"Hey "88" take my suitcase downstairs and put it in the car please?" I said as I handed my ace keybaordist my grip.
"Sure thing Reed." he said as he took my bag down to my rental car. We had been in New York for a week and I was eager to get back to Philly. We had played a couple of spots in the Village and one club in Harlem and we had been at a few recording dates...It was good money...My schedule was clear and I was going to spend this extra bread in two ways...One, I was going to move into a bigger place....I had to see Chess and Chris about one of their new condos... and I was going to take Debbie on a nice vacation.
Downtown Rob Brown surprised me when he sat in with us the last night we were here...but I didn't throw him off the stage and he didn't hog the stage...He played one number and then quietly left the stage...I had looked for him after our set was done, but he was nowhere to be found.
Funny when you're looking for someone...They usually find you..Such was the case this morning, when I looked up and there he was.
"What's going on Reed?" he said.
"Good Question..Wanna tell me what you're doing in New York, when uh you were supposed to be in Philly doing my dates?" I asked.
"Uh Yeah..I wanna tell you about that." he said.
"Go ahead....I'm in no rush." I said.
"I played three of your dates and then that guy Gus fired me." he said with no trace of rancor.
"He did?" I said.
"Man look, the first night there was 15 people in there...The second night ten and the third night
I was playin to the crickets....He hired a DJ and had Cha Cha contests the rest of the time." he said.
"Wow.." was all I could muster up the nerve to say...
"No....Gus is alright...he talked to me....He told me about you....and about how when you came there...You thought you was the next Miles Davis...tried to play like him...played all his stuff...
He said at first you packed em in because people was curious...but then the crowds dwindled off
and that they were as bad as my "crowds'.....He said that the next week you came back, started
fusing your jazz with a little funk...a little r&b, a little hip hop.....The crowds hadn't heard that before and pretty soon you was packin em in again...He said you occassionally throw a little jazz
in there....but you mostly give em that funk..that soul...that beat and you've become a house favorite." said Rob.
"Yeah, that's true...I eat well." I said.
"I see...but that aint me man..I'm a true jazz artist..I can't compromise.....I won't compromise my art and what I believe in for nothin...I wouldn't be me." he said.
"So what will you do?" I asked.
"Well, Cock Robbins , who used to play semi-pro football up here got me a gig teachin music at the high school where he works and I met a dude named Clerow who is letting me rent one of his
apartments cheap until I make enough bread to get on my feet and I play at a few joints where they respect true jazz......I'm doin okay." he said.
"Well,I gotta respect a man who sticks to his principals." I said.
"Well...I respect you too...You're an innovator....I'm sorry for that stuff I said about you bein a hack and abandoning jazz...You're an incredible musician and when I get back to Philly...I'm gonna look up that Kevin fella and do a retraction article in his magazine...I'm gonna retract all of the bad stuff I said about you...You're alright." he said.
"And you had a big argument with my lady's sister and you'd like for me to put in a good word and smooth things over right?" I said.
"Can't put nothin over on you huh...?" he said.
"Debbie told me about it." I said with a chuckle....
"Oh and uh ruh...One more thing." he said.
'What's that?" I asked.
"Can I bum a ride back to Philly with you guys....I sent Deb the money for that bed and I sent Clerow a down payment on that apartment and frankly...If I spend the rest of my bread on a train ride ...I'll be plum broke until I get another gig." he said.
"Sure...How many bags you got?" I asked.
"Just two." he said.
"That's cool...Hop in" I said.
A week later, Debbie and I came in late from a night at Josie's......
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh.....Ohhhhhhhh Babbby...."
''Darling.....ouuuuuuuuu, ummmmmph..."
"Oh Robert, let's not ever fight againnnnnn...ohhhhhhhhhhh."
"Nooooo, never..ummmppph, ouuu girl you feel so goooood..."
Came the conversation from the guest room.
"Hey, I thought he had a place?" I asked.
"He does." said Debbie.
"So what are they doing here and how much longer is your sister gonna be here?" I asked.
"Chess told her that her place will be ready in a week." she said.
"Wanna go over my place?" I said.
"You aint got nobody over there do you?" Debbie laughed slyly.
"Baby, I don't have a guest room." I laughed.
"Hahahahahahahaha, I know right?" laughed Debbie as we quietly closed the door and walked out to my car.
(For SLC, a trumpet player who is true to the game .)
