HI-8

YES, MY FATHER WAS A BASS PLAYER. HE HAD A BARBERSHOP ON (???) IN NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA. TWO BLOCKS FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WHERE WE WENT TO SCHOOL, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS ST. MONICA. AND ALL THE MUSICIANS HE PLAYED WITH JUST DROP BY AND SAY "LEWIS, ONE DAY THAT BOY IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING." I USED TO LOVE MUSIC. KID HARRIS, THE MUSICIAN, THE TRUMPET PLAYER THAT MY FATHER WORKED WITH USED TO BE IN THE SHOP ALL THE TIME. ALL THAT TIME I WAS THINKING, OKAY, ONE DAY I'M GOING TO BE LIKE HIM WHEN I GROW UP. I MUST'VE BEEN FIVE OR SIX YEARS OLD.

DAVE:
WELL I GOT INTERESTED IN TRUMPET BECAUSE THE LATE LOUIE ARMSTRONG WAS SO GREAT AND WE HAD ONE RADIO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WHEN LOUIE WAS ON, ALL THE KIDS, WE GATHER AROUND, OLD PEOPLE, EVERYBODY, IT DREW A CROWD BECAUSE HE WAS PLAYING THAT TRUMPET AND I SAID "ONE DAY, IM GONNA BE LIKE THAT." AND SURE ENOUGH MR. PETER DAVIS, THE LATE MR. PETER DAVIS, WHO TAUGHT LOUIE ARMSTRONG WOULD ALWAYS BE BY MY FATHERS BARBERSHOP. HE SAID "LEWIS, ONE DAY IM GOING TO TAKE THAT KID WHEN HE GET A LITTLE OLDER." SO WHEN I GOT TO BE NINE YEARS OLD I STARTED GOING BY MR. PETER DAVIS'S HOUSE AND HE USED TO HAVE ALL THE KIDS ON THE BLOCK GO TO HIS PLACE AND MADE ALL THESE GUYS MUSICIANS. SAXOPHONES, ALL THESE INSTRUMENTS WERE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS SUPPORTING THE BAD BAD BOYS AT THE BOYS MUNICIPAL HOME. AND HE WOULD GIVE THESE KIDS FREE LESSONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN THEY WERE IN PRISON AND WHEN THEY GOT OUT, SOME OF THESE GUYS GOT SUCCESSFUL. AND I SAID ONE DAY, IM GOING TO BE LIKE THAT. SO I USED TO HANG BY MR. PETER DAVIS AND SOMETIMES HE'D BE LATE GETTING FROM WORK AND I'D BE WAITING FOR HIM. I BE PLAYING THAT TRUMPET AGAIN. I WASN'T PLAYING NOTHING AND HE SAID ONE DAY YOU WILL BE PLAYING SOMETHING.

DAVE:
WELL AT THAT TIME, YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE RADIO GOING ON AT THAT TIME AND THAT DIDN'T BELONG TO US, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THE ONLY ONE THAT I WAS IMPRESSED WITH AT THAT TIME WAS THE LATE LOUIE ARMSTRONG

DAVE:
(???) I'M WAY AHEAD OF MYSELF. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED I HAD TO LEARN TO IT. I DIDN'T START GIGGING UNTIL I GOT AROUND 15 OR 16 YEARS OLD. I STARTED SITTING IN WITH DIFFERENT BANDS, TRADITIONAL BANDS. I WAS IMPRESSED BY A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF KID HARRIS. HE BLEW HIS HORN AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS LIKE OTHER PEOPLE. BUT I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH NAMES AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THE ONLY ONE YOU WOULD HEAR OF ON THE RADIO LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE WAS LOUIE ARMSTRONG.

DAVE:
I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF. ACTUALLY I STARTED PLAYING AROUND NEW ORLEANS WITH CLYDE KERR (???) AT EVERY SUNDAY. KERR HIMSELF WAS A GREAT GREAT TEACHER. HE HAD ALL THE BOYS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO HIS PLACE. HE TAUGHT SCHOOL DAYTIME AND TAUGHT US AT NIGHT. AND HE HAD THIS JOB EVERY SUNDAY AT THE TICK TOCK, MATINEE HOURS. THAT WHEN I GOT USED TO PLAYING WITH DIFFERENT OTHER MUSICIANS.

