Ben Webster Blindfold Test [transcript]

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:07:06 Ben Webster: yeah, we got you covered.

00:00:07:09 - 00:00:08:25 Leonard Feather: Oh, yeah.

00:00:08:27 - 00:00:13:11 Ben Webster: Three more. Three. Four more days. Yeah.

00:00:13:13 - 00:00:19:18 Leonard Feather: What is it? It’s all that comes out on my tape. Neko.

00:00:19:20 - 00:00:21:12 Ben Webster: That’s all the time. Yeah.

00:00:21:14 - 00:00:26:29 Leonard Feather: Well, no, my tape recorder. Okay. Yeah, well, I got a lot of back.

00:00:27:01 - 00:00:28:11 Ben Webster: What do you think of that?

00:00:28:14 - 00:00:34:02 Leonard Feather: What is that? Could you grab your machine? If she’s working?

00:00:34:04 - 00:00:37:11 Ben Webster: Yeah, well. It’s working. I just want your opinion of the record.

00:00:37:13 - 00:00:41:11 Leonard Feather: Oh, very good, very good. Yeah.

00:00:41:13 - 00:00:42:24 Ben Webster: You recognize everybody,

00:00:42:26 - 00:00:44:22 Leonard Feather: No, no, I did, I.

00:00:44:26 - 00:00:47:18 Ben Webster: Well, maybe you did. Maybe didn’t. You thought it was through.

00:00:47:21 - 00:01:01:14 Leonard Feather: Well, it, rather sounded like an alarm. And, some of that counts are based. couldn’t,

00:01:01:16 - 00:01:22:20 Leonard Feather: Well, I mean, when you think of land and, cows, you you automatically think of, Carl Perkins. But it didn’t sound that Carl played piano. On drums. I know, Butler with the Frank Butler. yeah, I’m not sure about that.

00:01:22:22 - 00:01:23:11 Ben Webster: You know.

00:01:23:14 - 00:01:33:04 Leonard Feather: But he was very good. I mean, it was very good recording. The, the the balance and the solos and everything. It was, you know, like crazy.

00:01:33:07 - 00:01:35:03 Ben Webster: You want to sound the stereo sound?

00:01:35:05 - 00:01:43:25 Leonard Feather: Yeah, exactly. And then you read to you. Okay.

00:01:43:28 - 00:01:48:24 Ben Webster: well, see, you know, the writing system. So do you hear that? Well, I.

00:01:48:24 - 00:02:15:23 Leonard Feather: Don’t think they, he and the poor of the unit have any particular, in them? That’s right. Yeah. So do you hear that? Well, I like that very much. That, spuds stars, you know, on the floor of, Well, yeah. Yeah, for me, I mean, for what they were doing and what they had to do with mom, I’d give that the most.

00:02:15:26 - 00:02:18:17 Ben Webster: You know, to.

00:02:18:19 - 00:02:26:24 Leonard Feather: No, I didn’t, Well, you started right there. roughly. I mean, you know, so I didn’t get that.

00:02:26:26 - 00:02:28:21 Ben Webster: Oh. Doesn’t matter.

00:02:28:23 - 00:02:34:11 Leonard Feather: I didn’t have any. And after 21, and there comes a.

00:02:34:15 - 00:02:35:08 Ben Webster: I think it’s enough.

00:02:35:08 - 00:02:40:12 Leonard Feather: But, decided that after me, I think even.

00:02:40:15 - 00:02:51:08 Ben Webster: Yeah. That’s right. I, I don’t know the we want to give it the maximum five with this book.

00:02:51:10 - 00:02:56:14 Leonard Feather: You know that I know that you sound much better. Everybody was so remarkable. The thing.

00:02:56:17 - 00:03:07:18 Ben Webster: Okay. Or, it might be. Or maybe the phonograph sharper that I don’t know.

00:03:07:21 - 00:03:09:13 Ben Webster: That I.

00:03:09:15 - 00:03:11:11 Leonard Feather: Haven’t been.

