Party!!

An Evening At Charlie's; Mel Torme, vocals; George Shearing; piano

I’ve never been much of a party person. When I got invited to a party on a Friday or Saturday night while in college, I would typically make a brief appearance, sneak out when nobody was looking and head to the practice room. I had a lot of music to learn. As I’ve said before, the piano repertoire is larger than anybody else’s. But, to tell the truth, though I accomplished a lot on a Friday and Saturday night at the piano, it didn't totally quantify my absence from the occasional party.

I get lost in a crowd. When I enter the room at a party, I instinctively make silent friendships with other party-goers, sharing knowing glances with them and plant my shoes in a garden of wall-flowers. I have membership in an uncommunicative club whose members don’t have that capacity to captivate a room with some over-the-top story, embroidered, perhaps, with a little free-styling and spiced up with a little “sauce”. Thus, I tend to avoid parties, receptions, shindigs, hootenannies, wingdings, bops, hops, blasts, do’s, frolics, soirees and shebangs.

But if you want to go get a cup of coffee, (I don’t drink coffee, by the way,) call me up. I’m there. Having a small dinner party? You had me at “hello”. Go have a drink at the bar (by the way, I don’t generally drink alcohol, either)? Sure I’ll come sit with ya’. One on one, at the most, one on four, that’s the way to get to know somebody, that’s the way to hear a story. That’s when a person gets interesting. NOW … you’ve got my attention. Close, friendly, relaxed, dear and hospitable. Maybe a little chummy. Intimate. The interaction in a gathering like this resists introversion. No miry flower beds for wall-flowers allowed.

This last weekend, we honored the memory of a musician who has gone on. Johannes Brahms wrote a fairly hefty Requiem for those who need comfort at a time of intense bereavement. Performances of this work usually involve HUGE choruses and MASSIVE orchestras. Sky-high ticket prices for such monumental productions have to account for a lot of people. But on Saturday afternoon, we had none of it. No orchestra, no huge chorus, no tickets. Just an intimate setting with some friends gathered around a piano and two pianists at the keyboard. Each performer, and each listener, declaring their own personal one-on-one with a great friend who lived a great life amidst great music.

Mel Torme and George Shearing come alive on “An Evening At Charlie’s”. Here is intimacy on a grand scale. Two old pros, who have stood on a lifetime of concert stages, allow their musical personalities to mingle, charge their intellectual back-and-forth banter with Noel Cowardesque wit, and make a room full of strangers feel like they haven’t seen each other for only just a little while.

Every track on here is gold. My favorites are "Dream Dancing", "I'm Hip", "Nica's Dream", "Chase Me, Charlie" and the very fast "Love Is Just Around The Corner".

By the way, I’m not above a bribe. If you want me to come to your party, I’ll come. Pumpkin pie has worked before. Recently blueberry pie did the trick. MMMmmmmmmmm. Piiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee.

Credits: To bakers of pie. MMMmmmmmmmmmm. Piiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee.