Memories

Memories ??
This is not a post of great import.  It is just something that hit me as I came in the house a bit ago.  I had been out to my son’s house to feed his dogs, cats, fish, and whatever else would come eat.  It was late and I was tired driving home, so it was with real relief that I came in the family room (where the television is) and looked at this geezer (thinner and richer than the geezer writing this, but still a geezer) in a lovely white suit, who was playing the piano.

I looked at him and thought I KNOW that guy.  Just then, he quit playing and bowed to applause from the audience.   I scratched my head a little, looked closely at the TV (which was set to the public TV station).   He talked for a moment then went back to the piano and began to play a hot, improvised version of AUTUMN LEAVES.   Suddenly it hit me.  He was a former student at Idaho State College, and I had already written a post which included him.

In my earlier story about my first REAL date, in my Junior year of high school (1951), I mentioned that all the cast and crew for the high school operetta had been moved up into the balcony  because a local guy who had won a famous piano competition had come back to town to give a Community Concert.  I identified him as Louis Weertz, and noted that he had since developed a stage name, but I couldn’t remember what it was.

There, in front of me, on the TV was Louis Weertz.  I am not sure he would be flattered by my failure to remember his stage name.  He is only Roger Williams, whose 1955 recording of AUTUMN LEAVES is the most sold single piano album in the history of recording music.  And all I could remember was Louis Weertz.  Oh well!!  When the aging brain turns to mush, it is always exciting  when one or two of the cells crystallizes for a moment.