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[King Of Gracelan...]

In the first part, Jerry talks about his background and his career.
It's actually difficult to find anything other than the most basic facts on him, and even reference-books like 'Elvis - His Life From A To Z' are disappointing in that respect.
So we felt that some backgrounds were necessary to put the interview into perspective.
In the second part you'll find our interview about his years with Presley.

Jerry Talks:
"I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, played tuba in grammar school and started playing string bass in the seventh grade.
I played in junior symphony as well as the school orchestra and played tuba in the Vallejo municipal band at age twelve.
We moved to Sacramento, CA when I was fourteen .
My mother was very supportive and took me to see concerts such as Jazz at the Philharmonic and Lionel Hamptons band.
I played mostly Jazz and classical music at the time, and listened to black R&B as well as Jazz stations from Oakland, CA.
At about age fifteen, I started to play in clubs and "after hours" sessions.
I played with mostly Jazz musicians who were into the East Coast Jazz scene.
In 1957 and 1958, I hung out in San Francisco some and played in an after hour club called "Jimbo's Bop City".
All the jazz musicians who came to town would come to play there.
Miles Davis sat on as well as John Coltrane and his band.
I never got to play with them, I would have been scared to death!
It was the "beat" era and there were a lot of drugs floating around.
I would beg some of the musicians to shoot me up....
I was a skinny towheaded white kid and I always felt like I was being protected.
Fortunately they did not give in to my desires.
One morning at about 3:00 a.m. at Jimbo's, a women came up on stage to sing.
She had on a pendelton shirt with a skirt and work boots.
This was 1958 and I had never seen anyone dressed like that.
She turned around and said "blues in F" as she stomped the time with her work boots.
The dust flew up from the carpet into the spotlight and away we went.
I was in heaven!
The singer was Big Momma Thorton.

[King Of Gracelan...]

The Interview:

Did Elvis show up on any of these sessions?
I can't remember.
You know, I played with a lot of people then, and I used to just literally...
I was a hippie, and I used to wear cut-off jeans, a pair of sandals and a t-shirt, and I'd take a jug of wine to the sessions.
I'd plug in, and play whatever they wanted, have some wine, and play, and maybe have something else every once in a while...
Then I'd go to the next session.
I used to do this day in and day out.

Were you politically active?
Yes, I was.
I attended three demonstrations actually.
I was opposed to the war in Vietnam.
Very opposed to it.
It was sad, 'cause I liked Lyndon Johnson and some of the things he did, the domestic things he did.
Then when Richard Nixon came in, I was very furious because he campained saying that he was gonna stop the war, and he didn't do it.
It escalated.
The biggest demonstration was at Hotel Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
There were thousands of people.
There was some police violence...
They shoved people over the side in a construction hole.
That was very frightening.
I played at peace rallies and stuff.
The native Americans took over Alcatraz in San Francisco harbour, which was a deserted prison.
We went over there, and did a benefit concert for them.
I used to do things like that.