Mother’s Day

Of course, I was thinking about mothers today.  As much time as we spend with our mothers ---how much do we really know about them?

 My mother grew up in the Big Band Era with great musicians -- Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie and Artie Shaw.  The genre is generally defined as a big band or jazz orchestra consisting of ten or more musicians.  This sophisticated music was dominate during the 1940s.  I always thought my mother was a big fan of this music and her top performers were of this era.

 I served on the board of the University of California Foundation Board for many years.  One of the top programs at the University was its Arts and Lectures program.  Considered one of the best in the country it brought top entertainment from a board spectrum to the University.  I was also on the advisory board for the Arts and Lectures.  The curator of the yearly program had a group of entertainers that she was particularly close to.  One of those entertainers was Wynton Marsalis.  He is considered the premier jazz trumpet player in the world.  He is also the managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center.  This Orchestra is the current iteration of the Big Band.  Mr. Marsalis was coming to UCSB to perform one spring around Mother’s Day.  I called my mother to see if she might be interested in attending the performance. Surprisingly she said no that she did not think she had time.  Thinking there would be other opportunities and musicians, I asked if she could go to a concert who would she most like to see.  She responded: Well, I really love B.B.  King!!!  B.B. King??? Are you kidding? I never knew my mother was a fan of the blues or the incredible B.B. King.  As it happened B.B. King was also coming to perform in Santa Barbara.  This would be one of his last performances before he would pass to the other side.

I asked my mother if she would like to come to a concert of his.  She said she would love to

 I brought her to Santa Barbara.   We had a lovely quiet dinner and drove to the Arlington Theatre for the concert.   Tickets in hand we made our way down the isle of this sold-out venue.  Every seat was taken to see this blues legend.  We made our way to our seats, saying hello to some of the board members along the way.  There we were center stage, front row.   At this point in his career, B.B. King sat in a chair and played during the performance.  He was amazing.  Another tradition for B.B. King concerts is at the end of the concert as the band is taking their bows, he throws various memorabilia to the front of the stage.    Because of this tradition a number of people had come up and are now standing between our seats and the stage.  Of all the trinkets the prize is the gold key ring with his famous guitar, Lucille.  In between the guitar picks and other less worthy items he tossed a key ring in the direction of my mother.   A young man who had come to the area between the first row of seats and the stage moved to pick up the key ring.  Mr. King waved him off and said no it was for the lady as he pointed to my mother.   The young man graciously turned and handed it to my mother.  B.B. King had obviously noticed her in the front row and for also being of his age group.

 For me it was a memorable evening as it was for my mother..  We went backstage and met Mr. King. He was gracious and attentive to my mother.  It was a wonderful evening that fulfilled one of my mother’s wishes.

 Mothers have a hard job, better described as the hardest.  Everything flows through them.  Both good news and bad comes to the mother first.  In addition to organizing all of the tasks that are required to get kids to school, sports practice, bills paid etc. etc. they get to solve all of the emotional trauma.  They really drew the short straw.  It is a job with fleeting rewards and shorter moments to enjoy them.   If we are fortunate to live long enough to know our mothers, we will most assuredly come to know many of the things she did not wish to reveal.  They are allowed to have their secrets.  We will only discover them when we are old enough to know and understand. Thank goodness the mothers of the world are allowed to hold onto their secrets.  Only to reveal them at the appropriate time.  And when we discover a treasure and we can act on it, the joy of discovery becomes all the sweeter.

Next time you are chatting with mom ask her to tell you something about herself. What kind of music do you like ? You might learn something about someone who knows a lot about you ……

 Really? B.B. King? Really!!!? ------- “I really love B.B.King”

 Happy Mother’s Day to all the fabulous mothers.  Keep your secrets until it is time.

We love you.