Original subtitles

♪ Whoa-oh whoa-oh whoa oh-whoa ♪

Oh, I'll get it.

- Oh, hi, son. - Hey, hey, man.

- What's up? - I got some good news for you.

Well, come on in.

Uh, you all remember my ol' boss from down at the Magic Burger?

- Yo, what's up, family? - Hey, hey, Slim D.

So, what's the good news?

Well, I came by personally to say what a slammin' job

you've been doin' down at Magic Burger.

I mean, in the eight months that I'd been there

no one has worked that place like you have.

Oh, well, thank you. I enjoy the work.

'Well, so, in appreciation'

I'm proud to present you, Andrew Emerson, with a plaque

that commemorates you as Employee of the Month.

Whoa, congratulations, pop!

Yeah, way to go there, big guy.

Well, Slim, I'm, I'm deeply moved.

Here's your plaque.

Hey, wait a minute, this says

"Employee of the Month. Ernie Brown."

Uh, yeah, no, I had to fire him yesterday

and I didn't have the heart to give it to myself again.

Keep up the good work.

♪ Them that's got shall have ♪

♪ Them that's not shall not lose ♪

♪ So the Bible says ♪

♪ And it still is new ♪

♪ Mama may have ♪

♪ Papa may have ♪

♪ But God bless the child ♪

♪ That's got his own ♪

♪ Them that's got ♪ Them that's got shall get ♪

♪ Them that's not shall lose ♪

♪ Them that's got shall get ♪

♪ Them that's not shall lose ♪

♪ Whoa-oh whoa-oh whoa oh-whoa ♪

- Hey, Roc baby. - Hey, sweetheart.

Roc, what're you still doin' here? Aren't you late for work?

Ronnie Paxton's comin' by. He wants me to buy his car.

We're gonna test drive it down to work this morning.

Roc, are you really getting serious about buyin' a car?

Well, he came up with a lease option plan

that sounds interesting.

Payin' $5,000 over five years

may fit into my fiscal plan.

Alright, I think it's about time

'cause I'm tired of waiting for buses in the rain.

Carryin' 'em groceries for five blocks.

Havin' a car sure would be helpful.

Besides, you'll finally have a place to put this.

- So you buyin' a car, huh, son? - Well, I don't know, pop, I'm--

Well, I can remember my first car.

Yeah, I can remember the time I had good luck in that car.

Well, pop, I don't think you should be talkin' about that.

I'm talkin' about the only time I ever talked a white policeman

out of a ticket.

I don't know what you're talkin' about.

Oh, Roc, I think it's so nice to buy a car.

Well, Eleanor, wait a minute, I'm not sayin' that for sure.

I'm just thinkin' it over, you know?

You're not waitin' to find one, on your route, are you, Roc?

Hell, no, I gave up on that the third year in the department.

Oh, Roc! That's a beautiful car.

Well, now, looks are deceivin'. I gotta check it out first.

- Hey. - Hey, Ronnie, how you doin'?

Ho, whoa, whoa, wait one sec.

What's that? Oh, come on now.

I left it out in my ride or should I say

I left it out in your ride?

Whoa, wait a minute, now, I didn't sign anything yet.

Don't start any of that high pressure stuff.

I ain't gonna try any of that hot pressure stuff

but it is fair that I warn you

there're some other people interested in the car.

- Yeah, right. - Ronnie?

You know you left your engine runnin'?

Yeah, I know I just wanted y'all to hear how the engine

just purrs at ya.

Ooh, yeah, it purr nice too!

- Ronnie? - 'Mm-hmm?'

Do it have one of 'em lighted mirrors inside

so you can check your hair before you get out of the car?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, you're lookin' good too.

- 'Yeah.' - You know what I'm sayin'.

I got all the service records on the car.

I mean I really kept it up. Believe that.

Treated it better than my girlfriend.

- Yeah, why're you sellin' it? - My girlfriend's makin' me.

- Well, are y'all ready to go? - Yeah, I'm ready. Okay.

Hey, yo, man! Come back here with that car, man! What's...

Hey, y'all better bring that car back here!

Oh, Lord, Roc, that's awful.

Well, he did leave the keys in the car.

Yeah, well, they don't know whose car they stole either.

Look, I gotta catch the bus, sweetheart, I'll see ya later.

- Hey, Roc! Roc! Guess what? - Shut up, Joey.

Well, that's good, I just bought a breakdown on me

except for bein' hit.

- What happened? - I was buyin' a newspaper.

Some guy came speedin' down the street drivin'

Ronnie Paxton's car. Almost ran me over.

