Tonight I revisited a memory...

Several years ago in Eastown I was listening to the local radio station 88.1. They played a tense and passionate song that captured my attention and held me for its duration. The announcer’s voice broke the trance and told me who my guide was, Patricia Barber. I wanted to hear more of her. A native of Chicago, she was here in Grand Rapids playing a very small and intimate venue tonight at UICA. I needed to go. I phoned a friend who I knew would appreciate such an experience.

When we arrived, we walked through the welcoming open art gallery and approached a doorway on the far wall. Through the doorway we continued down a dark hall into a small, dark theatre. We sat down, quieted by the dim lights against the black walls. On stage, a single piano stood along side a single bass, framed by two soft overhead lights. There were perhaps 20 people in the small theatre, but barely a whisper was heard. Then silence. We waited, no one moved. Quietly, head bowed, a woman walked onto the stage and sat at the piano. She wore a dark, loose-fitted suit, her bare feet revealing a disconnect from materials.

She began to play the piano, eyes closed, enveloped in her own music. She brought us with her, on her flight through darkness and mystery, with a softness that gave us a sense of security, a sense of trust. She shared with us her self. She was not playing to us as an audience, but rather incorporated us into her music, letting us fall over tones and color and to experience what she was feeling. Two hours immersed in her sound. I felt exhausted and serene.

That night has not been duplicated. I cherish it and visit the memory with selection. It is my treasure that I open sparingly. It is a special find when you stumble upon an artist unexpectedly and it only adds to the allure of that night.