Fortunately, Bird gets a chance to tell the epic tale of Rubberlegs Williams and the Mixed Up Coffees. Bird’s fondness for amphetamines dates back to his mid-teens, when he discovered they were readily available inside benzedrine inhalers. He and Diz and a cadre of modernists had been assembled to back up a crooner by the name of Rubberlegs Williams. How and why this happened is unclear. The recording session was just getting underway when someone sent out for coffee. It was passed out in identical cardboard containers and Bird dropped a benzedrine tablet into his. He set down his cup, giving the tablet time to dissolve, and somehow Rubberlegs got hold of it and polished it off. Whether or not he understood what was happening to him is unknown, but Rubberlegs was soon transformed into a ball of blues-shouting fire. As Bird put it, “Ants don’t do nothing the way Rubberlegs! Rubberlegs really got busy!”
This provides the opportunity for a musical offering like no other. I have included two tracks from this session, I Want Every Bit Of It and That’s The Blues. The former still retains traces of Rubberlegs’ unimpaired singing style, and contains one of the earliest recorded examples of Bird’s ballad playing. On the latter, however, Rubberlegs is feeling his oats in no uncertain terms. Nevertheless, Bird plays a very meaningful 12-bar chorus. Exactly who lets out a scream behind Rubberlegs in unknown, but my vote goes to Dizzy.
9 окт 2024