DAVE:
FATS PICHON WAS AFTER I HAD PLAYED WITH DIFFERENT BANDS BEFORE FATS PICHON. DURING THAT TIME WHEN I WAS TAKING UP THE TRUMPET, IT WAS ALL READING. I CAN PLAY DIFFERENT PARTS BUT I WAS NO GET OFF MAN. READ THE PART AND (???) SOME MUSICIANS COULDN'T READ SO EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND I WAS ALWAYS INSTRUMENT AND GETTING A JOB PLAYING WITH SOME BIG BANDS OR JUST PLAYING FIRST TRUMPET. AND THE FIRST ONE I WAS PLAYING WITH WAS PAPA (???), OLD BAND. THEN I'D GO (???) IN DONALDSONVILLE. DIFFERENT LITTLE BANDS IN AROUND NEW ORLEANS WE WERE PLAYING BUT THEY WERE ALL READ MUSIC. SO THATS THE WAY THAT THING STARTED. AS I GOT OLDER, I LEARNED TO PLAY A LITTLE MORE LIKE GETTING OFF AND TAKING A COUPLE OF SOLOS ON MY OWN. SO I WAS (???) BEING REAL NICE WITH CLYDE KERR BECAUSE HE ALSO PLAYED TRUMPET. SO SOME THINGS THAT GET MIXED UP, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, WE PLAYED DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHORDS (???) I SAID CLYDE, WHAT IS THAT? AND HE SAID "THATS AN (???) CHORD, THATS (???) AND I'D SAY WHATS THAT MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND HE SAID YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET SERIOUS WHEN YOU'RE IN THE CHURCH, THAT TYPE OF THING, THATS WHAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, PEOPLE BEING HAPPY. I SAID I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT, I GOT YOU NOW. I ALWAYS FELT THAT WAY, EVEN ONE THING OR ANOTHER, WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING MINOR, (???) CAN BE MINOR, IN OTHERWORDS, LIKE I SAID, SUMMERTIME CAN BE A HAPPY THING AND ALSO BE A SAD THING. THAT TYPE OF THINGS. (???) TYPE OF THING. (???) SUMMERTIME'S BEAUTIFUL AND THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMETHING HAPPEN TO YOU YOU FEEL SAD ABOUT. THATS HOW THE MUSIC WAS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. SO FAR THE MINOR CAUSED CONCERN.

DAVE:
WELL I CAN LEARN HOW TO READ FROM DIFFERENT MUSICIANS (???) HANG AROUND AND TEACH YOU. I MENTIONED CLYDE KERR, FROM ONE INSTRUMENT (???) KNOWING YOUR DIVISION. THATS WHAT REALLY MAKES THE MUSIC, YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR DIVISION. YOU GOTTA LEARN HOW TO READ AND THEN BRING YOUR (???) UP BEING A TRUMPET PLAYER. YOU START LOW AND YOU KEEP AND KEEP ON, PRACTICE PRACTICE, PRACTICE. FIVE LINE, FOUR SPACES. YOU GOT TO KNOW WHATS GOING ON. BUT YOU HAVE TO BREAK THAT UP IN DIVISIONS LIKE "BOP DA DA DA". YOU GOT TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS. SO YOU HAVE TO TREAT WHAT IT IS. (???) KNOW YOUR DIVISIONS AND PRACTICE, THATS HOW YOU LEARN HOW TO READ.

DAVE:
CAROLINA COTTON PICKERS. THEY HAD PEOPLE IN THERE THAT WOULD WHISTLE. OOOHH, JESUS CHRIST. CAT ANDERSON, I NEVER FORGOT HIM. NOTHING IN THE WORLD. HE WOULD EXCITE ALL OF US. THERE'S (???) IT CAN'T BE TRUE. HE'S EXCITING, EVER EXCITING. GILBERT YOUNG IN NEW OLREANS WAS ANOTEHR ONE WHO CAN WHISTLE. THEN YOU HAD OTHER TRUMPET PLAYERS AROUND NEW ORLEANS THAT CAN PLAY, JACK WILLIS, QUITE A FEW OTHERS. WALLACE DAVENPORT. I MIGHT BE LEAVING OUT A COUPLE. YEAH BUT WE HAD SOME GREAT MUSICIANS.

DAVE:
WHEN I FIRST HEAR THE RECORD, I LIKE THE HARMONY.

