Well Im the king of jazz now, thought Hokie Mokie to himself as he oiled the slide on his trombone. Hasnt been a bone man been king of jazz for many years. But noicy MacLammermoor, the old king, is dead, I guess Im it. Maybe I better play a few notes out of this window here, to reassure myself.
"Wow!" said somebody standing on the sidewalk. "Did you hear that?"
"I did," said his panion.
" you distinguish reat homemade Ameri jazz performers, each from the other?"
"Used to could."
"Then who was that playing?"
"Sounds like Hokie Mokie to me. Those few but perfectly selected notes have the real epiphanic glow."
"The what?"
"The real epiphanic glow, such as is obtained only by artists of the caliber of Hokie Mokie, whos from Pass Christian, Mississippi. Hes the king of jazz, noicy MacLammermoor is gone."
Hokie Mokie put his trombone in its trombone case ao a gig. At the gig everyone fell back before him, bowing.
"Hi Bucky! Hi Zoot! Hi Freddie! Hi Gee! Hi Thad! Hi Roy! Hi Dexter! Hi Jo! Hi Willie! Hi Greens!"
"What we gonna play, Hokie? You the king of jazz now, you gotta decide."
"How bout Smoke?"
"Wow!" everybody said. "Did you hear that? Hokie Mokie just knock a fella out, just the way he pronounces a word. What a intonation on that boy! God Almighty!"
"I dont want to play Smoke, " somebody said.
"Would you repeat that, stranger?"
"I dont want to play Smoke. Smoke is dull. I dont like the ges. I refuse to play Smoke. "
"He refuses to play Smoke! But Hokie Mokie is the king of jazz and he says Smoke!"
"Man, you from outa town or something? What do you mean you refuse to play Smoke? Howd you get on this gig anyhow? Who hired you?"
"I am Hideo Yamaguchi, from Tokyo, Japan."
"Oh, youre one of those Japas, eh?"
"Yes Im the top trombone man in all of Japan."
"Well youre wele here until we hear you play. Tell me, is the Tenea Room still the top jazz pla Tokyo?"
"No, the top jazz pla Tokyo is the Square Box now."
"Thats nice. O.K., now we gonna play Smoke just like Hokie said. You ready, Hokie? O.K., give you four for nothin. Owo! Three! Four!"
The two men who had been standing under Hokies window had followed him to the club. Now they said:
"Good God!"
"Yes, thats Hokies famous English sunrise way of playing. Playing with lots of rays ing out of it, some red rays, some blue rays, some green rays, some green stemming from a violet ter, some olive stemming from a taer --"
"That young Japanese fellow is pretty good, too."
"Yes, he is pretty good. And he holds his horn in a peculiar way. Thats frequently the mark of a superior player."
"Bent over like that with his head between his knees -- good God, hes sensational!"
Hes sensational, Hokie thought. Maybe I ought to kill him.
But at that moment somebody came in the door pushing in front of him a four-and-one-half-octave marimba. Yes, it was Fat Man Jones, and he began to play even before he was fully in the door.
"Whatre we playing?"
" Billies Bounce. "
"Thats what I thought it was. Whatre we in?"
"F."
"Thats what I thought we were in. Didnt you use to play with Maynard?"
"Yeah I was on that band for a while until I was in the hospital."
"What for?"
"I was tired."
"What we add to Hokies fantastic playing?"
"How bout some rain or stars?"
"May