Halloween is upon us and it’s going to be November in a few days. I’m thinking about my Dad. As sons and dads go, we had a great relationship and as in most all relationships it had its ebb and flow and ups and downs.
Today I’m remembering an evening 38 years ago. Dad was an accordionist, a very exceptional one as a matter of fact. In 1976 he was playing in Cle Elum, Washington at Cavallini’s, a local restaurant and nightclub.
The Serenaders, Al Fabre and long time partner Frank Baffaro, guitar, played at Cavi’s for several years. Dad called me on a Tuesday. Frank was ill, could I sit in and play through the weekend.
We hadn’t played together for several years except a few songs here or there on occasion, but I was raised on his repertoire and it was part of my DNA, even if my musical focus was then quite different.
In 2009 going through storage I found some cassettes of Dad’s in a keepsake box. He passed in 1998. Written on the label was, Cavallini’s, Nov. 10, 1976 with René. On the right, in another color he’d put a check mark with ‘Good’ next to it.
I cracked up and curious I put it on my player for a first listen. Talk about time travel! I was transported. It’s not the best representation of his talents, or mine for that matter, but it was real, raw, and live on a Wednesday night in a nightclub in 1976.
Dad actually had a bad cold and wasn’t feeling well and I’m sitting in for the first time in years. I had my work cut out for me! He’d put some song lists together so I could find my way, but 1 or 2 tunes into it and he was off on a medley.
You see, he took his job really seriously and one of the special things he always did was when a couple came into the bar to spend the evening dining and dancing he’d segue right into their favorite song. You can hear him in the background calling keys to me so I’d at least know where he was headed.
This wasn’t a formal recording and it was never meant for distribution. It was made with one of those cheapy small $50 portable Panasonic cassette recorders for his own use. But thanks to digital technology my friend Rich and I copied the cassette to computer and did our best to clean it up.
I put a few minutes of it to this video I shot in one take with my then new Flip Mino. The video is driving through a wonderful rural neighborhood just south of Salem, Oregon on February 26, 2009. I was needing a break and just wanted to put something fun together.
Those of you of a certain age will recognize the tunes, I’m sure, but regardless, it’s just sharing an evening sitting in with my dad. I feel so blessed I had so many hours and hours in my life that I got to spend with him this way...
So Hey! Time Out... Let’s take a drive!
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