Letter early December 1962. Written on stationery from "The Brown Hotel" in Louisville, Kentucky. That is, Louisville 2, Kentucky. I don't remember what the 2 is for. A precursor to zip codes? This must be the hotel in which we stayed at Thanksgiving. I have a very fuzzy meeting of that, as I think I have said before, and I think it was perhaps because we drank too much and I was not a good drinker. I have the feeling that it did not fulfill either of our expectations.
At any rate - making plans for Christmas, 1962. I will be going home with him. I've written about this before - when I was introduced to Galliano - which did not become a habit, just a memory. We will see his aunt and play cards or go bowling or something. His best friend will "interview" me. Actually, the phrase was "has requested an audience with..." And we might go into Chicago to see a show of some kind.
Sutherland Lounge. It comes to mind right now as one of the places we might have gone. He did take me there a couple of times to see people like Cannonball Adderly (I think) and Thelonious Monk. He refused to take me to see Redd Foxx, but he assured me that it was not concern for my delicate ears but for his. Jazz readers must Google Sutherland Lounge. For people like me, it is as much as point of pride that I was once a (rare) patron (taken there by others before I could even appreciate it) as it is for those of you who remember Winterland! It was a "black and tan" joint - which meant that white folks could go and feel, if not quite at home, at least relatively unthreatened.
A poignant note (yes, another one) toward the end of this letter. "Do you remember," he asks, "when I said that I have a record for turning out those who say they love me?.....You should now realize that I have passed that stage. It is no longer possible for me to give [this] up." I wish I could remember how I felt at hearing those words. In December of 1962, I think I liked it very much. Later on - he says at some point in the letteer that he would "turn people out" when he "felt I was becoming too involved or 'trapped' by another being.'" As I would feel. About six months hence.
I think I have said this too many times before. There has never been for me anyone else like him.
At any rate - making plans for Christmas, 1962. I will be going home with him. I've written about this before - when I was introduced to Galliano - which did not become a habit, just a memory. We will see his aunt and play cards or go bowling or something. His best friend will "interview" me. Actually, the phrase was "has requested an audience with..." And we might go into Chicago to see a show of some kind.
Sutherland Lounge. It comes to mind right now as one of the places we might have gone. He did take me there a couple of times to see people like Cannonball Adderly (I think) and Thelonious Monk. He refused to take me to see Redd Foxx, but he assured me that it was not concern for my delicate ears but for his. Jazz readers must Google Sutherland Lounge. For people like me, it is as much as point of pride that I was once a (rare) patron (taken there by others before I could even appreciate it) as it is for those of you who remember Winterland! It was a "black and tan" joint - which meant that white folks could go and feel, if not quite at home, at least relatively unthreatened.
A poignant note (yes, another one) toward the end of this letter. "Do you remember," he asks, "when I said that I have a record for turning out those who say they love me?.....You should now realize that I have passed that stage. It is no longer possible for me to give [this] up." I wish I could remember how I felt at hearing those words. In December of 1962, I think I liked it very much. Later on - he says at some point in the letteer that he would "turn people out" when he "felt I was becoming too involved or 'trapped' by another being.'" As I would feel. About six months hence.
I think I have said this too many times before. There has never been for me anyone else like him.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home