JOE:
JIMMIE LUNCEFORD BAND, I LIKE THEIR HARMONY. I LIKE THE WAY THE DIVISION IS. I LIKE THE WAY THEY ATTACK. IN OTHER WORDS IF SOMETHING WAS DO DO DOO, YOU CAN PLAY WITH A BAND DO DO DOO BUT WITH JIMMY LUNCEFORD BOP! DOP! BOPBOP! YOU KNOW? YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN ACCENT ON IT. THAT TYPE OF THING. HE'D EXPLAIN IT TO YOU ONE TIME AND ITS LEFT UP TO YOU NOW GO AHEAD ON AND DO WHAT I DID. I ALSO LEARNED AN AWFUL LOT FORM THE LATE (CLAYMONT WILLIAMS?) BAND DOWN IN LOUISIANA. I CALL THAT THE SOCIETY BAND. I PLAYED IN ONE PLACE WITH DIFFERENT BANDS. THE HUB CLUB IN MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA. IT WAS THE RIGHT CLUB WHERE ALL THE GREAT BANDS OF NEW ORLEANS PLAYED. LIKE A 12 OR 15 PIECE BANDS WOULD PLAY THERE AND I PLAYED THERE WITH DIFFERENT BANDS. BUT IT WAS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN (???) WHAT YOU CAN SPREAD IT OUT AND PLAY ALMOST ANYTHING AND THE MUSIC WOULD BE HEARD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY BECAUSE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED EVERYONE HAD A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THE HUB CLUB THAT MUSICIANS (???) BECAUSE WHEN THEY WENT THERE THEY KNOW THEY CAN PLAY THEIR CHARTS.

DAVE:
WELL LET ME TELL YOU HOW I GOT WITH MY FIRST BAND. I WAS JAMMING AT THE (???) I'M SORRY, CHECK IT AGAIN, JAMMING AT THE DEW DROP WITH ERVIN CHARLES. ERVIN CHARLES' DADDY WAS NAMED BUDDY CHARLES. HE HAD THE BAND AT THE DEW DROP AND I HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF THE ARMY. KEEP IN MIND THAT I HAD BEEN IN THE SERVICE FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS. AND I WAS IN THERE JAMMING. HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF THE ARMY WITH MY ARMY SUIT ON. AND I PICKED UP THE HORN AND STARTED PLAYING STARDUST. D-FLAT. MOST TRUMPET PLAYERS CAN'T PLAY STARDUST BECAUSE THEY DONT THINK ABOUT THOSE TWO OTHER BACK KEYS RIGHT THERE, D-FLAT AND E-FLAT FOR THE TRUMPET. AND I PLAY STARDUST, THERE WAS NOTHING I COULDN'T DO. I HAD THE WHOLE PLACE ON FIRE. AND DURING INTERMISSION, I GOT OFF THE BANDSTAND AND THERE WAS A GUY IN THE PLACE WITH A COUPLE OF LADIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, HE SAID DAVE, I LIKE THE WAY YOU PLAY. YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO, COME HERE AND HAVE A DRINK WITH ME. I SAID I DONT DRINK, HE SAID I DONT WANT YOU TO DRINK. I WANT YOU TO KNOW I THOUGHT HE WAS SHOWING OFF. IM GOING TO OPEN A CLUB AND I WANT YOU TO GET A BAND. I SAID GET A BAND? I JUST GOT OUT OF THE ARMY. GET A BAND? I DIDNT KNOW HOW TO GET NO MUSICIANS. BUT ONE THING CAME TO MY MIND. I SAID IF YOU GIVE ME THE JOB, I'LL GO AND SEND OVER THE MUSICIANS I HAD EXPERIENCE WITH BEFORE I WENT IN THE ARMY AND IM MORE THAN SURE THEY CAN TELL ME WHAT WE CAN DO. I THOUGHT HE WAS KIDDING. TWO OR THREE WEEKS PASS, I DIDNT HEAR ANYTHING. (???) I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE TIME WITH THIS MAN. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IS THAT HE FINALLY CALLED. HE SAID DAVE, I WANT YOU TO COME TO MY CLUB. I WANT YOU TO SEE IT, AND START IN A MONTH. I CANT BELEIVE THIS. THE FIRST THING ON MY MIND, IS THAT IM GONG TO GET 12 DOLLARS A NIGHT. SO I WENT UP THERE, I SAID I COULDNT GET IT WITH A (???). SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. OH MAN THIS IS OUT OF SIGHT. YOU MEAN TO TELL ME I IWILL BE PLAYING HERE WITH MY BAND?! HE SAID YES, SO IM GOING TO BE SMART. I SAID YOU KNOW WHAT (???) I WANT 12 DOLLARS A NIGHT. HE SAID WHAT? IM NOT GOING TO PAY YOU 12 DOLLARS A NIGHT. IM GOING TO GIVE YOUR MUSICIANS 18 DOLLARS A NIGHT AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET 30. 30 DOLLARS? I SAID THIS MAN IS FULL OF IT. I DONT BELIEVE THIS. AND SURELY ENOUGH, IT WAS THAT AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE. THAT WAS MY BEGINNING. THE GRAY STONE NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. AND I NEVER LOOKED BACK.