00:03:17:12 - 00:03:20:08 Leonard Feather: Very lucky. Do you have what I have? What do I have?

00:03:20:11 - 00:03:24:08 Ben Webster: Other than that, though. Gene,

00:03:24:10 - 00:03:27:16 Leonard Feather: Oh, not that again. Lamb.

00:03:27:18 - 00:03:28:13 Ben Webster: Oh. All right.

00:03:28:15 - 00:03:38:11 Leonard Feather: do you, you give me a number? I never played the. He’s got his thing going.

00:03:38:13 - 00:03:41:05 Ben Webster: well.

00:03:41:07 - 00:03:45:17 Leonard Feather: they’re they’re from I see they’re they’re.

00:03:45:19 - 00:03:50:26 Ben Webster: Yeah, I don’t see, that tune isn’t that one.

00:03:50:26 - 00:04:04:04 Leonard Feather: These are going to sound like he was an natural, but he was never again played. I mean, well, again. that.

00:04:05:07 - 00:04:07:09 Ben Webster: You know, as soon.

00:04:07:11 - 00:04:15:06 Leonard Feather: Dada dada dada dada dada dada dada dada dada. When your lover is gone. Yeah, right. Right.

00:04:15:10 - 00:04:23:16 Ben Webster: That’s right.

00:04:23:18 - 00:04:25:20 Ben Webster: Well, how about it?

00:04:25:22 - 00:04:32:03 Leonard Feather: Okay. Beans on in the bird do. It’s got to be that you that knows.

00:04:32:05 - 00:04:35:29 Ben Webster: And you recognize because you put your now right?

00:04:36:01 - 00:04:39:08 Leonard Feather: Right. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

00:04:39:11 - 00:04:43:29 Ben Webster: That was do. Okay. So you like the whole thing?

00:04:44:04 - 00:04:49:09 Leonard Feather: Sure. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. A lot of class and then.

00:04:49:11 - 00:04:53:26 Unknown Okay.

00:04:53:28 - 00:04:57:23 Unknown I think.

00:04:57:26 - 00:04:58:11 Leonard Feather: this regular.

00:04:58:11 - 00:05:00:24 Ben Webster: You recognize the piano player because his a thousand plays?

00:05:00:24 - 00:05:05:28 Leonard Feather: No, but I mean, well, I mean,

00:05:06:01 - 00:05:28:01 Leonard Feather: But I well, that’s, that’s a, terms like. Do I have to judge there? I mean, that’s down that it sound all right? I would be really afraid to even, say. Oh, yes, right, I wouldn’t I mean, now, who it is, it sounds like, Well, I mean, there are a lot of guys who play that style.

00:05:28:04 - 00:05:28:28 Ben Webster: Yeah.

00:05:29:00 - 00:05:44:13 Leonard Feather: That’s right. You know, like, They did. They know, about us down in, SC now was rather reluctant about, this altogether, you know.

00:05:44:16 - 00:05:45:17 Ben Webster: Well, that doesn’t matter.

00:05:45:20 - 00:05:49:04 Leonard Feather: But I mean, it it wasn’t enough, like, to judge.

00:05:49:07 - 00:05:52:11 Ben Webster: But I’m not trying to get you to guess who it was. I just want to know how you feel about.

00:05:52:13 - 00:05:57:23 Leonard Feather: What I’m trying to figure out who would want to go down. I really try to go. Hey, everybody play, you know?

00:05:57:27 - 00:06:00:14 Ben Webster: Yeah, but regardless who it was. Did you like the arrangement?

00:06:00:16 - 00:06:02:01 Leonard Feather: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

00:06:02:05 - 00:06:05:09 Ben Webster: You’re like one of the Latin rhythm on that too, is wonderful.

00:06:05:10 - 00:06:22:23 Leonard Feather: Yeah, yeah. What isn’t the the budget, with the, Congo, the game. Yeah. Very, very nice. Yeah. Oh.

