Afternoon Vibes

I often have music on while I write, but I play it low and zone it out. Some things won’t let me ignore them, though, and late this afternoon I was returned to consciousness by the Benny Goodman Quartet doing “Vibraphone Blues”.

Goodman opens with the basic tune, accompanied by Krupa, Wilson, and (obviously) Lionel Hampton. Then Wilson riffs on the melody for a few bars before Goodman verbally hands it off to Hampton (“Now let’s hear from Mr. Hampton”), who comes off the vibraphone to sing one of my favorite lyrics:

If the blues was whiskey, I would stay drunk all the time.
If the blues was whiskey, I would stay drunk all the time.
And if I get drunk, I would leave you behind.

Then he hands it back to Goodman (I swear he pronounces it “Goodwin”). Briefly back to Wilson on the piano (“Play it Mr. Wilson, play it a long, long time”), then to Krupa for a few beats on the blocks (“When Mr. Krupa beats those riffs, he don’t let you down, yeah man”). Another minute of friendly rambling along together, and they’re done. Sweet, sweet, sweet.