I Remember. . .

. . .I once went to see Chris Connor at Birdland (I "date" myself, and YES I'm having fun!) and I can still recall that the legendary "little person" (I'm sooooo pc) mc Pee Wee Marquette announced her as "Chris ConnorS." Years later I learned that it was tradition at Birdland that if one didn't ante up with a bribe, Marquette, who Lester Young once described as "half-a-mother fucker," would intentionally screw up the pronunciation of your name in his intro. I guess Chris wouldn't come across.

I also remember that: the other act on the bill was (I think) Gil Evans (George Russell?), the film of Sweet Bird of Youth was playing in Times Square, and some time during the proceedings I lost a contact lens and I had prrrractically the entire place crawling around on its hands and knees, including Chris, trying to help me find it.

Now how hip is that? I mean. . .there I was at Birdland and I LOST a contact lens and Chris Connor helped me look for it. I mean.. .can you imagine? Birdland. . .lost a contact lens. . .Chris Connor. . .. (I just couldn't wait to get back to school and tell Muriel Puce and Bunny Bixler alllll about it.)

Now if I could only remember what I had for breakfast.

PS: And we finally DID find the lens! (I eventually had it bronzed.)

And then there was the time that. . ..)