Jam session and tribute

After sitting quietly at the fellowship hall tables for a while, talking with the folks i knew and greeting those who seemed the least bit interested in greeting me, i stole over to the beautiful grand piano sitting neglected in the corner.

i helped myself to it . . . First playing my arrangement of 'sweet hour of prayer', then moving on to my medley of 'the love of god' and 'when i survey'. someone approached and stayed out of my line of sight . . . in my peripheral vision.

i heard him say 'he's playing my favorite song.' next thing i know he's taken a spot on my right and says 'play that first one again.' i did, and he added an embellished treble clef.

He was complimentary of my playing, he encouraged me to play more. he played for me. turns out he is the song minister for Grace Baptist Church, and i had just helped myself to his piano. i apologized, and he wouldn't take it,said graciously that i should keep playing.

Before long i was experiencing something i'd only heard about from other musicians ... a jam session. How cool is that? And it was an extra special one since it crossed any generational boundaries.

Dan played an accompaniment on the piano, his wife played bass guitar, and another gent played mandolin.

It was a blast.

He told me where he got his inspiration.... Floyd Cramer. Since I had worked at WGFA FM, which played "the older generation's" music, I was familiar with Floyd Cramer, and his style of music. I could see how it had influenced Dan. There was a trilling, a settling into a chord -- a d-chord settling into a c. I can't play it but I can recognize the style when I hear it. Dan had mastered it.

Where did I get my inspiration, Dan asked.

Moody Blues, of course, but I chose not to share that. At any rate, they didn't influence my piano playing, only my singing and lyrical composition.

I thought a while longer.

"My uncles!" I said, "Everett and Paul."

"I knew it!" said Dan, "I recognized that in your playing."

I couldn't hold a candle to Everett or Paul's piano playing, but I was still inspired, encouraged and influenced by it. The walking baseline that steps up through the notes of the chord, across multiple octaves, and then steps back down ... that was a family trait, I supposed.

I can easily conjure memories of hearing the ancient upright piano in my Gramma's house, singing and resounding with those chords. My playing is a faint reflection of that, and I'm still happy for it.