SKF NOTE – I’m reading, and enjoying, Rifftide: The Life and Opinions of Papa Jo Jones, edited by Paul Devlin from taped interviews by Albert Murray. About halfway through the book I have come across a number of gems from Papa Jo Jones – sometimes as brief as a single sentence.

For example, here’s Papa Jo on drummer Shadow Wilson — a great player Jones recruited to take his place in the Count Basie Orchestra when Jones went into the US Army.

“Oh, man. Shadow [Wilson] was the greatest natural drummer that ever lived. Natural. He could play on pots, pans, and skillets and make it come out like ice cream and cake.”