|
 Herman
Green,
in
1955,
about
twenty-three
years
old,
just
returned
from
overseas
military
duty,
was
on
his
way
home
to
Memphis,
Tennessee;
when
his
plane
stopped
in
San
Francisco
for
an
unknown
amount
of
layover
time
and
he
decided
to
visit
a
bar
near
the
airport
for
a
drink.
A
three
piece
combo
began
to
play
and
Herman
heard
some
of
the
same
sounds
that
he
had
been
playing
in
Memphis,
but
he
also
heard
some
new
sounds,
something
that
was
not
known
in
Memphis.
He
decided
to
stay
a
while
and
he
got
to
know
some
of
the
musicians
that
played
in
the
local
clubs.
They
were
as
fascinated
by
his
stories
of
Beale
Street
as
he
was
by
their
stories
of
playing
with
artists
like
Miles
Davis
and
Dave
Brubeck.
In
a
short
time,
Herman
found
himself
in
the
house
band
of
the
"Blackhawk",
a
famous
San
Francisco
Jazz
Club,
that
many
believe
helped
to
found
the
sound
that
would
be
known
as
West
Coast
Jazz.
From
1955
to
1957,
he
played
with
artists
such
as
Cannonball
Adderly,
Miles
Davis,
Dave
Brubeck,
the
Modern
Jazz
Quartet
and
many
others
on
a
very
long
list.
He
was
there
when
the
experiments
with
Jazz
were
first
starting
and
when
Jazz
become
more
than
a
few
instruments
improvising
on
"old
standards".
In
1958,
Herman
became
the
leader
of
the
House
Band
at
a
new
place
called,
"Box
City"
in
San
Francisco.
This
was
a
late
night
club
set
up
just
for
the
musicians
who
played
other
places
in
town
and
then
wanted
a
place
to
go
and
relax
after
they
got
off
work.
Box
City
did
not
even
open
until
1
AM
in
the
morning.
Herman
had
with
him
a
young
lady
vocalist,
then
unknown,
Dinah
Washington.
In
Herman's
own
words,
"I
worked
Box
City,
Say
When,
and
the
Jazz
Workshop.
These
had
to
be
the
most
amazing
clubs
I
have
ever
played
in.
They
were
where
you
came
after
a
night
on
the
town
or
after
you
had
been
working.
Frank
Sinatra
dropped
in
and
sat
in
with
the
Band
when
he
was
in
town,
and
this
was
many
nights.
It's
where
I
got
to
know
Sammy
Davis,
Jr.
Many
of
what
we
would
call
the
great
artists
of
Jazz
would
come
and
sit
in
with
the
Band,
for
no
pay,
just
for
the
fun,
the
company,
and
the
relaxation.
At
the
Jazz
Workshop,
we
opened
the
place
with
Cannonball
Adderly
and
it
never
went
downhill
from
then."
In
a
place
like
Box
City
or
the
Jazz
Workshop
in
San
Francisco,
you
get
to
know
a
lot
of
people
and
this
is
where
Herman
was
brought
to
the
attention
of
Lionel
Hampton,
who
was
probably
at
that
time
the
King
of
Jazz
Music.
Lionel
offered
Herman
a
job
playing
with
his
band
and
when
Herman
accepted
he
found
himself
in
New
York
and
playing
with
a
band
that
he
would
stay
with,
on
and
off,
for
eight
years.
One
of
the
other
band
members,
who
would
become
one
of
Herman's
best
friends,
was
John
Coltrane.
In
Herman's
own
words,
"New
York
was
a
blur
in
my
memory
for
three
years.
It
all
happened
so
fast,
it
all
was
such
a
great
time.
We
were
musicians
doing
what
we
wanted
to
do
and
getting
paid
good
money
for
it.
I
see
today
some
of
the
concert
listings
for
Jazz
and
the
ticket
is
$50.00
to
see
just
one
of
the
top
stars.
I
mean,
we
use
to
jam,
for
the
fun
of
it,
in
my
apartment
in
New
York.
There
would
be
Miles
Davis,
Clark
Terry,
John
Coltrane,
Art
Davis;
all
just
sitting
around
my
apartment
playing
what
they
wanted,
how
they
wanted
to
play
it,
and
all
because
we
were
having
a
good
time."
"I
might
add
that
everybody
wanted
to
experiment,
everybody
wanted
to
try
something
new,
but
there
was
no
one
that
had
that
innovation
of
music
like
John.
Even
today
when
I
do
a
Sax
break
and
I
get
way
out
in
outer
space;
I
still
turn
to
the
others
in
the
band
and
say,
'Hey,
I'm
doing
my
John
Coltrane
thing'."
Like
all
Memphis
Musicians,
Herman
thought
from
time
to
time
about
returning
to
Memphis,
but
the
jobs
were
good
and
he
was
with
Lionel
Hampton,
the
most
recognized
name
in
Jazz
Music.
Herman
said,
"We
were
playing
the
Riviera
in
Las
Vegas
and
Sammy
Davis,
Jr.
was
there.
I
was
walking
in
the
Lobby
with
him
and
I
said,
'I'm
worried,
I
invited
my
Mother
out
here
to
visit
and
I
do
not
know
what
to
show
her,
how
to
entertain
her.'
"
Sammy
said,
"Why
don't
you
let
me
worry
about
it.
When
she
gets
here
bring
her
down
to
my
concert.
We'll
think
of
something."
When
Herman's
mother
arrived
he
took
her
down
to
the
show
and
right
on
the
front
row
was
a
table
reserved
for
Sammy
Davis,
Jr.
and
Herman
Green.
Herman's
Mother
got
to
watch
the
show
sitting
with
Sammy
Davis,
Jr.
except
when
it
was
Sammy's
turn
to
be
on
stage,
and
when
Frank
Sinatra
and
Dean
Martin
dropped
by
to
sit
at
the
table
awhile,
Herman's
mother
never
complained
about
being
"entertained".
A
few
weeks
later,
Herman
and
some
of
the
band
members
were
having
afternoon
drinks
in
the
lounge
at
the
Riviera
when
the
rumor
began
to
circulate
that
the
President
had
been
shot
in
Dallas.
All
over
America,
things
were
never
the
same
for
most
people
and
musicians
were
no
different.
Herman
thought
about
what
he
was
doing,
what
he
wanted
to
do
and
where
he
had
come
from.
After
taking
care
of
all
of
his
obligations
to
Lionel
Hampton
and
the
other
musicians
he
had
got
to
know,
Herman
was
on
his
way
back
to
Memphis.
To
see
what
Herman's
been
up
to
since
his
arrival
back
in
Memphis,
visit
his
website
at
Herman
Green
on
MemphisLocal.com.
BB King, Herman Green, Melvin
Lee Green
Circa 1955
Click For High Resolution Pic
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