by Jack Kerouac
JACK. Didn’t you read it?…
CODY. Now see, you know four times I asked you and four times you didn’t answer me see, so at this time I said “Well—” although I’ve hesitated asking it several times, I thought “I’ll make Jack say ‘Nah don’t read it’” you know, and…’cause you never did say it, see. I kept asking and asking and you never answered…. You always give some ambiguous statement or you never say anything at all like you just now said “Didn’t you read it?” ‘S’ if it was perfectly alright (laughing)…I would have read it long ago if I’d known I could have read it
JACK. Oh. (Cody laughs) Well…the first page was written before I got high
CODY. Oh I know that, I remember exactly where you got high
JACK. And I feel very guilty about it
CODY. Oh I see, uh huh
JACK. Well read it. (pause)…I feel that I’m assailed from all sides…. I’m being flailed from all sides
CODY. Jesus Christ, man, that’s a terrible feeling…Jesus
JACK. But there’s no time for feeling, huh?
CODY. Well there’s time for feeling, it’s just how much—first thing you would do with it you know, I mean, ah, I can’t, ah…. It’s very hard, in the end we’re all by ourselves…. So, got to figure out ourselves…. But the thing is, what I don’t know, I think your mind is too much on the writing so that you really don’t have time to really sit down and go into whatever this is that’s flailing you, all these people flailing you, and so that you’re not really hungup on that, it’s just a feeling that you don’t deal with, and so you, you know ’cause you’ve got too many other things on your mind. What it is with me would be a change in personality…I mean a change in values, change in—
JACK. In what way?
CODY. Well you know, a change in your concerns, what you’re concerned about. See you’re not really concerned about that or else you’d think about it more and be hungup on it. You’re hungup on it alright.
JACK. On…writing about it!
CODY. Yes, it’s just because you’re writing, see, you’re really only concerned about the writing…
(tape goes blank for four minutes while they go on talking, about fame, not wanting to be destroyed, status, career, control, both of them extremely sad and close)
(CONTINUATION OF TAPE)
…that’ll make some difference, but ah, I got a little better control than I used to have but it’s still not the right kind I guess
JACK. Well you’re, you’re a family man now…. You know, James Joyce had a big family but, ah, well, I don’t know how he got to write so much; he lived in Switzerland, France; he had his study, you know, he was a man of serious solemn habits, that’s all, took walks in the morning, and wrote, had a job as a teacher. He had a lot of children but I don’t think he spent any time taking care of them, see, except once in a while, an hour or so a day…
CODY. You’re not gonna get hardly any of this recorded you know
JACK. Well, that’s the sadness of it all
THE PARTY ____________________
PAT. (after hubbub) But that’s the one of “Leave Us Leap”—I got hung-up on that one one night at Jimmy’s place and I must have played it twenty times
CODY. Yeah…ah…
PAT. That “Leave Us Leap,” Gene Krupa’s “Leave Us Leap,” (“Them There Eyes” begins on phonograph) Boy it’s got everything, it’s got, oh man, you got—piano passage in it that’s terrific…. Everything, everything in the thing is good. Did you—did you hear that “Charmaine” by Billie—Billie—
JACK. I can’t remember “Leave Us Leap”
PAT. “Leave Us Leap”? Oh man it’s sensational
JACK. Roy Eldridge on it?
PAT.—one of the best numbers I ever heard. Doesn’t tell you. Must be
JACK. Well he had quite a band, sure
PAT. (as Cody talks far in background saying: I saw…) But man that “Leave Us Leap,” it’s just…it’s almost like “I Want to Be Happy” with Glenn Miller, you know? You know how he—before that, drivin all the time you know? Sounds like there’s a tension…. (as Jack sings “I Want to Be Happy” in harmony with “Them There Eyes”) No…ten times as fast as that
JACK. That’s fast though…that’s the tune
PAT. That’s what it said on the label but you’d never know. (Jack laughs) The tension and drive all the way through
JACK. (bemused at phonograph) Ooh…we’ll play the Dizzy
PAT. (still reading cookbook) Huh?
JIMMY. (playing with toy telephone) Can you tell me why the manufacturer forgot to put a hole in the—the part where you hear through?
