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Jazz Overnight
Dan Bindert Interviews Jimmy Scott
Continued
December 1999
DB–So he was surrounded by a jazz feeling that came across in the
records.
JS–Always, and then somebody like Ray, with "Danger Zone" and all
those tunes, he had written all this. His concept of writing the
blues was on the jazz level.
DB–And then he wrote "Hit The Road Jack" for Ray Charles, too.
JS–Exactly, several of those tunes. There was another one that was
striking my mind, (Scott sings) "I'm going to the river..."
DB–"River's Invitation"?
JS–"River's Invitation," yeah. That's why I always considered him
the prophet of the blues.
DB–Speaking of blues, another one of the songs that was released
on the CD, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," that brought out those
old Decca things of yours. I think it's from 1952, but there was a
version of a song that you did again on one of your recent albums,
it was kind of a blues thing, "You Never Miss The Water..."
JS–Till the well runs dry! Now that turned out to be original, in
the sense that the writers didn't even have the background that a
guy like Percy would have, you know, the ones that wrote it. McCoy,
Charlie Singleton and Rosemary McCoy.
DB–They wrote that one? [The saxophonist and bandleader on the
original record date, Lucky Thompson was given the official writing
credit by Decca.]
JS–They had something to do with that one I think, in fact I'm
sure they did.
DB–That's a great lyric. I mean, that's sort of an old folk saying
but it was turned into a real nice song.
JS–Exactly. It was just like "Mama may have, papa may have, God
bless the child." Isn't that a fact? You gotta have your own. That
song was in that line of expression.
DB–Sure. You never miss the water...
JS–Till the well runs dry.
DB–I also liked, I think it was from that same session, there was
a beautiful version you do of the Duke Ellington tune "Solitude."
Is that one that you were performing regularly at that time?
JS–Always. I had been doing a lot of those tunes, just in general,
on the road. You know, "Don't Take Your Love From Me," songs in
that vein. All the old ballads.
DB–Your shows, back at that time, when you would perform.
Typically, how would it work? Was it a type of thing where you
were, as you said, earlier in the '40s, where there was a whole
review with a comedian and all that or did it become something
different in the '50s?
JS–Well, it became somewhat different in the '50s. Yeah, because
by that time I had been doing the club dates and different kinds of
promotions. Even at the Club DeLisa in Chicago. They too, got a lot
of popularity out of being a place of history for the musicians,
the dancers, the singers. You were nobody unless you had been to
the Club DeLisa. And at the time we were doing that, Ahmad Jamal
was right down the street, at the Pershing.
 DB–Sure, where he became famous with those live records.
JS–Right, Once he started there the cat didn't let him go
(laughs), and deservingly so. That was his room and everybody knew
that, "Ahmad Jamal is over at the Pershing!" Boom, that was it.
DB–So he was someone the fellow performers would go to see?
JS–Exactly. Freddie Cole and I were just talking about that the
other day. We were all running around at the same time, from place
to place, and we'd bump into each other.
DB–What's it feel like now, when you hear the records you cut back
in the 1950s, as far as arrangements and the style of the records?
JS–Of course I would hear, I lacked, during those times it real
hard to get the record owners to understand that you had creative
thoughts for your music, too. With the limitations they put on you
for instrumentation to background the music. I still listen to them
now and mention different instruments that should have been in
certain spots within the arrangement of the song. But we had to cut
corners.
DB–Sometimes you wanted ten musicians and they said, "We can only
pay for five."
JS–He (Herman Lubinsky) wasn't going to pay for it (laughs). One
time, he got stuck paying for about eleven people on one of the
gigs. Well, no, actually he didn't. It was a collaboration with
King Records, but they were all buddies in the business. But I
enjoyed doing it because of the instrumentation that was allowed
The cat that really broke the information out to the public was Ray
Charles, when we did "Falling In Love Is Wonderful." I just knew
that record was going to be a platform for it.
DB–That should have been the one for you.
JS–The beauty of the instrumentation and the style of the
arranging. He had Marty Paich and he also had Gerald Wilson. Man,
it was, the music and all was just sensational. And then Ray with
his genius of expression, he knew just what to select behind a
singer, being a singer himself. He knew what to put together. It
was the first time I heard the music I wanted behind me.
DB–That was when it finally felt right.
JS–Exactly right. And for it to get squashed because of ignorance,
and that's what it was, because the man (Lubinsky) had no contract.
Certain ones keep saying, "Oh, he had a contract." No, he did not!
