[Dixielandjazz] Joe Turner, the stride pianist

[Jazz en Ville]

Hi
"Jazz on the tube" sent to me a video where we can see and hear Joe 
Turner the stride pianist playing Carolina shout. And this video reminds 
me a short anecdote about this musician. (I beg your pardon for my english)

As founder, with my brother Christian,  of "le Jazz club de Picardie" in 
Amiens (France), I invited Joe, who lived in Paris, to come and play in 
our club.

I must say that our club was situated in a small street along the 13th 
century gothic cathedral of Amiens,  which is the highest gothic church 
in the world. The club was housed  in two  levels of gothics caves at 
more than 10 meters under the street and Joe was very impressed by the 
style of the architecture.

After the concert (he played 3 sets with punch and swing and got a high 
success) we climbed out to the street.
It was more that 2.am and the february night was very cold.

Joe stayed almost 10 minutes in the freezing air , without a word, 
neither a move, looking at this marvelous cathedral . And then, slowly, 
with a great emotion he turned his face to me and, eye to eye, said: *" 
Oh... You made that...!" *and, after a silence, he added: *" But, WE 
made Jazz!!**!"* and he turned back, proudly, to the Hotel.

I found that so great!  So, fourty years later, I remember it.

Before the concert, dining with me in a good restaurant, he had told me 
the way he had learnt piano.
During the twenties, his aunt, in Baltimore, used to sell fish on a 
horse cart along the streets. To attract customers there was a piano on 
the cart and, entering a street, she used to play for a while.

You may imagine little Joe  climbing on the cart, learning piano to 
allow his aunt to sell more fish,  and taking by the way, his part of 
the Great History of Jazz?

The very truth!

Alain de La Simone

/Joe Turner ( 1907-1990)

At 21 he got a gig playing with the King's orchestra. (That's Benny 
Carter, thus his name "The King.")
Turner also played with Louis Armstrong.

In 1962, Turner moved to Paris where he stayed until his death in 1990. 
He had a regular gig at La Calavados, a nightclub on the Champs Elysees -/





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