The way that Bill explains jazz drumming is so true, so respectful ,so emotional, so artistic and so funny in the same time! Great lesson by contradiction and great man full of humility! Respect! All drum students should listen to that carefully. Greetings of a drum teacher from France .
Jack Benny is the greatest radio comedian in American history. Bill Cosby is the greatest television comedian in American history. It is amazing seeing them together. Here's another connection - Jack Benny was a spokesperson for Jello in the 1930s. In fact his show was known in the mid 30's as" the Jello Show starring Jack Benny." Cosby became a spokesperson for Jello in the 1970s for some 30 years, I believe.
God he's funny!!!!! I saw Max Roach in a small club. He played the high hat....all of the high hat...so many different sounds....on a high hat...really, really well...like a genius. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen or heard. Thanks for the great story Bill! Solid.
U know how hilarious a story is being told by Bill Cosby? When Jack Benny (RIP 🙏) & Dick Cavett are dying from laughter. Mr. Benny is nearly on the floor in stitches from this.
He's not making up the masters he mentions. What a great city and what great masters he mentions. Mr. Cosby... a truly great story teller ... a gift to all.
Justin Molanick missing out on an opportunity to hear one of the great masters of their particular instrument? As a music lover, I would call that a shame. What are you on about?
I love Jack Benny and Bill Cosby... two idols of mine... never in a million years thought I'd see Benny hysterical from a Cosby routine though. I love it! Lol
Think about how great this story is and the fact that it takes so long to set up to really pay off in the end and how if he tried to tell that story today, they would have cut to commercial long before he ever got to the good part. It's kind-of remarkable that they had segments that long back then.
You need to be a drummer when you hear about hand cramping which it is like swimming in a shark filled pond YOU do feel that arms DIE .Like screw this BRO ,, I need a nap.
So knowledgeable, affable, personable, intelligent, charasmatic, clean in delivery and hilarious. If only Bill had kept his evil demons away....and stayed right.....he would be today what we see in this video from long days passed.........respected, well loved, admired and relatable. Sad.
Cosby in his prime was just flat out FUNNY. Of course, it would be Sonny Stitt who would mess him up - Sonny was known for that, calling supersonic tempos to clear off the stage, separate the wheat from the chaff. He also would call tunes in the most unexpected, God-forsaken keys to mess up piano players who were accompanying him for the first time (happened to someone I knew). But this is what the original beboppers did on 52 Street (back in the 40's) - the competition and standards were daunting, there was no Mr. Niceguy, no offering assistance to the lame - it was survival of the fittest.
92ninersboy it's STILL like that to some extent. Because they don't even turn around to announce any song titles to the drummer. They just figure we can read minds...
I have always loved Bill Cosby. This piece was especially wonderful because of his reference to Sonny Stitt who grew up in my home town of Saginaw, Mi.
@tuxguys Jack died in late 1974, almost two years after this Cavett appearance. George Burns gave the eulogy at the funeral home, but couldn't finish it because he started bawling so Bob Hope had to take over. Jack and George were best friends.
He was great at improv, and he could turn any subject into something funny, if given enough time (as Cavett knew). This is a hilarious insight into sitting in as an amateur with professional jazz musicians.
I've been that one bass player during a jam session having to endure countless solos at fast tempos because no horn player cares to think about the drummer or bass player getting tired.
Jack Benny, according to his writers, was always very appreciative of good humor. They say that he would fall out of his chair and slap the floor when he thought something was really funny. As one would suspect, his writers enjoyed working for such a great boss.
Sonny Stitt, thank you Bill, greatest saxophone player I have ever heard save Charlie Parker. Little known fact. Sonny Stitt recorded more jazz albums than any other jazz player in history. 100+
(7 years ago) The apotheosis of the term "raconteur." This clip is one of the most-watched (and I mean students and staff CROWDING around the desk to watch it) in the office of the Guitar Dept. at the college where I teach, The World's Most Famous Music School, in Boston. It is gratifying to me to see Jack Benny's reactions to Cosby's story, going back and forth between falling down laughing at it, and rapt admiration on Benny's face as he watches Cos tell it. (It is saddening to me that, when asked, none of those same students ever has any idea who Jack Benny is.) **gilgamess Jack Benny, according to his writers, was always very appreciative of good humor. They say that he would fall out of his chair and slap the floor when he thought something was really funny. As one would suspect, his writers enjoyed working for such a great boss. +Gilgamess I have also heard it said that whenever Benny and George Burns went out together, by prearrangement, Burns would have to drive, as he would have Benny laughing so hard that Benny would actually drive off the road if he were behind the wheel. Addendum: "An Artist, as a Person, is always so much less than his Work."--Harlan Ellison (I think) This is an example of Cosby's Work, his recently-revealed deficiencies as a Person notwithstanding.
I did a one week gig with the pianist who had just come off the Mahvishnu band. One night he called Donna Lee, a little faster than Cherokee. He played the first 3 chorus's solo then cued in the bassist and I. After 3 chorus's I had to play the ride cymbal with 2 hands to keep up. No Max Roach to rescue me. I made to the end.
This is a MASTERCLASS IN STORYTELLING. I know literally nothing about Jazz and know none of the people/things he referenced... and I'm crying laughing. Bravo
Dr. Cosby is a wonderful person. I enjoy listening to him, I wish he was from my town. Philly is very fortunate to have him. Thank Cavettbiter for uploading this clip.
Hilarious. I m a drummer and a lifelong fan of the cos. That feeling of rigor mortis is no fun when you have band mates and a bar full of people around you.
The one part of this I cringe at is when Cosby (5:10) is forced to say, "Doesn't make any difference what his name is"..referring to Sonny Stitt.. (when the others on the show appear to not know who Stitt is-- in fact, I think I hear Benny saying "Who???").. This is yet just another shining example of the accepted but yet unacceptable phenomenon that nobody knows anything about jazz or it's major proponents.. And Stitt was still alive & well at the time! People need jazz education!
Cherokee is basically the song you play when you want to kick "not up to par" musicians out. You can't just throw them out, so you do Cherokee.. in different keys if necessary.
Great banter and exchange. Jack Benny, Cosby and Cavett just keeps drawing it out. The era of the great talk shows Cavett, Gleason, Dean Martin, Mike Douglass. Bill had me grinning the whole time through-out the story. There is another great story Cosby tells on Johnny Carson about Shelby the great car maker, who gave him a gift of a car because he was a big fan of Cosby's during the I-spy period.
Yeah. Art Blakey. I bought a REALLY nice 24 inch Giant Beat ride on account of "Pensavita." It's thin, so it'll act like a really big crash, too. Along with about 5 other tones off the sane cymbal. Which is pretty trick. Yeah, you don't want them to look back at you, lol...
whoooooo dawggy! what a story! *whew* and all the more poignant, seein' as how i dabble in a bit o' drummin' meself! them jazz men had been, have been, were, are, will be, and will be BEING LEGENDS FOREVER!
yooooooo.... @8:55 what the heck is that coming down from the ceiling?? I really hope it was an errant mic but It looks like a freaky small arm or something!! O_o