A few of her friends had asked her if she wanted to go gamble for a few hours. They knew a place where they could all have some fun. She agreed to try it one time. A big mistake! The first night was fun. She wanted to go again. This time she would bring more money. She had won a few dollars the first time and the second time she won over a thousand dollars. She was hooked, and within a few months she owed the establishment over eighty thousand dollars. She was told she needed to make restitution. The gambling house was illegal and would use illegal means to collect. She skipped town.
She started a plan of action. She knew where Jonas thought he most likely left the case, Chicago. She would look over the list and notes made by Jonas. This would give her a head start. It would be off to Chicago, find the used furniture store he mentioned and get the case. It all sounded so simple. Could she be wrong, she didn’t think so? She was after all a smart woman and could think on her feet. She did consider the people involved. She could outwit them.
She sat back and looked around, she had a feeling of security at the chateau. Security wouldn’t pay off her debt. Walking around looking over your shoulder wasn’t a way of life she wanted. Chicago here I come!
“Why do you keep saying the same thing every time the band starts the song?” Belle whispered to Mother, hoping her thoughts were not heard.
“When I play back the track I’ll know it’s the correct track. It’s a double check, as you see the song title is also written on the computer program but now I also know it’s take two.”
The song played smoothly and was a perfect take. All were in agreement. Muddy asked Jonas and Mother if maybe putting an ending on the song after eight measures of the repeat would be a good idea.
Mother quickly agreed.
“Good, thinking Muddy,” Jonas concurred, “I actually pondered about an end but sort of let the idea go. Good call!”
“Duke,” Mother called over the talkback system, “Let’s do one more take just like take two, but end the song after eight bars, no, make it 16 bars, so I can edit if there’s a need.”
“No problem,” Duke said, “I wrote an ending on the last page of the charts, we’ll use it. Listen up, let me know if it works.”
The ending was really good, it had a slight retard for the singers to emphasize the words and it felt as if it belonged. The band played it a few times to get the feel. “I’ll conduct when we get to the end,” Duke told them, “Mother, you can over dub my piano part after we put the ending down.”
“Will do,” Mother said.
Jonas sat back in his swivel leather covered producers chair, nodding his head in the affirmative, he felt good about the session and his two partners. They all put forth positive ideas and knew what they were about. Take three came and went. Perfect take with a long outro and very smooth ending.
James asked if they had time to get a cup of coffee. Mother told him it would take about a half hour for the musicians to break down and re-set for the sax overdubs. Some of the musicians may need to leave although one or two may want to hang around. Vince asked if Belle wanted to join them. She agreed and they all headed to the café.
Jonas and M&M headed to the main studio. Muddy had a head start as he wanted to talk to the drummer. He was at the drum set before Geno had packed his sticks. They talked for a while and worked out on the hi-hats. Jonas and Mother discussed the session with Duke and all agreed they had three very good tracks ready for the next phase. As everyone packed their instruments, Mother thanked them and suggested if they were hungry they had an invite to eat at the chateau. They all cheered loudly. Most musicians were always hungry, these were no exceptions.
Mother hailed Muddy and made sure he met everyone up close and personal. Geno said he had a session early the next morning, he would eat and run. Mother handed him his check and thanked him.
Kyle told Mother he would be in the area for a few weeks should he need some guitar overdubs.
“Great,” said Mother, “I’ll contact you in a day or two and set up a time. You sounded super as usual and worked really well with Vince on the blues song.”
“Loved the track,” Kyle replied, “and Vince has some off the planet chops.”
“I’ll let him know you said so.”
The chatter continued for the next 15-20 minutes. Jules was set-up and ready to go but told Mother not to rush he was chatting with Duke.
As the studio cleared it was time for Jules to perform. M&M and Jonas were seated in the control room, all were quiet, thinking about what had transpired. They still had work to do on two tracks. Helen Oh Helen needed a four-bar smooth but heartfelt solo, and Outta Reach, Just Outta Reach would take all the energy Jules could muster. Duke joined the threesome. “I’m wiped, completely obliterated,” he said.
“Don’t worry we can handle the rest you can sit here or go eat if you want,” Mother told him.
“What are you crazy, go eat. You want me outta the way? No way! No! I’m in till the finish.”
“All right Duke chill,” Mother calmed him with a quick shoulder rub to relax the muscles Duke didn’t have.
“Jules, we’re ready when you are, do you have a choice as to which song you want to get done first?
“Helen Oh Helen, there are four bars in need of a solo with real feel. The song is a sobby do-wop love song so you take it the way you think it should go. Give me a minute to set it up and find the spot. Will a four-measure lead in work?”
“It will.”
Within in the next two minutes Mother was set up. “I’ll run it once so I can double check the levels and give you a chance to get comfortable.”
Jules played a great solo on the practice take, it sounded even better when he did it for real.
“Let’s do another track for nothing,” Mother told Jules.
“Let it rip!”
He changed up the solo a bit and Jonas reacted, “I’ll take it, that’s it, great!”
Muddy concurred.
“This one’s done,” Mother said “now let me get, Outta Reach set.”
