Former Pacer Wayman Tisdale will perform Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007, at the Madame Walker Theatre Center. (Submitted by Rendezvous Music for The Star)

Former Indiana Pacers forward Wayman Tisdale has turned his love of jazz and the bass guitar into a second career since his NBA days. On Saturday, he will share a bill with saxophone player Kirk Whalum in one of two concerts marking the 80th anniversary of the Madame Walker Theatre Center. (Patti LaBelle will appear there tonight.) Tisdale's unique use of the bass as a lead instrument landed his first six albums in Billboard's Top Ten, and he's working on his next, "Rebound." In February, he suffered a broken leg, and a tumor was discovered.

How did the leg injury occur?

I was walking down my steps and my leg just broke in two. That wasn't fun. They did some testing and discovered it was due to this tumor putting pressure on the bone. I had just been joking to my family a couple nights before that I must be getting tendonitis in my knee. It was a blessing ...... because they got it early.

So how is your recovery going?

I've had some good weeks and some tough weeks, but the treatments have gone well. I still have to have a knee replacement when it's healed up. But I'm ready for it.

You sure won't be the only former NBA player with a knee replacement, huh?

Oh, no. I'll have a lot of friends in the "Titanium Club."

Have you had to put your music career on hold?

I'm about to start the new record. I've been writing and in the studio. As far as touring, I had to cancel about 40 or 50 dates that I would normally do by September.

And the new album's working title is "Rebound"?

Yeah, I'm on the rebound! I've tried to keep all of them tied to the basketball side because that's what made me.

So how come you haven't called one "Flipper" after that little flip shot of yours?

Yeah, man, that might be my next one! I forgot all about the Flipper. That was my old ace move.

Do you still follow the NBA closely?

I'm a bigger fan being out of the league....... love what's happening with LeBron (James) and Cleveland....... There was Magic (Johnson) and (Michael) Jordan, but he's like a combination. He's M&M -- Magic and Michael! It's going to be fun to watch.

By Bob Young / The Arizona Republic