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2017 Celebrating Pete Fountain
001-2017-019
45:11 Master Camera files on Hard Drive, Mp4 on Server and Cloud
Fri May 05 2017
With Tim Laughlin and Benny Harrell. Interviewer, Keith Spera,
02:09 Benny Harrell speaks to Pete Fountain’s epitomization of New Orleans, including how unimpressed he was by fame 03:34 Tim Laughlin describes how Fountain’s playing marked him as being from New Orleans 05:27 Laughlin describes Fountain’s three primary musical influences, Irving Fazola, Benny Goodman and Eddie Miller 09:05 Harrell describes Fountain’s obsession with reeds 09:55 Harrell recounts an encounter between Fountain and Sidney Forrest, illustrating their disagreement over whether or not to frequently change reeds 10:35 Harrell and Laughlin recollect one of Fountain’s last encounters with his granddaughter Izzy 11:57 Demonstration Laughlin demonstrates Fazola’s style 12:52 Laughlin explains how Fazola was a nickname 13:47 Demonstration Laughlin demonstrates Fazola’s blues sound 15:15 Harrell explains Fountain’s distaste for interviews 15:37 Laughlin tells the story of how he first met Fountain 19:31 Harrell explains that Fountain encouraged younger musicians to study but not to emulate him 19:58 Laughlin explains his predilection to try and think like, rather than play like, other musicians 20:50 Harrell describes Fountain’s gift for improvisation 22:07 Harrell and Laughlin discuss Fountain’s joy in both his playing and his personnel 23:11 Laughlin clarifies that in the ‘60s Fountain was considered a mainstream, rather than traditional, player 23:49 Laughlin gives some background on Eddie Miller 24:29 Demonstration “Wolverine Blues” 25:42 Harrell and Laughlin discuss Fountain’s decision not to join Louis Armstrong’s band 27:20 Laughlin explains how Fountain’s commercial success sometimes elides his musicianship 28:26 Harrell and Laughlin describe and share stories of how Fountain was most himself in his office after performing 31:11 Laughlin describes Fountain’s playing for the Pope 33:00 Harrell and Laughlin get into Fountain’s dedication to Mardi Gras 36:43 Laughlin and Harrell describe Fountain’s first gigs following heart surgery 39:34 Harrell describes Fountain’s last gig, at the 2013 Jazz Fest, where he was accompanied by his great-granddaughter Izzy 42:18 Harrell describes how Fountain kept his musicality even in hospice 42:59 Laughlin explains how Fountain picked keys according to register 43:14 Demonstration “A Closer Walk With Thee”
video recording
Public Access is available in the Archive due to copyright restrictions. Copyrights are retained by the participants. The video is available for viewing at the archive.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive