Mid-week, I went to a local nursing home to play for a birthday party for a life-long friend; a former governor of Kentucky. I reluctantly did this for the family.He's a "jazz nut".

While there, I ran into another old friend, a "chord-holder" from my old rock-n-roll days. Nick has built a nice little retirement business playing about 10 jobs a week at nursing homes. He is agreat guy, but a pretty pitiful player.

All that didn't matter. He has the right personality, line of BS and selection of up tempo tunes to really get over. He genuinely enjoys the work and so do the residents.

His changes are horrific, and selection of tunes was a random selection of things I wouldn't play on a bet.

Frankly, I wish I had the personality and the commitment. Basically, I don't have the talent (personality) to pull what he does off.

Add my intense hate for the "for profit" nursing home industry, and it's pretty easy to see I'll never work those kinds of jobs.

I do, however, have an appreciation for those who do it with compassion and sincerity.

I will continue to donate the fee for one of my "during the week" jobs to the group I'm in which lobbies for nursing home reform (usually, $300-500.00).

For those of you who do this kind of work, keep it up.
Just check those chord changes, please (LOL). Gary actually had a post years ago that made me give Nick a little advice. His tunes were from the Rosemary Clooney..Teresa Brewer era. I told him about Gary's suggestion that a 75 year old today would have been 25 50 years ago...think Three Dog Night....Fifth Dimension...Sunny...Spooky...I Love You More Today Than Yesterday...all kinds of up-tempo material with great changes, lyrics and melodies.

R.