[Dixielandjazz] Sad news about a Chicago giant
Don Ingle
dingle@baldwin-net.com
Fri, 7 Jun 2002 18:46:38 -0400
Charlie Hooks Wrote:
" The legendary bass player, "Truck" Parham, age 90, has just died after an
illness. A great guy and a fine player. If you wonder why his nickname was
"Truck," it means you've never played in front of him! Memorial
services will be held on Thursday, June 13, at Cage Memorial Chapel, 7651
Jeffery Blvd. on the south side of Chicago, with a visitation at 6 pm and
memorial service at 7 pm.
"Chicago already missed Truck because he'd been in hospital awhile; but
if you close your eyes, you can still hear that sound: gut strings about 2
inches off the finger board, and he would rattle your cage even without an
amp! Truck had played with just about everybody who was anybody, and later
on with many of us who weren't anybody! Went through the bad old days and
came out a gentleman. Well done, Sir."
Don Ingle replies:
Well done, indeed. I had the grand experience to work with Truck several
times. He played the right notes in the right time, and had the warmest,
rich bass sound of anyone in the Big Windy. I heard him so many other times
and his playing, like it does with Charlie, still rings in my memory after
many years away.
Most of all he was a gentleman -- and a gentle man, and we who knew him are
all the sadder for his passing. But what warm flashbacks are through coming
now. Rest easy good player.
Don Ingle