About a month ago, a woman who played with me in local
big band (you know, like the one behind
Cab Calloway while he sang '
Minnie The Moocher'?) was
killed while riding with her son. He also
died. They were driving home from the
college he was attending. This was very
sudden and
shocked many of us. The band played at the
funeral for the woman and her son. I don't remember what we played, but I do remember
holding back tears on
stage. I looked out into the seats of the
church during the
performance, and saw at least a hundred visibly moved people.
Death was in the air, and yet, so was
beauty.
Sadly, I cannot say I will remember her for her playing, as she rarely took a
solo. But I remember how she was a smiling friend holding the door one day and a room full of sobbing people the next.