Open mic 1

10/25

Leviticus plays the sax

A day completely consumed with ongoing conversations with A in a very drunk state. And uncertainty as to what to do.

Tonight’s surprise for open mic’s a jazz sax player named Leviticus. Even though he’s usually a subway player, he dropped by on his way to a gig at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center All Stars. On his way back to Harlem, he stops by West-Park. Like something out of a time machine back to 1950’s Village, Joel does his beat rap and then Leviticus gets up and tears us apart with his soprano sax.

 I’ve got my own set. Drawn from the week I’ve been living. Two very carefully selected songs and then maybe my best Lonesome I could cry ever. There’s a lot on my heart. A lot on my mind. Irish Pat tells me I was particularly poignant tonight. He looks at me as if he knows what I’ve been singing about. The beauty about music is you can tell the whole truth without having to get dragged down into details, into facts. And the people who need to know, know.

RL has Alex on fiddle and Marc on guitar. Time for his Stay awhile...

The night ends with a question as to whether we need to take an hour subway ride or a $40 cab ride to an outer borough to rescue A. It’s not the money or time. It’s my emotional exhaustion. But I speak to A on the phone. Would you come? A asks. Would you really come? 

Of course I would.

Then it’s OK. I’ll be OK. You don’t need to.....

I breathe a sigh of relief. 
Time to head home.

Alex, Marc and RL