Chez Johnna
Saturday July 10th 2010, 11:04 pm
Filed under: Friends,Life

Johnna and her husband just bought a house. In this city of single-stories, they bought one someone had added onto going upwards and that second story is designed for entertaining.

And entertain they did tonight, with musician friends of theirs performing in the space up there that, looking out the windows at the trees, made me realize how very much of my life in California is spent at ground level; it’s just one of the idiosyncracies of the place.

Wow. You get a new appreciation for seeing a flock of finches zooming by and poplar leaves waving at eye level. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed having height in my life.

The first fellow was a Stanford professor whose specialty is computer music.  The second, a pianist, the third, a trumpeter–New Age, jazz, traditional, they were having fun, playing by turns and then the pianist and trumpeter a few duets together.

It turns out the professor had studied under someone whose research my husband’s then- work group had sponsored in Boston. A mutual friend, definitely.  Small world.

But then the best part was at the end:  they all decided to jam.  The professor said, “I’ll start with something, like this…” and riffed. The pianist took it on, the young guy joined in with the brass, and listening, you would never know they hadn’t been practicing that piece for years.  It all just naturally fell into place, till the thought struck me–how would they ever know when it’s over?

And then immediately, but why would anyone ever want it to be?


6 Comments so far
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Oscar’s sister Lynn and her husband are musicians. They have the best parties, always full of jam sessions. We are spoiled!

Comment by Diana Troldahl 07.11.10 @ 2:32 am

What fun!! I can almost hear it…

Comment by Channon 07.11.10 @ 4:39 am

Ah, the safe and sane way to get high! Glad you had a good time.

Comment by Don Meyer 07.11.10 @ 10:12 am

We have a pianist and a guitarist at church, and when they get together (before or after the event or service they are playing for), it is truly an honor for the ears attending. Once, after a wedding I had been a part of, I just sat there, slack-jawed and dewey-eyed at the beauty of their musical creation. . .it is amazing.

Sounds like it was a fun party!

Comment by Pam 07.11.10 @ 12:36 pm

At the Montreal International Jazz Festival, they often end the evening with jam sessions where you can show up not knowing who is going to be there. Obviously, it would be artists that are in the Festival.

One day, I hope I get to be in that audience and revel and the great minds that can play with music so well!

Comment by Suzanne in Montreal 07.12.10 @ 8:42 am

One of the music festivals we go to has jam sessions at the hotel after the festival closes. It’s always a treat. And great fun to play along, too. I remember playing once with some friends when I was feeling pretty lousy, and after half an hour one of them said, ‘hey, you look way better’… I felt better too. Music heals :).

Comment by RobinH 07.16.10 @ 12:45 pm



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