Quincy Jones And Bill Cosby: The Original Jam Sessions, and remixes

February 24, 2014 7:50 PM

Later this year will mark the 45th anniversary of Bill Cosby's first self-titled sitcom, The Bill Cosby Show. Ten years ago, the original jam sessions were released, which are notable for the "various collection of notables who steal the show with contributions at various points." Pianist Les McCann, sax man Ernie Watts, and guitarist Arthur Adams get things going on "Groovy Gravy," Tom Scott shows some legit chops on "Toe Jam," while Jimmy Smith offers sampling of his Hammond B3 on the interlude "Jimmy Cookin' On Top." If seeing Quincy Jones and Bill Cosby get top billing confused you, the album credits reference their roles, which are not front-and-center, except for some vocal improv by Cosby on "Hikky-Burr." You can hear more tracks on Grooveshark, and if you're into more of that modern dance remixery, you might (also) enjoy The New Mixes, Vol. 1, which can also be sampled on Grooveshark.
posted by filthy light thief (10 comments total)

If you want a sampling of the show, here's an episode. I'm not sure which episode it is, but here's the Wikipedia page on the show, with a bit of information on each episode. If you want to more about Cosby's TV career, here's his entry in Historical Dictionary of African-American Television (Google books preview).
posted by filthy light thief at 7:54 PM on February 24, 2014

I'm old enough to remember that show well, and love it much more than his corny 'family' sitcom of the 80s... and if I ever get to see him on stage, even at this age (for both of us), I will yell out "DO HICKY-BURR!!!"
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:59 PM on February 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

foop, he still performs the song. Well, he did, as of 2012.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:13 PM on February 24, 2014

Y'see, jazz is like jello pudding. No, actually its more like Kodak film. No, actually jazz is like the New Coke...
posted by entropicamericana at 8:13 PM on February 24, 2014

Bill Cosby smoking a cigar, trash-talking Joe Frazier, and reminiscing about his days as a jazz drummer on the Dick Cavett Show with fellow guest Jack Benny.

Also:

Bill Cosby: Kids, this is your Grandpa Murphy.

Bill Cosby's Daughter: But we've got three grandpas already.

Bill Cosby: This one's the famous jazz musician.

Bill Cosby's Daughter: Ah, they all are!

Bill Cosby: Oh,oh-oh! You see, the kids these days, they listen to the rap music, which gives them the brain damage. With the hippin' and the hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin', they don't know what the jazz is all about. Y'see, jazz is like Jello pudding... no, that's not it. Jazz is like Kodak film... no, that's not right neither. I've got it, jazz is like the new Coke - it'll be around forever.

posted by Atom Eyes at 8:17 PM on February 24, 2014 [3 favorites]

I defy you to listen to Hikky Burrr (with the Coz beatboxing) and not have at least a teeny upward bump in your mood.
posted by hearthpig at 8:27 PM on February 24, 2014

Mod note: Couple of comments deleted; linking to sensational story at the start of a thread is a guaranteed derail.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:03 PM on February 24, 2014 [2 favorites]

Hooooooo lawd! I am glad to see the "ChetKincaid" tag properly deployed here. Please carry on with your respective bad selves.
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 10:07 PM on February 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

Atom Eyes, thank you for that clip. That story was awesome. Likewise, nice post.
posted by GrapeApiary at 6:32 AM on February 25, 2014

Man does this bring back stuff. We had a mess of Cosby comedy albums and a couple of musical ones in our house in the 1970s. (I distinctly remember “Silver Throat,” because I was confused that it wasn’t funny.) Before Richard Pryor raised the bar, Cosby was regarded as a hip, marginal character. Awesome post.
posted by axoplasm at 10:53 PM on February 25, 2014