One night in the late sixties I was walking down Avenue C in the East Village. It was late, and I was looking for a new place to grab a meal, and listen to some Jazz.
As I walked, I found a spot called, Rafikki. Not sure of the spelling now. I was only there once, and, I think it's gone now. But, it looked like a nice place, and the sign outside read, " live Jazz". Well, I had found a little piece of paradise.
Having been exposed to live Jazz from the age of eight by my mother in 1955, I was impressed even then with the music. But, my interest waned as one might expect from a child. It was only years
later that my interest and love of this music began to evolve. Sometime in the early sixties, when I was fifteen, my oldest brother, Dan, brought home some albums, Ramsey Lewis, among them. I'd heard of Ramsey,
he was popular. But, it was the Bobby Timmons' album "The Bobby Timmons Trio Live in Person", that got my attention. That's the one with Ron Carter(bs), and Albert Heath(dr), recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1961. Looking at the album cover at these cats, they looked very cool and sophisticated. The picture was larger than life to a teenage kid like me. The music spoke for itself. I fell in love with it.
After being seated at Rafikki, I enjoyed my meal, while listening to this cat on solo piano. Even though I was enjoying the music, the pianist was not immediately recognizable. But, at the end of his set, he got up and walked to the bar. And that's when I noticed. It was the great Bobby Timmons. I was in complete awe, as my mind flashed back to those days when I listened to my brother's album.
His image from that album was burnished in my memory, and so was that night at Rafikki.
As I walked, I found a spot called, Rafikki. Not sure of the spelling now. I was only there once, and, I think it's gone now. But, it looked like a nice place, and the sign outside read, " live Jazz". Well, I had found a little piece of paradise.
Having been exposed to live Jazz from the age of eight by my mother in 1955, I was impressed even then with the music. But, my interest waned as one might expect from a child. It was only years
later that my interest and love of this music began to evolve. Sometime in the early sixties, when I was fifteen, my oldest brother, Dan, brought home some albums, Ramsey Lewis, among them. I'd heard of Ramsey,
he was popular. But, it was the Bobby Timmons' album "The Bobby Timmons Trio Live in Person", that got my attention. That's the one with Ron Carter(bs), and Albert Heath(dr), recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1961. Looking at the album cover at these cats, they looked very cool and sophisticated. The picture was larger than life to a teenage kid like me. The music spoke for itself. I fell in love with it.
After being seated at Rafikki, I enjoyed my meal, while listening to this cat on solo piano. Even though I was enjoying the music, the pianist was not immediately recognizable. But, at the end of his set, he got up and walked to the bar. And that's when I noticed. It was the great Bobby Timmons. I was in complete awe, as my mind flashed back to those days when I listened to my brother's album.
His image from that album was burnished in my memory, and so was that night at Rafikki.
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