Pony Poindexter

[Vincent, Paris]

I have read somewhere that saxophonist Pony Poindexter had written and published his autobiography before his death. Has anyone ever seen (or read) such a book ?

[BeBop]

Oh yeah, Pony Express. I've read it a couple of times. I also knew Pony. He comes across as a pretty bitter individual in the book; he was considerably less so in person. He also comes off as conceited or 'a legend in his own mind'; again, that wasn't really my impression of him. All that said - not quite a ringing endorsement - here's one source for the book, along with publisher information, et cetera...

http://www.jazzrecords.com/jazzbooks/bio3.htm

[mikeweil]

"His autobiography gives a vivid picture of the scene he was part of and tells of his ambitions and frustrations, but is not always accurate as far as historic details are concerned."

This is what I wrote a while ago as part of an introduction to an as yet unpublished - and still incomplete - Poindexter discography. I saw him live - he resided in Germany for quite a few years - and he wasn't bitter at all, just a bit frustrated that the local musicians hadn't the level of musicianship he was used to from the U.S., with some exceptions, like Tete Montoliu. He was terrorized by jealous cops in California for having a white girlfriend, frustrated by Columbia Records after recording his excellent Pony Express LP (currently available on a Koch Jazz CD KOC CD-8591 and highly recommended, a true all-star sax meeting) - in his eyes they favoured Paul Winter as soprano saxophonist, who had just played the White House and made more accessible music and delayed release of his album for more than two years without any explanation - he had given up on a tour through Europe with Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan to finish it in time.

A very talented musician, a good reliable player with a style of his own who got sidetracked by some less pleasurable aspects of the scene. I also recommend his two Prestige LPs: Gumbo! is part of Prestige PRCD-24229-2 - Booker Ervin / Pony Poindexter / Larry Young: Gumbo!, with some hitherto unissued tracks from New Jazz 8285 - Pony Poindexter ... Plays The Big Ones; this LP is on a British reissue Beat Goes Public BGP CDBGPD 077 - Pony Poindexter ... Plays The Big Ones /Gumbo! - you unevitably buy one album twice, but it's good, featuring Booker Ervin, Al Grey and Gildo Mahones. These two Prestige LPs were largely misunderstood by jazz critics at the time of release: he was accused of using material too far from jazz on Plays the Big Ones, and only his fellow musicians understood his attempt to further develop the New Orleans tradition on Gumbo!

He can be seen on the Video Koch 8568 - Count Basie / Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan ? Jazz Casual.

[JSngry]

Some good Pony here. in the front-line company of Lee Konitz, Leo Wright, & Phil Woods.

[Vincent, Paris]

Thank you everybody for your answers.

I just ordered the Koch reissue of Pony's album on Columbia and look forward hearing it. I might order his book as well. I became aware of him through a Pacific Jazz/Capitol reissue of some of Wes Montgomery's earliest recordings. I later found a postcard which was a William Claxton picture from the session, showing both Pony and Wes, and I always wondered how this guy could have fallen into such an obscurity during the last years of his life. I understand that, as so many American musicians who settled in Europe, he gradually became such a familiar figure that people begun to forgot how talented he was.