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Anthony Jackson - "Billie's Bounce"

As featured on "Very Live at Buddy's Place" by Buddy Rich
LRC 24104 (1971)

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Very Live at Buddy's Place

A straightforward F blues in which Anthony Jackson makes several of his trademark nods to "outside" harmonies.

These musical twists and turns are most notable in parts of his solo, during which he flirts with various remote and seemingly unrelated keys - pulling the harmony around like rubber - only to miraculously end up back in the right place at the right time. Ironically, these harmonic zigzags are probably perceived as being completely "inside" by the man himself!

AJ is well known for giving credit to quality drummers, but during one of his rare interviews, he said that Buddy Rich was "the only bona fide genius" he'd ever worked with.

Interestingly, in the same interview (with Chris Jisi of Bass Player magazine), AJ also recalled how his first audition with Rich's band ended with him being sent home in disgrace because his sight-reading wasn't up to scratch. Food for thought indeed...

Transcription © Stevie Glasgow 2007