Roy Eldridge in New York City - 20th Century
from Jazz Anecdotes, page 211:
I hadn’t heard him [Louis Armstrong] in person until he played at the Lafayette. I went to hear him, ‘cause everybody was talking about him. By this time I kind of had my feathers up, ‘cause I was just mowing them down left and right. I caught the first show, and I said, “Sheeit! Is this what they been shouting about? Let me get on out of here!” And I started to go, but then I said, “Wait a minute, this is the first show.” I put myself in his position. “Suppose he hung out last night, and his chops ain’t cool? I better stay and catch the next show.” […] So I stayed the second show, and it got a little better. [….] The next show is when he played this “Chinatown.” The rhythm section was chuggin’ on him, baby, and it just kept building. He started down here and went to F, up there, then to A out of the staff, then to C and the D, and those cats was whippin’ him, didn’t let up one bit! They got just as intense as he did. See, that’s what’s supposed to be! When he hit that note on the end, everybody jumped up, and looked, and I was standing up! I said, “Shit, what’s goin’ on? I got to stay for another show!”
<< lessBill Crow, Jazz Anecdotes (New York, 1990), p. 211. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1444125711041 accessed: 12 December, 2024
Listeners
Listening to
hide composersjazz | performed by Louis Armstrong |
Experience Information
Date/Time | 20th Century |
Medium | live |
Listening Environment | in the company of others, indoors, in public |