Jazz tenor saxophonist and respected music leader

Birth:

Birthplace:

Date of Interview:

Place Interviewed:

Interviewer:

Webster Groves, Missouri

September 23, 1998

SIUE

Therese Zoski Dickman

Tape # Side

Time

Subject

1 a

1:00

Biographical info, early music teacher

1 a

2:08

Decision to move to New York; influences from New
York: Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McClean

1 a

2:47

worked with Eddie Randall in St. Louis

1 a

3:15

New York experience, wasn't prepared to play in New
York

1 a

4:23

Jam sessions with local guys and newcomers

1 a

4:42

Needed to meet the demand and stand ground in order
to play

1 a

5:10

Sat back absorbing

1 a

5:30

Kioni Zawatti helped with chord change on the subway

1 a

6:45

Initial meeting with Miles Davis

1 a

8:00

Frequent gigs at Count Basie's on Monday nights

1 a

8:40

Time and length of work in New York vs. in St. Louis

1 a

9:05

Freddie Hubbard at Count Basie's

1 a

10:10

Birdland in 1957, Freddie Hubbard playing trumpet

1 a

11:29

Met Quincy Jones band, Art Blakey and the Jazz
Messengers

1 a

11:41

Ray Draper, tuba player played with Max Roach

1 a

12:25

Howard Johnson, tuba player who played the tuba like a
trumpet

1 a

12:53

Clarity of sound

1 a

13:26

Wayne Shorter in Brooklyn

1 a

13:30

Asked to play "Stablemates" after Wayne Shorter

1 a

14:07

New York as a learning experience

1 a

14:36

Johnny Cols, played trumpet together in Trenton, NJ

1 a

15:09

Needed to slow down his playing

1 a

15:30

Missed gig at Berlin

1 a

16:12

Jam sessions as a test

1 a

16:40

The more he was in New York, the more he learned

1 a

17:05

Yusef Latiff's house for jam sessions

1 a

17:35

Barry Harris, mostly guys from Detroit at Usef Latiff's
house

1 a

18:07

Met tenor player who played on Herbie Hancock's
"Watermelon Man"

1 a

19:11

Barry Harris playing at jam session at Yusef Latiff's
house

1 a

19:49

Being able to see and meet people

1 a

20:15

Roy Haynes called Akins to work with him for a few
weeks

1 a

20:52

Lenny White and Steve Grossman when they were
younger

1 a

21:18

Billie Cobham and George Cables 1 a 21:37 Billie
Cobham on George Cables

1 a

21:57

Learning Experience and advice in New York

1 a

22:50

Came back to St. Louis in 1968

1 a

23:16

Periodically came back to St. Louis while in New York

1 a

23:17

Highly respected once he came back from New York

1 a

24:12

Learned more about the form of music

1 a

25:40

Played same tunes in a different manner

1 a

26:00

Variations in his playing style

1 a

26:20

Barbary Coast for about 2-3yrs

1 a

26:44

Club owner talking to him as the band leader about
variations

1 b

0:06

Club owner, GasLight Square and the Palace, dress
code

1 b

0:59

Johnnie O'Neal at a club

1 b

2:00

Motives of the club owner

1 b

2:36

Akin's forming own group

1 b

3:05

Type of music he wanted to play and what people
wanted to hear

1 b

4:25

People who have been in his group: Rob Block, guitar,
Bernard Hutcherson Jr., drums, Gus Thornton, bass

1 b

5:25

Younger players in the group

1 b

5:40

Self-sufficient, especially in the group

1 b

6:23

Clubs looking for a sound

1 b

6:48

Current Group: Rob Block, William VowHombracht,
Emmanuel Harold

1 b

7:10

Keyon Harold, trumpet player, ages of Emmanuel and
Keyon

1 b

7:37

Akins' CD Cover, Barbary Coast

1 b

8:01

What led to CD, Simon Rowe

1 b

8:33

Akins asked Simon to play a few gigs

1 b

9:00

Spruills - played with Simon and added him to the
group

1 b

10:05

Akins' compositions "Alima" and "Hey Baby" on the
CD

1 b

10:33

CD release party

1 b

11:12

Anticipated rain for release party

1 b

11:35

Storm warnings began

1 b

11:54

Started raining

1 b

12:04

Lights went out at his home

1 b

12:27

Went back to his mother's house

1 b

12:50

Traffic was bad to the release party

1 b

13:05

arrived at release party

1 b

13:15

Full house for the release party at the Sheldon
Memorial Concert Hall

1 b

13:45

Party turned out great

1 b

14:02

CD had been out a year

1 b

14:04

Honored at Jazz Supper Dance held at SIUE

1 b

14:25

Julius Hunter, Reggie Thomas and Rick Haydon also
honored

1 b

14:40

Performed with fellow honorees

1 b

14:55

Also played at the Ritz with Reggie and Rick

1 b

15:04

Scott Alberice original

1 b

15:20

Tommy Kennedy, bass, Ray Kennedy, piano

1 b

15:49

Leaving to do some recording soon

1 b

16:00

Did CD with Jeanne Trevor, "Love You Madly"

1 b

16:15

Lugman Hamza, from Kansas City, recording with
Akins

1 b

17:07

Catalyst Productions and their beginning

1 b

17:55

Wanting to record Akins groups

1 b

18:14

Simon setting up things record

1 b

18:55

Simon urging Akin to record

1 b

19:10

Recorded at J. Oliver Studio, Creve Coeur, MO

1 b

19:40

Variety of songs on the CD

1 b

20:10

What he would want people to remember about him and
his contributions to jazz

1 b

20:50

Awarded by Jazz Crusaders for Jazz Icon in community

1 b

21:30

Music speaks for itself

1 b

21:49

Played music others didn't know and different styles

1 b

22:25

Played different tempos to different songs

1 b

23:05

Need to be able to play different tempos

1 b

23:35

Looking forward to many more years

1 b

23:58

Challenge to keep young guys

1 b

24:15

Keeping a group together is hard

1 b

24:25

BB's Blues and Soups and Spruills is where he plays

1 b

25:04

Wrap up of interview