Talk Topics...
​JAZZ FUNNIES
When a sideman once asked Louis Armstrong for the tempo of a tune, Louis answered, "Not too slow. Not too fast. Just half-fast."
Louis was full of quick comebacks, as are many jazzmen. It goes with the territory. The New Orleans reed player Paul Barnes said, "There's something that people don't understand, and that is that all great musicians are comedians and entertainers." Musicians, in other words, will do anything to get attention. And--there's something about swing time that makes you feel good.
In this light-hearted show, we'll watch and listen to a party-mix of jazz acts—old and not so old—that make you "forget your troubles, come on get happy." There'll be…
Fats Waller telling his girl friend her feet are too big.
Red McKenzie playing "My Gal Sal" on kazoo
Groucho Marx, surrounded by crazies, singing "Lydia the Tattooed Lady"
Jerry Lewis mime-riffing to a Count Basie track
Plenty more….
One of my favorite quotes comes from the pioneering jazzman Pops Foster:
"If the rest of the world was like musicians, this would be a great world. You should see musicians back stage when one band comes back to see another. Jesus, there's some noise and talk."
As a musician, I know this to be true. "The fun don't stop," as we say. Jazz Funnies will bring the fun to your residents.
By the way, the "fun" isn't just about jazz. From Robert Benchley:
"Opera is where a guy gets stabbed in the back, and instead of dying, he sings."
♬ Listen...Fats Waller,
​Your Feets Too Big
​Thomas "Fats" Waller was known for his slapstick weirdness and comedy. He could bend and twist a lyric like it was made from gelatin. But like Victor Borge, he was a virtuoso pianist, playing in the Harlem "Stride" style where the piano acted as a whole orchestra. The ultimate entertainer.
This track is iconic.