gypsy-tail-windLawrence Lucie (1907-2009), der hier das Banjo schrammelt, im Interview (2007):
Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong. They were all great. I’m on many of their records. I can’t even name all the records I am on. After Louis‘ band, I went into the Army. After the Army, I started playing solo guitar. I did it all. I had my own record company, so that I could record my own songs. I had several hit songs. I’d make more money if I owned my recordings. I also had a music publishing company and I wrote arrangements for Columbia Records; John Hammond was a good friend of mine. He was a very nice fellow. He’d come to Harlem when I was playing with Benny Carter’s band at the Cotton Club. The bands playing today are playing the same things as the older bands. They learned from the older bands. I retired when I was 99. I’ve been playing all my life. My final gig was solo guitar at Arturo’s Restaurant in Greenwich Village. I had an apartment in the Village before I moved to a retirement home. I have my guitar with me in my room. I sold the other ones. I had so many guitars that I had to get rid of them. Now I just have one. I haven’t played now for a while.
So schön erzählt, es kommen einem richtig die Tränen. 