[Dixielandjazz] Answer to the Million Dollar Question

[Ron L'Herault]

Maybe the problem with seeing a Fender bass is that many players will play
them as if they were in a rock band and not a jazz band.

Ron L
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charlie Hooks" <charliehooks@earthlink.net>
To: "DJML Dixieland Jazz" <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2002 1:16 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Answer to the Million Dollar Question


> 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
>
>
>
>
>
>
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