[Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig

Thu Oct 26 14:26:45 EDT 2006

In Bud Blacks earliest days, he played with a small group in South Jersey
called ''The Basin Street Five + One"...I was the Plus One in that band but 
didn't get paid...( long story)

  Bud knew a zillion songs and when he would come up with a song with a
weird title we'd just look at him and say "What key?"  He may say the key of
"H" wherein when he started playing whatever it was I may say  "It sounds
like "L" to me"  ( We just followed his lead )

  You see, the key didn't matter to me because I played the "Washtub Bass"..
And I might add that I was the only Washtub player listed in the musicians
union in South Jersey. Listed as "Bass'' of course...Bud can tell you that
story.

That band was fun to be around and were all good musicians. Later Bud then
formed his own groups and went on to better things. He has played with some
of the best and remains to this day a great entertainer. His riverboat days
on the Mississippi being some of his best years.

 I sure hope he doesn't get mad at me for witting this...Ha Ha
Bill

-------Original Message-------

From: Bruce McNichols
Date: 10/26/06 13:27:44
To: tradjazz at list.okom.com
Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig

Bud Blacks posting (below) reminds me of one of Herb Gardner's clever ploys.
 Herb is the talented trombone/piano man in my band.   

Herb works in many bands so of course, he is sometimes faced with tunes he
may not know.  If he is asked (for instance) "Do you know 'Alaphontis Rag?'"
 He responds with "Do you do the verse?"  That often results in something
like "Uh, um.  Let's do Royal Garden'."

McN

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Bud Black 
To: tradjazz at list.okom.com 
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 7:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig

One time when I was working on the Delta Queen, the band leader and my best
pal, Larry Skinner, informed me that he had recently hired a piano man from
Columbus, Ohio named John Ulrich (I hope I spelled that correctly), and this
guy new as many songs as I did.  One evening while the band was playing the
dance set after the evening's show, Larry called me up to sing a song with
the band.  As I stepped up to the mike he said to me, "What would you like
to sing?"  Looking sideways at his new pianist I said challengingly, "How
about a 1927 tune called 'Peek-A-Boo Eyes?"  John looked up at me over his
piano and said, "You sing that in the original key?"  What a guy!

Bud Black 

-------Original Message-------

From: Bruce McNichols
Date: 10/24/06 18:41:29
To: tradjazz at list.okom.com
Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig

I don't recall Chuck Slate saying that, but I did hear the classic story of
Wild Bill Davison, replying to a well-dressed society type lady, who
requested "The Saints."  Bill responded with that same thought, although he
used a colorful adjective, to describe the type of band she should get her
own of (nice sentence, eh?).
Dick Rath, the wonderful bone man, used to work with us in the 1960's.  One
time a customer approached me and said "Here's five dollars, can you play
The Saints."  Rath, standing there with us, pulled out his wallet, and said
to me "Here's ten.  DON'T!).  Ya gotta love it.
McN

----- Original Message ----- 
From: RICK KNITTEL 
To: tradjazz at list.okom.com 
Cc: tradjazz at list.okom.com 
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 5:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig

Hey Bruce:

Remember what Chuck Slate used to say to a sideman that complained about
something, especially the tune he called, -----------"Get your own band."

Rick Knittel

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 13:10:55 -0400 "Bruce McNichols" <muskrat at bestweb.net>
writes:
What a delight to read Steve Barbone's latest posting.  I, of course, agree
with his ideas on gigs that aren't perfect (are any of them?).
The best part is his ending remark: "Glad I went because this old dog
learned a few new tricks."
What a pleasure to find such a like-minded guy.  I firmly believe in the old
adage "You learn something new, every day."  Sad to say, I know one jazz
musician (who shall remain nameless) who had the audacity  to say "I've
heard it all."  He was referring to how he would never go to see other bands
  I was not mad at him for that attitude.  Frankly, I felt sorry for him. 
Imagine the pleasure he's cheating himself out of.

On the subject of bitching sidemen, over the years, I've sometimes been
faced with sidemen who complain that I've hired a certain, not-so-good,
player.  As leaders know, contracting musicians for gigs is sometimes very
difficult.  My comeback to the complainers has to do with "Don't think about
that guy.  Think about the other guy we'd have been stuck with, if that guy
wasn't available."
Some people say that the glass is half empty. Some say that it's half-full. 
I say the glass is too damned big!
McN

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