"Sure thing Reed." he said as he took my bag down to my rental car. We had been in New York for a week and I was eager to get back to Philly. We had played a couple of spots in the Village and one club in Harlem and we had been at a few recording dates...It was good money...My schedule was clear and I was going to spend this extra bread in two ways...One, I was going to move into a bigger place....I had to see Chess and Chris about one of their new condos... and I was going to take Debbie on a nice vacation.
Downtown Rob Brown surprised me when he sat in with us the last night we were here...but I didn't throw him off the stage and he didn't hog the stage...He played one number and then quietly left the stage...I had looked for him after our set was done, but he was nowhere to be found.
Funny when you're looking for someone...They usually find you..Such was the case this morning, when I looked up and there he was.
"What's going on Reed?" he said.
"Good Question..Wanna tell me what you're doing in New York, when uh you were supposed to be in Philly doing my dates?" I asked.
"Uh Yeah..I wanna tell you about that." he said.
"Go ahead....I'm in no rush." I said.
"I played three of your dates and then that guy Gus fired me." he said with no trace of rancor.
"He did?" I said.
"Man look, the first night there was 15 people in there...The second night ten and the third night
I was playin to the crickets....He hired a DJ and had Cha Cha contests the rest of the time." he said.
"Wow.." was all I could muster up the nerve to say...
"No....Gus is alright...he talked to me....He told me about you....and about how when you came there...You thought you was the next Miles Davis...tried to play like him...played all his stuff...
He said at first you packed em in because people was curious...but then the crowds dwindled off
and that they were as bad as my "crowds'.....He said that the next week you came back, started
fusing your jazz with a little funk...a little r&b, a little hip hop.....The crowds hadn't heard that before and pretty soon you was packin em in again...He said you occassionally throw a little jazz
in there....but you mostly give em that funk..that soul...that beat and you've become a house favorite." said Rob.
"Yeah, that's true...I eat well." I said.
"I see...but that aint me man..I'm a true jazz artist..I can't compromise.....I won't compromise my art and what I believe in for nothin...I wouldn't be me." he said.
"So what will you do?" I asked.
"Well, Cock Robbins , who used to play semi-pro football up here got me a gig teachin music at the high school where he works and I met a dude named Clerow who is letting me rent one of his
apartments cheap until I make enough bread to get on my feet and I play at a few joints where they respect true jazz......I'm doin okay." he said.
"Well,I gotta respect a man who sticks to his principals." I said.
"Well...I respect you too...You're an innovator....I'm sorry for that stuff I said about you bein a hack and abandoning jazz...You're an incredible musician and when I get back to Philly...I'm gonna look up that Kevin fella and do a retraction article in his magazine...I'm gonna retract all of the bad stuff I said about you...You're alright." he said.
"And you had a big argument with my lady's sister and you'd like for me to put in a good word and smooth things over right?" I said.
"Can't put nothin over on you huh...?" he said.
"Debbie told me about it." I said with a chuckle....
"Oh and uh ruh...One more thing." he said.
'What's that?" I asked.
"Can I bum a ride back to Philly with you guys....I sent Deb the money for that bed and I sent Clerow a down payment on that apartment and frankly...If I spend the rest of my bread on a train ride ...I'll be plum broke until I get another gig." he said.
"Sure...How many bags you got?" I asked.
"Just two." he said.
"That's cool...Hop in" I said.
A week later, Debbie and I came in late from a night at Josie's......
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh.....Ohhhhhhhh Babbby...."
''Darling.....ouuuuuuuuu, ummmmmph..."
"Oh Robert, let's not ever fight againnnnnn...ohhhhhhhhhhh."
"Nooooo, never..ummmppph, ouuu girl you feel so goooood..."
Came the conversation from the guest room.
"Hey, I thought he had a place?" I asked.
"He does." said Debbie.
"So what are they doing here and how much longer is your sister gonna be here?" I asked.
"Chess told her that her place will be ready in a week." she said.
"Wanna go over my place?" I said.
"You aint got nobody over there do you?" Debbie laughed slyly.
"Baby, I don't have a guest room." I laughed.
"Hahahahahahahaha, I know right?" laughed Debbie as we quietly closed the door and walked out to my car.
(For SLC, a trumpet player who is true to the game .)
2 comments:
Standing, applauding, and tossing my fake-book and miscellaneous sheet music at you.
SLC
LOL @SLC
Great story Keith, as always.
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