Quotes Attributed to Freddie Green from the Book Jazz
At Ronnie Scott's
Author: Kitty Grime
Copyright: 1979
Supplied by: Jazz-Institut Darmstadt
Page 52
"I love to play dances because I dance myself. I love to look out
and see them dance. Make me feel good. It's the right thing to do to Basie,
dance..."
Pages 66 - 67
"Lester Young changed the sound of the tenor saxophone. He influenced
a lot of tenor players. He was a stylist. As far as I'm concerned, I
don't
know how anyone else took it, but to me - he was the tenor player. Because
there was something new. It was different from the others - not taking
it away from any of the other tenor players during that period. He came
on the scene and it was a whole new thing."
Page 99
"I'm concerned about everything that happens musically with the band.
Mine's a light sound perhaps, but it's important. You mention when my
string broke at that concert and I had to go off - naturally, it's like
a brick of the foundation just fell off. That's how it felt to me, and
I'm sure that's how it felt in the audience. That something was missing.
And I was concerned because I knew what was happening as far as sound
was concerned. Why do I look - what's your word - 'imperturable' on stage?
I don't answer that, that's getting really personal, that's getting a
little too personal for me."
Page 99
"I just play what I know. And that's it."
Page 121
"The Basie sound hasn't changed all that much in all the time I've
been with it. The interpretation is basically Basie. The swing is still
the same. And my function is still the same, that hasn't changed. The
rhythm section started that way. I can't explain it. Because it's something
that just happened, and I imagine it was just meant to be. It's miraculous
in a way. There was no need to change, really. You could say it was just
ahead of its time. I've seen drummers come and go. We accept drummers
whatever style they play. Jo Jones had a very light sound. We get...we
got into the heavy stage as the years passed on."
Page 121
"I feel responsible for keeping my part in the structure going, as
from the original band. I do what I do. That's enough. It's given me a
whole lot of joy, pleasure, good feeling. And some bad feeling which goes
with everything - you've got to take the bitter with the sweet. I'm part
of it, and I'm doing a job, and that's it. I realize that the public likes
the band. And I appreciate it. And I think that's what keeps us going.
I go along. After all, you have to live."
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