Eddie Jefferson - Louie Lightning Bug?
DaN kOcH
"Whoa, is this Louie the Lightning Bug?" Anybody know of the Louie the
Lightning bug commercials I'm referring to where he promotes "Gotta play it
safe around electricity"? I was just wondering if Eddie was the voice of this
cartoon character. Also, is Mr. Jefferson still living? What's some of his
best work in your opinions? Any email/posts appreciated.--
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ooO Ooo
Jeff Beer
DaN kOcH <ddk...@acad.drake.edu> wrote:
>Heard Eddie Jefferson on Jazz After Hours the other day. I says to myself,
>"Whoa, is this Louie the Lightning Bug?" Anybody know of the Louie the
>Lightning bug commercials I'm referring to where he promotes "Gotta play it
>safe around electricity"? I was just wondering if Eddie was the voice of this
>cartoon character. Also, is Mr. Jefferson still living? What's some of his
>best work in your opinions? Any email/posts appreciated.--
Unfortunately, Eddie Jefferson was gunned down in Detroit, I think in
1980. It is kind of typical, he was just starting to get a little
recognition and credit for what he was doing, after so many years of
being unknown.
I think my favorite EJ side is on the Muse label, I think the title is
"Things Are Getting Better". They cover Bitches Brew, but the tunes I
like are Trane's Blues (with Tranes solo from Miles' Working and
Steaming), A Night In Tunisia, something from I Cover The Waterfront,
Billies Bounce.
I know there is a video of his preformance at the Jazz Showcase, it was
done just days before he was shot.
Jeff
af145!zimd0b
>>best work in your opinions? Any email/posts appreciated.--
>
>Unfortunately, Eddie Jefferson was gunned down in Detroit, I think in
>1980. It is kind of typical, he was just starting to get a little
>recognition and credit for what he was doing, after so many years of
>being unknown.
1979. Coming out of a night club. Over some woman.
>I think my favorite EJ side is on the Muse label, I think the title is
>"Things Are Getting Better". They cover Bitches Brew, but the tunes I
<deleted>
That's one of my favorites too, by one of my absolute favorite artists and the
person who I personally credit with holding my hand and walking me down the
long journey into straight-ahead jazz. Before listening to him I'd never
listed to Trane, Bird, Miles, and of course you can probably assume any other
names after that. I know that sounds strange, but my path into jazz was the
Bob James crowd, then because he was on this album "Montreux Summit" I bought
it and discovered Dex, Woody, Getz, Slide, etc. Then I went out and bought
"Great Encounters" (by the way, this is a must for anyone wanting to o.d. on
"European Soul Tenor!") and Eddie was on the flip side. Well, still being from
the Bob James school, I couldn't believe they thought any of this sounded good,
but being the good student that I am, I listened to it for two years without
liking it, (as I've done with many others, like V.S.O.P.) and one day my
education caught up with me. Then I went out and bought every old Eddie Jef.
album I could. I actually heard the vocalese version of many standards before
ever hearing the originals. Like Confirmation, So What, Freedom Jazz Dance,
Billie's Bounce, Body and Soul, etc. So in summary my favorite, and a MUST for
any jazz afficionado is "The Man", by Eddie Jefferson, with "Jennine",
"Confirmation", Pennies From Heaven, Summertime, and two others.
Other Jefferson stuff: He's on Horray for Hollywood, and Alto Madness (I
believe) with Ritchie Cole, one of his formost collaborators, also joined by
the Manhattan Xfer. whom he greatly influenced. He was also Al Jarreau's
influence. And he's credited with inventing what is known as "Vocalese" - the
setting of jazz improvisations to vocal renditions.
Idris Dawud, tp
Tom Brown
>Billie's Bounce, Body and Soul, etc. So in summary my favorite, and a MUST for
>any jazz afficionado is "The Man", by Eddie Jefferson, with "Jennine",
>"Confirmation", Pennies From Heaven, Summertime, and two others.
This is the one with the horn section arranged by Slide Hampton, right?
It's my favorite too.
gran...@hnlv4.verifone.com
ddk...@acad.drake.edu (DaN kOcH) writes:
>Heard Eddie Jefferson on Jazz After Hours the other day. I says to myself,
>"Whoa, is this Louie the Lightning Bug?" Anybody know of the Louie the
>Lightning bug commercials I'm referring to where he promotes "Gotta play it
>safe around electricity"? I was just wondering if Eddie was the voice of this
>cartoon character. Also, is Mr. Jefferson still living? What's some of his
>best work in your opinions? Any email/posts appreciated.--
Sadly, Eddie Jefferson is no longer alive. He was shot and killed outside
of a nightclub in Chicago, I seem to recall. I don't know the
circumstances surrounding the shooting but if anybody else does I am very
curious.
I have never heard the "Louie the Lightning Bug" commercial but have got a
couple of good Eddie Jefferson recordings.
My favorite EJ album by far is "Hipper Than Thou". Unfortunately, it is on
a British label, Zu-Zazz, and I don't know where you'll be able to find it.
