"Del Sasser"

[TroyK]

Yes, I know it is a Sam Jones composition, but does anyone know what it means?

Google and available liner notes were no help. Not that it matters, but I wonder about things.

[Jake deVilliers]

Especially when your son's name is Del..........

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

Especially when your son's name is Del..........

Exactly. I was flipping through charts this morning and saw that one and it made me wonder. I had forgotten all about that referrence when we were 'a namin, but now that it's cooked, I'm curious about all of those referrences.

Good tune, no one's called it in a long time.

[Jake deVilliers]

Being a person of the bluegrass persuasion, 'Del' reminds me of great singers Del Williams and Del McCoury. I'll have to get your boy a hillbilly music CD......

[TroyK]

And, of course, Del Shannon, The Del Vikings, Dick Dale and the Del-Tones, Del Unser, Del Crandall, etc. A fine name and he's wearing it well.

But if anyone knows what "Del Sasser" is in reference to, I'd love to.

[Roger Davis]

I used to play it but I can't for the life of me remember anything about it, the tune or anything. I must be getting very old.

[Marcus Johnson]

Emily Remler has a nice version on a recording, with Eddie Gomez and Bobby Moses... John D'Earth on trumpet. I was playing with Dave Benoit, going through his book, and found the same arrangement, which Dave had written. Then I remembered that Emily had couch surfed at Dave's parents' house during tough times. So, I guess she grabbed a little souvenir from the book while she was there!

[JDubbleyoo]

I've got this one.
Back in the mid-eighties, when I was in my mid-twenties, I was working a steady five night a week gig (what ever happened to those?!) at the Jazz Workshop, on Broadway, in San Francisco. The actual Jazz Workshop, same room, piano, decor as back in the day. Different management, of course--it had languished as God-knows-what for 15-18 years or so, but some enterpreneurs had the idea of reviving it as a jazz club again. The great Donald Duck Bailey started the gig out on drums, but by the time of this story, he was very ably replaced by Carl Burnett, who came up from LA to do the gig. I guess the "new" Jazz Workshop lasted about 2-3 years or so, and this was at the end of the run--managment was feeling the pinch of bad business and we musicians now had to pay for our drinks. And they also started playing some jive s*** on the sound system on breaks--the handwriting was on the wall. All of which caused me to take my breaks elsewhere--I'd walk down to Columbus Ave, hang a left, and then another into the little dead-end alley just before Tosca and get my taste(s) at Specs Bar, a venerable little watering-hole that dated back to the Beats, Ferlinghetti and all that stuff. They played my kinda music there, so it was a better hang.So this one night I walk in, get a seat at the bar, get my drink and just dig the scene--about halfway through my 20 minute break, what comes on but Cannonball's recording of "Del Sasser". Jazz geek I, I softly sing along, drumming along with with the little hits that answer the melody. At that moment, this beautiful older (again, to me) woman walks in, right by me, and notices my involvment in this tune. Says she; "Excuse me, you know this tune?" I said, "yes, "Del Sasser", by one of my bass heroes, Sam Jones." She replied, "Well, you know, Sam used to play around the corner at the Jazz Workshop quite often back in the sixties. He was a dear friend of mine--my name's Irene Del Sasser." We had a nice little chat--I got back a bit late for the next set, but it was worth it. And since then, I've played hundreds of gigs in that neighborhood--ten years of 3 nights a week right around the corner from Spec's, at Jazz at Pearl's with Vince Lateano and Bruce Forman, yet I never saw Ms. Del Sasser again.

[TroyK]

Zing! Am I ever glad that I asked!

Thanks for sharing, man.

[Marcus Johnson]

Thanks, John!... that's a great story.

I never noticed that it was you posting under this screen name... I have a recording of you with my old friend Wayne DeSilva, sounds great. It opens with his tune "Marble Park". Mark Levine on piano, as I recall.

I used to play with Wayne quite a bit.... great player and very nice laid-back guy.

And then I look at your bio, and see that you play with Jack Riordan.... nice guitar player. We were in touch while he was here on Maui, and we played together a little bit, but we could never seem to get the schedules to mesh. I was pretty busy at that time. I hope he makes it back here at some point.

[Paul Warburton]

Hey John. Thanks man...Like Marcus, I never dug into your profile.
Say hi to everone.

[JDubbleyoo]

It's my pleasure. Glad to be of service, Troy.

Marcus--thanks for your response. Yeah, Wayne DeSilva is a great cat. I love his warm, dark sound on the tenor, to say nothing of his hip and very musical "concep' ". Wonderful Eddie Marshall was the drummer on that date and it pleased and surprised all of us when he said that Wayne's record was one of his favorites of all (the many many) that he's made. The great Mike Hyman was out here at that time and he and Eddie split the chair as their schedules allowed--two drummers and a whole LOTTA time!

Jack Riordan-- I'll pass along your regards when I see him. He's starting to play the string bass and if he gets the woodshed fever, he's gonna be dangerous.

Mr. Paul Warburton--I've subbed on Dick Hindman's trio, with the fabulous Colin Bailey, or Scott Morris (RIP, Bro.) on drums, through the years. Filling the big shoes of Seward McCain, Dick's current (I think) bassist, was challenge enough, but I always felt that I was stepping into your humongus kicks, as well--I think my big toes got to about the arches. That didn't detract from the thrill and pleasure that came from playing with the big man. I'll pass on your greetings to the folks, when I see them, though I don't see Messrs Hindman or Bailey that often anymore--shame.

[Paul Warburton]

Thanks John...I didn't get a chance to hear you play, but never heard anything that wasn't just glowing....
Sorry about the OT.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

Sorry about the OT.

Are you kidding? I love every turn that this thread has taken.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by TroyK

Are you kidding? I love every turn that this thread has taken.

Great...I've been getting some nasty PM's About my "constant derailing" of posts and my "selfcenterdness".

[Treyzer]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

Great...I've been getting some nasty PM's About my "constant derailing" of posts and my "selfcenteredness".

Paul,

Don't listen to em. Their prolly boneheads and the prolly couldn't play their way out of.......

The best threads on this forum are like jazz..they go where they go. Somebody throws out a riff and others take it and add to it, turn it around, throw out some other riff...it's all very cool..Kinda like the thread "good old boy"Bob started. That was a fun ride. Paul we need your color humor and insight. I have never got the feeling that what you do and what you contribute is ego head stuff.

Hey Merry Christmas all!

[TroyK]

Well, it's my thread and I hereby authorize this particular hijack!

[jallenbass]

PW - You're hilarious. Derail away!

[JDubbleyoo]

Originally Posted by Treyzer

Paul,
The best threads on this forum are like jazz..they go where they go. Somebody throws out a riff and others take it and add to it, turn it around, throw out some other riff...

+1!! ....we can always reign it in an get it back on T if need be.

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

Great...I've been getting some nasty PM's About my "constant derailing" of posts and my "selfcenterdness".

Great, there you go talking about yourself again...