Nelson's first CD

My Shining Hour: A Harold Arlen Songbook; Weslia Whitfield

I, truly, had absolutely no idea when I left the house on August 14, 1998, that I would pull up in the driveway later in the day inside a gleaming white ’98 Dodge Durango. A friend knew that I’d been lookin’ and told me that he had seen one in Flandreau and that “she was a honey.” Well, it doesn’t hurt to look, does it? I jumped in the Buick and headed south to Flandreau Motors. And there she sat. Nelson.

It all happened so fast. I made a bid … then some other stuff happened … and, before I knew it, I drove off the lot. I swear, as I looked in the rear view mirror as I headed west toward I-29, I saw myself running from the dealership and out into the road yelling,

Wait! Come back here!! What happened?! Where’re you goin’? Did I miss something?! That’s not what we – what I drove here in! WAAAAAAAIIIITTT!!

I don’t know if a brand new vehicle had ever driven onto our farm before. Dad didn’t place himself into that league of American consumers that felt that they could afford a new car. In my more morose moments, I’ve quietly mused that, if my dad had survived the heart attack that killed him, he might have enjoyed the one brought on by the sight of me driving into the yard in this beautiful monstrosity.

The next morning, my friend Chad and I drove back down to Flandreau to pick up the old Buick. Just as I was going out the door, I remembered: Heyyyyyy!! I’ve got a CD player in my truck!! I ran back upstairs and grabbed the first CD that I could reach.

Sometimes I purchase a CD because I’m not acquainted with some or most of the songs enclosed therein. I have loved the music of Harold Arlen since discovering that he wrote the music for "The Wizard Of Oz". So I bought this CD in the interest of learning new Harold Arlen songs. Except, in this case, I had the added bonus of hearing the gorgeous voice of Weslia Whitfield.

I smiled when I heard her sing. I can hear her smile when she sings. The timbre of her voice is one like I’ve never come across. I liken my first encounter with her to one where someone has heard nothing but brass bands for his entire life – and then one day he hears an oboe for the first time.

This was the first CD that I listened to in my brand new Dodge Durango as I drove off the lot the SECOND time, heading west toward I-29 and into a brand new era.

Credits: To Flandreau Motors, for selling me my first brand new vehicle. She lasted ten years, fellas. She was a honey.