JOE:
TELL ME HOW, YOUR BAND IS NOW ESTABLISHED AND YOUR TOURING, TELL ME HOW YOU FIRST MET LEW CHUDD.

JOE:
BUT LETS JUMP A LITTLE TO HOW YOU FIRST GOT ASSOCIATED WITH LEW.

DAVE:
WELL WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, IS THE BAND WAS ACTUALLY VERY SUCCESSFUL AT THE GRAYSTONE. QUITE ACTUALLY YOU KNOW YOU'RE OFF ON MONDAY NIGHTS, AND DURING THAT TIME, ALL THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA HAVE DANCES ON MONDAYS AT THAT TIME. NOT AT ONE TIME, MAYBE ONE TIME DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, IN NEW ORLEANS, INSTEAD OF SAYING NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST AND THAT SORT OF THING, WE SAID DOWNTOWN NEW ORLEANS, ACROSS THE RIVER, THAT KIND OF STUFF. NEW ORLEANS WAS THAT WAY. WE WERE VERY POPULAR AND THINGS WERE POPPING LIKE THAT, AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED SO THE BAND WAS VERY VERY POPULAR. SO LATE DOWN THE ROAD, FROM HOUSTON TEXAS CAME IN ON SUNDAY. NOW PAUL GAITIN HAD A POPULAR BAND TOO, A TRIO, AND HE SAID 'DAVE, I DONT USUALLY PLAY ON SUNDAY EVENINGS, WHY DON'T YOU PLAY FOR ME SUNDAY EVENING. I GOT SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY WIFE.' I SAID OK, SO WE WENT THE GRAYSTONE, IM SORRY, WE WENT TO THE ROBIN HOOD AT THAT TIME. SO IN WALKS MR. TEXAS, BIG TEXAS HAT ON AND THAT TYPE OF THING, BUT HE HAD 2 BEAUTIFUL GIRLS WITH HIM. I CAN SEE WHY HE WANTED TO COME SEE ME BECAUSE THE GIRL TOLD ME LATER ON THAT HE WANTED TO HEAR THE BAND AND THAT (???) WHERE DAVE WAS PLAYING SO THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING HIM THERE. HE CAME IN, HE LIKED THE BAND, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT. THERE WAS NOTHING WE WANTED THAT DAY. HE SAID 'I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU.' AT INTERMISSION WE HAD A TALK WITH HIM, GOT EVERYTHING STRAIGHT.

JOE:
WHEN YOU STARTED WORKING AT IMPERIAL, WHAT WERE YOU DOING?

DAVE:
I WASN'T WORKING AT IMPERIAL. I WAS WORKING FOR MY OWN BAND. WHAT I WAS DOING AFTER I WENT BY COSMO I WAS FREELANCING. I DIDN'T HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT WITH IMPERIAL OR NOBODY ELSE. BUT THE BAND WAS GROWING AND GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER. AT THAT TIME, DIFFERENT PEOPLE WERE COMING TO NEW ORLEANS, I STARTED DOING NOTHING BUT HAVING MY ARRANGEMENTS. DIFFERENT BANDS COMING IN, DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING FOR DIFFERENT BAND THAT THAT KIND OF STUFF. I PUT THE BAND TOGETHER. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IS THAT COSMO GOT TO BE MY FRIEND. THE BEST FRIEND I HAD IN THE WORLD BECAUSE I HAD JUST GOTTEN BACK HOME AND HE HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY. STILL IS MY GOOD FRIEND. AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED WE NEVER LOOKED BACK. THE PEOPLE THAT FOLLOWED FATS DOMINO WAS LLOYD PRICE, SHIRLEY AND LEE, JUST TO NAME A FEW.

