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On June 30th, 2000 I drove to Montreal with my good friend Wayne Eagles. Wayne was my performance instructor for my last two years of university and we spent several years gigging together, mostly as a jazz duo. Wayne has always been an excellent musical networker and a people person (I defy you to find someone who will say a nasty thing about the man), and he had recently networked into a relationship with master jazz doublebass player Dave Holland.
Not long before this concert Wayne had booked the Dave Holland Quintet into one of the theatres at our university and (of course) struck up a friendship. If I recall correctly I was even asked to accompany the two of them to dinner before that show but I couldn’t make it for one reason or another. Anyway, Dave Holland was playing at the Montréal jazz festival with John Abercrombie (1944-2017) on guitar and Holland’s bandmate from his Miles Davis days, Jack DeJohnette on drums.
Ever-knowledgable on all things jazz, Wayne informed me that Gateway (as they called themselves) had been playing and recording together sporadically since the 1970’s; newbie that I was I had never heard of them before. No matter, I’m always game to hear good musicians do their thing so off we went.
Wayne had made arrangements for us to say hello to Mr. Holland before the show. This was great news; when Dave had played that gig at Carleton U. I was given the opportunity to take a few pictures during his soundcheck. To be honest I only took three pictures – I felt so intrusive – but there was one shot I was particularly happy with and I wanted to get it signed by the subject.
I hopped in Wayne’s car with the picture and buckled up my seatbelt. “Waitaminnit!” I yelped, just as Wayne was putting the car in gear.
“I forgot to get a Sharpie,” I said, reaching to open my door. “All I have is this crappy blue one, I think I have a good one in my apartment.”
Nothing doing, Wayne insisted we could grab one in Montreal before the show and we sped off.
Of course we didn’t stop to buy a new Sharpie before the show and I got the picture signed in crappy blue. Sigh. I love you Wayne.
Really, I do.
Oh, and the show was great…how could it be otherwise?
I have the picture I took of Dave Holland all framed up nicely and to this day it hangs on my wall. No, not that exact picture; I made another copy from the negative and hung that up instead. Every time I look at it I’m reminded that I have a copy somewhere in my basement that is beautifully signed with a crappy blue Sharpie.
Love you buddy. Really.
Todd Man Out 