Swap Shop

Well I worked with Douglas Arbo years ago on the New Orleans fire department on the Rescue Squad for about four years. I didn't really know that he played guitar with The Jokers years before. He asked me if wanted to go with him to Birdies Road House in Varnado Louisiana. He said he was heading up the open mic night by play- ing blues with Windell the bass backup. So I went and had a good time listening to him and the others playing and singing on Thursday nights. Birdies had a box of musical instruments like tambourines, Cas- tanedas and other concussion instruments that patrons would use to play along . Well one night a group of intoxicated pa- trons started banging some of the instruments out of time to Wardell Williams music. That was his stage name. It was very distracting and causing Wardell to lose time because they were very distracting. So I grab the tambourine and started playing it loud to overshadow the noise makers. Well it worked out real well. Wardell and Windell really liked my tambourine playing because I kept really good time. They were impressed and Wardell is not easily impressed. So I would go on Thursday nights and play the tambourine. Well a few of the musicians got aggravated with patrons clank- ing on the instruments messing up their timing so they removed them. So with no instrument to play went on line looking for a nice tambourine. I looked at a bunch of them in different price ranges and sizes but none of them appealed to me. then I saw what they called a Cajon not Cajun like where I am from. I read about how they came about from South Americans taking wooden crates and making poor man's drums. So I or- dered one because it didn't cost much more than a good tambourine. My box was not loud but two hundred and sixty pounds pushing that box into a wooden floor of a wooden building made the whole structure a sounding board. I started this about nine years ago when no- body knew about the boxes in this part of Mississippi. Now I see lots of drummers using the Cajon on TV and in roadhouses and also using sticks with balls. Well I haven't played my box in a while. Birdies closed a few years ago Wardell was going through some rough spots as well as myself. One thing after another. Well my friend Wardell passed away a few months ago and we won't be making music again. I don't know if I will play my box again. Maybe an open mic place or roadhouse will open up and I can play again.. Well Wardell It was a good run I introduced the box to a lot of people and had my fifteen minutes of fame. That's the most you can ask for when your not even a drummer. The BATMAN may play again Ralph West, Adam West = BATMAN 16 SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE | Spring 2021 ADVENTURE OF THE BOX By Ralph West Wardell Williams S