BULK RATE ALL THE NEWS U.S. POSTACE THAT'S FIT PAID TO PITCH Permit Nt. 2419 " K.C., Mo. • Jazz when 'I was a kid hustling papers, I was downtown at the Newman Ce ter, where the 12th and Main Ci Square is now. Ella came into town with Chick Webb's band--wha a drummer, what a band. Ella was doing "A Tisket A Tasket." I had to get in ~ine and in those days the line was clear around the block, if you can imagine that. her toes. She'd stand up on her Andy Ki:~'k s All these people were waiting to toes and sing all. the tit!le and band at a place called the Van~ty get in. The Newman didn't seat need a swingin' live,able city, shuf fle around. She did a grea t Club at 1313 Walnut. Upstairs it that many people. Here I was, just a liveable ci~y. The, number, "Ace in the Hole." It's a was bootleg days. The man at the selling papers for a l'iving and reason we don't have l~ve mus~c hell of a number. Anything she door had to know you before you sneaked up to somebody about is because people don't get out sang was great. could get in~ Tootie Lusco owned fifth in the row and gave them till 10 or 11 0 'clock at night. the place. He had the first re- extra dolla,r to let me in line. You got to run them out at 1. How ON MARY LOU WILLIAMS volving bandstand I had ever seen. It only cost fifty-cents to go Mary Lou was sitting up there and and hear Chick Webb's band in the hell are you going to pay Mary Lou Williams was with Andy. a band? If you can run till playing for Pha Therrel, who was Kirk' for years. She was a sweet a singer she had discovered. They 3 0' clock the musicians that are person who adopted the band. still alive would love to play called the, band the Twelve Clouds Everybody 'needed her •. She was a and the town would swing again. of JOY. Mary Lou got such a kick We've got young musicians growing mother to them. And she was out of it. Pha Therrel' s favorite younger than all of them. In this up all the time. Good ones. They number was "Trees." I was a wai t­ leave because there's nothing band, Mary Lou was one of the few er in the place at that time. We here for them. All the good mu­ people who cquld read music. She had to go around and put coctail sicians that are staying here knew what she was doing. She knew napkins in the champagne glasses have a day gig so they can make how to talk to them. Everybody because the glasses would col­ it. It can swing again and I'm had to reach to her to read music. lapse when Mary Lou Williams a,nd going to make it swing the next· She'd hum a few- bars so the rest Pha Therrel performed that num­ time I'm elected governor. of the musicians could pick up on ber. Everytime I see Ella On the what was supposed to- happen. She commercial with the glasses ON ANITA O'DAY kept the band together and helped crackin' I think of when it ac­ any musician at any time she tually happened with Mary Lou and tippy-toes. When could. She was that beautiful of Pha. she was always on a person. She was el se • KANU 92FM .-. • a sound investment. For thirty years KANU has brought the best jazz sounds, finest classical and bluegrass music, and in-depth news and public affairs to our \ community. In yea~ past, your.ftnancial.support has truly provided the "margin o~ excellence" in the fine programming that has made 92 PM one of the best ptJbIk radio services available anywhere .. This year, $35,000 beginning in October. Without your !1elp in reaching our campaign goaf of $40,000, some of the ~rvices you've depended on 92 FM for could be threatened. Won't you give our Campaign fdr Excellence a carl this week and pledge your support? It's a sound investment in the future of your public radio station I Pledge your support to the KANU Campaign for Excellence Feb. 27 -Mar. 61 (913) 864-5100 KANu92 FM(' THE PITCH PAGE 3 scon O'KELLEY, ..... '.'. 'I I •• I" '. '.".".'. 'I" '''1 ~ LESTER BOWIE ••••••••••••,.~ •• ,••• '.'••• ". CLUB LIST I NGS •••• '•••••••••• '•• 'I '. ' ••' • '.' • LISA RAIN CONCERT CALENDAR •••••• ' •••• '•••• '•• '.".'. '. Editorial,ldmiaistratar LOWDOWN BLUES W/~EDMOND •••• ••• • • • • •• ~ Dear Mr. Chance: GOODBYE LIGHTNIN ••• H.,••••• ' •••••• ' •• Thanks for sending the copies of your paper. We'd be delighted to have you re­ ~2~~~~Lcg~N~~~~~::::::::::::::::::: : print the piece by Count Basie which ap­ REGGAE W/DUCK MCCLAIN. i ••••••••••••• ~ peared in our Jazz Yearbook, provided that METAL •••••••• ! ••••••••••• '. ' •••••••••• permission is al so obtained from Mr. Basie. OFFCENTER W/PENNY CILLAN •••••••••••• We recently -started a music section MAD FEET: DEFUNKT & PERE UBU •••••••• which appears quarterly in the magazine, BOBBY MITCHELL ••••••••••••••• '••••• "i appropriately entitled Quarter Notes. If ARBITRON RADIO LISTINGS ••••••••••••• ~ there I s anyplace :1.n your newspaper where FOOL S FACE •••••••••••• I •••••••••••• it can be easily done, you might suggest JOAN ARMATRADING ..................... that your readers pick up our current is­ DONNA TRUSSELL. ! •••••••••••••••••••• sue. We can always use more readers in CHARLIE AT THE MOVIES". "" "" "" 5 the Mid-West! LES BLANC ••••••••• : ••••••• '•••••• ' •••• 25 I'd appreciate receiving a copy of the PUBLISHER .