Coming Through Slaughter - Michael Ondaatje [44]
Reel 3.
He plays ‘The House Got Ready’. He plays the Amos ’n’ Andy theme song. Next a slow rag with wide arm spread again. (Some of his rags have obscene titles. He would not give them in front of SJ or RBA.) FA says he used to play thousands of rags. He doesn’t know how to play Jelly Roll Morton’s ‘The Pearls’. Then he plays and sings ‘I’ll see you in my dreams’. Asks for a little shot.
END OF REEL THREE
Reel 1. Digest Retype. July 1, 1960
Frank Amacker born in New Orleans, March 22, 1890. He began playing music when he was sixteen, playing in the District. His first instrument was piano, he later took up guitar. RBA asks if FA ever played (Tony Jackson’s) ‘The Naked Dance’, FA says he played many naked dances, but the piano player was just supposed to play, keeping his eyes on the keyboard and not looking at the whores, FA then says that it is God’s will that he looks as young as he is today, that it must be that he is being saved for something special by God.
He says he knows he could play most of the things he hears on television, that all he needs is a chance.
END OF REEL ONE
Reel 2.
[No interesting information]
Reel 3.
FA says a really good singer, like Perry Como, should be able to take the song he now plays, which he composed, and make a hit out of it. FA then says that A.J. Piron heard him playing the song, years ago, and told him it was the most beautiful song he ever heard, that he would write it down and make him famous. The name of the song is ‘All the boys got to love me, that’s all’. Johnny St Cyr wrote the words and Piron wrote it down. All the people in the District praised the song. It was the most unusual blues you ever heard. It was so sad. It’s about a man who takes his girl to a dance. The girl starts flirting with another man. He doesn’t start a fight, but takes her home and sings this song, (FA plays and sings.) The lyrics are full of regret, he tells her he is sorry he met her, among other things, and finishes by saying he is going to take her into the woods and shoot her. He kills her but he still loves her and he tells the undertaker to be very careful with his beautiful baby.
END OF REEL THREE
Reel 4.
FA answers questions about good trumpet players by saying that Buddy Bolden was the loudest. Freddy Keppard was a master, and so was Manuel Perez, but the most masterful master of all was James McNeil who was college trained. In contrast Bolden played this ‘old lowdown music’, FA says he remembers ‘Funky Butt’ (also known as ‘Buddy Bolden’s Blues’), FA does not remember August Russell. He says Johnny Delpit was a good violinist. He says Frank DeLandry (or D. Landry or Delandro?) was the greatest guitarist he ever heard. He says all the guitars were buried when DeLandry died.
END OF REEL FOUR
T. Jones
‘The train he was on—sorry, let me start again. The train journey took up the first 100 miles. Nobody knew who he was so there was no problem. The surgery round his throat done in the House of D covered with bandage. Above it his emotionless face looking straight ahead—they all do that, as if showing how they can control themselves. Black coat, open shirt. And all day the river at our side, Mississippi, like a friend travelling with him, like an audience watching Huck Finn going by train to hell. Oh sure I read too you know. I can see the joke. I know he was important, but he was also sick and crazy …
At Baton Rouge the bandage was full of red though he had hardly moved. I gave him a cloth to cover it. Whole trip went well. No trouble. He must have been tired from the operation the day before. From Baton Rouge we took the wagon up through Sunshine, Vachery, and Slaughter. Forty-eight miles. Again he was very calm. North of Slaughter McMurray and I wanted to swim. It was hot. We stopped and found a small river. We got him down off the wagon and took him the 100 yards to the water and he just stood on the bank. He watched while we took turns swimming. That was the fifth of June, so he was admitted late that day. We never saw him after that. We put him in the chair in the Superintendent