[Dixielandjazz] Jess Stacy

[fred spencer]

There is a wonderful 10 page interview with Jess Stacy in "Jazz Greats.
Getting Better With Age", by Lowell D. Holmes and John W. Thomson
(Holmes & Meier, 1986). It fails to fulfill its stated, academic purpose
of documenting the vitality of 12 aging (aged) jazz musicians. However,
Stacy's interview alone is worth the price of the book. His prize answer
is to the question, "As a solo pianist, do you have any pet peeves?"
"Oh. I guess the only pet peeve I've got are bad pianos and banjos. Holy
mackerel, one group I played with had two of those mothers playing. Two
of those bastards. What chance has a piano got with two banjos whangin'
away". He continued by saying that he preferred to play without a rhythm
section, because "I didn't have to put up with guys making trashy rim
shots and banging on cymbals". Cheers.
Fred