Former Detroiter Linda Jones (her byline graced The Detroit News once upon a time) on her new blog at Open Salon remembers the great drummer Art Blakey, who passed away 19 years ago this month. Not your typical musician profile, Jones, now based in Dallas, recalls what it was like being hit on by a jazz great old enough to be her father, and hanging with Blakey and the band (an up-and-coming Wynton Marsalis among the guys on the road) during an extended stay in Ft. Lauderdale. Is there a book to be written on pick-up techniques of the jazz greats? Duke Ellington (the composer of "Sophisticated Lady" is known for his extensive research) would likely be presented as the pinnacle of suavity. Jones' Blakey is a sort of a lovable "Neanderthal." Turns out his guttural "Grrrr" accompanied more than his drumming. Does Mystery know about this?