•.....•• Hal Brody HAROLD TEEN COMI:t ••••••••••••••••••• 26 issue in which the Basie article appears. LAURA COMIX & HOLLY OF HOLLYWOOD •••' .2~ Thanks for your interest in using it. EDITOR ..... '•..•.•. Charles Chance, Jr. MUSSO COMIX •••••• 1'1 ••• , ••••••••••••• 2 . ASSISTING .....•••• Rev. Dwight Frizzell FREE UNCLASSIFIEDS, ••••••••••••••••• 2 All best, Lisa Bain, New York, New York Jay Mandeville Dear Lisa: We spoke wi th the Count's friend and Advertising Director •.••.•• Bob McConnell representative in KC, Milton Morris, about Promotion Manager the article and he said that Basie would ••••••• Marc Olson love having it reprinted. Your enthusiasm Ad Production •.••• Phil Bourne and helpfulness is appreciated and we hope Typing and creative Input that you enjoy this ish. ••••• Rosie Scri vo LETTER~':» ","'\ • Dear Babo (c/o the PITCIi) , Entertainment Consultant ',r;..:/. >.::.' .....:---; •••.• Dino Chance ANSWERS TO TREKKIE QUIZ THE PITCH ENCOURAGES READERS-iO'tON­ TRIBUTE--:'LETTERS.I ARTICLES" POETRY AND ART. YOUR ENTRIES MAY BE PRINTED. ORIGINALS 1. CONTRIBUTORS: 2. Nee 1701 j Diak Wright, count Basie, Chad Musso, WILL NOT BE RETURNED. SEND TO: 3. INJURED CAPTAIN PIKE Chris Hall Milton Morris, Donna Trussell, CHARLES CHANCL SR. David L. Pearl, Rosie Sarivo, Bob MaCon­ SEAN KENNEY 4128 BROADWA YOUNG CAPTAIN PIKE neU, Rev. DbJight Frizzell, Hal Brody, JEFFREY HUNTER ! 64111 Jay MandeviHe; Dino Chanoe, Mbembe Mit­ K.C. MO CAPTAIN-CHRISTOPHER PIKE ton Smith, Brian co"tgan, eharlie Wrobble, ~/Y~ 4. JANE WYATT Soott a 'Kelley, sheryl Neirnberger, Dear Pitchers, Tfi£.(l<2W~ 5. GALILEO Charlie, Joan Armatrading, WiUie Irie, Since I moved from Lawrence' a ways back, 6. SPOCK IS HIS FULL steve "Duak" MaClain, Sid Musso, Cindy I haven't been able to keep up on music NAME Aasby,Phil, Bourne, John lItf,:ntie:;',tm1.Oc like I liad when your paper was readily 7. tI. S. S. DEFIANT Olson, Unkel. Bob Mossman, Rodney Franks, available. St. Louis, alas, has nothing (NeC 1764) John Redmond, Saul Tuoker, Penny Cil lan, nearly as informative and avant. Please 8. U. S.S. EXCALIBUR Vioki Atkins ' send me the damn thing. -- (NCC 1664) 9. U. S. S. INTREPID Will Firns (NCC 1631> Mo. INSPIRATION; **************************** HOWARD DRAKE ** Dear Mr. Chance, Picked up Nov. & Dec. issues of PENNY all of your mail. Babo was PITCH at PennyLane in early December. I entry and he promises was impressed •.• particularly with jazz to b~ t~,<;>.!;.-~fe II t"r, ing Dear PITCH: mailing list. COUNT BASIE •••••••••••••••••••• '•••••• Happy Saturday. Jah love to K.C. Sally DICK WRIGHT •••••••••••••••••••••••• ,.! Iiope to be able to stop in during says that the walk along the pier of life OLE UNKEL BOB ••••••••••••• ,."".,.".".",,,.,.,.',~.. Women's Jazz Festival Week. is most awesome. Ever watched a ship come MONK •••••••••••••••'.'. """1' , ,: in? Incredible. Rolling & Rocking along Best ox '!u<;:k, John Weber Jr., Omaha, NE I'd just like to say Willi Irie writes quite hip reggae reviews and keeps ll).y friend Marla intormed even tho the seas are high. Rub-a-dub on Davey Dread's head! ···a"tI m Yah man. Taking reggae with you every OSOD@ Get where will eventually make you feel like h you have landed in ;'Jah land yourself and IT'S VERY SIMPLE ••• you don't have to have a nappy head (thank you Mary LOU) to be a rasti! Back to Willi GEORGE SELLS 10.1000 RECORDS --a most informative dread on music (reg­ gae of course). I've learned new groups &. AND TAPES OR HE GETS SNUFFED. styles & the correlation between it all. "Almost heaven, West Jamaica." "Almost --THE BOSS Hoine." Being plugged in--to a tape made by our own R. Cheeks w/assistance from the Conn boys--and moving to reggae beats at george anderson the moment makes it quite hard to concen­ trate on the words I'm feeling • But you & Employee of the Month I & I & you know what I mean. Reggae music should become a universal word of love, that involves politics & religious philo­ We buy and se II quall ty sophies & just how funked the world is, used albums~ 45's.I 78's America needs Jamaica as a friend.