4. at the Very Least, My Years at M.G.M. Had Opened the Door for Another Black Guy to Get In
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-1 - NOTES.4. (11/3/85) 1. You know how it is to get caught in a "CATCH 22" situation? Well I've had that happen to me at least a couple of times. Jack Kapp and Freed stories. 2. Calvin Jackson took my place at M.G.M. 3. Calvin had been with Paul Draper and Larry Adler. a very fine composer ,arranger, and pianist. I later wrote a piano concerto for him that we recorded with a big orchestra. 4. At the very least, my years at M.G.M. had opened the door for another black guy to get in. 5. I never mix business and pleasure. Only a couple times. 6. Mickey Cohen was going to kill Dad. Meet in N.Y. Decision. Dad got flowers,etc. for a long time. Same way withMarshall Edson at LA VIE EN ROSE. 7. BETCHA DIDN'T KNOW THAT GOLDIE HAWN COULD SING PRETTY GOOD. WOULD SING A LOT BETTER IF SHE REALLY PUT HER HEART TO IT. AND HER TIME. THE SHOW WE DID AT THE HILTON WAS OVER PRODUCED, AND POOR GOLDIE WAS ENGULFED BY DANCING BOYS AND GIRLS,AND A THIRTY-TWO PIECE ORCH. LIKE TRYING TO SEE A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FLOWER IN THE GRAND CANYON. (MORE) -2 - NOTES.4. 8. ABOUT HERB ALPERT DEMOS. COULDN'T GIVE THEM AWAY. 9. WORKED WITH SOME OF THE GREATEST TAP DANCERS OF OUR TIMES. BUNNY BRIGGS,"SANDMAN",THE STEP BROTHERS,THE NICHOLAS BROS, THE BERRY BROS.FRED ASTAIRE. 10. DAD USED TO GAMBLE WITH BOJANGLES (BILL ROBINSON). STORY ABOUT HE AND DAD AT THE DUNBAR. HOW HE LOST HIS PANTS. 10. OTHER DANCERS..SAMMY DAVIS,JR. AND BUDDY RICH. ALSO HONEY COLE,AND HIS PARTNER,CHARLEY ATKINSON. WHO LATER WENT TO DETROIT AND BECAME THE MAN WHO STYLED ALL THE MOVEMENT FOR MOTOWN ARTISTS. THE TEMPS. SUPREMES,FOUR TOPS, AND GOD KNOWS HOW MANY MORE OF THOSE ACTS. 11. PEARL BAILEY.(WHEN SHE WORKED AROUND FIFTY-SECOND ST.. HER BROTHER BILL BAILEYA VERY VERY FINE DANCER. 12. PTD; "STOMP" PARTIES AT LENORAS. AL PIERRE,PIANIST.,SLOE GIN. SO MANY PEOPLE YOU COULD HARDLY MOVE. JUST STOMPED AND DANCED REAL CLOSE. LENORA WON A CAKEWALK AND CHARLESTON CONTEST. 13. RALPH FLOWERS. "POWDER RI VER!". 14. ARCHIE LOVELAND AND HIS BAND. LATER WITH M.C.A. (MORE) -3 - NOTES 4. 15. HOW NAT COLE GOT STARTED WITH HIS GROUP. AND HOW WE GOT HIM UIP ON HIS FEET AND AWAY FROM THE PIANO. HOW HE WAS GOING TO GET FIRED FOR NOT ENTERTAINING.BROWN SKIN MODELS SHOW. 16. PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE TROUBLE GETTING UP TO SING FROM BEHIND A PIANO. CASE OF HAZEL SCOTT AND NAT. MANY OTHERS. BOBBY SHORT, IN A WAY. THEY ARE SO DEPENDENT ON PLAYING. 17. NICE AND CANNE, AND CONDUCTING THER OPENING OF THE FILM FESTIVAL. MILT HINTON, AND DRUMMER. FRENCH DIDN'T WANT TO SPEAK ENGLISH. HOW WE GOT AROUND IT. 18. RECORDING WITH SINATRA. THE PHIL MOORE FOUR. 19. NEARLY CRIED WHEN I CRUSHED A BIG OLD BLACK WATER BUG. THEY'RE MAGNIFICANT INSECTS. FAST TOO. ICE SKATING. 20. MY FAVORITE NIGHTCLUB IN N.Y. WAS CAFE SOCIETY. MARY LOU WILLIAMS,EDDIE HEYWOOD,CLIFF,THE PIANIST, GEORGIA GIBBS,BARNEY,THE OWONER, AND LEON JOSEPHSON,HIS BROTHER,WALTER WINCHELL,SKOLSKY,EARL WILSON ,BIG JOE TURNER,IDA JAMES,CLASSICAL SINGER LIKE WILLAIM WARFIELD. LENA HORNE,JOSH WHITE,PEARL PRIMUS, JOSEPHINE PREMICE ONE OF FEW PLACES IN DOWNTOWN N.Y.C. WHERE BLACKS WERE WELCOME AS GUESTS. f 1 7 -4 - 21. WHY AND HOW I GOT THE JOB THERE. STARTED THE PHIL MOORE FOUR. NEEDED A PLACE TO WORK OUT AS WE HAD A DEAL WITH R.C.A.VICTOR RECORDS. 22. SOCIALLY SIGNIFICANT SONGS. COULD DO THEM RIGHT AWAY. LOTS OF FUN. ("D HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH "MEET THE PEOPLE " IN L./A.) JOHN HAMMOND. 23. GUYS IN THE GROUP. JOHN LETMAN,("POOR JOHN" ),DOLES DICKENSBASS;REMO PALMIERIGUITAR,GENE CEDRIC,SAX,(HE HAD BEEN WITH FATS FOR YEARS), JON LEVY,BASS,(HE LATER MANAGED GEORGE SHEARING,AND MANY SI NGERS,NANCY WI LSON,ROBERTA FLACKRANDY CRAWFORDAND MANY MORE. WALLY BISHOP,DRUMS. 24. ON BENZEDRINE. "WIRED" ALL THE TIME. MADE MANY STANDARD TRANSCRIPTIONS. USED TO MAKE UP SONGS ON SESSION. EVEN TODAY WHEN THE TITLES COME UP FOR RENEWAL,CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE TITLES. 25. RECORDED MY SONG"I WANT A LITTLE DOGGIE" WITH LENA. 26. MANAGED BILLY DANIELS. HE ALSO WAS ON VICTOR WITH OUR GROUP. SEALY MATTRESS STORY..