Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Timothy Kevin McPike's avatar

I was a US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee staff attorney during the Carter administration, and my staff director and I went to the Bahamas for a secret meeting with the infamous con man Robert Vesco, who was at the time a fugitive wanted in the US for what was then the largest securities fraud in US history. Your description of your conversations with Mack sound identical to ours with Vesco. I’m not suggesting Mack was a fraud or a con man, but the brilliance, charisma, elusiveness, allusiveness, and need to control the conversation are similar. Curious.

Expand full comment
MC's avatar

I had the good fortune to know Mack quite well during the last few years of his life.

I was also interested in seeing his archive preserved and am confident the Smithsonian will be a great caretaker of Mack's work. His archive was actually very well organized and maintained (to a degree), but I am glad his tapes will be in a climate-controlled environment. Together, Mack and I organized a good number of his writings, including jazz articles, liner notes, and Smithsonian programs.

I was in close contact with Mack when the Geeshie Wiley/NYT article appeared and the circumstances around its publication had a devastating impact on Mack's health and spirit. I was always astounded at the notion that Mack owed the public, or any fawning neophyte researchers, anything at all, including his time. The expectations forced upon Mack by others were often unseemly.

Mack never sought publicity. The Texas Monthly articles painted the public's perception of him, but that was not a complete picture of the Mack I knew. One of my most memorable interactions with him was when he was describing the greatness of Duke Ellington and I said something silly like, "Mack, I just don't get that guy." He looked at me with complete incredulity, as if he were talking to an idiot. His expression quickly morphed into a smile when Mack realized he had an audience to now share his knowledge of Duke Ellington, which he did.

The Mack I knew was kind, generous, and answered any questions I ever had. I still miss him.

Expand full comment
30 more comments...

No posts