[Dixielandjazz] More on The Divine One - Sassy Sarah (& me.)

[Al Levy]

Just a memory.  1940 I attended Syracuse Univ. majoring in chemistry. 
(Long story, I won't get into now)

A math professor advised me to go into music.

I quit school and came back to Brooklyn. I got a job working for the A & 
P - super market. I studied(?) piano with a local teacher.

I also took arranging lessons once a week with Dick Jacobs and Sy 
Oliver. Six months later Sy asked me if I would like to work for him.

The partnership was Sy Oliver, Dick Jacobs and John Warrington. Of 
course, I said "yes." January 1950 I started my new gig. On Monday,

that first week, Dick called me to his office and said "put on your coat 
and come with me, we are going to a session."

I was seventeen. I did not know that Sy was recording director of Decca 
records. This particular session was with Louis Armstrong.

Each week there were at least two record dates and I was to meet most of 
the great talents in the industry, and some not so great.

I remember going into the studio on 57th Street and seeing a string 
section of about 12 or more. That was very unusual.  Of course

there was the usual rhythm section of piano. bass, guitar and drums. 
Most of the time Billy Taylor was the pianist, Joe Jones, (d),

Everitt Barksdale (g) and Walter Ioss (b). Billy was kind enough to let 
me share the piano bench with him. On occasion I got to

play a few notes in the high registers. On this occasion I stood against 
the wall with Dick Jacobs. I can't remember how many

horn players were on this date but there had to be a sax section,trpts 
and bones. The vocalist (Sarah) was in a booth wearing

earphones. Sy was conducting. The orchestra played and at a point the 
strings played a mini slide from G sharp to A flat.

They are not the same. My eyes popped and my ears wiggled when I heard 
the woman in the booth "follow" the pattern and

singing the correct pitch, with NO rehearsal. O.M.G! Dick (Jacobs) 
looked at me and smiled. When the song was finished

he said to me "You Heard That?"

Sarah obviously "heard that" and used it on the spot.

It is an event I will never forget. :-[

----------------------------

On 11/17/2019 1:10 A.M, Robert Loomis wrote:
> Ken, I wonder if you would object if I share this reminiscence on my 
> Facebook page (along with vids or sound tracks of Benny and Sarah) at 
> some point soon. I love his playing and
*I think Sarah Vaughn is my all-time favorite singer.* Thanks for 
sharing memories! Would love to read more!
>
> Cheers,
> Bob Loomis
> Concord CA
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