00:06:22:25 - 00:06:26:23 Ben Webster: well, you wouldn’t play it as high as the, the record before this with you.

00:06:26:25 - 00:06:38:10 Leonard Feather: Well, I mean, the other players I know he was playing, like, with restrictions, you know? Yeah, like all night. He didn’t really get a chance to maybe extend himself. You.

00:06:38:10 - 00:06:40:28 Ben Webster: Yeah.

00:06:41:01 - 00:06:46:01 Leonard Feather: go. They were, like, cuffed to that, this particular rhythm.

00:06:46:02 - 00:06:49:06 Ben Webster: Yeah. That’s right. Yeah.

00:06:49:09 - 00:07:00:08 Leonard Feather: But you think within those limitations, that was very nice. I mean, that, yeah. Very nice, I would say very nice. Yeah. For whatever. Did you a tie breaker.

00:07:00:10 - 00:07:01:24 Ben Webster: For stars, man?

00:07:01:27 - 00:07:03:10 Leonard Feather: Sure. Yeah.

00:07:03:13 - 00:07:06:07 Ben Webster: I forgot to ask what you get. The other one was coming up against about.

00:07:06:10 - 00:07:10:00 Leonard Feather: Anything being biased or.

00:07:10:02 - 00:07:15:14 Ben Webster: Yeah. You did five. Yeah.

00:07:15:17 - 00:07:19:07 Ben Webster: Okay. Well.

00:07:19:09 - 00:07:19:26 Leonard Feather: Yeah.

00:07:19:28 - 00:07:23:16 Ben Webster: We’re on. I mean,

00:07:23:19 - 00:07:38:10 Leonard Feather: Well, that’s the greatest of all time and time to come. Yellow with Ray Nance. You and these guys waste. No, no.

00:07:38:13 - 00:07:42:17 Leonard Feather: You give that 50 stars. Yeah.

00:07:42:19 - 00:07:44:15 Ben Webster: All right. Any comment on the talent?

00:07:44:18 - 00:07:47:00 Leonard Feather: Oh, yeah. Bone dry man.

00:07:47:07 - 00:07:54:16 Ben Webster: After all, that’s, your solo with your background is very similar to that. Remind you of you. Well,

00:07:54:18 - 00:07:57:29 Leonard Feather: Well, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t, I mean, and,

00:07:58:02 - 00:07:59:08 Ben Webster: What is yours to,

00:07:59:10 - 00:08:12:15 Leonard Feather: No, no, I wouldn’t say that. No. Well, no, no, because I, I really, frankly, I wish I could, like, get on my own. I can’t get over the hall, you know.

00:08:12:17 - 00:08:15:15 Ben Webster: I get very much like you on the show, but. Well, I.

00:08:15:15 - 00:08:25:11 Leonard Feather: Mean, now this guy and he’s he’s got his own thing going. Yeah, yeah. You call him something else, man.

00:08:25:13 - 00:08:26:13 Ben Webster: Yeah.

00:08:26:15 - 00:08:31:08 Leonard Feather: Yeah, it’s boss. Yeah.

00:08:31:11 - 00:08:37:13 Ben Webster: That’s, we’re a similar arrangement of the original, isn’t it?

00:08:37:15 - 00:08:46:27 Leonard Feather: Well, no, on the original, I think, last played the first court. Yeah. And,

00:08:46:29 - 00:08:51:23 Leonard Feather: If I’m not mistaken, I think he played and c and then we went to D-flat.

00:08:51:26 - 00:08:52:25 Ben Webster: Oh. Maybe so. Yeah.

00:08:52:26 - 00:08:55:13 Leonard Feather: Yeah. If I’m not mistaken, that.

00:08:55:15 - 00:08:58:19 Ben Webster: Was I moved on. The second course is just to save that row from the background.

00:08:58:22 - 00:09:04:17 Leonard Feather: Oh, yes. Well, I mean, except from the original, I would say. Yeah. Feel.

00:09:04:20 - 00:09:05:28 Ben Webster: How do you think it’s rated among the.

