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funny jimmy smith quote


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was reading a post from Cali Munoz (beach boys keyboardist)--- about the time he was playing at dontes with his fusion band, and jimmy smith wanted to meet him:

 

As if on a quantum leap I find myself being grabbed by this towering figure and lifted off the ground - my sense of joy would just be inexplicable. Still holding me he says to me: “Who do you like, man…Herbie or McCoy?” I was a little thrown off by the question because I like them both very much. I answered: “Well…I…a…I like them both, but…Mc Coy…” He says “Ohhhh noooo man…there is a sudden ambiguous pause and he says intensely looking straight at my eyes: Yeahhh…that’s the one… man… that’s the one!!!

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I have a jimmy Smith quote. I saw Jimmy Smith live in 2002 or 2003 at the Iridium.  I was with my wife. We were sitting up at the front of the stage.  I was smiling from ear to ear as he played. Jimmy was playing great.  After the tune finished he saw me smiling. Jimmy said, “What the fuck you smiling at...  I’ll come down there kick your ass.  Wipe the smile off you face.”  He just kept stared at me.  My wife leaned over and said to me, “Is he talking to you?”  I told her yes. Still staring, he said, “I’ll kick you bitches' ass too.” No lie. I wish there existed a recording of this. 

 

Edited by Hardbopjazz
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18 minutes ago, Hardbopjazz said:

I have a jimmy Smith quote. I save Jimmy Smith live in 200 or 2093 at the Iridium.  I was with my wife. We were sitting up at the front of the stage.  I was smiling from ear to ear as he played. Jimmy was playing great.  After the tune finished he saw me smiling. Jimmy said, “What the fuck you smiling at...  I’ll come down there kick your ass.  Wipe the smile off you face.”  He just kept stared at me.  My wife leaned over and said to me, “Is he talking to you?”  I told her yes. Still staring, he said, “I’ll kick you bitches' ass too.” No lie. I wish there existed a recording of this. 

 

WTF?..was he serious?

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9 hours ago, JSngry said:

He was on at least two episodes of the original Bill Cosby Show, playing Jim, a hip janitor. The first episode was juyst a quickie walk through at the end, but the second one he had lines and shit.

It would've been wicked to watch him say to Dr.Huxtable

“What the fuck you smiling at...  I’ll come down there kick your ass.  Wipe the smile off you face.”

 

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That was before my time, had to look it up. So he would've had to revive his role for THE Cosby show in order to wax eloquent with the good doctor.

17 hours ago, Hardbopjazz said:

He was drinking. I'm not one that drinks, but he was drinking something that looked like cranberry juice with one of those little umbrellas.  

I feel bad for your wife. That outburst was totally unprovoked.

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17 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

There was a discussion about this, maybe when he died. I think the consensus was that he resented having to play/tour as he got older and it showed.

Yes, that was probably why. He was in poor health and had to still play to get by.  Whomever was on drums did pass by my table at the end of the set and said sorry. 

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3 hours ago, paul secor said:

Based on these stories, I wonder how he treated his sidemen.

That same night, Jimmy told Melvin Sparks to play something solo. Jimmy Smith wanted sit out for one.  Melvin said, “sure, what do you want me to play?” Jimmy said in an angry voice, “shit, why am I paying you? Just play something!”  

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Circa 1999 I saw him several times in local venues as he was living here for a while but one of the more memorable times was when he was in the audience for a Eddie Harris show.  We were sitting at tables next to each other up front so I could hear things and he was giving Eddie shit all night.  Sure it was friendly teasing but weird.  Alcohol might have been involved.

Another time he came into a hotel that was being used to celebrate the local NPR station going fulltime jazz and Joey Calderazo was playing piano in a room and when he decided to take a break Jimmy sat down and played piano for about fortyfive minutes.  That was a real treat.

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