One of my favorite Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis interviews was
conducted in the mid-1980s by Bob Rusch, the founder of Cadence magazine and Cadence Jazz Records. Bob has always had a way with jazz musicians and is a master at drawing out artists and capturing the drama of the music and the times.
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis was one of the most confident tenor saxophonists in jazz—on stage and in the studio. Whether recording with small groups or big bands, on ballads or burners, Lockjaw was always electrifying. Here's a snippet from Bob's 1986 interview with tenor saxophonist Lockjaw Davis:
BR: Which musicians did you find were the most helpful for you, or the most giving, the most cooperative?
Lockjaw: Don Byas.BR: To everybody?
Lockjaw: To everybody. Anyone that could play. He'd give you reeds, he'd answer your questions, direct. He didn't give you no tap dance. He'd just tell you. But hewas full of tricks, too. He used to broadcast every Friday night from the Downbeat. And they had a bar...what was the name of the bar, the musicians associated...on 6th Avenue? Between sets everybody would be around. He'd come in, he'd see you with your horn. "You want to play the next set for me? I go on in about 10 minutes, 'cause I don't feel good." I'd say, "Yeah, okay, sure." It'll be broadcast." I'd say, "Fine, great."
And by the time you'd get there, start the first tune, you look up and he's on the stand next to you. "Thought you didn't feel good?" "Oh, I feel better now." He needed that inspiration, somebody up there he could nail. Things like that he would do. He was great for that.
Starting Monday: Part 1 of my four-part interview with guitarist and jazz legend Mundell Lowe.
"Mundy" talks about discovering Bill Evans; playing with Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Johnnie Ray and Carmen McRae; and scoring the soundtrack for the cult classic, Satan in High Heels, a killer session that included Joe Newman, Clark Terry, Doc Severinsen, Urbie Green, Al Cohn, Al Klink, George Duvivier, Ed Shaughnessy and other top jazz artists.
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