That engine was just purrin' as it went by me.

Hello? Yes, he's here. Who's callin'?

Oh. Joey it's for you. It's a Billy Miller.

Oh, damn, no! No! I'm not here. I'm not here.

- What's the matter, son? - Pop, that's Billy Miller.

He used to play saxophone in my old group.

- I'd think you'd wanna talk. - Yeah, you'd think that.

But I don't pop, you see, I-I...

I borrowed some things from him I never gave him back.

- Like what? - Well, you know, the usual.

Some clothes, a few dollars...

...couple of his girlfriends.

Joey, now, I already told the man you're here.

- He's waitin'. - Tell him you made a mistake.

Tell him you saw a lump in the couch.

- Joey! - Come on, son.

Get it over with. No use puttin' off the inevitable.

Stand up. Be a man.

Take the call.

- Alright, pop. - Good.

I wanna hear this.

Hey! Billy!

Yeah, man, long time no hear.

Uh, yeah, look, about...

Huh?

Yeah, my lip, my lip is fine, why?

Yeah. Yeah, man, I can make that.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, thanks, man.

H-hey, man, you ought to be ashamed of yourself

waitin' so long to give me a call, man.

Yeah, yeah, okay. I-I'll be there, I'll be there.

Alright, thanks, Billy. Love you, man, love you.

Man, I don't believe that.

My man, Billy Miller just hooked me up with an audition

with Les McCann.

The Les McCann?

Yup. They're right here in Baltimore.

They need a new horn player, see, the regular guy quit

because of this eagle thing...

Now this could be the biggest move of my career.

An opportunity to play with the Les McCann!

Oh, that's great, son.

Now, this calls for a celebration.

Pop, I think it's a little too early for me to be drinking now.

No, I was gonna take you out for a big, fancy meal.

But, shoot, if all you want is a drink

I'll take you to Charlene's later for Happy Hour.

Hey, Joey, I understand you got a big audition with Les McCann.

How'd you know that, Roc? No, don't tell me. Eleanor.

First thing she did was call you down at the garage, right?

No, better than that, she had it programed

into our electronic message board in the cafeteria.

And there it was, your name in lights.

Boy, was I proud. "Joey Emerson. Auditioning for Les McCann."

Wow. And that's, that's all it said?

Well, you know, that and it's Leslie Uggams' birthday...

The cafeteria ran out of pork and beans.

That's great, Joey!

Yeah. Thanks, Roc, but I'm a little nervous though.

Oh, Joey, what're you gettin' all nervous about?

- You sound great. - Thank you.

- Hey, sweetie, baby. - How's it goin', baby?

Roc, you know what, I've been listenin' to Joey

practice all day and he sound hot!

- Alright! - Mmh-mmh!

well, I gotta get on down to the hospital.

- Oh, Roc. - 'Yeah?'

Ronnie Paxton called, they found his car.

- Oh, good. - He raised the price though.

- What? - It's a convertible now.

Goodbye, baby.

Somebody stole Ronnie Paxton's car?

Man, they don't know who they're messin' with.

Hey, Roc, this, um...

This audition's probably the biggest shot at my career now.

I may have a chance of playin' with a named group.

Well, Joey, I'm happy for you, I mean I really am, you know.

I know sometimes I give the impression

that I'm not behind you.

Well, to tell you the truth, Roc, that's, uh

that's the kinda impression I've got.

Joey, I am behind you. One hundred percent.

- And I hope you can forgive me. - Oh, sure I can.

Yeah, look-look, Joey, I circle, um

some nice single apartments here in this newspaper.

Why don't you check 'em out, okay?

- Beautiful, Joey, beautiful. - Alright, alright.

- Alright. - Thank you.

Thank you for letting me audition, sir.

You need anything else? Uh, Richer composition?

- Uh, some improvisation? - 'No.'

- Some coffee? - No, that's fine, that's fine.

Oh, that's was great, Joey!

Excuse me, brother, do you work here?

Oh, every Thursday, I'm right out back.

I'm a garbage man.

Billy, this is my brother Roc.

Oh, oh, hey, Roc! Yeah! How you doin', man?

- How you doin'? - Yeah, yeah.

Uh, excuse me a minute, Joey.

- We're gonna talk. - Sure.

Nice meetin' you, Roc.

- Roc, what're you doin' here? - Oh, Joey, look.

I was right out back, so I thought I'd stop in

and give you a little moral support.

Look, I caught your number. You was cookin', Joey.

If that McCann man ain't a knucklehead

he'd hire you on the spot.

Hey, Joey, you flying the skies.