JOE:
TELL ME THE FIRST TIME YOU CAME ACROSS FATS DOMINO.

DAVE:
THE FIRST TIME I SAW FATS, I TOLD LEW CHUDD TO COME IN. SO LEW AND I, AND SOMEONE ELSE WAS WITH US, WENT DOWN TO THE HIDEAWAY, THAT WAS THE NAME OF THE CLUB. DOWNTOWN NEW ORLEANS. (???) WHICH WAS A NICE NICE PLACE. BUT WE DIDN'T GO TO THE CLUB (???) WE WENT TO THE HIDEAWAY, IT WAS LIKE A HOLE IN THE WALL. AND FATS WAS SHAKING THAT PLACE UP. EVERYBODY IN THERE WAS JUMPING. I SAID I GOTTA HAVE HIM. WE GOT TOGETHER WITH FATS, THE NEXT THING A COUPLE OF WEEKS, NO, A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER MAYBE IN ABOUT A WEEK WE GOT TOGETHER. THAT AND SO AND SO. AND WE CALLED IT THE FAT MAN. I KNEW THAT FATS WAS ALWAYS CALLED THE FAT MAN. HE WAS VERY POPULAR IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE NEW ORLEANS REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HIM AT THAT TIME. IN THE HIDEAWAY, EVERYBODY DOWN THERE KNEW EVERYBODY. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, THEY HAD A RADIO PROGRAM COME ON EVERY SUNDAY, I MEAN EVERYDAY AT 5 O'CLOCK. NOT SUNDAY, EVERYDAY AT 5 O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING. AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, MAYBE 1 RADIO OUT OF FIVE OR SIX. WE ALL GATHERING, WE WANTED TO KNOW, HE WAS A DETECTIVE, HE WAS GOING TO GET HIS MAN, WHOEVER HE WAS. SO WE SAID, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO CALL HIM? I SAID, HELL, WE'RE GOING TO CALL HIM THE FAT MAN. WE WERE CALLING HIM ALREADY THE FAT MAN. BUT WITH THE RECORD OUT I CAN GET IT PLAYED MORE IN NEW ORLEANS. HE DIDN'T NEED ME. SOON AS THEY HEARD IT, THAT WAS IT, WE NEVER LOOKED BACK IN 25 YEARS.

JOE:
DAVE, TELL ME ABOUT, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL GUYS THAT WE HAVE FILM OF PLAYING WITH YOU IN THE BAND. BECAUSE WANT TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE GUYS. SO I'LL JUST TELL YOU THESE NAMES REPEAT THE NAME, JUST TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR STYLE, YOUR FRIENDSHIP, WHATEVER.

DAVE:
WELL I DON'T WANT TO BE SUED BY THESE PEOPLE AND YOU GONNA BE BACK AT YOUR HOUSE.

JOE:
I'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT.

DAVE:
NO, I'M GOING TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF. I AIN'T SAYING IT.

JOE:
JUST GIVE THEM MY PHONE NUMBER.

DAVE:
BULLSHIT! NO, I AIN'T DOING THAT.
JOE:
I CAN TAKE THE HINT, MAN.

JOE:
NOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT HERBERT AND LEES SOUNDS AND APPROACH TO PLAYING WAS DIFFERENT.
DAVE:
THEY WERE DIFFERENT. LEE WAS MORE WHAT WE CALL IN OUR BUSINESS LIKE THE BLUES, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT THE BLUES, BUT HERBERT SAY, YOU KNOW, (???) SOPHISTICATED, HE'S SMOKING CIGARETTES AND HE'S IN A HIGH CLASS CLUB. THAT WAS HERBERT HARDESTY'S APPROACH. I'M JUST TELLING LIKE IT IS. THEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD (???) WE NEED A GUY TO PLAY.

JOE:
IF ANYONE'S GOING TO SEE, ITS GOING TO BE HIM.
DAVE:
THATS HIM, THATS HIM, THATS HIM. WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. THATS HIM.

JOE:
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PAPOOSE.

