Hear Me Talkin' To Ya: The Classic Story of Jazz as Told by the Men Who Made It

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text excerpt

Now, at one time, Freddie Keppard had New Orleans all sewed up. He was the king--yes, he wore the crown […] He could have been as big as Louis [Armstrong], since he had the first chance to make records, but he didn't want to do it because he was afraid that other musicians would steal his stuff.

Keppard was the first man I ran into in a hand battle and it was just my hard luck to run into the king. We had a big audience on the street [...] The crowd knew I was the younger musician and they gave me a big hand mostly to encourage me […] Freddie had a lot of ideas and a big tone too. When he hit a note you knew it was hit. I mean he had a beautiful tone and he played with so much feeling too. Yes, he had everything; he was ready in every respect. Keppard could play any kind of song good. Technique, attack, tone and ideas were all there. He didn't have very much formal musical education, but he sure was a natural musician. All you had to do was play a number for him and he had it--he was a natural! When Freddie got to playing, he'd get devilish sometimes and he'd neigh on the trumpet like a horse, but he was no freak man like Joe Oliver. Freddie was a trumpet player any way you'd grab him. He could play sweet and then he could play hot. He'd play sweet sometimes and then turn around and knock the socks off you with something hot.

excerpt from 'Hear Me Talkin' To Ya: The Classic Story of Jazz as Told by the Men Who Made It' pp. 45 (268 words)

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