02-02-2006, 11:52 PM
In July of 1984, I met Cab Calloway. By sheer luck and coincidence, I was at Disneyland on the day he was there to play at the Carnation Plaza bandstand. His first two sets were taped for a Disney Channel presentation, Big Bands at Disneyland. It came out on VHS, too. I'm right up front in my pink shirt with my ex-wife. I spoke to Cab between sets, and asked if he wouldn't mind playing "St. James Infirmary Blues," as it was one of my favorites. I told him how I knew the tune, from the Max Fleischer Betty Boop Snow White cartoon. He got a faraway look in his eye - and I know that may sound trite, but if you'd seen him at that moment, you'd know that it's the only viable description - and said, "Man, I haven't done one of those in years." Yeah, Cab, I'm thinking. Like about 50 years, daddy-o. Anyway, after the video crowd packed up after set number two, he played two more sets. About half way through the fourth and final set, he looks down and sees me sitting there, front and center, not going nowhere. He turns around and says something to the band. They all dig around into the back pages of their sheet music, looking at each other, smiling, surprised. They settle in. And Bang! That first bar from "St. James Infirmary Blues" kicks out and Cab starts in with a couple dance steps, one hand on his belly, the other up in the air, head down, does a quick spin on one toe and tears into "Folks, I'm going down to St. James infirm'ry...." and I just fall apart. Man, they just killed me, it was so good. And the band ripped it up. They had a blast with that song and Cab had a grin that made him look 50 years younger. Sorry, video crew. You missed the high spot that night.