Me ,age 7 ,Babylon,N.Y. circa 1965-William P.O'Rourke ; Photo
But, to me the real connection came to me by way of my grandparents ancient, dusty, chicken roosting, delapitating barn. Located at the foot of "The Hill", it was at the time, Uncle Michaels Domain". "No Tresspassing-This Means You,!! Or a fate worse then death awaits you.
But, we were kids. We were curious. And it took awhile,for Michael to understand this fact.
Until one morning, a very hot,humid upstate New York, day. We were as usual peeking,(spying once again),
to see just what was he doing up there? Well, it was no big deal when we saw him lifting huge and very long metal pipes,as a sort of exercise gym. Can we come in and watch,,?,,,,,,,,,eerrgghhh,,,okay,BUT,NO Talking,messing around ,DO NOT TOUCH-Anything,!!......and NO questions. came a solumn reply.
Alas, from that day on,,,WE were in,!!
Electric guitars, acoustic guitars, drum sticks,record players,Huge stacks of Lps and a case of 45s, a big radio and myriad things that an average seven year old would rather have been distracted by and remain to focus on for weeks. Not me,though. I was transfixed on all and everything having to do with music. I think this is what Michael picked up on almost imeadiatly.
As I could not stop humming along with "Tobacco Road" which was playing on the phograph. That and I was shaking his tambourine at the wrong time in the wrong beat to the song. He quietly lowered the volume on the record and borrowed the instrument and began to play it just like the record. Wow,I thought,it was just like magic to me, To see Mike play right along with the phonograph. Just so effortlessly. Almost naturally. This was some serious kool going on here. And my uncle Michael, was "all over it".
Andrea Bertieri;Photo
" The Blues Party " Torino, Italy 2014
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