easygoing relaxed, a has band The to ask who he should get if we needed to fill a space. He’d He’d space. a fill to needed we if get should he who ask to to make a living for me and my sister, I’d be there in the the in there be I’d sister, my and me for living a make to him to keep him from going to sleep because he wouldn’t wouldn’t he because sleep to going from him keep to him when I joined Earl Bostic’s band, he was traveling with with traveling was he band, Bostic’s Earl joined I when right at the window, where they had that little bandstand bandstand little that had they where window, the at right Yeah, Paul and I were already in the band and Miles used used Miles and band the in already were I and Paul Yeah, get me. If he couldn’t get me, probably get Tootie Heath. Tootie get probably me, get couldn’t he If me. get could hang out. When my mother was out working trying trying working out was mother my When out. hang could brick! I used to sit on that a lot and stay up all night with with night all up stay and lot a that on sit to used I brick! Dinah Washington in 1950. When I joined the band… the joined I When 1950. in Washington Dinah That’s it! I think we got a gig at the Village Gate working working Gate Village the at gig a got we think I it! That’s to try to get A.T. (Art Taylor). If he couldn’t get A.T., try to to try A.T., get couldn’t he If Taylor). (Art A.T. get to try to had all the jazz records and a place where the guys guys the where place a and records jazz the all had but they made it three and that middle one was hard as a a as hard was one middle that and three it made they but Oh yeah, I first worked with Wynton when I was with with was I when Wynton with worked first I yeah, Oh of all time. Did you bring Wynton to his attention? his to Wynton bring you Did time. all of Village Gate. Village couldn’t get (Philly) Joe; he went and visited the clubs clubs the visited and went he Joe; (Philly) get couldn’t Uh, no. I used to be the guy in the neighborhood that that neighborhood the in guy the be to used I no.

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