New York
Last night I watched 14 jazz pianists, all the calibre of Frank Owens, play simultaneously on grand pianos that had been placed back to back on stage. Behind the pianists was a full big band complete with drummer, a terrific horn section and even a percussionist.
It was a tribute to Bobby Short, the famous cabaret singer who was an institution at The Carlyle, my ultimate, all time favorite venue in town for its understated elegance and beautifully appointed public spaces. Short, who died in 2005, played piano and sang many of Duke Ellington's compositions.
July 1,1995, Short dedicated a statue of Ellington that sits on the Promenade a minute's walk from the bandshell. So, on the spur of the moment, a mix of folks including Mercedes Ellington, the eldest of Duke's grandchildren who produced the show, garnered financial support and musicians to celebrate both Bobby's genius night after night at Betelman's Lounge to the delight of New Yorkers, and Duke Ellington's magic with both lyrics and musical scores.
I was in the very front of the venue with my friend and neighbor, Michael. We arrived early and planted ourselves on my kelly green beach towel on the hard courtyard. The wonderful thing about New York and outdoor concerts in general, is the people that show up. This was impromptu, so only about 300 people gathered, sitting on benches that surround the bandshell or on the ground with us. It was almost like being a voyeur at a private party as Ms. Ellington bustled around ordering sound checks with the pianists, and chatting with photographers.
The show started late, but no one seemed to mind. It wasn't raining for one thing ( it had been raining every day for 20 days of the month of June ), and everyone had a picnic of some sort.
When the music began, it was still light out, the sun sinking overhead, the sky a Maxfield Parrish blue. I stretched out on the ground, totally immersed in the sound and the stunning beauty of the night. This same bandshell housed Duke Ellington and his band years before, and folks like us, no doubt drank in the sophisticated sound he made his trademark.
Walking home, Michael and I stopped at Bethesda Fountain. He motioned for me to follow him to the edge of the terrace. In the darkness, there were six towers of famous West Side buildings like beacons in the night framing the fountain including the San Remo and the Beresford.
Elsewhere in Central Park, Anne Hathaway and a terrific cast were in the midst of Twelfth Night and giving another 300 New Yorkers a summer evening to remember.
I mused to Michael as we walked by the
Museum of Natural History in its
grandeur that I wonder if Olmsted
and Vaux had any
idea how many people would be
enriched bytheir brilliant conception
of Central Park?
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