00:09:05:28 - 00:09:13:10 Leonard Feather: It looks kind of. Oh, there’s 50 stars and there’s a lot of Miss Fitzgerald. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:09:13:12 - 00:09:21:11 Ben Webster: Okay. I don’t know.

00:09:21:14 - 00:09:23:28 Leonard Feather: What would you like to know about me?

00:09:24:01 - 00:09:26:23 Ben Webster: Any comment?

00:09:26:25 - 00:09:36:11 Leonard Feather: Well, The, the tenor was rather faded out, you know? so I couldn’t,

00:09:36:14 - 00:09:37:25 Ben Webster: There was too much going on.

00:09:37:28 - 00:10:12:15 Leonard Feather: No. and the divorces were very good, but, I mean, like, the lieutenant was rather subdued, you know, and, I didn’t, I really couldn’t, like, distinguish. If I could tell who it was. But, I mean, very nice arrangement. And the boss is wonderful because I guess, terribly, rather restricted, you know, you know, you know, sticking, like to the laden.

00:10:12:17 - 00:10:21:16 Leonard Feather: Very nice, though. I mean, for that particular, right, type thing, I would say very nice.

00:10:21:19 - 00:10:25:05 Ben Webster: You don’t have to be polite, you know.

00:10:25:07 - 00:10:28:13 Leonard Feather: Well, I don’t I I’ve never heard any bad music.

00:10:28:15 - 00:10:33:23 Ben Webster: Well, okay, you know, I refuse to accept that.

00:10:33:26 - 00:10:49:03 Leonard Feather: Well, no, no, I, I did not see any reason. I say that if you keep listening. let’s say we’re still, fooling around with the anthem, you know, estimate number. you you, you may pick up something, you know, that you can use.

00:10:49:05 - 00:10:49:22 Ben Webster: Yeah.

00:10:49:25 - 00:10:52:26 Leonard Feather: Yeah, yeah, that’s what I think.

00:10:52:28 - 00:10:55:14 Ben Webster: Well, how would you rate those three is good?

00:10:55:17 - 00:10:59:17 Leonard Feather: Well. Nice.

00:10:59:20 - 00:11:01:17 Ben Webster: Nice of you.

00:11:01:19 - 00:11:07:16 Leonard Feather: Yeah. Different.

00:11:07:18 - 00:11:09:18 Unknown What do you think of it?

00:11:09:20 - 00:11:13:01 Leonard Feather: Well, it’s wonderful that you and Roman.

00:11:17:26 - 00:11:19:16 Unknown How do you think the,

00:11:19:19 - 00:11:26:13 Leonard Feather: The background sound of the rhythm section? Well, I mean, when I listen to raw on two out of listener rhythm.

00:11:26:15 - 00:11:27:02 Ben Webster: Yeah.

00:11:27:04 - 00:11:32:19 Leonard Feather: Yeah. And, frankly,

00:11:32:22 - 00:11:59:03 Leonard Feather: Incidentally, rather raw. And you. Could accomplish one thing that I could never accomplish. that piano player can, play the wrong changes. the bass player beat around change, and they play that. They they get this thing going right through that break. Right through. Yeah. I could never do that. Very. The right bass note. I’m dead. You do?

00:11:59:06 - 00:12:25:26 Leonard Feather: Yeah. Yeah. But they get back to that Ryan too. That’s, that’s very, what would you call that? an not spectacular. But, they have some dreams. Yeah. No, I don’t know what that is. I mean, because, it’s just like buying a have, speaker. You listen for one thing, and I listen another thing when you buy a speaker, right?

00:12:26:01 - 00:12:57:07 Leonard Feather: Yeah. So, I mean, you know, I, I just don’t understand it. So that can’t be a bad bass note. And they are through me, you know, but they can break through. I don’t get off the rhythm. And they’ve gone bass player down. Just keep in rhythm which I would I would rather say that is like, bass players are playing the bass drum.

