Cosby’s spot-on comic timing has always reminded me of a jazz musician’s. Like Coltrane or Miles Davis, he understood early in his career that the pauses are just as important as what you actually say -- or in the case of a musician, play. I share this with Cosby and he runs with it.
“Listen to John Coltrane enough and after two bars, just two bars at any place, and you know that’s him,” Cosby says. “We all have signature things that happen to be similar that you can predict and you try to stay away from that except the rhythms: those pauses, they’re part of my signature, the part where I know when I say nothing, I already painted enough, led enough and I don’t even have to say anything.
“But those pauses don’t belong to me,” Cosby quickly adds as a matter of record. “Jack Benny was one of the first guys in comedy to make the anticipation so great that during the pause people start to laugh before the execution.”
I've done some interesting interviews over the years.
But few, if any, beat the 90-minute one I did this morning with Bill Cosby, or, as I called him, "Mr. Cosby."
We talked about his days doing comedy in the Greenwich Village of the 1960s, "The Cosby Show" and the twisted mentality behind people who create celebrity death hoaxes such as the ones Mr. Cosby has endured.
Mr. Cosby asked my age, marital status and offered smart life lessons.
We agreed on the poignancy of a certain New Testament passage.
But what really got us going —especially Mr. Cosby — was jazz.
Turned out we're both enthusiasts of contemporary great Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, St. Pete-based piano ace Kenny Drew Jr.and countless classic artists such as Miles Davis,Oscar Peterson and John Coltrane.
We talked a lot about Coltrane. At one point, Mr. Cosby and I grappled with an album title. He gave me ample clues but I couldn't nail it. Opportunity lost, I thought.
The interview ended without either of us being able to recall that certain Coltrane record.
About five minutes went by. I talked to a reporter seated near me about the interview. Prepared to work on another story.
Then our metro editor yelled from across the newsroom:
"Hey, Wade, Bill Cosby's on the phone, what's your extension?"
Mr. Cosby had remembered the Coltrane album title: "Ascension."
After several minutes of searching — "No you look there, I'm looking here" — Mr. Cosby played me a portion of the title track, which clocks in at 27:39, while expertly remarking on the musicianship.
We talked some more. I thanked him for his time — sounding perhaps a bit too grateful. Mr. Cosby made a kind joke and said goodbye.
Trombone Shorty at Sarasota Blues Festival on Nov. 6.
Multi-threat musician Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews had thousands on their feet, smiling and cheering Saturday at the Sarasota Blues Festival.
New Orleans' hottest export adroitly played trombone and trumpet while leading his ace, six-piece backing unit — lead guitar, bass guitar, percussion, drums, tenor sax, baritone sax — through a winningly eclectic set of funk, jazz, blues and rock.
Andrews has been a virtuoso horn player since his teens but as someone who has seen the 24-year-old perform numerous times in the past five years, it's worth noting his growth as a vocalist. His voice has become remarkably stronger and more flexible. He implemented scatting and more complicated, jazzing phrasing akin to his horn playing into his singing Saturday. Andrews has also developed an effective falsetto for the sexy time numbers and a show-stopping banshee yell borrowed from the James Brown playbook.
Trombone Shorty publicity photo.
And his charisma and confidence continue to rocket off the chart. Andrews simply exudes positive energy. Just watching him animatedly cajole extra notes from his band-mates during their solos proved wildly entertaining.
Whereas Andrews previously relied on classic rock and hip-hop covers to elate audiences, he now holds listeners attention with minimal gimmickry and a set list largely consisting of self-penned originals culled from his new Verve/Universal, major label debut "Backatown." The disc features the catchy single "Something Beautiful," which was a highlight Saturday, and easily ranks as one of the more interesting and satisfying releases of the year.
Andrews still pays homage to his hero Louis Armstong but no longer with the expected "When the Saints Go Marching In." Instead, the Crescent City's current star offered a truly life-affirming rendition of the popular Satchmo recording "On the Sunny Side of the Street." During that song and numerous others Andrews and a Sarasota Blues Festival crowd not exactly known known for embracing young, genre-defying artists, completely connected. Standing in the front row and feeling the love shared between the performer and audience proved to be one of my more moving concert experiences of recent memory.
Trombone Shorty at Tropical Heatwave 2009/Wade Tatangelo
Sunny with a few clouds.
Breezy.
Highs in the upper 60s.
Time to grab that favorite light jacket or hoodie and embrace this first cool weekend of the year.
I highly recommend spending Saturday at the Sarasota Blues Festival where New Orleans native Trombone Shorty, who plays here before heading on tour with the Dave Matthews Band, should blow you away with his "supafunkrock." Click for my interview with Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews.
Before heading to the Blues Fest, and probably Sunday, too, I'll hit up Taste of Manatee and stuff my face with local cuisine.
Buzz Worthy is a forum for Bradenton Herald features writer/columnist Marty Clear to share his thoughts on the Bradenton-Sarasota arts, theater and music scene as well as the national entertainment scene, including television and movies. He welcomes feedback on all these topics.
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