6/9
It was the day of
the Goodman event. All our energy and focus was on getting ready for the night.
A couple walks in. With that tourist look. The man bald, round, short sleeved
shirt tail out over shorts. The woman open, pleasant, warm. What’s up?
Tells me they were
having lunch down the street at a pub. Met a man. Long white hair and a cowboy
hat. (OK, now I’ve got it…) Asked him if there were a piano bar around,
someplace he could play awhile. He told them the days of piano bars were long
gone, but... there’s a church up the street, a pastor…
I smile. Lead them
into the sanctuary. Take them to the Beckstein. He sits down, I go back to my
work, hearing him playing show tunes, standards, a little rag time. After an
hour or so, they come to my office. Introduce themselves. From Ottawa. James.
And Wendy. Like Peter Pan, the man in the pub said.
James asks what kind
of music we have at the church. I tell them that if they come back later, they
just might find out. I tell them about the Goodman event. And Jeremy and the singers and the
gospel and freedom songs to come. They just might be back.
Later that night as
the crowd is streaming in to the church, I’m on the steps. And here come James
and Wendy, clothes changed, smiling. I greet them warmly, tell them I’m happy
to see them.
After the event,
they are ecstatic. It’s been a great night. Never could have imagined, a rich
experience of American history....Did I know where RL was? I direct James to
where the studio is. A little while
later, I see him back downstairs, ready to leave.
Did you find him?
Oh, I went to the
door, heard music coming out, didn’t want to disturb him.
That’s actually an
invitation, I say.
RL appears on the
stairs. Invites James and Wendy up for a cold beer. I tell him I’ll be up in a bit. After I wrap
things up, I head to the studio.
There’s RL. And
Mandola Joe. Instruments out and at the ready. RL hands me a guitar. And we take
turns playing songs. James mentions Leonard Cohen, so I play Tonight will be
fine…James shares some barrel house piano. We get RL’s best…Pinto,
Wrestling winds, and inevitably stay awhile. .
RL signs some CD’s, shares some Dusty Withers badges. There are smiles and handshakes all around. They afe really glad they came here
instead of Carnegie Hall. The most amazing New York vacation story ever,
Another West-Park story.
The next day, they’d
look up RL again. And bring flowers for Harvey, the wife….
RL Haney songs and Dusty Withers...
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