DAVE:
PAPOOSE WAS A NATURAL. GREAT GUITAR PLAYER. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE THERE VERY YOUNG, GREAT IDEAS. JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS. WELL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAPOOSE, WAS VERY VERY GREAT. THE GREAT SMOKEY JOHNSON, ANOTHER DRUMMER. KEEP ON TALKING ABOUT THE GREATNESS. ALMOST EVERYBODY FROM MY BAND, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TAPE FOR ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE GREAT MUSICIANS TOGETHER. NEW ORLEANS IS A BREATHING PLACE. ONCE THEY COME HERE, THEY FIND OUT WHAT ACTUALLY GOING ON IN THE WORLD. AND ONCE YOU START PLAYING THE MUSIC, THE NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS, ITS SOMETHING NEW ORLEANS HAD THAT NOBODY ELSE HAD. TOGETHERNESS BECAUSE I THINK THAT LATTER ON LOUIE ARMSTRONG AND ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE GAVE US THE BLUES IN THE AIR SOMEWHERE AND THE AIR COMES DOWN ON NEW ORLEANS.

JOE:
WHAT ABOUT CLARANCE FORD?

DAVE:
OH MAN, THATS THE GREATEST. NOW YOU'RE TALKING...IN HIS HEART HE PLAYED RHYTHM AND BLUES BUT DO YOU KNOW ONE THING ABOUT CLARANCE? HE JUST LOVES BEBOP. ALL THAT WAS GOOD AND EVERYTHING BUT HE JUST LOVED BEBOP BUT SUCH A GREAT MUSICIAN AND A GENTLEMAN? BEAUTIFUL.

JOE:
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BILLY DIAMOND. AND WHAT BILLY DID...

DAVE:
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.. OHH MAN!!!! DURING THE TIME WHEN BILLY WAS OUR BAND LEADER, HE WAS NOT PLAYING IN THE BAND TO MUCH. WE SAID 'BILLY, WE NEED ANOTHER BASS PLAYER.' HE DID NOT OBJECT BECAUSE HE KNEW WHAT HE COULD DO AND WHAT HE COULDN'T DO. WE BROUGHT IN FRANK FIELDS. BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH... BILLY JUST WAS BORN TO BE A BAND MASTER. HE GETS THE ROOMS DURING SEGREGATION. I REMEMBER HE GOES SOME PLACE THAT SAYS THEY DON'T LIKE US TO BE THERE AND YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN BY US DURING THOSE TIMES. WHEN YOU TURN AROUND, US WAS UPSTAIRS IN THOSE PLACES. BILLY SAID, LOOK, I'M IN PHILADELPHIA ONE NIGHT, MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS, SAY PEOPLE AROUND HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND SO AND SO, COME ON HERE, AND THAT WAS THE SHOWBOAT AND WE KEPT ON GOING AND WE NEVER STOPPED GOING THERE. IT WAS FIRST CLASS. BILLY WAS A MAN THAT IF YOU WANT SOMETHING... WE'RE ALL SLEEPING, HERE COMES BILLY WITH SOME FOOD. ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. I CAN'T TELL YOU ENOUGH ABOUT BILLY DIAMOND. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN A GENTLEMAN. I THINK RIGHT NOW HE'S 93 YEARS OLD. AND I'M NOT SAYING IT BECAUSE HE'S 93, BECAUSE IF HE DIDN'T DO A GOOD JOB I WOULDN'T BE SAYING IT. BILLY DIAMOND WAS EVERYTHING YOU WANTED A MAN TO BE. 100 PERCENT.

JOE:
THAT'S ANOTHER 5 QUESTIONS ANSWERED, NO, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE... I DON'T WANT TO GET TECHNICALREALLY, BUT YOU GUYS WERE PLAYING RHYTHM AND BLUES, JAZZ ORIENTED RHYTHM AND BLUES AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS ROCK, ROCK AND ROLL, WHAT DO YOU THINK...

