OTHER NEWS

TODAY IN HISTORY

1969 - "The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour," which featured such rock
bands as the Beatles, the Who, Jefferson Airplane & the Doors, is
canceled by CBS-TV. CBS TV cancels the show after they let Joan Baez
dedicate a song to her husband David, convicted of draft resistance
against the Vietnam War. - Daily Bleed

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FLOTSAM & JETSAM
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Jamming with James
http://prorev.com/apexblues.mp3

Sam Smith

This recording of the Phoenix Jazz Band was made at the Central Ohio
Jazz Festival in 1990 and features George James on saxophone, band
leader Bob Walter on trumpet, Coleman Hankins on clarinet, and your
editor on piano, among others.

George James was 84 years old at the time and had to be helped to the
stage. Once he got there it was a different story as is apparent on the
cut. He had sixty recordings behind him and had been a regular with both
Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. The tune we played was the Apex Blues
written by Jimmy Noone in honor of the second floor Apex Club on the
south side of Chicago where Noone had an orchestra in the 1920s. The
club was raided and closed in 1930 by federal agents enforcing
prohibition. One of those who played with Noone was Earl 'Father' Hines.
Another was George James who played in Noone's group before going on the
road with Louis Armstrong.

We played just two tunes with James - the other was Misty - but for a
stride piano player like myself to go even eight bars with one of Fats
Waller's sidemen is about as close to heaven as one can reasonably
expect to get. And who would have guessed it would happen in Columbus
Ohio? But, then, as Fats used to say, "One never knows, do one?"

APEX BLUES 1990 WITH GEORGE JAMES
http://prorev.com/apexblues.mp3

APEX BLUES 1929 WITH JIMMIE NOONE
http://www.redhotjazz.com/apex.html