BAG OF JAZZ

“I learned many things from Clark and his interaction with audiences worldwide. I began to fully realize what men like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clark Terry were really about. It also helped me to see who I was in relation to these masters. The music life has many facets to it and there are many places/spaces to spend quality time developing your art. Not many could live the lives of these Jazz Good Will Ambassadors to the world.” “When Richard Williams passed away, Saint Peter’s church in Manhattan held a memorial for him, and much of the jazz community who knew and loved Notes attended. It was an emotional tribute. Reverend John Gensel asked me to perform three or four different times that evening, but I was not up for it. Having always looked up to Richard as one of the true jazz trumpet greats, I was there to commiserate his loss and was too disturbed by his death to perform.” “Then Red (Red Garland) calls a blues and calls for ‘Bo’ to come up and play. That’s me! We blow the blues. The whole tune is such a gas . . . The blues ends the set and I walk right over to Red Garland who was still sitting at the piano. He smiled. I exclaimed, “Red Garland, I have been looking for you for five years!” Red raised himself off the piano bench. “Well. You finally found me!” He threw open his arms and we gave each other a big heartfelt hug . . . Red hired me to play with the band from that night on. “ “I went back to take my second lesson . . . and the first thing he asked me to play was “Days of Wine and Roses.” I . . . did not know the tune. Hank (Edmonds) stood up, slammed the piano lid down, and reaching his palm out to me, said, “Pay me and go home and learn the tune I asked you to learn. This is not a game and no one wastes my time. Out!” . . . Needless to say, I went home and after picking my ego up off the floor, learned the tune backwards and forwards . . . When I would tell this story to the older guys like Ernie (Wilkins), he would break out in a belly laugh and say to me, "That is the way the old jazzers taught music lessons.” Then he would add, “That was the best lesson you could ever have been given!!” “I . . . and was heading down to 7th Avenue when Michael Canterino came running up behind me, “Hey man, where are you going? Don’t you know who is in there calling out your name?” . . . “It is Erroll Garner, man! wants to meet you and buy you some drinks . . .” I followed and . . . Sure enough, seated at a small table . . . was the one and only Erroll Garner. “I was playing in Dallas last night and spoke to Red Garland. He told me to be on the look out for a trumpet player named Bobulinski when I came to New York. And here you are on my first night in town. Small world! Come sit down with me, have dinner and drinks on me. Enjoy yourself. Red said such great stuff about you that I am genuinely glad to meet you.” I remember going home that evening in a complete state of wonderment and excitement. I knew that the jazz life was for me.”