DAVE:
IT'S THE SAME DAMN THING. SOMEONE JUST CHANGED THE NAME. THAT'S ALL. IT'S THE SAME DAMN THING. BECAUSE PEOPLE STARTING BUILDING, UH, IN OTHER WORDS, ELECTRICAL THINGS AND CALLED IT ROCK AND ROLL AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. IT WAS CHANGED ON THE INTERNET. THAT AND SUCH AND SO OVER HERE, AND I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT NO DIFFERENT NAME, THEY'RE DOING THAT STU...THEY'RE DOING THE SAME...WHEN YOU BOIL IT DOWN, IT MIGHT BE (???) IT'S A BEAT (???) OR AN OTHER. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN IF YOU KNOW YOUR MUSIC. ITS ACCORDING TO WHO YOU'RE PLAYING FOR. RIGHT NOW I KNOW WHAT THE KIDS ARE DOING. THEY CALL IT THRASH. AND IT IS THRASH. BUT I CAN'T KNOCK IT. IT'S SELLING. SO WHO'S RIGHT AND WHO AINT. ONCE THE KIDS GET TO SOMETHING AND YOU KEEP ON REHEARSING THAT THING AND IT GETS IN THE EAR AND YOU CAN DANCE TO IT, I DONT GIVE A DAMN WHAT SOMEONE OVER THERE, A HISTORIAN IS SAYING, THAT AINT GOOD, ANYTHING THAT IF IT DRIVES THE KIDS AND THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT BEAT BETWEEN WHAT WE DON'T KNOW AND WE PLANNING ON KNOWING BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THE BEAT THAT IS SELLING AND GIVE EVERYBODY SOME MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS.

JOE:
WHEN YOU GUYS WERE IN THE STUDIO WITH THE FATS DOMINO BAND DID YOU HAVE PREPARED ARRANGEMENTS, ORCHESTRATIONS, OR HEAD ARRANGEMENTS, HOW DID YOU GUYS WORK...

DAVE:
IT WASN'T YOU GUYS, IT WAS ME.

JOE:
WHAT WAS THE TYPICAL SESSION LIKE. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING SPECIFIC. BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT A SESSION WITH THE FATS DOMINO BAND IN MID-1950'S...

DAVE:
I STILL SAY IT WAS ME. AND THATS SAYING A LOT. THAT WAS ME.

JOE:
THAT'S RIGHT. BUT TELL ME HOW...

DAVE:
THAT WAS ME. ONCE I HEAR THE SONG, I DONT KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO. (???) I'M GOING TO APPROACH THE SONG, IF ITS SWEET, I'M GOING TO APPROACH IT A DIFFERENT WAY. IT WAS ME. AND I CUT THE TRACK. AND FATS BE OVER SOMEWHERE DRINKING WINE. PUT THE GOD DAMN RECORD OUT AND WHEN IT COME OUT HE SAY THANK YOU. THATS MY RECORD. I'LL GIVE YOU ONE. WE GO IN THE STUDIO. I'M DOING A THING IN B-FLAT, B-FLAT, ARE YOU A MUSICIAN? 12 BAR BLUES. (???) THEN YOU GO TO E-FLAT AND KEEP ON GOING, 12 BAR BLUES. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED I HEAR DIFFERENT THINGS. HELLO JOSEPHINE (???) STRAIGHT BLUES, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? OKAY, NOW I WANT THE GUITAR. (???) WANT HIM DOING SOMETHING. HE WAS IN A RIFF (???) OR I MIGHT WANT SOMETHING CORNY. (???) GOT EVERYBODY CLAPPING THEIR HANDS. ITS THE CORNER THAT I'M APPROACHING IT. THE WAY THAT WE DID JOSEPHINE, I DID THE WHOLE TRACK ON JOSEPHINE. FATS WAS NO WHERE IN THE STUDIO. (???) AT COSMO. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, WHEN THE THING COMES OUT, FATS AND ALL THESE GUYS ARE SING HEY JOSEPHINE, I DID EVERYTHING. BUT ONE THING THAT I DID, HERBERT WOULD KNOW, ROY BROWN HAD A SONG GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT (???) WHAT I DID. WE DIDN'T HAVE NOTHING TO FEED ON. I TOOK THE OLD ROY BROWN THING AND PUT IT ON JOSEPHINE (???) NO BODY ASKED ME THAT AND I'M NOT TELLING (???) . BECAUSE WHEN ROY BROWN MADE HIS, THE RHYTHM AND BLUES WASN'T SO HOT. BUT ROCKIN TONIGHT BUT IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH JOSEPHINE, ITS STILL 12-BAR BLUES. HELLO JOSEPHINE (???) I'VE GOT HALF THE BEAT THERE. I COULDVE HAD (???) I DIDN'T DO THAT THING. (???) THE REASON WAS FOR ME TO DO IT THAT WAY I DIDN'T WANT IT TO GO RHYTHM AND BLUES BLACK, I WANTED IT TO GO WHITE (???) BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING NOW. BUT AT THAT TIME THEY WASN'T.