RUFFIN: NOW, A JAZZ MOMENT

"Whiskey Drinkin' Woman" up and hot

NEA JAZZ MASTER AND ALTO SAXOPHONIST LOU DONALDSON GIVES US THE BACKSTORY OF HIS COMPOSITION, "WHISKEY DRINKIN' WOMAN."

DONALDSON: I was in London at Ronnie Scott's Club, and I'm singin' my regular blues, and this guy comes up with his tuxedo and everything, and this gold, all these watches. He said, "Lou, use these words." And I said, "What do you mean, 'Use these words'?" He said, "These some good words for your blues." So I started singing it. "Whiskey drinkin' woman." And then when I ask, I said, "Who are you?" He said, "My name is John Turner. He's one of the prime baritone singers at the London Opera at that time.  He wrote those words. They're not mine, they're his. And he said, "Don't put my name on it, because I don't want to lose my job with the opera!"

Whiskey Drinkin' Woman up

THIS JAZZ MOMENT WITH 2013 NEA JAZZ MASTER LOU DONALDSON, WAS PRODUCED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.
____________________________________________________________
Excerpt of "Whiskey Drinkin' Woman" composed by Lou Donaldson from the album, Live on the QE2, used courtesy of Chiaroscuro Records and by permission of Tunemaker Music. (BMI).