Classic Mingus

"One night many years ago, [writer Frank] Conroy was playing solo piano at a club in Harlem when 'a large black man got up from his dinner and moved forward.'

Conroy immediately recognized him as Charles Mingus, 'the foremost jazz bassist in the world,' and was terrified that he was about to be put down in no uncertain terms.

"Instead, Mingus picked up the bass that was leaning against the piano, 'waited for the top of the tune and began to play with me.'

"A year later, Mingus did the same thing again. Conroy, flattered and amazed, asked: 'What's going on, Charlie? You're the best bassist in the world and I'm a putzer.'

"'You are,' he said expansively, 'an authentic primitive. That is true.' He leaned forward and lowered his voice. 'But you swing.'"

Dizzy...

"I remember one time, I got kidnapped by Art Blakey and Dizzy Gillespie," Woods said. "I was working at Birdland. I was drinking too much and unhappy with the band I was playing with and moaning and groaning and all that stuff.

"Dizzy and Art took me to Dizzy's pad out in Corona where he lived and said: "Now what is your problem, man?' I said, 'Oh, man, I'm not ready. I'm a white guy I'm not going to make it in jazz.' And Dizzy said, 'Young man, Charlie Parker did not give this music to any particular race. He gave it to everyone in the world. And if you can hear it, you can have it. You can't steal a gift.' I'll never forget that. "I said, 'Do you think I can make it?' Dizzy said 'Yeah, if you'd shape up.' He gave me the confidence. He said, 'You can play, but you've got to get your act together.' These two giants of our industry taking the time off to talk to this maudlin, honky guy who didn't know which end was up. But they took the time," Woods said. "Dizzy was most supportive, and school was open always to the end.

"The amazing thing was the yin and yan of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Bird was the meteor who wasn't around a long time. He came, he changed it and he left. But Dizzy was the arranger, the composer, the reader, the sober, industrious one. Everybody knew who the boss was," Woods said. "Dizzy was the teacher, the one who passed it on."

Can you picture how a melody can stir into existance?
Rhythm section hits it and upholds it with persistance
Picturing the outline and you start to see the colours
Filling in with intricate splashes by all the brothers

Michelle is on the joint, you mean Misindae Gayochello?
No wonder why the hump inside the joint is feeling ghettho
A medal or award should be giving to these heros for their
Empasis of revealing and bringing forth the feeling

I'm realing, poetic I say, a great proportion,
I hold my little nuances correct for this distortion.
But I say, why say? and who is to say, coz
Roy makes the tune what it is today.

Rhythmically, we in the slake of jeans, know what I mean?
Its only right that me and Mr Right we here from Queens
The overtone of funk is being driven by this music
Its the benevolence of Roy issued me this juris-provence

This beat, or rhymes hooded in the epitome
Im just a humble little germ, just a hipper version
Poetic I mean truly indeed her every steed
Just sprinkles with the essense of life to form my breed

Think about sweety while we give this to the needy
The musical expression is important for progression
Never stop learning lesson, and neither should y'all
Before we all stand, must acknowledge a fall

Before we get the bounce we got to reach for the ball
Before we ghettho strong we haf to get to a crawl

Check it out now, and dont you dare
Bobby Timmers did a joint called "That there"
Check it out now, and do your do
Ronny Foster did a joint called "Mr Brew"
Check it out now, its how we go
Check it out with my man Roy Hargrove - der der



Hey
Good evening ladies and gentlemen
Welcome to the Appletree Cafe
Its getting real cribable on stage
I dunno, I got my man QTip
Cut me a few dollars tip
I dont know how comes god doubted you
Sheeez, She willby, remember, completely
Blast the staff furniture, so
rip dip in the house & zip dip hahh

Whos knows the way to go?
Please show me the way to go
Whos knows the way to go?
Please show me the way to go

I know the way to go
I'll show you the way to go
I know the way to go
I'll show you the way to go

Whos knows the way to go?
Please show me the way to go
Whos knows the way to go?
Please show me the way to go

I know the way to go
I'll show you the way to go
I know the way to go
I'll show you the way to go

Brothers lost, my head is running veins
Where to go, and where is God
Sometimes I get real mad, but I understand
I dont beat myself up too much about it

I give us tears, does he mourn for it?
Or joy in return? Those tears bring joy
That is what perplexes, make the sweetness last
Coz we're mourning for the joy, their hard to find

Be happy where you can, no sadness necessary,
No, no, it seems sometimes, you never get in bed
but its ok, its fair, yeah, ooooh

Nowhere to look, you got me mysteries
Use the stars as a guide, trying not to hide
The love inside, you know, you if you get... you get
I feel, I'm not ready yet, but I meet myself halfway

And I'll start a day, creating what i'm.. living
Living for today, coz I'm ok, its ok

Whos knows the way to go?
Please show me the way to go
Whos knows the way to go?