[Dixielandjazz] We Sat In With Count Basie

[Robert Newman]

This is not intended to sound like bragging, but it is absolutely the truth.    One night in February of 1942, my friend Locke Turner and I shared the extreme privilege and pleasure of sitting in with the Count Basie band.    Locke was a drummer and Stanford student and I was a reed player and student at Cal Berkeley.

The Basie band was one-nighting at Sweet's Ballroom in Oakland.    The hall was crowded -- it was almost impossible to get up against the bandstand.    We craftily opened a door to the left of the bandstand and slipped in backstage.    What a thrill -- that band was perfect and loud -- we were overjoyed.   It was almost dark backstage -- a big curtain up there -- steps right here up to this end of the stage.    We peaked around the curtain -- there were the trumpets and the drummer on a riser, about two feet above the stage -- some space between the curtain and them -- two chairs on the stage behind them.    We sneaked through, crouching,  and sat down behind the drummer.   It was heaven.    Nobody could see us.    We knew the drummer was Jo Jones -- MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!WHAT ABSOLUTE THRILLING PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The band swung a couple of numbers, and just after one,  Jones looked back and down at us and squinted a little.   Locke was so thrilled to be digging this world's greatest drummer, he smiled toothily up at him and croaked, "Mr. Jones, you're the greatest of all drummers."

Jones smiled and then said softly, "Hey, thanks, man -- but please don't sit on my hat."

Bob Newman