The world is often a mixed load of contradictions and sorrows wrapped in the taffy of pleasure and good fortune. Tonight’s gig is a perfect example of that phenomenon. The Opera Alley Cats, one of the finest jazz ensembles on the West Coast, is still playing its regular free 7 p.m. slot at the Speakeasy. However, the band is down a very important member due to an ongoing and unavoidable infirmity that hits more than a few members of those who play well above the
level of the average musician. I am being intentionally vague here to keep the spotlight away from anywhere besides this chap’s excellent chops and jams, but I will say that a resolution to this debilitating situation is in my prayers because this man can PLAY. Meantime, please enjoy the rest of the fellas in the band because together they are a treasure.
This article appears in Portrait of a Prairie.