Joe Williams on starting with Duke Ellington.

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Joe Williams on accepting success.

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Joe Williams discusses his knowledge of Duke Ellington compositions.

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Q: “You probably know as much Ellington material as anybody I know. You know the ones that are not the ‘big ten’…”

A: Joe Williams: “Yeah, some of them yes and I've got a few. Right now, there is a blues tune I used to do with Albert Hibler, 'I Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues', you know, that you never hear anybody sing. And the words of the song are unbelievable to me. I think the last eight bars, if I can think of it, is 'aint got no rest in my slumber, ain't got no feelings to bruise'. Can you imagine being … hurting so bad that nobody ... there isn't anybody could even bruise my feelings, you know. 'Ain't got no telephone numbers, I ain't got nothing but the blues'. You know, oh, man. That one line, what happened was on April 29th, which was his birthday, he was working Hemingway's down in Hollywood, Florida with a group, Vernell Fournier, Don Coflin [ph] on bass, Vernell Fournier on drums and Norman Simmons on piano. So for two hours all we did was Ellington on his birthday. We did nothing but Ellington for two hours that night and it was such a kick. And thinking of things and doing things, you know, from his book and really enjoying it. And I did this tuning, 'I Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues', and we looked at each other because I think for the first time, not having sang this song, for the first time in reading the line, 'ain't got no feelings to bruise', we all looked at each other, you know. And it hit us that really, that this … it really dawned, no rest, you know, not being able to sleep. Yes, I remember that one, you know, when I've had the blues and wasn't able to even rest or sleep.”

Interviewer: “But to be able to sleep and get no rest from it.”

Joe Williams: “That's right, you know, you wake up as tired as when you … or more tired than when you went to sleep, you know. And then to think I don't even have any feelings to bruise. That's ridiculous. That is low. That is really lower than ... and the other thing that I sing all the time is where the statement is lower than a snake in a wagon track.”