After a 250 -mile drive here in the sun, we thought we were sitting pretty. Somehow well rested, we checked into our Super 8 and then into our concert venue. What a place! It’s an enormous $46,000,000 dollar complex, and that’s not including the piano. The brand new nine-foot Steinway when it’s not being played is enshrined in a special temperature-controlled room with all kinds of gizmos to humidify and de-humidify. I was asked to sign the wall of that room, along with others who have performed on it there.
The blue skies we had been experiencing had changed to an ominous grey. There’s a winter storm warning in effect for tonight and tomorrow. The symphony scheduled for tomorrow here is now cancelled. What if we braved it all the way to Osage tomorrow, 200 miles away, and they cancelled it? Tomorrow will be our first big decision of the tour.
We played tonight, ironically, to a nice small group despite the complex, which could hold a fleet of battleships. They were very proud of their new Steinway, which was paid for by individual donations. A woman who was there tonight had gone to New York to the factory especially to pick it out. It was truly new and beautiful. The audience was wonderful, as well. Lots of hands went up tonight when I asked how many of them had taken piano lessons.
Back at the Super 8, we stepped out of our car in the pouring, freezing rain. We practically needed ice skates to get to the hotel room! The Weather Channel always makes a big deal of everything for news sake. Let’s see if they’re right about tomorrow. If so, the one smoke-free room we have in this whole hotel might be our new home for a while…
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2 comments:
Thank you, Sally and Frank, for sharing your impressive talents with us. Sally, your love of music made the evening an especially memorable event, and your enthusiastic personality added a wonderful depth to the experience. I loved hearing all of your stories. Having moved here from the Seattle area 12 years ago, I greatly enjoyed being transported back to the magic of the northwest in Blue Mountain. Your original compositions were a complete delight, and your arrangements of other works offered a fresh look at favorites. I loved how you blended classical and jazz, popular and sacred. I have rarely heard piano with only bass before, and mostly limited to jazz. Frank's mastery of the bass added a wonderful richness of tone and great personality of expression ranging from classic jazz to funk. Thank you, thank you, thank you for a fantastic evening which I look forward to revisiting through your CDs.
I love your blog and reading about the gems you discover on your adventure! Special congrats on braving the weather! It was probably the worst storm I've experienced in the entire time we've lived here! Hopefully we can get you to come to Fairfield on your next trip, which is 30 miles east of Ottumwa and a great center of the arts. I look forward to your return tour and will make sure all my friends and family know about it!
Dear ff_mac,
Thanks you so much for your comments.. Sally had me read it twice this morning as we lounge in our "suite" at the Super 8 in Antigo WI. your words are breakfast, lunch and dinner for our souls.
We stopped in the very unique town of Fairfield, IA on our way to Ottumwa. We took a walk around the square and had some great Indian food. We would love to come back there to play and stay for a few days.
Thanks again
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