History suggests that jazz was born sometime near the turn of the 19th century. If you’re interested in bearing witness to the history of Tampa Bay jazz, then you’d do well to find a gig featuring John Lamb or Kitty Daniels. Lamb, however, isn’t completely sold on his stature as one of the giants of Bay area jazz.
“It’s just because I’m the oldest,” he told CL over the phone. It’s not clear if he’s just deadpanned his way through a wisecrack, but what isn’t a joke is how ubiquitous a presence the 85-year-old bassist — who appeared on no less than two dozen recordings with the Duke Ellington Orchestra — is in the local scene. When we first connected with Lamb, he asked us to call him back when he finally woke up. At 2:30 p.m., three hours later, he reminded us that “we musicians hang out late,” which makes a lot of sense. Lamb, by every account, is the most important bassist as far as Bay area jazz players go.
“He’s really going strong, and he still sounds great,” WUSF 89.7-FM Jazz Director Mike Cornette told CL. “And every time I see him, he kind of grabs my arm, and he’s got such a grip, man, because he’s just been working so hard.”
Lamb was born to a music-loving family in Vero Beach and played tuba in high school. He joined the U.S. Air Force military band, quickly transitioned to the string bass, and first appeared on a record with Ellington’s orchestra in 1965. Lamb traveled the world with Ellington, on and off, for about a decade; he even played for Catalan surrealist Joan Miró during an impromptu, intimate trio gig in the village of St. Paul de Vence in the south of France. In a separate interview, Lamb admits to not remembering much about the mini-gig since he was still coming down from playing a festival alongside Ella Fitzgerald, Jean-Luc Ponty, Charles Lloyd and Keith Jarrett.
When he spoke to CL, Lamb was more keen to reminisce about the time he spent teaching in Philadelphia or his wife’s own influence as an educator. Lamb — who was attracted to St. Petersburg’s central location in Florida — cherishes the times he played in local orchestras, and St. Pete church bands getting to meet jazz heavyweights like the late Al Downing. His approach to the bass involves being selective about the things he plays; for Lamb, not playing everything you know is the key.
“People are only able to digest so much — people feel,” he said, adding that his goal onstage is to simply connect to his audience to the best of his ability. “It’s about making them feel good. It’s not about me, I’m only a messenger.”
Daniels, 84, is similarly out gigging more than she isn’t (at least five nights a week between two residencies) — she’s also just as humble about her position as a cornerstone of the Bay area jazz scene.
“I play music. I like the effect it has on people,” she told CL, conceding that she does know most of the Great American Songbook. Louise Krikorian is filming a documentary about Daniels, and told CL that the pianist and singer-songwriter can play pretty much any tune by ear. She can change keys at the drop of a dime. The Ybor City-born talent is an alumna of Middle High School and a direct connection to the days when the radio entertained families. Daniels has received formal training, but she’s been told that she first put her hands on a piano when she was eight months old.
“Jazz to me is being able to create the sounds you make from what you’re feeling,” Daniels said. “Not necessarily copying somebody else. It’s spontaneous and off the top of your head.”
She never plays a song the same way twice, and according to anyone who’s seen her, fans don’t forget their first time watching Daniels sing.
“When I first saw Kitty and her drummer Majid Shabazz, I was struck by her singing. She was reminiscent of Billie Holiday and other singers of that era,” WUSF's Bob Seymour told CL, adding that Daniels’ style at the keys is all her own, too, by virtue of her playing jazz and other kinds of music at a very early age. He tries to get to Donatello in South Tampa every few weeks or so to see Kitty play.
“She’s the heart and soul of music in Tampa to me,” Seymour said.
Follow @cl_music on Twitter to get the most up-to-date music news, concert announcements and local tunes. Subscribe to our newsletter, too.
Related Stories
Pianist-singer Kitty Daniels, a beloved fixture of the Tampa jazz scene, has died at age 90
This article appears in Jul 18-25, 2019.