[Dixielandjazz] Answer to the Million Dollar Question

[Charlie Hooks]

on 7/17/02 6:25 PM, Patrick Cooke at patcooke@cox.net wrote:

> So, when you SEE a bass player pull a Fender out of the bag, wait
> till you hear it with your EARS before you.......you know...
> I'm ready for the flack..
> Pat Cooke

    You'll get no flack from me, Pat!  I'm one of the lucky ones (Beebe is
another) who got to play with the inimitable Jimmy Johnson, a black bass
player here in Chicago who played nothing else but fender and sounded so
good that every other bassist should so aspire!  Of course, having JJ's
talent would greatly enhance you, not to mention his strings.

    You did mention strings.  Yes.  Well, JJ bought his bass back around
1948 or whenever they began making them: he had the original model.  And he
had THE ORIGINAL STRINGS!  No one quite believes this, but it is true.  He
tried more than once to replace these strings, but the replacements sounded
terrible to him.  He kept restringing the old strings, and he kept sounding
unbelievably good.  Go figure.

    Whadda I know?  I'm a clarinet player, for God's sake!

    But I know what I heard, and Jim Beebe will back me up.  JJ was the
best, and with a smile no one could ever resist!  He travelled with The
Traniers.  He worked with Louie--and turned down an offer to go with Louis'
come-back band in the 50's:  Aw, man, this cat is done, he ain't goin
nowhere!  Yeah.  And I coulda bought Xerox at two bucks...

    I hear what folks say about fender basses.  I usually feel it myself.
But then old JJ smiles at me, that big Include-The-World smile!  That Us-
Black-Boys-and-us-White-Boys-Is-All-One-When-We-Swingin smile.  And I just
wish to hell I had him back.  JJ died a few years back, still smilin', as
well he should!

sentimentally, 
Charlie