Critic Alex Henderson writes, "Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression."
An accomplished dancer and pianist, he switched to tenor sax as his primary instrument in his early 20s, and quickly earned a reputation as a promising player. His recording career started in 1940, with the Barons of Rhythm.
Later on, he recorded or performed with Frankie Newton, Hot Lips Page, Roy Eldridge, Trummy Young, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins. Between 1944 and 1951, he worked intermittently with Cab Calloway. He recorded for Blue Note records in this era, and also served as a talent scout for the label (helping pianists Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell come to wider attention) and, due to his exceptional sight reading skills, was an uncredited impromptu arranger for many Blue Note sessions.
Due in part to struggles with drug addiction (but also due to the fading popularity of big band music), Quebec recorded only sporadically during the 1950s, though he still performed regularly. He kept abreast on new developments in jazz, and his later playing incorportated elements of hard bop and soul jazz.
In 1959 he began a what amounted to a comeback with a series of albums on the Blue Note label. Blue Note executive Alfred Lion was always fond of Quebec's music, but was unsure how audiences would respond to the saxophonist after a decade of low visibility. In the mid-to-late 1950s, Blue Note issued a series of Quebec singles for the juke box market; audinences responded well, leading to a number of warmly-received albums.
Quebec's comeback was cut short by his death from lung cancer.
Influenced by Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster but definitely his own person, Ike Quebec was one of the finest swing-oriented tenor saxman of the 1940s and '50s. Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression. Originally a pianist, Quebec switched to tenor in the early '40s and showed that he had made the right decision on excellent 78s for Blue Note and Savoy (including his hit "Blue Harlem"). As a sideman, he worked with Benny Carter, Kenny Clarke, Roy Eldridge, and Cab Calloway. In the late '40s, the saxman did a bit of freelancing behind the scenes as a Blue Note A&R man and brought Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell to the label. Drug problems kept Quebec from recording for most of the 1950s, but he made a triumphant comeback in the early '60s and was once again recording for Blue Note and doing freelance A&R for the company. Quebec was playing as authoritatively as ever well into 1962, giving no indication that he was suffering from lung cancer, which claimed his life at the age of 44 in 1963. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
Do I Love You
Ike Quebec Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
The lyrics of Ike Quebec's "Do I Love You?" depict a poverty-stricken and love-struck narrator who is trying to reassure his sweetheart despite not having material possessions to give her. The song starts with the singer confessing the difficulty of being broke and emphasizing that it's a curse and not a joke. He suggests that his luck is changing but it only worsens, leaving him with only his time left to spend. The singer wishes to see his girl looking fine and wearing a diamond bracelet that Woolworth can't provide, but acknowledges he can't give her anything except love.
The second stanza of the song is the singer reminding his sweetheart that Rome wasn't built in a day and that one has to pay for what they get. However, he is willing to wait and adore her. He reassures her that they have a lifetime ahead of them and that he will not forget her. He then pleads with her not to be blue, as it's pleasant to hear her say that she understands that he can only give her love.
Overall, the song is a charming and romantic declaration of love in which the singer acknowledges the limitations of material wealth and emphasizes the importance of love and companionship. It's a poignant reminder of the true value of love in a world often obsessed with materialism.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
Being broke is difficult, young one.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
Being broke is not funny, it's a misfortune.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
My luck is terrible, and it's only getting worse.
Who knows, some day I will win too.
Maybe someday my fortunes will change.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
I'll start to reach the best years of my life.
Now though I see what our end is,
I realize what the future holds.
All I can spend is just my time.
I have no materials to give, only my time.
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
I can only offer you my affections, my dear.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Love is the only thing I have in abundance, my dear.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
Dream and plan ahead for a little while.
We're sure to find
We'll definitely encounter.
Happiness and I guess
Happiness, I suppose.
All those things you've always pined for.
Everything you've ever yearned for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
I'd love to see you looking fabulous, my dear.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
I desire to buy you expensive jewels not sold at Woolworth's.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
Until that fortunate day, you understand completely, my dear.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
It takes time to build great things, young one.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
You have to work hard for what you want, young one.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
But I'm willing to be patient, my love.
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
I'll never forget my beloved, my dear.
You have a lifetime before you.
You have your whole life ahead of you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
I'll love you no matter what happens.
Please don't be blue for the present,
Don't be sad right now, my dear.
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
It's lovely to hear you say
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
zangsax
I would normally say back off on all the reverb but with this superb band and Ike,s sound it just adds to the vibe and feeling of nostalgia👍
HECTOR PINEDA SAX
Yeah !! puro fraseo con felling !! cero complicaciones con patrones prefabricados !!
Bobby Murray
Very nice! Thank you for posting this.
Whitney Robinson
Ike plays tenor the way Johnny Hodges plays alto...with feeling.
LUCKY 472
GO IKE !!!! EAR CANDY! !!
Edwin Edwards
Just ordered my first Quebec recording,..this one.
Julie Holtzman
One of my Fave Songs as a teen-age Torch Singer..... . TY, Maurizio Pieroni <3
Marsha Rupe
I heard this playing in a used CD shop today. I went to the counter and asked them to add it to my stack
Marin
magnifique !...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SELMER B.Action
This sound !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!