Sunday, February 06, 2011

Papa Jo and Big Sid

Jammin' The Blues, a short film featuring Jo Jones and Sid Catlett. Watch for the trade off after 5:40:



"Big Sid was like my brother. I never go anyplace without a picture of Big Sid
Catlett. I've got a little picture of him that I carry with me. That's why I am never afraid. I know I've got Sid with me. See, I was very privileged to play with a Count Basie, to be around so many creative peoples. I remember one time Sidney sat in and he said, 'Man, I ought to knock you down— now I got to go back to the coal mines.'

Did you see Jamming The Blues? Remember when Sid threw that one stick at me? We used to do a thing every Thursday night at the Apollo when we closed. The theater's packed, but there are two seats set aside for Sid Catlett and his wife. I used to throw the stick to Sidney, and a man would put the light on him and BOOM—he'd catch it. Then, BOOM, he'd throw the stick back to me and we'd go into 'One O'Clock Jump.' Don't ask me. Ask the people that were there. They done saw it. They saw show business. Yeah, we did some strange things out there."

- Jo Jones, Modern Drummer, January 1984

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