Five Awkward Conversations with Paul Motian

[lipi]

Jo Jones was an effin' maniac

Papa Jo? Story, please!

And since we're sharing silly personal anecdotes: I sort of froze up and didn't know what to say when I met Joan Baez, so I ended up saying embarrassing things like "my mom really likes you!" (which is true, but so do I!). (For the record, she was very, very sweet.)

[AllenLowe]

I wouldn't know where to start; he growled rather than talked and just grimaced and went on and on; he was relentlessly critical also of anyone else who was on the band stand. Truly he was mentally ill, far from rational. Nasty, mean, nuts.

Edited January 3, 2015 by AllenLowe

[Clunky]

My strangest encounter was with Dewey Redman. I'd been in the habit of making audience audio recordings of concerts I attended. I always asked permission and shared copies of the recorded music with the musicians. It's was a bit of fun and was welcomed by all the musicians I asked. Dewey was to perform in a trio with bass & drums. Both the bassist and drummer were very keen that I recorded the gig and encouraged me to speak to Mr Redman. Dewey had evidently consumed quite of few bottles of wine was very guarded. He specified that I had to write a contract ( a few words only) stating that the recording was for private use only and not for commercial release. I was to keep the scrap of paper and Dewey was satisfied. In my conversation with him I didn't even get the chance to say how much I enjoyed his playing and recordings .

The gig was done with Dewey largely on autopilot but had some really inspired moments , the place was packed and the atmosphere was great . The recording wasn't too bad ( I was using a MD recorder with a simple mike bulldog clipped to a stand). I gave the bassist and drummer copies of the edited recording the next day and they were to pass one on to DR. I still listen to an edited 30 min set of really inspired playing and ignore the rest where he seemed to be sleeping. I didn't see Dewey again he died a year or two later.

[scooby]

I used to be quite an autograph hound when I was younger. Almost without exception, everyone I asked was gracious and happily obliged. My funniest story is when I got Tony Williams's autograph. It was at a club I frequently attended. Most of the waitstaff knew me and knew that I usually hung out after the gig to get autographs. After Tony's band played, I waited patiently outside the dressing room. One by one, band members came out and I got their signatures on Tony's latest release. I had waited for a very long time expecting Tony to come out. One of the waitresses saw me and knew what I was waiting for. She came over and said, "You know that Tony has a separate dressing room?" I panicked, realizing I had waited so long in the wrong location that by now Tony had probably split. I asked where the other dressing room was and only paid limited attention to the directions she gave me as I rushed off hoping to catch Tony. I ran around the stage, down a hallway and made a left like the directions said. There was a door blocking my way. I was getting agitated now thinking to myself she didn't say anything about a door, Tony is probably long gone, I can't believe I waited in the wrong spot, etc. then I thought, there must be another hallway down this way beyond the closed door. So I flung it open only to find Tony standing there in his boxers with a cigar in his mouth. Tony looked at me and yelled, "What!" I stammered an explanation, said I misunderstood the directions, didn't realize this was the dressing room, just wanted to get your autograph, ... Tony stood there for a second, then waved me over and signed my record. I thanked him and then got the hell out of there!

[Guy Berger]

My strangest encounter was with Dewey Redman. I'd been in the habit of making audience audio recordings of concerts I attended. I always asked permission and shared copies of the recorded music with the musicians. It's was a bit of fun and was welcomed by all the musicians I asked. Dewey was to perform in a trio with bass & drums. Both the bassist and drummer were very keen that I recorded the gig and encouraged me to speak to Mr Redman. Dewey had evidently consumed quite of few bottles of wine was very guarded. He specified that I had to write a contract ( a few words only) stating that the recording was for private use only and not for commercial release. I was to keep the scrap of paper and Dewey was satisfied. In my conversation with him I didn't even get the chance to say how much I enjoyed his playing and recordings .

The gig was done with Dewey largely on autopilot but had some really inspired moments , the place was packed and the atmosphere was great . The recording wasn't too bad ( I was using a MD recorder with a simple mike bulldog clipped to a stand). I gave the bassist and drummer copies of the edited recording the next day and they were to pass one on to DR. I still listen to an edited 30 min set of really inspired playing and ignore the rest where he seemed to be sleeping. I didn't see Dewey again he died a year or two later.

Obviously this won't be a unanimous sentiment but thanks to you and everyone else who tapes these gigs. And props for asking the musicians.

[scooby]

One more via one of my tenor player friends. He was at a club to see his hero (nameless due to the nature of the story). After a great first set, the tenor player comes over to the bar for a drink and sits on a stool next to my friend. On the other side is a beautiful blonde. My friend screws up his courage and decides to say something to his hero. He gushes that he really loved the music in the first set. The tenor player graciously acknowledges the compliment, thanks my friend for coming out and then turns to chat with the blonde. My friend starts kicking himself that here was his chance to speak to his hero and all he could come up with some gushing fanboy chitchat. So he waits for a pause in the conversation and then tells his hero how much he loved certain Blue Note records he did, how he transcribed some solos from them, and how big an influence his hero was on his own playing. Again his hero was gracious and thanked him again for supporting his music, turning once again to the blonde. Convinced that he and his hero are now best friends, he decides to talk a little shop asking his hero about his mouthpiece and reed. His hero remains gracious although now getting a little annoyed. "It's an Otto Link and a Rico #3". Then lowering his voice he tells my friend, "now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to get laid over here."

[Leeway]

LOL, that's funny, and under the circumstances, Mr. Tenor Player was pretty cool about it. It occurs to me that those are the sort of conversations most musicians welcome (the blonde, not the fanboy).