From: Douglas Tate Date: Wed, 04 Feb 1998 09:51:02 +0000 Subject: An open letter to three good friends
I am MAD
It takes time to travel..... in the time it has taken me to get home my partner Bobbie has pinched a very similar quote to the one I was going to use. 'je ne regrete rien' (sorry about spelling Benoit) ( I regret nothing. )
What could be more stupid than travelling the best part of 12,000 miles to go to a party to play for ten minutes!!!!! AND, on top of that, to only manage to consume half a can of fizzy water and a few mushrooms when I got there?????
Yes, I'm talking about Michael Polesky's party of course.... 'THE' gathering.....
and
No, Michael was NOT a poor host who didn't feed his guests, it was just that there were so many fantastic people present that there appeared to be no time to eat... it was all talking and playing.
Michael....... a totally inadequate thank you for not only hosting the gathering but jumping with total enthusiasm into the idea in the first place. "50 + guests in my flat ????? NO problem.... !!!" It takes a very special person to take on this sort of task and then to quietly let it happen, prodding in the background where necessary to make it succedssful. But not only that .... thank you for taking time to arrange for the best pianist I have come across in the USA to accompany me on piano..... that was a joy ....... AND for taking time out of a busy schedule to help show Bobbie and me the sights of the Hollywood (ok, ok... I'm inaccurate in district naming!) area .... again a delight.
Thank you so very much.
Danny.... it is difficult to say anything about Danny. .... doesn't seem to matter what the heck he takes on ... it is always world class in the outcome. Again... no noise, no seeking praise, ... just results!! and BOY!... the guest list he managed to put together!... again... that isn't the complete story.. It was so good to find that Bobbie and I were exhibitors at the NAMM convention.... took us by surprise.... but there we were with the ability to attend this closed trade show when we wanted. A nod and a smile to you Danny.... with your sensitivity towards people I am sure you know what I indicate by it.
Ken .. it is so nice to meet a person you seem to have known all your life and who is so easy to be with and so wonderfully calm in his ability as a player. Not easy to make a studio sound on a sandy beach in LA.... he managed it!!! Where he got the resonances from I will never know, but the sound just welled out as he nonchalantly walked along with us.... He's not a bad driver either..... !!!! took Bobbie and me all round with Michael and introduced this poor lad to dreams of aveice and also a very famous beanery!....
Purpose of trip for me was to hopefully SELL Renaissance harmonicas..... that actually became almost totally secondary in the warm cocoon of friendship engendered by these three and the welter of harp-l buddies at the party.. so good to put faces and sounds to people known well by argument and comment!
The result is, of course, that there were nearly 700 mails waiting when I got back,,,,, It will take a little time to answer many of the relevant ones,,, but answering will be a pleasure.
