Oscar Treadwell's Cacophonous Jazz Piece

[Guest]

Oscar Treadwell, fabled Cincinnati jazz DJ for Cincinnati Public Radio, immortalized in Monk’s “Oska T”, used to play frequently (without identifying) a piece which began lyrically enough and then descended into cacophony with whistle sounds and all, and then emerged again into a lyric mode. There was a big role in it for the bass, so I thought it might have been something by Mingus, but I have never been able to find it among his works. Does anyone know what this piece is? and who performed it? I once heard a little bit of again on National Public Radio, but was unable to learn from NPR what its title was.

Edited January 16, 2006 by Mozie

[Nate Dorward]

Liner notes to Big Band/Quartet if memory serves actually says "Oska T" was Monk's son's distortion of "Ask for tea" but I think maybe your explanation makes more sense? & of course there's "An Oscar for Treadwell"....

No idea about the piece of music you have in mind though.

Edited January 17, 2006 by Nate Dorward

[Lazaro Vega]

Maybe you can contact him and ask. See: http://www.wguc.org/wvxu/jazz.asp

or

http://www.wguc.org/contact/

Edited January 17, 2006 by Lazaro Vega

[Guest]

I spoke with OT a few days ago and mentioned Mozie's question. He said it could be one of several pieces... it could be Mingus, but he would need more information to be sure. If you heard it recently and knew the date of the show, he could check his records and find it that way.

[JSngry]

Think it might've been Mingus' version of "A Foggy Day"?