♪♪ Well, I'm Kim Berry and I am sitting next to one of who, A man who was truly one of my jazz heroes.

And, Bobby Watson.

I, as I told you earlier, I just loved your music, From the first note, hearing you play Ceora.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Thank you.

You know, after decades of living in New York City, you know, you decided to move back home to Kansas and you know, accepted the position.

Was it?

Professor of Jazz Studies at the university.

I'm sorry.

Director of Jazz Studies.

Director of Jazz Studies, at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.

What was that transition like?

I mean, we know how fast paced and just how intense living in New York is and then going back home.

How was that transition?

It wasn't as hard as you might imagine because, I was going home, you know, I was born in Lawrence, Kansas, and, Pam and my parents were both still living at the time.

I had a couple brothers that were living there.

So I was familiar territory to me and that that kind of made it easy and took a lot of, anxiety and trepidation away from me going home.

You know, I was just thinking about when you mentioned Victor Lewis.

I will never forget you referred to him as the uncrowne king of the junk drums, right?

The unpredictability.

I mean, Victor Lewis and, Lewis Hayes.

And of course, we are going to get to Art Blakey Buhaina How did you get that gig with Art Blakey?

I don't think I've ever really realized how you did that.

When I, When I first got to New York, I was staying in, an apartment with all the University of Miami alumni, Hiram Bullock and Chris Carter, and and then, they wer they were in this other scene.

And David Sanborn used used to come b and they had these jam sessions, in the basement.

So, I would go out every night, you know, and, usually me and Pam would go out together.

And we had, a place where we would sit outside of each club.

We had a spot by the vanguard in the back.

We had a place at the Bottom Line where we could hear the music.

And then I met this guy Joe Kingston, who was like a he used to play bass, but he was like a character around town.

You know, he had a couple husky dogs.

He was a character, you know, and he knew Art.

He knew Curtis Fuller.

So he hooked me up with Curtis Fuller, and they were playing at, Storyville.

There was George Wayne's club around in the 50s.

Curtis got me up in that and I was sitting with them.

And, and Curtis used to say you know you need to be with the boo.

You need to be with the boo man.

And so Joe Kingston hooked i up on his birthday October 11th.

So I'm up there playing, And Butch Myles is playing and we're having a good time.

And then Art he comes up and he he takes the drums, They make that drummer switch where they take one stick and then they move over and he take the other stick.

Then he sits behind the drum and all of a sudden the beat changed.

You know, like the feeling.

It's like going down the road doing 60.

And his truck comes and hit you doing 70, you know, boom.

I was like, oh, and he's back there.

Blow blow blow.

So we played.

And then he grabbed m and took me into the men's room, which we, I call the jazz office.

And and he, he says, who are you with?

And I said, I'm nobody.

So how would you like to be with the Jazz Messengers?

And I go, yeah, I thought it over a fact that microsecond.

Thank you so much for joining us.

I could talk to you forever, but we can't.

But, again, you were jus such a blessing to this music.

And again, you have always been one of my jazz heroes, and I mean that sincerely.

People like you and, Charles fan bro, rest his soul there.

Just certain people who Kenny Barron, certain musicians that are just at such a level you know, you just can't help.

But not only do you love thei music and their musician-ships and the comp- and their compositions, the whole package, just as a human being.

Thank you.

I just always want to be in that number.

You know, I just want to be at the number two.

I have to be number one.

But just when the Saints go marching in, I want to be in that number.

You will, you will.

Thank you.

And be playing your horn too, for Saint Peter That's right.

That's right.

You know, it's not the trumpet.

The thing in the Bible that's a myth.

It it's about Gabriel.

Yeah.

The trumpet.

And I think he's going to, a saxophone That saxophone is going to do it, man.

Absolutely.

Thank you so.

Much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Kim.

Thank you.