PAT. So it’s so you can call your wife
JIMMY. Ah…I was—
CODY. (laughing) So you can call your wife…
JIMMY. It doesn’t fit on here…sounds better (squeaking it) that way
CODY. (entering now) Man…aww…Jimmy…is this different pot than what—
JIMMY. No…there’s only one difference, there’s about ten roaches mixed up, you know?
CODY. Yeah! Boy! (Jimmy laughs and says something inaudible) (Cody watches Pat) He blasts like Louis Armstrong! Zoom! It’s gone in two roaches…it makes a roach out of a joint in two puffs. (everybody laughing) That sonumbitch is high, man…. No, he’s going, ffff, sss, man he just keeps going up, up, up, and I’m watching down, down, down…. Now. (laughs) Ah look at him! (much blasting…Lester Young starts) (groaning and blasting) No, what? (Evelyn speaks faintly from way back) Oh yeah? Hey Jack
JACK. Huh?
CODY. She’s reading along here on a page and she says “You and Jack had this exact same conversation tonight”…the same paragraph…of Billie Holliday
JACK. Yeah
EVELYN. (reads) “Good morning heartaches”—“Good morning heartaches”—“yeah”…
PAT. (discussing something briefly with Jimmy and laughing as Evelyn reads)…did you hear that record “Charmaine” by Billy May? (to Jack) Boy, you know…oh man, I was gonna go in the store the other day and buy it and bring it up to Jimmy’s, and I thought “It’ll probably cost me a buck, I don’t—I don’t—” ah, boy it’s really fine, one of the finest records I ever heard
CODY. (whistling strangely) Here you are Jimmy, watch out you don’t lose a finger there—
JIMMY. Hey! (burning on roach)
CODY. (laughter) Watch out…YOU don’t lose a finger (to Pat). We barely made it man, the transfer. She’s burned his finger, and I’m goofing off here this way
PAT. Burnt my lip awhile ago
CODY. Yeah, yeah…yeah. (Evelyn speaks) Yeah, you’re not the roach type hey? I’ll get down and suck on it anytime. Hmm, it’s not down yet. (losing roach in mouth) Burnt your lip hey? (to Pat) (laughs and Dizzy starts) Oh well, now wait a second…
JIMMY. We’ve smoked this to the last, I swear the last—
PAT. Did you ever hear that record by Billy May of “Charmaine”?
CODY. Here you are, here you are! Yes! Jack has…’cause, remember “Charmaine” on the…“Sepia Serenade”? You may not remember just the name “Charmaine”
JACK. No I don’t remember that
CODY. Guy named Billy May?
JACK. Billy May…
PAT. Boy, what, listen, it sounds better than Glenn Miller ever used to, well not better, but you know, almost, as—
JACK. (as Cody laughs) What is it, a big band?
CODY. No, colored
PAT. No, real drive colored swing outfit
CODY. (to Jack) Can’t get it? Ooh man, it’s flaming
JACK. Oh…there was nothing there
CODY. No, there’s nothing there…was a little flame…one little nothing that was there was going but you couldn’t feel of it because it was so…small
PAT. You got it? It was out on transfer
JACK. What kind of band is it? a colored big band? Jive—
PAT. Yes, about set up like, ah, Miller used to have…just about the same setup and everything
PAT. Oh man, if you hear this “Charmaine,” boy, you’ll say its terrific
JACK. I’ll bet they blow sweet at that
CODY. What I said was, Jimmy, ah, I was going to say, thank you for getting me from halfway up to all the way up there…over the hill, there, you know what I was sayin, you understand (laughs), you know what I mean…. Phew!
JIMMY. You’re now a profound thinker
CODY. Man, no, I’m just—
JIMMY. You’re just found
CODY.—trying to remember what transpired before the beginning of that there cigarette
JACK. Dizzy (as Dizzy plays wild trumpet softly)
CODY. (after listening to Evelyn) Yeah? Yeah, all we talk about’s Bull and his shotgun. Yeah. That’s right. Of course. That’s right. (hubbub) That’s what I told him here, all we talk about is Bull. Yeah
JACK. (whistling with “Bebop” end-riff) All one breath! Man, what…big chests!
CODY. Good or bad…why not? (talking with Evelyn about too much T or not)
EVELYN. (laughing) Well, I don’t know why (Charlie Parker’s “Lover Man” starts)
(MUSIC drowns out mumbles, hubbub, Cody and Evelyn softly)
JIMMY. What are you reading that’s so interesting?
