[HAM] New B3 Demo

[Scott Hawthorn]

At 10:51 AM 6/1/2003, Sonja Lynne wrote:

>That was great! This is obviously from this year's Musikmesse in Frankfurt.
>One correction that should be pointed out from what he says in the video -
>Jimmy McGriff was NOT a student of Jimmy Smith's. Somehow this rumor
>started, but Jimmy McGriff will tell you emphatically that it is not the
>case. [snip other interesting things]

These kinds of rumors were always started by Smith himself. I have
personally heard him claim to have had Groove Holmes and McGriff knocking
on his door on alternate days, asking for "the next killer lick so they
could cut each other." I have an interview where he claims to be Shirley
Scott's teacher, adding the gratuitous B.S., "She's my girlfriend."

It's all B.S. of course! JOS was as skilled an improviser offstage as he
was on.

*I* WAS a student of JOS, for about half-an-hour, while he gave me a demo
lesson. He made me sit on the bench next to him (very scary). The rest of
my studies with Mr. Smith involved countless hours of lifting and putting
down the phono needle! Ha ha.

Look where it got me,
-Scott