00:12:57:09 - 00:13:02:08 Leonard Feather: you. No. Yeah. But I mean, if you listen, I’m listening to some. Now.

00:13:02:10 - 00:13:05:11 Ben Webster: You were saying something about the two of my that was on,

00:13:05:14 - 00:13:12:03 Leonard Feather: You know. Oh, about, barbarism. Yeah. Nothing. Absolutely on that being is very neat.

00:13:12:05 - 00:13:12:24 Ben Webster: Well, nevertheless.

00:13:12:26 - 00:13:15:12 Leonard Feather: When he came back. Oh, my God, I grew up near me that.

00:13:15:14 - 00:13:18:13 Ben Webster: Well, you know, this wasn’t made light of the or.

00:13:18:13 - 00:13:29:18 Leonard Feather: I don’t know when this was made, I say, but, I don’t that, I detest, email question for the tune because nothing left to play anybody else. Oh. Did that you played badly. So. Period. Yeah.

00:13:29:25 - 00:13:31:20 Ben Webster: Yeah. But nevertheless, you like this?

00:13:31:22 - 00:13:33:24 Leonard Feather: Oh, sure. Sure.

00:13:33:26 - 00:13:35:15 Ben Webster: I go right up.

00:13:35:17 - 00:13:45:14 Leonard Feather: The, 50 stars. Okay. Yeah.

00:13:45:17 - 00:13:48:15 Leonard Feather: Write it down in E-flat.

00:13:48:18 - 00:13:49:18 Ben Webster: All right. Yeah.

00:13:49:21 - 00:14:18:09 Leonard Feather: It was nice to in. Yeah. it was tricky to figure out who that was. I was trying to, you know, stand. But, I mean, stand. There. A little heavier than that. I think. You know. Yeah. Wait a minute. No big names. Team. It was very good. That was wonderful. I mean, I mean, that’s that, that was a star.

00:14:18:11 - 00:14:20:13 Leonard Feather: It was down to, they call it.

00:14:20:15 - 00:14:22:06 Ben Webster: What would you call it?

00:14:22:08 - 00:14:47:05 Leonard Feather: I don’t know too much. It’s I mean, they they they, they people sneak in with the West Coast and Chicago down here. Music and music swinging. Yeah. Yeah. I thought it was very, very nice. A very nice change of pace here. That’s why. Nancy.

00:14:47:07 - 00:14:48:04 Ben Webster: You like the rhythm section?

00:14:48:07 - 00:15:11:09 Leonard Feather: Oh, wonderful. Everything. Everybody was. I mean, it was rather quick. I mean, I hear. Oh, and I don’t, I don’t, You notice the rhythm section. I would say, you know, when they get in the way. So the rhythm section is not getting in the way. I don’t know, you you get, you swing, they fit.

00:15:11:11 - 00:15:29:27 Leonard Feather: They don’t fit. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it goes on. No, got ten. Well, how would you rate one, like, then? What would that be? But I wouldn’t give it 50.

00:15:30:00 - 00:15:39:10 Ben Webster: Yeah. No, no, no, that about 40. Yeah. Well, let’s say for them you go out because I would tell them back.

00:15:39:16 - 00:15:43:11 Leonard Feather: And or that if you want to take them.

00:15:43:13 - 00:15:46:09 Ben Webster: Well let’s just finish this one okay.

00:15:46:11 - 00:16:00:27 Leonard Feather: I know you know it is. Well, you know, I don’t know. And I didn’t ask. It’s good I know, I know, but I think that’s, I think that’s Sonny Rollins or.

00:16:00:27 - 00:16:05:18 Ben Webster: What is it about him that’s distinctive?

00:16:05:21 - 00:16:12:02 Leonard Feather: Well, I always did dig Sonny because,

00:16:12:04 - 00:16:35:04 Leonard Feather: Well, I mean, I’m, like, getting in, has and, because, I mean, I like all the kids, but, I mean, like, like when the sun is coming along, right in the 40s, mid 40s, Most of the kids out a small town. And so now we just try to have a big, a bigger sound.

