[Dixielandjazz] THE BLUES

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/30/03 12:32:08 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
jbeebe at centurytel.net writes:

> My God...We have our own Wynton Marsalis on the List.  Did Wynton  send you
> a discarded harangue, Tom?


Not at all Jim, 

I have been in the game living it for almost forty years, worked with a great 
many of them on both sides of the fence I have also witnessed much of it 
first hand.

> 
> The evil white record producers and musicians are back.
> 
> That is not my point at all, Unscrupulous and often blatant thieves pervaded 
> the record industry and publishing companies alike, and still do.  I am 
> happy that you were fortunate enough to avoid or not come into contact with most 
> of them.  That however does not mean that they did not or do not exist.
> 
> As long as the majority of the White Americans remain in total denial about 
> these early situations the longer the myths of the conquerors will prevail.  
> Since most Blacks of those days had no voice except for what was recorded 
> nobody bothered to tell their stories or ask them what happened.  Quite simply 
> Nobody cared, and were just too busy pushing their own agenda.
> 
> Wynton is not one of my favorite people, but he is a fine musician and if he 
> can get more Black musicians to wake up and pay attention to what has 
> happened to the music that they were so instrumental in creating, then perhaps we 
> can get a new generation back to playing and enjoying OKOM, after all, it was 
> once TKOM too, and we should never forget that.


  It's funny that I > have made a lot of recordings over the years and a lot 
> of gigs with white,
> black and in between, and I have never run into these evil white producers
> and musicians.  Oh...a few unpleasant jerks here and there but in general,
> just people trying to get on and do something with music that they loved.

 Jim, you have led a Blessed and great musical life which I admire and 
respect as you know, and I value your comments and posting on this list, and are 
further fortunate to have avoided those folks.

> 
> Elvis and Hank Williams never proved anything but that they had enormous and
> unique talent. 

I respectfully disagree having met Elvis and his manager both, Elvis always 
claimed unashamedly that he was influenced by John Lee Hooker, & Bo Diddley & 
Chuck Berry specifically, and used to go hang out at Black clubs to learn licks 
and get a better understanding of how they played Blues, and Gospel which he 
incorporated into his own musical style hence adding fire to the flames of 
early Rock & Roll.

 Yes, Elvis had an evil white manager but he would have been > the sensation 
> he was with or without him.   

Having met him and Col. Tom Parker, who by the way taught me most of what I 
know about management and how to deal with record companies and promoters, I 
also do not agree that Elvis would have been the big star he was without Col. 
Parker.  Both were at the Right Place at the Right time and the partnership 
worked most of the time, and all of it was done on a handshake 50% 50%.  Without 
Col. Parker, Elvis could very well have ended up another Pat Boone, just a nice 
guy and a pleasant crooner.

Col. Parker evil, you bet, clever, street smart old carnival hustler, a 
Dutchman who could not go home, Never did find out why, he would not say, but he 
could not leave the USA because he did not have and could not get a passport 
either here or from Holland.

That is why he always persuaded Elvis to only perform in the USA, simply 
because he could not go out of the country and get back in, and he did not want 
any one collecting the money but him, or having any control over Elvis.  At the 
same time Elvis relied on him totally to take care of all the business.  Elvis 
gave away a lot of his money, and the Col. gambled away all of his and at one 
point all of Elvis' too, hence the great comeback.

Col. Parker, Not a nice man at all.  Elvis an unfortunate prisoner in his own 
home for most of his later life.

> 
> Sorry Tom but I had to let off a blast.
Jim Beebe

It's OK Jim, we just see a few things differently which should start some 
controversy on the list and make for some interesting reading this week. :)
> 
> 
> Cheers,

Tom "tough skin" Wiggins