Mother told Jonas he had the final word on this one. Muddy concurred. Jules asked if they had any guidance or was he at liberty to go for it?
“Go for it,” Jonas directed.
“You got it.”
“I’ll give you four measures again. Your part should start after the turn around.”
The track started, Jules started. Jonas looked at Mother saying, “This white boy can play the blues.”
When it was done Jules asked, “Any comments, where do you want me to take it?”
“You have already arrived as far as I’m concerned,” Jonas told him. “Hold on a minute.”
Jonas turned to Duke who looked like he was asleep, “Wake up Duke!”
“I’m awake, just resting my eyelids.”
“When we met you mentioned you were an old blues fan, how about giving us a few ideas here. I’d be interested in hearing what you think,” Jonas requested.
“The solo was great, but we could try another style. How about Lee, what’s his name, you know the guy who played Walking with Mr. Lee?” Duke told Jonas. “Hey Jules, the solo was fantastic and we could stop now but how about getting older in the style, say like Lee what’s his name, the guy who played solos on some of Fats Domino’s hit records.”
“Yeah! I like his style. You mean something like this?” Jules played a few riffs and everyone in the control booth liked what they heard. “By the way his name is Lee Allen.”
“Let me add a couple of tracks and when you give the go, it’ll be a go,” Mother proclaimed.
The pause was short when Jules said, “Go!”
Three takes later a super solo was achieved. “We’re done for now, thanks for another fantastic session, Jules.”
“You’re welcome, and thanks for lunch.”
“One of
the guys sitting in during the session asked him to come out in the hall,” Belle told Mother.
Carl walked in, gave himself a short fist pump and a quiet, “Yes!”
“Does it mean you’re directing the movie?” Mother asked.
“Yeah, they just told me I have the job, they want me to get started immediately.”
“Oh, I guess you won’t be cleaning the studio now that you’re a big-time director?”
“Not big enough yet,” Carl responded.
Everyone congratulated Carl and wished him luck. He thanked all and headed to the studio to start coiling wires. The excitement showed in his face. Muddy was following him and asked if he would use him in the movie. Carl didn’t answer. Mudd headed to the drums and started to play a swing beat in 5/4 time. Duke heard him and followed. He sat down at the piano and started to play Take Five, a Dave Brubeck hit from the sixty’s. Jules, who was packing his horn reversed action, installed the reed and joined them. Cotton entered the control room to pick up his bass and asked if anybody could sit in. The response echoed the room, ‘Yeah! Go for it!’ He grabbed his bass and headed to the studio. Carl helped him hook up. As luck would have it, Vince heard the sound of music in the hall. The studio door was open and he looked in.
“Get you butt in here Vince,” Jonas commanded, the guitar is still set up. Vince did and a five-piece group was jamming some fine music. Solo’s abounded, from Jules, Vince and Cotton. Duke waited and finally chimed in with some fantastic piano work which would have made Dave Brubeck proud. It was time for Muddy; the guys pointed to him. Muddy hesitated a little and then let all hang out. He started with some light work on the hi-hat cymbals, moved slowly to the snare where he was most comfortable playing. Little by little he started to fit in the toms until they filled the room with the sound of Gene Krupa. His solo lasted over five minutes with some unique fills and rhythms only a musician with a learned background could muster up. The players were into the drum solo and gave him a round of applause when he went back to the hi-hat cymbals. Muddy nodded and played a two-measure super fill which brought the guys back to the melody of Take Five. Two times around and they ended the song. The control room had filled while the song was being played. They were all asking, “Who’s the drummer? Where’s he been hiding?”
A friend of Mother’s, Kris Kurswell, had stopped by to see how the movie and the music was moving along. He had a regular column in the Atlantic City News featuring the shows, artists and other media tidbits happening in the Atlantic City area. He wanted to do an article to show a movie would again be made, with shooting being done in Atlantic City. When he heard the drum solo he asked Mother if an article featuring the man he had just heard play, would work for him.
“Who am I to stand in the way of fame! Oh, by the way, his name is John E. Mudd.”
Kris headed to the studio and pushed his way past the musicians until he was face to face with Muddy. “Nice work on the skins, do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you.”
Muddy looked at Kris and realized he worked out regularly. He said, “Can I feel your muscle?”
The rest will be history!
TwentySeven – The Tracks
It’s a beautiful November morning in New Jersey. All the participants who worked yesterday’s session are still asleep. Mother, is first to rise. He showers and shaves, a major project which includes his completely bald head. He goes straight to his office where he has all the paperwork for Margaret Burns. After turning the fax machine on the paperwork for Burns is on the way to Noodles in Las Vegas. A bite to fill the stomach then a quick talk with Solly when he arrives around noon and most important for Mother a listen to the recordings from yesterday’s session.
Muddy turned over after his eye opened for a short look around. He wondered why he couldn’t get back to sleep. “Oh, the tracks, I wanna hear them.”
“Wow! What a session,” he said out loud.
