Three Wishes

Nica asked bassist Ali Jackson what his three wishes were and he told her:

1. “To be on a hip, swinging gig. That’s all I need.”
2. “To be inspired to practice – which I would be if the first wish came true!”
3. “To find a bass fiddle I saw in Cleveland in 1951. That fiddle was so old, the wood was black on the outside –  really black, you know? And the inside was yellow. It was brought from Russia in 1890. It was heavy, and when I tried it, man, what a sound! I ran all over town borrowing money from everybody – even my landlady – and I got together about $350. But when I got back it was gone. They sold it for $750. But it would be worth $2,000 now. I’d like to find that fiddle.”

*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats – Complied and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter

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