Memories of a Jerry Jazz Musician subscriber
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It’s actually a little difficult as I heard so much. My father liked opera, my mother played popular songs on the piano (later I found out she played a lot by ear). My grandmother would sit with me, and from the time I can remember until I was about 10, we listened to the “Hit Parade” on the radio. In addition to keeping up with the top hits during World War II my oldest sister, 12 years older, practiced diligently the piano pieces of Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, etc. After I was about 10, I would play her 78’s of “Ritual Fire Dance”, “Flight Of The Bumble Bee”, and “Sabre Dance”, I believe the pianist was Jose Iturbi. But everything changed for me when I discovered Woody Herman’s “Caldonia” (around 1946). The tenor sax solo (Flip Phillips) and Woody’s vocal knocked me out. We also had Ella Fitzgerald’s “A-Tisket A-Tasket”. At 11, the sound of jazz had made it’s impact.