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This was sent to me by my good friend, Dezzy McKenna. It was a yarn for me, but I loved it so much I asked him if I could post it, and he agreed.
So this is 'The Yarn About Baltimore Guitarist O'Donel Levy' as told by Aussie Drumming Legend, Dezzy McKenna.
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I’d never heard of him, but my benevolent Belgian club owner Fabrice Debarsy assured me he was really good. Big sized tall Afro-American daggy lookin goober in a blue tuxedo with thick glasses and a guitar case.
He had played with Herbie Mann, they told me. Ok I thought - that’s all right but big deal!
Herbie’s almost muzac! He was supposed to be the next George Benson in the CTI marketing but he couldn’t ‘behave’. Ernie Watts had fired him for flirting with the ‘wimmin’ from the stage, whilst Ernie was solo-ing.
He joined our gig and not only was he good’n jazzy and funky, but he was also as funny as Eddy Murphy and Richard Pryor all.
One night the Pat Boone band came to town. A bunch of born again Christian pop jazz dead shits with attitude –for a while.
They sat at our bar and I let the drummer sit in. He was good, a bit stiff, lots of chops but no bbq and not enough sausages. I over-heard the Pat Boone guitar star say, “I’ll stick around listen to this cat (Odee) a bit) I might sit in later if I feel like it”.
Now the Pat Boone boys were good solid pro jazz players, just doin ‘ the Pat gig’ for the money and the touring.
Odee warmed up and took it higher and higher, and with the higher than usual standard American drummer and bass he took it further and further. Till I realized, OMG he’s better than Wes Montgomery, he’s better than Charlie Bird and Kenny Burrell, he’s incredible…he’s even better than Hendrix!! No hyper bole her all truth!
AND it was the gig I never taped, dammit!
The Pat Boone guitarist went quiet, went white then purple then green then his jaw dropped and then he wept into his whisky.
Then Odee invited him up to play and gave him a spare guitar—a big fat 7 string number with a big fat neck and then he counted in Donnalee (a really hard tune ) at a brisk 280 b.p.m on the clock ( a really hard tempo) the Pat Boone gtr star just fumbled 4 half a chorus and downed tools and sat down again!!
3 months later the Winton Marsalis band came into town and came to our club to sit in.
THEY knew who O’Donel Levy was!!
With Herlin Riley on drums and the real deal brother Mick Dick on bass , Odee had a BLACK riddim section and he took it even further than before, now he was better than Jimi and Wes put together!! Even Winton put his trumpet down and just watched—mouth agape.
Wintons sax man who was the baddest in the band tried to stay a little longer, but then he gave up, till it was Odee , Herlin and Bassie talkin it to Pluto and back!! More real jazz than I’d ever heard b4 or since!! (and I’ve heard a lot!)
On top of all this, Odee (born technically blind) had been saved by a miracle eye operation but he since wore the thickest glasses u ever did see and he looked like a real NERD!! With a bad tuxedo and worse haircut.
The Gulf war had started and Singapore filled up w GI’s and USA sailors
Our tiny bar filled up with drunk soldiers and a few of them called Odee a ‘nigger’. He tolerated it a while then said to me “Dee--- (dezzy ie me) do u rumble?”
I’m a bit old and tired n tipply for that and we ARE in strict law Singapore and I thought he was joking.
He put down his guitar walked across the bar and thrashed 4 soldiers with hay makers and lots of yelling ‘honkies’ I’ll give u nigger!! Unbelievable!
As a drummer I’ve seen lots of bar fights, he flogged these guys, casually picked up his axe and started playing again while taunting them over the mike ‘’hahaha kicked yer asses didn’t I??!! etc etc
CRIKEY he’s 56 years old!!
His records are up on Youtube and Amazon, but they aint shit compared to what he can really do. Weird guy too, ate ate Mcdonalds or Denny’s every night –in SINGAPORE, where they have the best food in all of Asia!!, has millions in the bank from guitar and voice over’s, the Singaporeans LOVE the black American accent.
And “Irish, Jewish and Black” was guitarist O'Donel Levy's own running joke! He's had a
stroke now, can hardly move n probably wont play again.
He calls me Dee or Doctor Dee the prescription man (musically).
Mick Dick, Australia's own, played bass w Winton and Odee Levy - not their own soul brother--he didnt show!
Australian blues ''big Paul Cumming'' kicked off the set with some hard driving Freddy King style blues and Winton Marsalis and band sat in with us all friendly like 3 x blues rock reggae grungers from the Station Hotel Prahran, we were playin w the grand masters!!
I played drums w Winton and Odee a while then graciously let the legend Herlin Riley sit in. Fabrice Debarsy ... was patron of the Fabrice World Music Bar and The Singapore Saxophone Bar is THE greatest jazz rock blues club owner i ever met in 45 years of this bizzo and a mountain of fun and party trix after the gig too.
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Here is approximately 6 minutes from a much longer track, titled "The World Is A Gekko", featuring our 'Man', Dezzy, playing drums with the 'Great Man', Odee.
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Finally couple of videos, the first is Odee playing live. Watch this and you will understand just why Dezzy raves about this guy!
