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72 |
INTERLUDE TWO |
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"So, my father did not know I had taken lessons from a flute player at the French Opera House. I did not explain him nothing, but one time I just sat down and played Cavalleria Rusticana. My father hollered to my older brother, 'Listen to that. He ain't calling no ducks!'" Old man Picou chuckled so that his pale blue eyes almost disappeared in the wrinkles.
"One day Bouboul Augustat, the trombone player, heard me practicing at the house and ask me if I want to come to one of his rehearsals. I say, 'You got any music?'
* 'You don't need no music/ say Bouboul.
** That's impossible. What I'm gonna play? Just sit there and hold my instrument?' I ask.
* Don't worry. You'll know.' That's what Bouboul tell me. "So I went. They were playing some good jazz that I didn't
know nothing about . . .
Femme en dans lit Woman in bed,
'N homme en bos lit, Man under bed,
Moi pas Taimez ga I dorit like that,
Moi pas Taimez ga I dont like that,
Ai, at, ai, Ai, at, ai,
Moi pas Vcdmez ga* I dont like that.
'Well, I had a good brains at that time and I caught on quick. When Bouboul heard me filling in, He say, 'See, you know how to play without music' So I played with Bouboul's string band then. We had guitar, bass, trumpet, clarinet, and a songster.
"Most of the time we played for birthday parties. . . . About ten at night we would come in a man's yard and play a number in the dark for surprise. Then they turn the lights on and grab this guy and kiss him and wish him happy birthday. Then they take all the furniture down and begin to dance, everybody kiss the girls and the girls kiss the men.** It was
* Tune 8, Appendix I.
** A visitor to New Orleans was surprised at the amount of second-hand jewelry in the antique shops. "There must have been lots of money in this town,* he said. "Yes," said a wise young lady, "and lots of love." |
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