Blues in the Night

SORRY!

HELLO, MOM?

IT'S NICKIE, YOUR SON NICKIE.

SO MUCH NOISE?

THERE'S NO NOISE HERE, MOM.

HEY, LOOK, MOM, I HAVE AN EXAM TOMORROW IN ROMAN JURISPRUDENCE.

ROMAN LAW.

R-O-M-A--

LOOK, MOM, I'LL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU TOMORROW.

NO, MOM, I CAN'T BE HOME FOR DINNER.

WHAT, MOM?

I SAID ROMAN LAW, MOM. YOU SEE, THE ITALIANS--

LOOK, MOM, I'LL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU TOMORROW.

GOOD-BYE!

TAKE IT AWAY, SISTER! IT'S ALL YOURS NOW.

Man: WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY SENT THE FOOD BACK? NOT IN MY PLACE!

DIDN'T YOU TELL 'EM THIS WAS THE BEST JOINT IN ST. LOUIS?

THEY'LL EAT IT AND LIKE IT!

HI-YA, JIGGER! HI-YA!

SPIT IT OUT FOR ME, KID, MEAN AND LOW!

HEY! YOU'RE WITH ME!

LISTEN, STU, IT'S BAD ENOUGH I HAVE TO DANCE WITH YOU,

I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT YOU, TOO.

I DON'T LIKE THAT GUY,

AND I DON'T LIKE HIS MUSIC.

HEY, I DON'T LIKE YOU,

AND I DON'T LIKE YOUR MUSIC!

AW, DON'T BE LIKE THAT!

Man: THAT'S WONDERFUL, JIGGER! THAT'S TERRIFIC!

COME ON, NOW MY FAVORITE!

BOOG IT, JIGGER, BOOG IT FOR ME, BOY!

HEY, CRACKPOT, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.

PLEASE, JIGGER, COME ON, JUST ONCE! FOR ME!

BOY, I COULD LISTEN TO HIM BEAT OUT THOSE BLUES FOR HOURS!

THE BOSS CATCHES YOU HERE, HE'LL BEAT 'EM OUT ON YOUR HEAD!

AW, JIGGER, YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME HERE.

YOU COULD HAVE A BAND OF YOUR OWN.

YOU ON THE PIANO, PEPPI ON THE DRUMS, ME ON THE CLARINET,

AND MAYBE A FEW GUYS THAT FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT MUSIC THAT WE DO.

I'M GOOD, JIGGER.

YOU KNOW I'M GOOD, DON'T YOU?

LIGHT ME A CIGARETTE, WILL YOU, KID?

OK, HERE'S YOUR BUTT.

HE DON'T LIKE ME.

AW, HE LIKES YOU.

HEY JIGGER, YOU'RE BREAKING NICKIE'S HEART.

HE'S WORRIED YOU DON'T LIKE HIM NO MORE.

SURE, I LIKE YOU, KID.

THEN WHY DON'T YOU LISTEN TO ME?

I'M LISTENING.

I DON'T WANNA BE A LAWYER, JIGGER.

I GOT 3 BROTHERS WHO ARE LAWYERS--

THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ONE FAMILY.

MY MOM OUGHT TO BE SATISFIED WITH THAT.

ALL I WANNA DO IS TO PLAY THE CLARINET.

Man: HEY, YOU! CAN THAT MUSIC!

CAN IT, I SAID! I GOT A REQUEST!

DO YOU KNOW, * I'M FOREVER BLOWIN' BUBBLES *

LOOK, YOU JUKEBUG, IF YOU DON'T PLAY

I'M FOREVER BLOWIN' BUBBLES,

I'LL STUFF YOUR HEAD INTO THAT PIANO,

AND I MEAN IT!

HEY, NICKIE,

GET JOE, GET THE BOSS. THERE'S GONNA BE TROUBLE!

I KNOW JIGGER WHEN HE'S QUIET LIKE THIS.

PRETTY SOON, HIS LEFT HAND IS GONNA PLAY A TREMELO.

THEN THERE'S GONNA BE A BIG FIGHT AND SOMEBODY'S GONNA GET HURT!

HURRY!

HEY, JOE! YOU BETTER COME QUICK!

OH, YOU AGAIN,

THE JAZZ CRAZY LAW STUDENT,

THE GUY THAT NEVER BUYS! OUT!

LATER, LATER! NOT NOW. THE TREMELO!

WHAT TREMELO? DON'T TRY TO GIVE ME NO DOUBLE-TALK.

JIGGER, THE TREMELO! THERE'S GONNA BE TROUBLE!

THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'LL ASK YOU!

WELL, JIGGER, HERE WE GO AGAIN!

JIGGER HERE, HE'S MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS.

THIS DRUNK COMES OVER AND INSULTS HIS MUSIC!

SO HE INSULTS HIS MUSIC.

WHAT IS THIS, CARNEGIE HA--

HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

I ASK THIS GUY TO PLAY A NUMBER FOR ME,

AND THE FIRST THING I KNOW, HE UP AND SOCKS ME.

IT'S NOT TRUE!

IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!

KEEP OUT OF IT! HE STARTED IT!

YOU, PIANO PLAYER! LISTEN TO ME!

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT?

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT EVEN IF HE SPITS IN YOUR FACE!

YOU HEAR THAT?

I'M THE CUSTOMER,

I'M ALWAYS RIGHT!

PLAY, MONKEY!

* I'M FOREVER BLOWIN' BUBBLES *

HEY YOU!

WHAT KIND OF A TONE I CAN GET OUT OF YOU!

OPERATOR!

OPERATOR!

GET ME THE POLICE STATION!

Man, on radio: CALLING CAR 19. RIOT CALL.