The only other EJ CD I own is called "Body And Soul". It's not too bad but
I don't think it's among his best work. Another place to look for EJ
singing is on Richie Cole albums. I know that EJ is on "New York
Afternoon" and does some very good work. He is also on Cole's "Keeper Of
The Flame" and is very good. However, I don't believe that this album is
available on CD yet (I'd love to hear if I'm wrong).
By the way, check out the liner notes for Manhattan Transfer's "Extensions"
album. It has a quote to the effect of:"This album is dedicated to Eddie
Jefferson, the greatest jazz singer who ever lived."
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Alan Saul
> That's [Things are Getting Better] one of my favorites too, by one of my
absolute favorite artists and the
> person who I personally credit with holding my hand and walking me down the
> long journey into straight-ahead jazz. Before listening to him I'd never
> listed to Trane, Bird, Miles, and of course you can probably assume any other
> names after that.
Yeah, sort of the same here. I was into Mingus, Ornette, Cecil, Ayler,
etc., but had not been turned onto Bird when I got to know Jefferson's
Lady Be Good. For me, that tune is the epitome of Jefferson's art, and I
ALWAYS sing along with Bird (and similarly with Coleman Hawkins' Body and
Soul ...). Yes Indeed!
For those who don't know it, I'll attempt to reproduce from my poor memory
something like Eddie Jefferson's lyrics to Charlie Parker's solo on Lady
Be Good. I apologize for missing some of it but it will give some of the
flavor of the man's writing if you know the music it goes to. He maintains
the tempo and then some.
I got in trouble feeling around with a pretty woman
She said that she was all alone, and that I could call on the phone
She went out to lunch with me, and a couple of times
I took her out to see a movie or two
And never ever thinkin' that she would do that to me
Every morning, every evening, I called her up and told her just how much I
loved her so
And I could never take, my heart would surely break, if she should ever
say goodbye.
Why, I thought I'd die, I could not survive without her loving caress, her
sweet loveliness,
I'm a fool I confess.
Well you know that she just left one evening
That woman didn't even say she's leaving
I went up to take her to the dance
but when I knocked there on her door there wasn't no answer
Oh that woman don't you know
I was just standing there (...?)
so I smoked another cigarette and figured she'd be back in plenty of time.
The next thing I knew an hour and then two and then three went by.
All my cigarettes were gone and I was wondering to myself what in the
world had happened.
When the lady from next door came and told me
She knew that I was the fellow that was coming around.
She said I don't know how this is going to sound
But my lady told her to tell me she wouldn't be back
She'd run off with her lover to get married.
Why in world did she do it? We could have been oh so happy.
But I got myself a new girl, and she swears that she's mine.
The name of that song was disappointed yes indeed.
- Eddie Jefferson
--
Alan Saul
sa...@pitt.edu
Kay Cazzo
gran...@hnlv4.verifone.com wrote:
> My favorite EJ album by far is "Hipper Than Thou". Unfortunately, it is on
> a British label, Zu-Zazz, and I don't know where you'll be able to find it.
> The only other EJ CD I own is called "Body And Soul". It's not too bad but
> I don't think it's among his best work. Another place to look for EJ
> singing is on Richie Cole albums. I know that EJ is on "New York
> Afternoon" and does some very good work. He is also on Cole's "Keeper Of
> The Flame" and is very good. However, I don't believe that this album is
> available on CD yet (I'd love to hear if I'm wrong).
There's an album on Evidence called "The Jazz Singer" that seems to have
all the same stuff as "Hipper Than Thou."
Also, what album is his version of "Lady Be Good" on?
--
"Any fool with a stand in can sit back and survive
You either do your own stunts or spend a lifetime buried alive"
---City of Angels
"This is no time for being a yuppie." -- Peter Yarrow
Larry Martell
>
>Sadly, Eddie Jefferson is no longer alive. He was shot and killed outside
>of a nightclub in Chicago, I seem to recall. I don't know the
>circumstances surrounding the shooting but if anybody else does I am very
>curious.
Eddie Jefferson is my favorite male vocalist.
The story that I have heard was that he was shot and killed in Detroit by
his former vaudeville partner who had been nursing a 30+ year grudge. He
had been part of a song and dance team, and when Eddie was offered a recording
contract he dissolved the team. His partner never forgave him.
Can anyone confirm or deny this story?
--
Larry Martell "Having the federal government run the health care system is a
212-339-2814 a lot like hiring Dr. Kevorkian to be your personal physician"
lar...@imsi.com I think ... therefore I am not politically correct.
Piotr Michalowski
Gary Barclay
"Disappointed" (Eddie Jefferson), based on Parker's solo on "Oh, Lady Be
Good!", is sung by Eddie on *James Moody* Prestige P-24015 [out-of-
print], *James Moody* Hi Fi Party Prestige/Original Jazz Classics OJC-
1780, and *There I Go Again* Prestige P-24095. "Oh, Lady Be Good!" is
the title used on *The Live-liest* Muse MR 5127.
Gary Barclay
"Disappointed" (Eddie Jefferson), based on Parker's solo on "Oh, Lady Be
Good!", is sung by Eddie on *James Moody* Prestige P-24015 [out-of-
print], James Moody: *Hi Fi Party* Prestige/Original Jazz Classics OJC-