Philly Joe Jones

“When I was working with Joe Morris opposite George Shearing in the Three Deuces on 52nd St., I went across the street one night to the Onyx. Just casually, you know. And I happened to look at the placards outside that said BABY DODDS. Well, I had always been reading books and things and so I knew that Gene Krupa had been influenced by Baby and Baby had been hanging out with Gene.

“So, wanting to play the drums as bad as I wanted to, I said, ‘I’m going’ to listen to this drummer.’ So what I did, I went in the Onyx, and Baby was playing in there with a bass drum, and a snare drum, and ONE cymbal, a ride cymbal. It wasn’t a sock cymbal. He was swinging’

Baby Dodds

SO MUCH I was late an entire set! I don’t get back to work. I missed the entire set, and Joe fined me. I think it was a $30 fine. I couldn’t leave, I sat down and just stayed.”

Source: “The Forming of Philly Joe,” by Ralph J. Gleason, Down Beat, March 3, 1960.