ST. LOUIS CAFE. THAT IS ALL.

HELLO, MOM? THIS IS NICKIE. YOUR SON, NICKIE.

GUESS WHERE I AM, MOM!

YOUR NAME? JIGGER PINE.

NO, MOM, YOU'RE WRONG! I'M IN--

I'm in jail!

OCCUPATION? MUSICIAN.

HEY, MOM! MOM!

WHAT'S THE MATTER, NICKIE?

SHE HANG UP ON YOU?

NO, I THINK SHE FAINTED!

HELLO, MOM?

AGE? 28.

NO, MOM, I'M NOT KIDDING.

I'M REALLY IN JAIL. I GOT INTO A FIGHT.

LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE? EVANSTON HOTEL.

HEY, LOOK, MOM. I KNOW I SAID I WAS STUDYING.

MOM, I'LL EXPLAIN IT ALL TO YOU WHEN YOU GET DOWN HERE.

THE CLARK AVENUE POLICE STATION.

AND, MOM, BRING PLENTY OF MONEY DOWN WITH YOU.

WELL--WELL, YOU SEE, I'M HERE WITH SOME FRIENDS.

OK!

HEY, BOYS, WELL BE OUT OF HERE IN AN HOUR.

I KNOW MY MOM.

Man: THIS WAY.

I'M COMING, SWEETHEART I'M COMING.

ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ALL. TAKE THEM AWAY.

WELL, WHAT DID I TELL YOU, BOYS?

DID I GET YOU OUT OF HERE, HUH?

ST. LOUIS FROM A JAIL WINDOW.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD A GOOD LOOK AT THIS JOINT

SINCE WE GOT HERE.

WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF TOWNS IN THIS COUNTRY

FROM JAIL WINDOWS, HUH, JIGGER?

Nickie: WELL, FROM NOW ON,

YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE AN AWFULLY TOUGH TIME GETTING RID OF ME.

HEY, YOU! AM I SEEING DOUBLE, OR IS THAT JIGGER PINE?

PETE! PETE!

JIGGER! I WAS ASLEEP WHEN I HEARD YOUR VOICE.

I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A PLEASANT DREAM.

WHY, YOU OLD SON OF A GUN, AM I GLAD TO SEE YOU!

HEY, PEPPI, NICKIE. THIS IS PETE.

MY FRIEND PETE. Peppi: HI.

WE PLAYED 16 WEEKS TOGETHER ONCE,

HOW ARE YOU? IN DUBUQUE.

HE SLAPS THE GREATEST DOGHOUSE

YOU EVER HEARD. AH!

Man: QUIET! PIPE DOWN!

HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

OH, WE GOT KICKED OUT OF SOME 2-BY-4 CAFE.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

AH, IT'S LIKE HOME TO ME.

NO SOONER DO I GET OUT OF HERE,

THEN THAT EX-WIFE OF MINE SICS THE BLOODHOUNDS ON ME,

AND IN I AM AGAIN.

OH, THINGS HAVE BEEN BREAKING GREAT.

I JUST LOST ANOTHER JOB,

MY BASS FIDDLE IS IN HOCK,

I GOT KIDNEY TROUBLE,

I NEED 25 BUCKS TO SPRING ME FROM THIS STINKIN' JUG.

SURE, EVERYTHING IS ROSY-POSY. YOU GOT A BUTT?

SURE. LISTEN, JIGGER.

YOU SAY YOUR FRIEND HERE PLAYS A GREAT BASS,

WELL, MAYBE THIS IS IT.

MAYBE THIS IS HOW WE START.

START WHAT?

AW, THIS WHACK IS ALWAYS POUNDING ON ONE THING.

HE COMES INTO THE CAFE ONE NIGHT,

AND EVER SINCE THEN, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET RID OF HIM.

EVERY NIGHT, HE KEEPS HYPING ME IN THE ARM

ABOUT COMING TO THE BAND.

IT DON'T HAVE TO BE A BIG BAND, JIGGER.

WE'LL CAN START OUT WITH MAYBE 4 OR 5 PIECES,

BUT MAYBE WE CAN CONNECT,

GROW REAL BIG, HIT THE JACKPOT!

SAY, THAT DON'T SOUND SO WORSE.

I BET I CAN RATTLE OFF A HUNDRED NAME BANDS

STARTED OFF

A COUPLE OF GUYS GET TOGETHER--

JIGGER, MAYBE NICKIE IS RIGHT. WITH YOU WE COULD!

NO, WE COULDN'T.

WHY? WHY NOT?

WELL, IT'S GOTTA BE OUR KIND OF MUSIC, OUR KIND OF BAND.

JIGGER-- YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, PEPPI.

LOOK, WHAT YOU GOT ON YOUR MIND TAKES A LONG TIME.

WELL, IT'LL HAVE TO WAIT.

YOU THINK I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT STARTING A BAND BEFORE?

I THOUGHT ABOUT IT LOTS OF TIMES.

I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT IT.

BUT IT'S GOTTA BE OUR KIND OF MUSIC, OUR KIND OF BAND.

THE SONGS WE'VE HEARD SINCE WE'RE KNOCKING AROUND THIS COUNTRY--

BLUES, REAL BLUES, THE KIND THAT COME OUT OF PEOPLE.

REAL PEOPLE, THEIR HOPES AND THEIR DREAMS,

WHAT THEY'VE GOT AND WHAT THEY WANT.

THE WHOLE USA IN ONE CHORUS! THE WHOLE USA.

AND THAT BAND--

THAT AIN'T GUYS JUST BLOWIN' AND POUNDIN' AND SCRAPIN',

THAT'S 5 GUYS, NO MORE,

WHO FEEL, PLAY, LIVE, EVEN THINK THE SAME WAY.