- You ain't lyin'? - I ain't lyin'!

Oh, man! Alright! Alright!

Hey!

Hey, Joey, now, you scored. You scored.

But there's just one little thing.

What's that?

Les has heard all about

your reputation with women.

My reputation with women? Who'd he hear that from?

Me.

You know you remember all my ex-girlfriends.

Yeah, I... Yes, yes I do.

- Now, Joey. - Huh?

- Honesty is my policy. - I understand.

If you can tell me you cleaned your act up, you got the gig.

Oh, hey, hey, man.

His act's as clean as the streets of Baltimore.

- You'll be here all the time? - All the time.

- All the time. - All the time.

You won't ask for no advances to gamble?

- Hell no. - You make rehearsals?

Yeah, man, all the time.

- On time? - On time. I'm here for you.

He's there for you.

Okay, okay, if you mean it.

- Les? We got a new man. - He's got, he got the gig.

- Alright! Hey! - Alright!

Thank you very much, Mr. McCann. Appreciate that.

Uh, Mr. McCann, thank you. You don't know how much I thank you.

Thank you, too. Thank you.

- Okay, now, look here, Joey. - Uh-huh?

Now, this here's the deal.

The first six months we pay scale.

But we pay for your hotel, you pay for your food.

- Okay-- - No, no, whoa, whoa.

Hold it, Joe, you sellin' yourself short.

They need you, just leave it up to me.

- Mister-- - Look here, Joey's brother.

Now, before you get started

Now, Joey ain't worked professionally in a long time.

You dig? So we're givin' him a shot.

So, basically, it's a take it or leave it type situation.

Yes, sir, Mr. Billy, he'll take it.

You'll take it.

Yeah!

Play it harder!

Yeah!

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

We're gonna take a little break. Be right black.. I mean, back.

Hey, hey, hey. Joey. Really got it goin' on.

- Hey, hey! - You poppin'!

- Joey, you were wonderful. - Better than ever, son.

Yeah, yeah, how'd it look?

- Well, you looked handsome. - 'Thank you.'

- You looked professional. - You looked employed.

Yeah, you really like this, huh, Roc?

Yeah, but when're you goin' on the road?

Hey, you can't wait to get rid of me, can you?

Well, the plan is we finish up here

then we go to New York for a couple of weeks

work our way through the Midwest on our way to LA

to the Playboy Jazz Festival.

- Oh, LA! - Yeah, that's far away.

Playboy Jazz Festival? Very prestigious.

Oh, Wiz, you look kinda quiet over there, huh?

I am in awe, man.

- You really sounded great. - Thank you.

I hope now that you've made the big time

that you won't go get the big head

and forget about all your friends here at Baltimore.

Oh, come on, Wiz. Man, it's me, it's Joey.

Yeah, but you're right, I oughta call my friends before I leave.

I'm just kiddin'. Just kiddin'.

- Excuse me, brother. - Hey.

- Kenny Davis. - Hey. How you doin'?

You were pretty good up there. Real nice. Real nice.

Hey, thank you, you're the guy I replace, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I quit this gig.

- Smooth move, ace. - Yeah, I'm more of a fool.

I could've kicked myself behind that one.

Anyway, you are one hell of a horn player.

Well, thank you. I hear a lot about you too, my man.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm lookin' forward to hear you play

"Boppity-Bop". I love playin' that tune, man.

That's the next song we gonna play, why don't you sit down?

Nah, I don't think that'd be cool, man.

Come on, man. Here, use mine. Come on.

- I wanna hear you play. - Sure about this?

Yeah, man, I wanna hear what you sound like.

Come on, I'm gonna walk you up.

Hey, uh, hey, Les.

Sure was nice of Joey.

Oh, he just threw him a bone. You know, guilt.

- Hey, Ronnie. - Hey.

Look, I'm sorry. You know, I wanna apologize about the car.

I feel, uh, responsible, you know?

Oh, man, don't you worry about that.

You know, that wasn't your fault.

Besides there's two less, walkin' around on these streets.

Now, Ronnie, I hope that you know--

Hey, come on now. We're both men.

Now, just go and sit back and let's watch the show, man.

He's great, man. He's real great.

Yeah, yeah, he-he's great too.

Hey, hey, uh, I gotta get back up, okay.

Thank you, thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Drive home carefully, and love yourselves.

Wow, you know, I could listen to this guy all night.

Well, you have, Wiz.

Yeah, well, look, I'll be seeing you guys, okay.

Come on, Wiz, lemme give you a ride to the crib, man.

Oh, no, Ronnie, thanks. I'll walk.

