Music Lane

Posted by opinionated (A) on April 09, 2005 at 10:17:39

In Reply to: Re: Didn't Lewis write "Degrees" for the LP wil Bill Perkins (PJ 1217)? posted by Allan Songer on April 9, 2005 at 10:01:43:

I think you might be right about the tune the more I thought about it. As far as I can remember now, the title came from where the cats were from---East Coast, West Coast. Thanks again.

Woody's band had come through Baton Rouge while I was at LSU in the early to mid '50,s. I played in a band at the time with a couple of guys who had been with Woody, Carl Fontana (trb) and Lee Fortier (trp) so there was a closed session afterward with the "friends". I was too intimidated to play that night. Playing in the band I worked in was intimidating enough. I was the kid bari player in the band and an alto player in the big band. Got to blow on every tune though.

Bill Perkins was a fine player and everybody in that band was nuts.

bgs