This will, alas, be my last writeup of an IAJE workshop from this year's
conference. The workshop was entitled: "Benny Waters: Evolution of the Jazz
Saxophone Style."  It really ended up being a conversatin with Benny, with
him reminiscing about his 80 years in jazz, interspersed with playing a few
songs.
It was quite a wonderful occasion: here is this bright-eyed (albeit blind),
alert, funny soon-to-be-96-year-old legend, brimming with energy and ready
to talk his head off.  It was great. It was one of those occasions that you
feel you're "sitting at the feet of the master."  There were a lot of young
people there, and they sat on every word (I think they also were amazed, as
we all were, that he can still play so well at age 96). Following are some
of the things he said during that wonderful hour:

-- When asked which saxophonists had most influenced him, he said "Benny
Carter and Earl Bostic -- also Don Byas." Asked who he likes among today's
artists he said, "Phil Woods.  Now he's really good. He's a white boy, you
know, but he's excellent."  He then started talking about Benny Carter:
"He's the KING. Of course he drives around today in his two Rolls Royces
and lives in that fancy house in Hollywood, you'd think he WAS a king!  Now
me, I don't have no Rolls Royce. Hell, I don't even have a bike!  But then
I prefer to walk anyway. (much laughter)"  He talked about playing with
Carter as early as 1926 [can you imagine, and both are still playing
today!!]
He talked a bit about Earl Bostic as well: "These guys today that play all
those high notes, you know off the register kind of stuff -- like that was
something new. Well I can tell you, Earl Bostic was doing that in the early
1930's. He was the first one doing it. There's nothing new about that."

--Talked a bit about Lionel Hampton: "With all that money he's cruising now!
 Now me, I don't got the money, so I keep strugglin'. I still got to earn mine."

--He related how demanding it was to play in the clubs in the 40's. He said
that when he played at a place called "Small's Paradise" in New York, he
had to play from 10pm. until 4am 7 days a week. And on Sundays he also had
to play from 3-6 p.m.  "Most clubs then had jazz going until 4 a.m.  And
then when that was finished we went uptown to Harlem to the "after hours"
places, where they played until 8 a.m. One such place was called the 'Green
Dragon' at Lenox and 135th street.  Unfortunately, a lot of people who came
to those places were drinking a lot and using a lot of drugs. I mean they
were really out of it. I can give you a funny example. One morning at 8a.m.
after everyone had been playing for 4 hours and the whole crowd was pretty
much out of it, there was a little girl who toddled up to this woman. And
the woman said, 'Whose child is this?' And it was her own little girl.
That's how out of it she was. (he laughs)"

--Benny said he likes a tenor that has a "full tone." By that he said he
meant a tenor that sounds like a tenor and not like an alto. He said that
the tenor players who he felt had that rich full tone were Coleman Hawkins,
Ben Webster, Gene Ammons and Don Byas. "Lester and Coltrane had a lighter
tone - you know, they played higher on the register, sounded more like an
alto.  Of course they were good, but I prefer that rich kind of tone."
He related that people often speak of him having a rich, deep tone on the
alto. He then explained, "That's because I used to play tenor. I played
tenor for many more years than the alto. It wasn't too long ago that I
started on the alto."

--He talked a bit about working with Stan Getz; "I used to think that Getz
had too light a tone, almost a weak tone, sounded too much like an alto.
But I worked with him in Europe. We worked together for a week in Europe,
and I'll tell you I gained real respect for that man. I mean since then
I'll never again talk about him having a 'weak tone.'  That man could
really play."

Benny played 3 or four numbers, including "Strike up the Band" a Blues in
Bflat (which in the middle he called out "c" and switched it to a blues in
C), and a couple of other numbers. (these were at intervals, between the
talking).
He continues to have a very rich deep tone, makes the alto sound almost
like a tenor.  He still can play fast licks and runs and can hit some high
notes off the register -- and at times on the blues gets a sassy kind of
sound.  I mean, he still really swings. He's obviously slowed down a bit
from his prime, but he is still playing remakably well.

The group accompanying him were all college-aged kids (a wonderful touch
set up by the IAJE) Talk about inter-generational co-operation! The only
one whose name I remember is the bassist. She is a junior at U-Mass and her
name is Genevieve Rose. She is fantastic.

After a song Benny would talk about how he struggles a bit because he can't
get a good reed. "You know, they've run out of the cane, so now they're
making reeds out of some different kind of wood. It's not the same. And
they're trying to perfect some kind of artificial paper material for reeds.
But it doesn't quite cut it. You just can't get a good reed these days."
Benny was full of laughter and loved to laugh at his own jokes. I mean when
he laughed it was a real belly-laugh.  When asked what things about the
body's aging most affected his playing, he said, "It's the teeth. When they
start going, it's hard to play good...And of course you have to take good
care of yourself. But I feel good."

For those in the New York area: there will be a Benny Waters All-Star 96th
Birthday Party gig with Grady Tate, Sir Roland Hanna, Arvell Shaw (now
there's another great old-timer!) and Frank Vignola at the new club "Jazz
Standard" at 116 E. 27th Street (between Park and Lexington) on January 23,
24 and 25. One can call for reservations at 212-576-2232.  (For Claude
Williams fans, there will be a 90th birthday party for him at the Academy
of Music in Northampton, MA on Feb. 22 at 2p.m. - featuring Genevieve Rose
on bass! And another in New York at the Savoy Loung, 4lst st. east of 9th
ave. on Feb. 23 and 24 with Bobby Forrester, Frank Vignola and Jimmy
Lovelace. reserve at 212-947-5255).

It was a wonderful privilege spending that hour with Benny Waters and
knowing that each time you see this man, it just may be the last time.  He
is truly an inspiration to us all.  And to realize that here is a man who
played with King Oliver before 1920, Benny Carter in the 20's, innumerable
greats in the 30's-60's, Stan Getz in the 70's, and so many others since
then. Truly one of a kind, and one who I certainly will never forget.