TLM: Miles said in his autobiography that he got you because he wanted a mix of Hendrix and Muddy Waters. Did he ever talk to you about what he wanted?
PC: He gave me three directions while I was with him. The first was to move upfront, because the first day went to play with him I set my table up at the back near the rhythm section. He said „No, no – I want you up front.“ The other thing was that he asked me to turn up [the volume]. I was always used to blending and having a balance. I didn’t know what he expected in terms of going over the top with the sound. So when he asked me to turn up [the volume], that’s all he had to say it one time! From then on I was in the t-zone [in your face]. One time, one of the guys said „Congratulations man, I’ve never heard music that loud. You actually made my teeth jangle!“ And the third thing he said was: „Sit there and look black!“
http://www.thelastmiles.com/interviews-pete-cosey.php
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"Don't play what the public want. You play what you want and let the public pick up on what you doin' -- even if it take them fifteen, twenty years." (Thelonious Monk) | Meine Sendungen auf Radio StoneFM: gypsy goes jazz, #165: Johnny Dyani (1945–1986) - 9.9., 22:00 | Slow Drive to South Africa, #8: tba | No Problem Saloon, #30: tba