PARTISAN REVIEW
69
himself had come down on Earth to kiss me on the brow at the very
moment when 1 felt so shitty yes so pissy because 1 didn't have the
guts to blow my usual solos that evening!
I almost fainted on the spot in front of everybody but 1 held back
because I was with a cute little broad. Rita!
RITA was her name! The
one I was screwing at that time. A real nice girl who taught me a
great deal about the secrets of love. Enormous teats she had. But
when Parker asked me if he could blow my horn 1 didn't know ...
I didn't know what to do ... what to say ... what to!
Yes, I suppose that's what glory is! Glory and Pride and Friendship
and Love!
It
must have been at that precise moment that 1 under–
stood for the first time, and perhaps for the last time, that all men
are equal and that NEVER yes NEVER a man should (1 didn't say
that but 1 must have thought about it ) should kneel in front of
another man NEVER but here at this very moment in front of Par–
ker, his hand still touching my elbow, I almost, yes almost felt like
kneeling like flattening myself down on the ground to kiss his feet ...
YES i said ... YES OF COURSE ... MAN in a kind of choked–
up sob!
Have you ever heard Parker blow the tenor?
Yes ... ! of course, it's true, they've reissued some of these
where you hear him on tenor, but that night, that night
he played a solo A SOLO that lasted
45 -
yes
45-
minutes ON MY SAXOPHONE! Can you imagine that!
45
MINUTES!
Just the piano (Duke ) the bass (Tommy)
and Kenny at the drums - behind him!
Everybody in the place sat down!
not a word!
not a movement!
Just the cigarette smoke!
I swear there were guys in the place with tears running down their
faces!
A
45
MINUTE SOLO!
A HISTORICAL MOMENT (on My Old Flame)
