Greetings to all! Well, it was one month ago yesterday that I left the farm and headed for Shanghai. A nice casual 15 HOUR flight landed me here, and I couldn’t be having a better time! I have to take a detour to get on to Facebook here, and found a good one. Just started using it a couple of days ago. Since I arrived here, I’ve been staying at a hotel right in the center of town. Kinda small but very clean and very safe here. The bathroom is a riot. About the size of a phone booth and it has the shower, sink and toilet all in one space. If one was really pressed for time, you can do it all sitting down. Haven’t needed that so far..just mentioning it. And it only costs about $25 a day. I was going to get an apartment, but over here when you rent a place, you pay four months rent at a time, plus a month security, plus the land agents fee. Well since I don’t have much else besides a couple of suitcases and a couple cornets, I figured I’d stay here. I love the area, and people are getting to know me. You can’t believe how nice everyone here is. When asking the police for directions, we got to chatting a bit and he welcomed me to Shanghai. He even told me where he is usually stationed in case I needed directions or advice. I couldn’t believe the poundage I had added on when I was sick and pretty much housebound for a few months. I could barely fit into the clothes I brought. But in the past month. To hell with that! I’ve dropped over 20lbs and been logging 3-5 hours a day just walking around enjoying everything. Even started dating a couple of lovely ladies I met on different nights at some jazz clubs. Very, very bizarre! They weren’t worried that I was too old for them, they were more worried that they were too young for me! Well, anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m willing to overlook their shortcomings like that. They just can’t help it and I don’t hold it against them. At least not that. I spent the first three weeks just getting my lip and the rest of me back in shape again, then started making the rounds to sit in. A good deal of these jazz clubs consist of guys with more chops than taste. At one club, the musicians kept asking myself and a sax player from Italy, whose hero is John Coltrane..!..to form a horn section and join in. We both cringed so hard at the thought of blowing horn riffs in the Key of E that you could hear us cringe. Each song lasted around 15 minutes, during which the changes would morph with almost every chorus. It was brutal, so we just sat and drank..a lot. Finally they asked what would I like to play. I figured the best common denominator would be “Summertime” in A minor. “Great!” they said. “Fine!” said I. And then they started it..double time with a Latin beat. Around 10 minutes later, I realized that the melody would no longer fit the chord structure. I have a good set of ears, if nothing else. Then I got the nod to play. I played the most sarcastic chorus you ever heard. I blended in Grofe’s “On The Trail” with Dizzy’s “Salt Peanuts”. And I made it fit. Instead of the flying objects being hurled at me from various locations, I was met with a rousing ovation. The sax player was laughing his ass off and in his heavy Italian accent said, “You got them good! You really fooled them!” Utterly bewildered, I went to a small table where I sat by myself, trying to digest what just happened. From behind I felt a tap on my shoulder, and met Nina. She asked to join me, as she was a jazz fan. What a beauty! She said that she loved “Summertime” but thought they played it with no taste. She said the best version ever was done by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald and asked me if I agreed. I was trying to look cool, calm and collected, but for the first few minutes I came across like Ralph Kramden, “Hummmna Hummmna Hummna”. I was doing my very best trying not to turn into Daffy Duck in front of her. She also said she was pretty certain that was the first time “Salt Peanuts” had ever been quoted in “Summertime”. Then she asked if I would like to go to a couple of nice clubs with her the next evening. I didn’t want her to think that I was easy, so I waited a good millisecond before blurting out “SURE!” And I couldn’t ask for a better time than the next night. Every day here is another learning experience. You learn from your mistakes and carry on. I learned a VERY valuable lesson here that I shall pass on to you in case you are ever in the area. NEVER…EVER…EVER…NEVER EVER..get your hair cut by a gay Chinese guy who doesn’t speak English! I did that the first week I was here. Thank God it grows fast. It was left kinda long on the top, but the sides and back were almost shaved off. I looked like a candidate for the electric chair. I’ll have to cut this ramble short as I have to get ready and hit a few clubs in a little while with another lady friend. God, I had forgotten what this was like, it had been so long. Connecticut and the old farm already seem like the distant past. I can’t recall having a better time than this. I look and feel better than I have in 20 years. I’ve been talking to one club owner about being the house bandleader and bringing in friends from the states to join for a few months at a time. It’s only in the beginning stages but he seems to really like the idea!! So I’m going to take my time and not rush this or put pressure on him..yet. He likes the way the crowd reacts to my singing and playing..so I’ll let it sink in a bit and hope for the best. I’ve had two job offers so far to join bands. But they are both as being part of a dreaded “Horn Section”. I’m just not that kind of player. You gotta watch that stuff because you can get stereotyped real quick in this business. So I just wanted to say helo to all and let you know that I’m having the time of my life and things are wonderful. It’s quite a jog to the brain, going from seeing no one for over 3 years to smack in the middle of a city with 24 million people. But what a city! I’ll start adding photos once I can remember to get a decent camera. And thanks to all of you well wishers too! It worked! I couldn’t be happier..Wheeee!
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 14:04:52 +0000
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