Let It Snow and Al Jarreau

Well, we finally got our first decent dusting of snow of the season over the weekend.  Some accumulation was predicted and, no, my new masthead photo is not indicative of the result of the weekend's snowfall.  That was from a few years ago when we were really inundated with the white stuff.  We did get about three inches or so...just enough to make driving a bit treacherous (I know, I was headed down the interstate in the midst of the worst of it), but not impossible.  The good news was that I reached my destination in good order and more or less on time.

I enjoyed a little "B&B" weekend of sorts.  Spent a few hours with friends in the country on Saturday, then headed south to Putnam County to meet up with other friends who have the most charming historic house on the Hudson River.  It's a jewel box of a house, with a panoramic view of a lagoon, the river and a mountain on the far shore.  Heaven!  We headed down to Peekskill for a wonderful dinner at a restaurant in a former grist mill - the food was "hand crafted" as the menu indicated, so everything was prepared meticulously to order...and simply superb.  Then it was off to a concert by legendary jazz/R&B vocalist Al Jarreau and his impressive band.  The set list was a blend of Mr. Jarreau's hits and some holiday tunes from his 2008 holiday CD.  Afterward, he signed copies for audience members and while they had run out of inventory of his CDs, I waited in line to say hello and quickly share with him a little story. 

I had first seen Mr. Jarreau in concert at Saratoga (NY) about 25-30 years ago.  I remember the evening vividly because he was riding the crest of the wave of initial mainstream success after some of his great tunes were released and had become popular radio hits - tunes like "Mornin''" and "We're in This Love Together."  Great stuff.  But beyond the music, which was terrific, Mr. Jarreau was perhaps the first popular entertainer I'd seen who had such a profound rapport with the audience that it was palpable, and thrilling.  I had seen many concerts in my young life even at that point - rock, jazz, classical, etc. - but I'd never been part of such a special, magical concert experience as that one.  It was so enjoyable - and impressive to me - that, over time, it set the standard for me for everyone and everything I've heard since in concert, and it still is.  Then, on July 4th of this year, Mr. Jarreau was the headliner in an afternoon and evening of free concerts celebrating the holiday in Albany.  I hadn't had a chance to see him in concert in the intervening years until then, but I made the effort to see him that evening.  He was as good, if not better, than ever.  (I've added a few samples of his music to my player here, so you can enjoy him as you read.)

When the chance arose recently to see him again in concert over the weekend in Peekskill, I jumped on it and my friends were keen to join me and hosted my wonderful weekend visit.  It was a terrific performance (with an equally enthusiastic audience) and it was such a treat to meet and share with him on Saturday evening, for the first time, how special that his concert was for me so many years ago, and how the memory of it has stayed with me throughout the years as an important benchmark of high quality and specialness.  He was so gracious as he listened and responded to me cheerfully, "Well, you just keep on coming back!"  Indeed, Mr. Jarreau, I most surely will.