Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
A pioneering jazz vibraphonist and bandleader, one of the great jazz men, who first recorded jazz on the vibraphone with Louis Armstrong.
On the island
Eight records
Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra
I think it was so sincere, and he showed great musician ability with the the technique that he used on his horn and and the soul that he put into his horn playing. But it it really is a great record, and I I don't think I'm by myself. I've read about a lot of jazz historians that said it's one of the five greatest records in the world.
Memories of YouFavourite
And the first time that jazz was played on The Vibes, I played with Louis Armstrong on a recording session.
I've Got the World on a String
Teddy Wilson's got that great satin style, you know, just so silky, you know, but it's great.
I listened and I said, Oh man, that started us I said, Gee, did I play all that? He said, Yes and he said, I'd like to get permission to make a deal which is to put the record out on the market. So uh he did and uh it became one of my best records.
He he was a guy that came up and really revolutionized the style. It was his sensitive playing a melody and and putting in things that was beautiful with his beautiful horn.
Coleman Hawkins is the granddaddy of the tennis saxophones. He's the man that made the teleps phone of Beautiful Lady. and he caressed it and loved her all the time, and he played some beautiful songs with her.
Well, it's a tune that I'm playing with my present band and I got some really swinging young cats in the band too. And some of the old standbys. And I'm playing like mad myself in this record.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:34Have you ever experienced loneliness over a long time?
Well, no, Roy. I've always had people around me and always been in a crowd. We had a big family and we was all compatible together. We always played together. First of all, um, my grandmother set the pattern for me, you know. She used to have all our kids and all our grandchildren and the family at six o'clock every morning we get up and pray together. Come home from school for lunch and we all gather around. We're in the south in Birmingham, Alabama, and we'll pray again together. And then at six o'clock at night when we have supper, we pray again. So we always had the gatherness, you understand?
Presenter asks
3:46Where did you go to school?
Yeah, well I tell you, you know, in Birmingham, Alabama, we um I went to public school, you know, grammar school, uh not the kindergarten. And then my family moved north to Chicago, you know, where all the southern families was doing there in that time to get a better education for the kids and and a better way of life for all of the family, you know. And so we moved to Chicago and uh the schools was pretty rough there then, the public schools. So my grandmother, who was the head of the family, I had a mother and oh, but uh my grandmother picked out what was best for us, you know saying that she thought I should go to a nigga school other than the public school in Chicago. So I went to a school about ninety miles north of Chicago in in Wisconsin, in Carlis, Wisconsin. And the name of the school was the Holy Rose Academy.
The keepsakes
The book
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
Mary Baker Eddy
I like to take the book that I use every day connected with the Holy Bible
Presenter asks
Where did you find that instrument [the vibes]? How did you come across it?
Well, it it was in the studio in a corner. You know, at that time they was only playing just two notes, three notes, bing, boom, boom, that's all. An arrangement. The vibar player would be the drummer in the band who who double owned uh this instrument. And so Louis asked me, did I know anything about that instrument in the corner? I said, Sure, you know, because I knew all I had to do was make the transition from the zellophones or the auction bells to the the Viber hops because they had the same keyboard.
Presenter asks
9:30You played a lot with Louis Armstrong at that period. Would you agree that that was his best period?
I think that Louis Armstrong was just an angel, he was a disciple, he was just a high person that just came from heaven that be down here on the earth and just gave us a a baptism and good music and and to know what what the what was happening with with his great style and and uh and where where the world should follow because we've all been following ever since Louis came in blowing his trumpet and started his singing.
Presenter asks
22:44When did you have your own band for the first time?
Oh, I had my band in nineteen between nineteen forty and nineteen forty one. I was in Los Angeles and Benny Goodman had to retire for a while because the doctors say he you know we used to play every night, sometime twice a a night. And they they want him to have a rest and uh so I was very anxious and I wanted to get going and Benny gave me permission to give me help and I started my own band.
“And she said, and when you're by yourself, you know, don't forget the Lord is walking with you.”
“I tell you, you know, I'm just beginning to learn. More and more, every dight that I play, more and more what to do on the vibes, you know what I'm saying? It hasn't touched the surface yet. And I'm still out there digging to try and get some more.”
“I think the Benny Goodman Quartet was the front door for Jackie Robinson getting a major league baseball.”