Chapter

Day’s end – time to shower and retire. Just a moment’s hesitation, to metaphorically wash away the dust of LA and New York. Walking the Village after nearly 40 years a number of memory files open at random. Old and new tech - scents and flavors of long ago now mixed with the perfumes of today. Cab ride excitements as we squeeze at perilous speed between two trucks with less than inches to spare. An amazing mix of people and machines swimming in the same streams at the same time. Fabulous!

We had gathered a week or so earlier to refresh our acquaintance with songs from the past. Unsung for some time, they arrive in our hands and mouths in random order; happy to be remembered. First, the playing; instruments at the ready waiting for the proper parts to arrive. Pretty funny and a lot of laughs as we warm up and begin to add the words and intentions to some great songs about to be reborn. Now we have become four slightly older dudes suddenly all young and excited again.

We are in New York to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Morrison Hotel, the gallery that Henry and Peter and Rich created to present a marvelous collection of photographs of makers of music from a while ago; every picture much more than the customarily 1000 words, they are a history of a common past shared through a period of great joy of life and the transformation of an era. While principally the works of Henry’s camera, a number of other great photographers share the walls from time to time.

The party is going to be at the Cutting Room up on 32d. We check in a bit early to discover an amazing mayhem of activity and preparation. Work in progress cannot describe the sight that greets us. No way that this place will be ready before next week, no way at all. Only Jimmy, the main man and leader of the band of carpenters and worker, is unruffled and supremely confident. “It will be great.” he promises with a big smile. We look in wonder and head back to a quieter place to tune up both ourselves and our instruments. “Hey, if Jimmy says it will be a go, what’s to worry?”

Henry calls John Sebastion to ask if he’d join us for the party and he cheerfully agrees. Now it’s getting wonderful and the anticipation of John playing with us deepens the groove that is beginning to happen. At last we head back to the place and are happily astounded and that’s the next chapter.