CODY. More of the—more of the—
JIMMY. What is it? (Evelyn explains softly)
JACK. Listen to Charlie
CODY. Yeah
JACK. You gotta stare, I guess…to really listen
CODY. Oh yeah
JACK. What were you going to say? What’d you come over here to say?—(then meaning Pat) Still reading the cookbook!
CODY. (laughing) Man, yeah. I tell you, nothing like putting into practic the good words put upon a printed page
PAT. Hmm? I can read these things, like some people do novels—
CODY. (laughing) That’s great—I was thinking have they got a good apple pie recipe in there? (laughing again) Jack’s been hungup making apple pies. He’s made three apple pies in two days, or vice versa, ’cause I got a whole bunch of apples, see, every day we’ll buy one of the—so tonight he finally gave out, see, I said “Well where’s the pie?” “Well, ah, we won’t eat it till tomorrow so I’ll make it tomorrow” he says you know—(Evelyn and Jimmy chuckling over manuscript) What’s happening over there? Ooo, Jesus…
PAT. Man, I’m sure gettin a goofy kick this time, I don’t know what’s floatin (laughing heartily)
CODY. Who’s, hey, wait, I, I missed that one, hey I missed that one, he’s getting a—
JIMMY. He’s gettin a kick off that recipe
CODY. He is? Well let me see it
PAT. I’m reading a…alligator pear salad
CODY. Alligator pear salad
PAT. Says here a big outfit—I’ll read—
CODY. Great
PAT…. reading the cookbook and one thing—
JIMMY. My oh my, that’s great, always—
PAT. What the hell am I doing in here?…
CODY. WHAT pears?
JACK. Brrrp,
PAT…. avocado…geez…. I know but I couldn’t remember when I got down there…you know, you feel like slamming your hat down and jumping over it…
CODY. (laughing, new music, hubbub) You gotta concentrate—
(MUSIC now Flip Phillips)
PAT. (still talking about same thing)…Chinese…hiccups…
CODY. Chinese
PAT. Chinese
CODY. Yeah
PAT. Chi-nese, though, I kept going up and down fast…cheese looked like Chinese
CODY. Oh, yeah
PAT. Cheese…
CODY. Hey…. Ah…how to cook game, huh? Hoooeee! (to music) (Jack is whistling, swinging)
PAT. That stuff was alright wasn’t it?
CODY. Oh was it alright!…Just a moment…just a moment please…just a moment. (turns off music) Just a moment please. (as Jack goes on whistling to gone-off record) Just a moment please…. Just listen to the piano. (starts same record again) Just listen to it
JACK. (laughing) No flutes!
CODY. (blowing jazz flute) Listen…(Jack joins him on black piccolo)
JACK. You told him…. He blows though—(clapping beat for Cody, then laughing and retiring) (to Jimmy) Flip Phillips see? (Cody playing and watching Jack)
JIMMY. Yeah
JACK. (laughing at Cody’s swing) All hollow blowing…all wind
CODY. (laughing in mi mi mi mi mi notes, ha ha ha going up) (elaborately, and later said he didn’t know he was an opera singer, that is, doing this)
JACK. Well, ah…
PAT. Someone’s been trying these sauces already, huh?
JACK. Here’s a big roach for me (laughing at discovery on the floor)
CODY. Boy you sure tricked him that time…. Did he look up when you said that?
JIMMY. Who?
CODY. He said “Here’s a big roach for ye”—Don’t think I didn’t overhear that
JACK. Where did the, ah, tweezers go?
EVELYN. Oh (explaining where softly)
CODY. Man, somebody’s made away with my record
JACK. What did you do with the—
CODY. What’s happening…. Oh no wonder, he’s got it all propped up here
JACK. Where’d you put your tweezers?
CODY. Aw they—they’re up on top, man, in the bowl, where everything belongs
JACK. Oh yeah, there they are, sticking up. See I knew Cody is systematic
CODY. (starting “Honeysuckle Rose”) Wait a minute! (stops it) What’s happening here? What’s happening in this household? What’s going on in the vicinity of this place? What’s happening?
