Credits

Albert Everett

The guitar solo in Nat Cole's "Sweet Lorraine" (on his "After Midnight" record) has beguiled me since childhood when I listened to it countless times on my grandmother's 8-track player. I resist learning that solo, because once I learn it, it just won't be the same for me.

In high school sometime I picked up the John McLaughlin album "Electric Guitarist" and liked it. A college dorm-mate had me listen to "Kind of Blue." I remember liking Pat Metheny's "80/81" album. Friends also put on records like "Giant Steps" but they were utterly opaque. I didn't think I'd ever know the password to get into that club.

After making my way back to UALR, I began to listen to records in the library media center while doing my math homework. One day I put on "Monk's Dream" and heard "Bright Mississippi." In an instant, I was in the club, no password required, and it didn't matter if I understood the music or not. I could listen to anything.

Later on I signed up for Tom Cox's jazz combo class at UALR, playing electric bass. "It'll just be roots and fifths," he told me. I think he was desparate for the class to make. After some time Tom had me out on several gigs. For a time, Tom and I got together on campus with our friend Jim Trost. It usually felt like being on the end of a rope behind a fast pickup truck on a dirt road. Jim wanted me to play more like Scott LaFaro. I was just getting a little beyond roots and fifths. Oh, well. And yet, it was fun and a privilege, so thanks to Tom and Jim.

I became more familiar with the local jazz players such as, among others, Charles Thomas, Buck Powell, Dave Rogers and Joe Vick.

It's also been great to discover some of the nationally known people who have ties to Arkansas. This focus made it easier to go into record stores without instantly glazing over trying to decide what to buy, or now, what to stream. At the Little Rock Barnes & Noble, for example, I found several albums each by Louis Jordan, Walter Norris and Roseanna Vitro.

Gloria Lane and I knew James Thomson and his involvement with jazz around the state for years. Gloria was at times heavily involved in the work herself; I'd lurked around the periphery of things until the three of us started talking about doing up a quick and dirty web site for the foundation.

Jann Greenland, a graphic artist we work with, put me in touch with H.K. Stewart, and then H.K. brought Charlie James into the project. H.K. and Charlie worked out the art and layout based on an outline from Gloria, James and me.

If you're a jazz fan but not yet a member of the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation, please join. We want to know who you are and where your interests lie.