Jay McShann Quotations

We used to play the Savoy Ballroom, and we always had a boogie tune in the set. Bands like Tommy Dorsey used to do a little boogie woogie. The big bands.

The only blues record I ever had was Bessie Smith. Mississippi Delta Blues, I think they called that. She had it put together beautiful.

We didn't let a night go by that we didn't play.

As long as Pete and Joe are there, it's gonna be jumping.

They never ran out of nothing. They kept building up. And that was my first experience and that just laid me out. I wanted to hear more boogie woogie.

They had the music being piped right out on the street. I'd be three or four blocks from there and I couldn't get there fast enough because I'd hear old Joe holler them words.

We had an old Victrola with the old bulldog they used to have there. The horn would come out.

It was my first time in Kansas City. In about two or three days I had a gig at a place called The Monroe Inn.

I was listening to all those lyrics and trying to take in everything that was happening. I was completely excited. It was one of the greatest times that I had listening to music.

I had listened to Joe Turner. When they'd book Joe there, I'd play the blues behind him.

They said Bird played bebop, but Bird could still swing. I've heard a lot of guys play bebop, but they wasn't swinging.

My family was a Christian family. But I had to get to Kansas to play the blues.