EVELYN. (talking far back)…parts that weren’t there…next time…you go on with the story…the part about Bull shooting out the window…
(MUSIC: loud revelry interrupts Cody loud on flute)
PAT. That stuff must be good, I’m tellin you
CODY. (laughing happily) Hear that Jack? He says “That stuff must be—” (resumes flute)
PAT. This is a good number, what the devil is that?
JIMMY…. drums on toy bongos
CODY. (as Jack and Evelyn ask him a question about what he meant by “Somerset T-type bench”) Ah, I’ll tell you in one second…I’ll tell you in one second. (resumes flute) Ah ha ha ha…. Now. We’ll pick up the beat a little bit here, play that old standard classic. This record was made twenty years ago, I want you to hear their saxophones. Listen to this. (starts “Crazy Rhythm”) (flutes)
PAT. Dig the drum here. You know that one. You don’t believe it, you know
CODY. Listen to this sax, alto, listen. Listen…. Listen…. Listen…to Coleman Hawkins, listen…
PAT. Ralph Parker’s the guy he was trying to think about in Australia
CODY. Here he comes
JIMMY. Ralph Parker’s the guy he was trying to think about in Australia? (laughing) An hour later!!
CODY. He remembers! Listen to Coleman, real open tone. Here comes the alto again, now listen to the alto, here he comes…. Hear him?…real sweet but he rocks…. He’ll play the same phrase again, he’ll play it again, real sweet. Watch him hang on it…. Here comes Coleman real low
PAT. Man, that’s fine…. He blows
CODY. Bassplayer says “Come on man, come on!” He goes “Prrrr….” Listen—He says “Come on—”
JIMMY. “Blow me an extra one,” huh?
CODY. Yeah. He says “No, no, no, the hell with you,” you hear him? He says “Prrrr….” He’ll play anything. You like that?
PAT. Yeah
CODY. Play it again huh? Right away or do you want something in between? Right away?
PAT. Let’s—let’s go right on with it…
CODY. Alright now that’s great, now you’re talking. Sit down and listen to that alto first…first they play together…this was their band in France in 1920 right after the war—
PAT. What was this?
PAT. In 1920?
CODY. Yeah, listen to it, sure…that’s the way they blew those old alto men…. Boy they’re swell…listen to ’em swing! (flutes) Listen to the alto, see?
PAT. They played like that in 1920?
JIMMY. Some of ’em were terrific. People knew what the hell it was, in New Orleans…
PAT. Bet my old man knew, though…
JIMMY. Yeah he was always talkin, so,—
CODY. Here comes Coleman, first time, here’s Coleman…listen to him, real low. Listen to him walk in, hear it, here him come in there? Whooo! He blows. Now here comes the alto again, he plays the same way he did before only slower man and way up, listen, here he comes slow, he’s very slow, wow, he’ll play it, now listen, hear him blow that phrase? Whoo! But old Coleman he’s got—dig him! (Jimmy’s drumming) That’s Coleman, remember how he sounds? (tape runs blank, five seconds, then when it comes on again Cody is saying:)…same thing…here’s the way he plays that same song today. Real different, dig this…see how subtle he is? Here he is, listen…he’s changed, he’s twenty years older, playing the same song. Hear him? different
JIMMY. Can you change the needle?
CODY. But I haven’t got any needle…. That’s the trouble man, my needles are all shot. (pulls record off to change needle) Don’t have any
JIMMY. Let’s find a needle (sepulchrally)
CODY. (music re-starts) That’s better!
PAT. Gee this is a swell number isn’t it huh? Is it a reprint?
CODY. May-be…we were discussing that last night. (after music) Here he comes…
JIMMY. Yeah
CODY. Piano
JIMMY. All bass
CODY. Yeah bass
PAT. I think this is an original
CODY. Might be, it’s what he says, ’cause it doesn’t say reissue (after long listen to music)…. Now he really goes, he’s been playing here for five minutes and he still hasn’t got it—ah, hear him blowin in there? (machine stops there, then re-starts)
EVELYN. Cody remembered a whole lot of this conversation on the way down there (talking with Jack about the missing parts of Third Night)
CODY. (after singing with Josh White record of “Bad Housing Blues” and goofing) Hey man…. W.P.A. kicks…. Hey Jack, here’s an unbelievable thing!
JACK. Oh…what?