Alice, who was quite tone deaf\u2014see Annika’s post with Alice singing her own, unique melody to “Happy Birthday”!\u2014loved jazz. (She also somehow was able to pick out a pair of stereo speakers that had such great sound that I promptly went out and got a pair of the exact same speakers for myself. Go figure.)<\/p>\n
At some point in the mid-late 70s, Alice and Bert got a upright piano\u2014I think because Scott was going to take piano lessons. (Photo to come). Ever the quirky (or practical) pair, they put the piano in the the kitchen. I never took lessons, but I loved to doodle around on it, and at one point I set about trying to learn how to play a short piano solo, the title piece from Chick Corea’s 1974 Return to Forever album “Where Have I Know You Before?” Chick was one of my musical heroes and loves since high school.<\/p>\n
So, when I heard that Chick Corea would be playing with his trio at Symphony Hall here in Boston, on October 20, 2019, I jumped at the chance and bought tickets for myself, Marjorie, and Alice, who I knew would love the concert too. We had a blast! Chick was as wonderful and powerful at 78 as I remembered him in his thirties. It was, in a very personal sense, a reunion: of two people who were so significant and important to me–from youth to middle age.<\/p>\n
Chick Corea died on February 9, Alice ten days later. Just as I am grateful and glad that Alice lived to see the end of Trump’s presidency, so am I grateful that I got to tell Alice about Chick’s death and revel again with her in his piano playing before she<\/em> died. Two personal circles closing, with shared joy.<\/p>\n Here’s a link to a live concert with Chick, playing with the same trio: Brian Blade on drums and Christian McBride on bass: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VlnwHDc8Rgk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mark Schafer: Alice, who was quite tone deaf\u2014see Annika’s post with Alice singing her own, unique melody to “Happy Birthday”!\u2014loved jazz. (She also somehow was able to pick out a pair of stereo speakers that had such great sound that I promptly went out and got a pair of the exact same speakers for myself. Go figure.) At some point in the mid-late 70s, Alice and Bert got a upright piano\u2014I think because Scott was going to take piano lessons. (Photo to come). Ever the quirky (or practical) pair, they put the piano in the the kitchen. I never took lessons,<\/p>\n