00:16:35:05 - 00:16:36:25 Ben Webster: Yeah.

00:16:36:28 - 00:16:49:00 Leonard Feather: No, I can’t say that that’s in here. I mean, you know, I haven’t heard him, played I don’t know, I don’t have too many records. I mean, I’m embarrassed that I don’t. And and I’m trying to pick up on that now.

00:16:49:03 - 00:16:50:21 Ben Webster: Well, I don’t mind as long as you.

00:16:50:24 - 00:17:00:26 Leonard Feather: but, I don’t know that I thought that was Sonny. And,

00:17:00:28 - 00:17:27:15 Leonard Feather: As I said, whether Sonny or not, I’ve always admired Sonny. because that’s the way I think. I think the, the, the, the on the big on. And you should get a big sound. Yeah. You shouldn’t choke it, you know. Yeah. And he, I always just tried to, rather less, get that big sound, mama.

00:17:27:17 - 00:17:29:25 Ben Webster: Where you like the sound of whoever loses anyway?

00:17:29:27 - 00:17:32:16 Leonard Feather: Yeah. Whoever it is. But the son.

00:17:32:16 - 00:17:39:16 Ben Webster: In, you know, the Joe, And others too.

00:17:39:19 - 00:17:41:15 Unknown yeah. I mean.

00:17:41:17 - 00:17:48:17 Leonard Feather: I don’t know, name. Nothing worse than that. I don’t know, I know what I could get through it. Yeah, but I mean, to call on animal.

00:17:48:19 - 00:17:53:00 Ben Webster: Well, I was mad. I mean, you recognize it, you know, it’s the piano, but, you.

00:17:53:02 - 00:17:54:20 Leonard Feather: Know, you won’t play it again.

00:17:54:23 - 00:17:58:27 Ben Webster: But you, like, you didn’t notice it enough to comment.

00:17:58:29 - 00:17:59:19 Leonard Feather: But what you.

00:17:59:19 - 00:18:01:21 Ben Webster: Say, don’t you? Enough to make any comment?

00:18:01:28 - 00:18:04:03 Leonard Feather: No, I don’t want to play.

00:18:04:03 - 00:18:09:24 Ben Webster: The piano cause I thought you could do it. Well, I not just because you like the style.

00:18:09:26 - 00:18:20:29 Leonard Feather: You’re know, I liked it. Sure, I like that you’re all right, but I, I couldn’t.

00:18:21:01 - 00:18:23:05 Ben Webster: Well, how would you rate this?

00:18:23:07 - 00:18:30:23 Leonard Feather: Very good for sure, then. Yeah. Well,

00:18:30:25 - 00:18:36:02 Ben Webster: You say that. That’s all I say. We have time for one more record. And a year ago.

00:18:36:05 - 00:18:40:14 Leonard Feather: Well, I don’t know.

00:18:40:17 - 00:18:45:21 Ben Webster: Yeah, well, regardless of who it is that is going. Do you like.

00:18:45:21 - 00:18:59:18 Leonard Feather: It? Yeah. I love that. I mean, if you could, but, I’m on the dotted line and see what goes. This guy, I think that’s Dan, I don’t know, I would tell.

00:18:59:20 - 00:19:03:26 Ben Webster: Well, is the sound, correspond with the sound that, you know. So. Yeah.

00:19:03:26 - 00:19:43:12 Leonard Feather: Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, you know, you have your has a little. Yeah. No, no, Stan has a very, round, beautiful sound. Nice. Beautiful guy. I mean, you know. you you play some things, I mean, like, you listen to a guy play. And you try to, automatically try to anticipate where he’s going.

00:19:43:14 - 00:20:05:20 Leonard Feather: Yeah. You understand? Go right there. You know, with a few embellishments. you might, Yeah. Yeah. well, I don’t, maybe I’m right. I’m. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe somebody else to come up. But I would say that’s. Dang it. Okay.