Hey, thanks for the horn, man.

I said one number.

Hey, look, I'm sorry, but uh, it felt good up there.

Joey, let me talk to you a minute.

Well, then, I'll meet y'all back home, okay?

- Okay, Joey. - Alright.

- We'll see you later. - Okay.

Okay, that sounded really great, sweetie.

- Thank you. - Alright.

Alright.

Say, Billy, wassup?

The gig is up, Joey.

What you wanna do that stupid thing like that for

asking Kenny to sit in for ya?

I was bein' a nice guy.

For the first time, go figure.

Look, Joey man, I feel really bad, you know?

You were good, but sometimes it's just a chemistry thing.

How would you know, Billy? I was only up there for one set.

Look, man, I know it hurts, but it's business.

Business, Billy? I was good up there.

You were good, Joey, you were good, but Kenny was great.

- Yeah, on my trumpet. - Come on, Joey.

It's hard enough havin' to fire you.

Oh, you're firin' me, Billy?

I thought that was just your opinion.

Lemme tell you somethin', man, I feel like I've been used.

Now this guy pulls an ego trip and he walks out on you.

I come in here, I save your butt

and next thing I know you take this Primadonna back

and I'm back out on the street, right?

I didn't want it to work out this way.

It wasn't planned.

Okay, Billy, sure you didn't, alright.

Listen, uh, Billy, why don't you do me a favor, okay?

Don't ever call my house again. You just lose my phone number.

- Joey, please, man-- - No, no, no, I'm serious.

Now, Billy, this is the lowest thing

that's ever happened to me in this business

and I'm not gonna forget it. See, you made a mistake.

You made a big mistake by getting rid of me.

Y'all can't use two trumpets?

I'm sorry, Joe.

Where is he? It's almost 3:00 in the mornin'.

Well, you know, sometimes after they finish a gig

they like to sit around and talk.

You know, tell stories, shoot the breeze.

You really think that's what they're doin', pop?

I doubt it.

- Hi, son. - Hey, Joey, how you doin'?

- Hey, Joey. - I'm fine, thanks.

So what'd your friend Billy wanna talk to you about?

Oh, uh...

Travel arrangements, you know. D-different bookings, uh...

You know working on some new charts.

Oh, that's great, son.

Yeah, Joey, 'cause you know we thought tonight, you know

after that guy, you know, got up there and didn't stop playing

that maybe you were out.

Well, then you know absolutely nothing

about the music business. Excuse me.

- You are out, aren't you? - Yeah, you got it.

- Oh, Joey sweetie. - Son, I'm sorry to hear that.

Hey, hey, hey, I know how we all feel, okay?

We all feel bad, but could you just leave me alone, please?

- You sure, son? - Yeah, yeah, pop, I'm sure.

Oh, come on, Joey, come on, what the hell is goin' on?

Nothin', Roc, I'm just tryin' somethin' new with my horn.

you know, uh...

You're a garbage man, you oughta know trash when you see it.

Yeah, look, Joey, I know.

That was a terrible thing that happened to you.

Damn, I can't believe this, man.

I can't believe that he would cut my throat like that!

And I can't believe, they would take that boy back

after they hired me! Damn! Roc, I can't believe this!

Joey, he was better than you.

- I know that, Roc! Damn it! - Come on, so you lost the job?

You just learn to live with it.

Roc, I can live with that.

What I can't live with is the fact

that I might not be good enough to keep a job.

Oh, no, Joey, if you give up you'll never know.

Now, come on, face it, givin' up playin' your horn

ain't gonna make you feel any better.

It's just gonna make you feel more miserable than you are now.

Okay, so tonight didn't go too well, okay.

Tonight wasn't your night, it was Kenny's night.

There'll be other nights.

And I'm sure one of those will be yours.

- You really believe that, huh? - Absolutely.

Why wouldn't I, huh?

I mean, the fact is I'm your biggest fan.

I'd tell you to stick with your music

if you were playin' on a street corner

for quarters.

Well, you have suggested that before, Roc.

- I was only kidding but-- - I know, I know, I know.

Thank you.

Hey, uh, this is the money

they gave me for the gig I want you to have it.

No, no, no, you worked hard for that money, Joey.

And after what happened to you tonight I couldn't take it.

Yeah, I knew that too.

Goodnight, Roc.

Hey, Joey, um...

...did you ever think that maybe, uh...

...this is all payback for all of the people

that you've screwed over and taken advantage of and...

No, he was just better than me.

Uh, who put all my clothes out in the hallway?

♪ Ooh ooh ♪

♪ Ooh ooh ooo-ooh ♪