You know, I guess I'll go to my death trying to explain it, but no
he did not (have a contract). He (Lubinsky) knew many others were
ignorant of the business and he took advantage of that fact. It was
horrible for me, but I wasn't the only person. You had one of the
greatest female singers, Maybelle Smith, mis-used by that element.
DB–Big Maybelle did a lot of records for Savoy. She had a tough
time getting out of her contract, too?
JS–They wouldn't let her out of it. They utilized her addiction.
People in the business knew it. It was nothing that was hid, or
anything. He utilized that to maintain his control over the person.
And anytime they would give her enough money to get high, and they
knew that was the biggest thing she would record for. There was no
royalty involved. There should have been but there wasn't, because
even with the contact for the royalty, you never got it, you know.
DB–Now, so much time has passed since that session for Ray
Charles, for Tangerine, is that ever going to come out. So many
people talk about that record, that have heard it, but it's still
so hard to find. Is there any way that's going to come out?
JS–I understand that at one time it was supposed to have been
released to one of the Japanese companies for distribution. Of
course, Ray and his company, they own the rights to it, and they
control that. While I was with Warner, doing some records there (in
the early '90s) they tried to get the rights to distribute it. They
wanted to put it out. Now Joel Dorn (of the 32 label), he's trying
to get a compilation together, including that record. So there's
people after it. It's left up to Ray, really, Ray Charles and his
company.
DB–It's up to him to say, "This is the right price," and to go
ahead and release the tapes?
JS–He's in the position, and sometimes you can't blame him, but
he's in the position that he can control it. He and his little
company, they're controlling that.
DB–Well, with these things now that you have done in the '90s,
you've created quite a catalog of recordings that are some great
things in their own right.
JS–You know, music, if believed in, and if you believe in the
creativity of song, fads can come and go, and changes, but then you
are able, being interested in the creative part of music, you are
able to deal with the time levels of music. It becomes a part of
you, It's like anything else, you do it enough and you'll be
totally aware of what expressions go with this.
DB–And it has really come around for you now.
JS–Thank goodness, that I am able to live and see it.
DB–You mentioned to me that you are really enjoying being able to
get out, and travel, and still perform at a time when some people
might say that it's time to relax and settle down. This is
something that feels good for you.
JS–It's just like when I was with Estelle Young, and we were
travelling up and down the road on the hard seat buses. We had a
ball. But now being able to fly here and go there, it's interesting
because now I'm learning that with the age I appreciate the
knowledge involved in cultures and all. I love it. I love
travelling, because it's not all just the work I do, it's the
people I meet. They become important in their own expressions. They
share those things with you. And you learn to share with others.
DB–You've been involved in recent years with all different sorts
of talented people form all different spheres, the film world, the
music world...
JS–We just did a thing with Ethan Hawke. It's a conglomeration.
Lou Reed's going to be in it and whole bunch of other artists he's
bringing together. Everybody's got a little bit part in it. So I
said, "Oh, I'll hit the movie scene." It's interesting. Like I
said, education will never die. You can always learn. There's
always something out there.
DB–What's next for you musically? Any new projects?
JS–We're getting ready for a couple of new albums, but first I've
got to do a couple more European tours. So I'm going to run out and
do them. In the meantime, we are preparing music for a couple of
new albums.
DB–Any particular direction you are looking to go in on the new
albums? More standards?
JS–I've got an idea. I've been listening to a lot of the work of
new writers. There's some good music out there.
DB–So you are finding some good new songs?
JS–Some pretty nice ones. In fact, Melba Joyce wrote a couple.
She's the young lady that sang in "Black and Blue." She was the
stand-in for all the girls that had the part. She could do all the
parts but in her own right she's a heck of a singer.
DB–That's the Broadway show, "Black and Blue," that Lavern Baker
and Ruth Brown were in?
JS–That's right. Melba Joyce could do all their parts. So, I just
received a few tapes from her the other day, plus her lead sheets.
I also have a couple of English writers who have sent me material,
and another from Holland, but the music goes 'round.
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DB–The one last thing I'd like to ask you is, when are we going to
see you perform here in Cleveland again? It's been a while.
JS–When somebody wants to hire me (laughs). Well, I've been
through that bit. Cleveland's always been very tight. Well, I won't
say always.
DB–It's just not hustling and bustling the way it once was.
JS–And you don't have access to the creative rooms. It takes for
a club owner to understand what the creative element could do for
his place.
DB–A lot of them are strictly looking at that bottom line.
JS–The commercial line. I have no problem with them wanting to
make money, but the mixture could do so much more for them. My
opinion again. I ain't the boss (laughs).
DB–Well, it's great being able to have you with us. Thanks, Jimmy.
JS–My pleasure, babe.
 
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