He feels he gave his best when he sat down and played the drums with a group of fantastic musicians for the first time in years. His day is already made. As he works his way to the shower he sees a very bright light shining behind the bathroom door. It’s the mirror flashing and shimmering with an attitude. What now! he thinks. The mirror was flashing when he came in to get his phone yesterday but he had to hurry back to the session. Muddy will take the mirror out after his shower, sit on his couch and go back to someplace in his musical past.
Jonas Lundgren, has been up for some time enjoying the memories he and his new friends made yesterday. He periodically searches the list for a definite place where he may have left the case. He’s finding it hard to believe that he was walking around with a case full of diamonds. Even more difficult to think a multi-million-dollar diamond may have been in the case. He checks the kitchen and decides to make a pot of coffee. The coffee maker starts the process as he heads back to his room. A few short minutes and the smell of coffee goes straight up his nostrils to the brain center and calls him back to the kitchen. Belle is sitting at the table.
“Good morning Belle.”
“Morning,” Belle responds with sleep still in her voice. “The session wiped me out. It was exciting to be there, watch and learn what you used to do on a regular basis.”
“Well, similar but this was much more sophisticated then the studio work I was associated with.”
“You look tired yourself, grandfather.”
“A bit, but some food and a cup of coffee, I’ll be ready to go. I want to hear the tracks we recorded yesterday. Let me do the cooking this morning, you rest.”
“Thanks,” she said, “have you heard any more from anyone about the incident with Duke possibly knowing who you really are?”
“No, but Mother will probably know something this morning. Duke gave me a second look when he was talking about the R&B record which reminded him who I was. When he said the record, Stallings produced his eyes turned to me for a quick second. He knows but respected my choice at the moment.”
“Do you think he told anyone?”
“Yes, Belle, I’m sure he told Mother.”
“Will this make a problem for you, grandfather?”
“I hope not, we’re so close to finding the case which will end all this cloak and dagger stuff. The guys, M&M and Duke don’t seem like they are interested in making trouble for me. I think I’ll level with Mother later today. I’ll speak to Solly first.”
“Good idea.”
Duke was home and sleeping soundly. The phone has been ringing off and on, but he’s not stirring.
The Muddman has showered and dressed for the day. He is wearing his best slacks, a silk shirt, the one he received from his daughter last Christmas and the only ascot he owns. Maybe he’ll wear his tan academia corduroy jacket, it’s cool enough. This will give him the look of a musical aficionado. And should anyone ask him if he was the drummer in the studio, the one who’s playing took the place by storm, he would answer with reserved pride, “yes!”
Out he came dressed to kill, with the mirror in hand. He placed it on the table and got comfortable. He was set for the mirror to show him what it wanted him to see but all it showed was a recent picture of Mother. He knew what Mother looked like. He was about to leave when he realized the mirror wanted Mother to watch the story at the same time. Muddy would find Mother.
He entered the lobby, which was decorated for the arrival of the new tenant, Margaret Sullivan Burns, he spotted Mother with eight tiny reindeer, a bunch of decorative foam board cut-out reindeer to be used for next month’s Christmas decorations. He hollered for Mother to wait, which he did. “The mirror calls, oh great one.”
“What are you dressed for Professor John E. Mudd? I can’t remember the last time you were decked out in attire calling for a learned man to wear.”
“Can’t I get dressed up without a smart aleck remark?”
“Sure…will you be reciting Shakespeare during breakfast?”
“Only if you want,” Muddy s
napped sarcastically.
“Grab a couple of these reindeer cutouts and help me put them in the storage closet before we hit the café.”
“Got ‘em…”
Muddy suggested they listen to the tracks first but Mother wanted to see what the mirror was going to reveal. He also wanted Jonas to be present when they listen to the tracks. Muddy agreed. Both were excited and didn’t have the hunger they would normally have in the morning. They meandered to Muddy’s suite to look into the mirror. Mother was finishing the apple he had grabbed when he left the café as he mumbled something to Mudd. His hearing was getting bad and he gave Mother a what are you talking about arms in the air gesture. “Sorry, my mouth was full.”
“That’s not all your full of this morning.”
“Seriously Muddy, what did you think about the session after you had a night’s sleep?”
“To be honest, I didn’t sleep much, but I was excited. I’m looking forward to hearing the result of all the hard work we put into the session. And Jonas was a great find, he’s really good at what he does.”
“Yeah, for sure. Duke told me who he thinks he really is. I was just gonna tell you when the mouth full of apple got in the way, let’s go in the suite and talk.”
While Muddy set up the mirror, Mother related the information Duke gave him. Muddy wasn’t up on the secondary music of the late ’40s and early ’50s or the R&B of the era.
Mother explained, “The market back then for R&B style music was called, race music or race records. History thinks it started in 1920 when Crazy Blues by Mamie Smith sold 75,000, 78 records in four months. The music continued until the early ’40s although some record companies called it race music as late as the early ’50s.
King Records started as a country and hillbilly label, but soon realized there was money in the rhythm and blues market. They had artists such as Joe Tex, Roy Brown, Jack Dupree, Otis Williams and the Charms, Hank Ballard and many more, less known but still great R&B artists.