Joan & Her Jazz Men
These two men appeared at the beginning and middle of my life and career. Saxophonist Budd Johnson from Dallas, Texas, was my first musical mentor. His wife, Bernice Johnson was my dance teacher. From the age of four to eight, my parents dropped me off at the Johnson’s home, where I waited for Mrs. Johnson to pick me up for dancing school in Jamaica, New York. In the interim, Budd Johnson took me down to his basement studio, where he played his saxophone. The stairwell leading to the basement was plastered with photos of legendary jazz musicians. It was like being in a museum at their house. It was not until I was 27, when I realized that I learned to scat from listening to Budd Johnson practice his saxophone. Ultimately, I was the only women to speak at his funeral at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in New York City, in 1984, where I related this story and the folks in attendance understood my stake in the music. The other gentleman is Quincy Jones, who granted me a 45-minute interview at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1993, for my Master’s thesis, The Cultural Politics of Commercial Jazz. I met
Quincy at Abyssinia Baptist Church, Artie Simmons and the Jazz in July 1984, at Count Basie’s funeral Samaritans played on the streets in Harlem. of New York City in the 1980s. After completing my BA in Music and Communication at LaSalle University, I moved from Philadelphia back to New York City. I was living with Artie and he asked me to sing with his band at Columbus Circle, in front of the Plaza Hotel, and near the New York City Library. I did this for a few months but the lure to sing to the top of the skyscrapers was taxing on my vocal cords. So, I stopped singing outside and booked my band at places like Freddy’s, St. Nick’s Pub, and the Blue Note, where Artie joined me with Cecil McBee (b) Ironically, I worked with Quincy’s and Kuni Makami (p). Kim Clarke first wife, Jeri Jones, at the Keypunch was the first women on bass that Academy off of Columbus Circle I sang with. She was on my demo in Manhattan, in 1982. So, at the tape with Artie on drums and Bross church, I approached Quincy and Townsend on piano. My song Makin’ told him that I knew Jeri and his Love To You is on the WIJSF MUSIC eldest daughter, who said I looked COLLECTION VOL. 3 like his niece, Patti Austen. Then, in 2013, I had the opportunity to present him with my book, A History of African American Jazz and Blues that includes his interview. We were in Montreux, again, and he was celebrating his 80th birthday. This was quite an honor for me.
Unknown (flugelhorn), Artie Simmons, Cindy Blackman, George Braith, and Kim Clarke
Jeri Caldwell Jones, first wife of Quincy Jones, mother of Jolie Jones Quincy and Jeri
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