Из автобиографии Диззи Гиллеспи:
“Man, if you join the Muslim faith, you ain’t colored no more, you’ll be white,” they’d say, “You get a new name and you don’t have to be a nigger no more.” So everybody started joining because they considered it a big advantage not to be black during the time of segregation. I thought of joining, but it occurred to me that a lot of them spooks were simply trying to be anything other than a spook at that time. They had no idea of black consciousness; all they were trying to do was escape the stigma of being “colored.” When these cats found out that Idrees Sulieman, who joined the Muslim faith about that time, could go into these white restaurants and bring out sandwiches to the other guys because he wasn’t colored, and he looked like the inside of the chimney, they started enrolling in droves. Musicians started having it printed on their police cards where it said “race,” “W” for white. Kenny Clarke had one and he showed it to me. He said, “See, nigger, I ain’t no spook; I’m white, ‘W.'” He changed his name to Arabic, Liaquat Ali Salaam.
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At this time, Lateef was still known by the name William Evans, thereby making him one of three well-known jazz musicians (besides the pianist and the tenor saxophonist) bearing this name. Notably, all three played with Miles Davis during their careers.
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Вот еще нашел такое: советы Монка молодым музыкантам. Достоверность сомнительная (уровня “нашел в интернете”), но говорят что это записки Стива Лейси, когда он играл с Монком.
