Intoxicating Jazz

I've come to truly enjoy Fridays at Playland. Not because it's the end of the week,(sadly, I still have two days till my day off). But because I get a chance to chill on the boardwalk along the Long Island Sound, enjoy the sun set with a bottle of wine, watch some fireworks, and listen to the elderly men of the Milt Gerver Big Band play the live jazz that I long to hear.  

Back in Stevens Point, WI, some of my favorite Friday nights we spent listening to the River Cities Jazz Band  as they entertained a mixed crowd of older folks, some 40 year-olds, and a hand full of college-aged jazz enthusiasts. The crowd on Playland's boardwalk, however, has mostly blue hairs and wrinkly skin. But you'd never be able to tell that by the movement on the dance floor. They are all shake'n like it was their first sock-hop. I figured this out not only by seeing, but experiencing it as well. 

A couple Fridays ago, my roommate Pip and I were listening to the fantastic band when a couple of ladies next to us were getting ready to leave. "Leaving so soon?" we enquired. "Well, we have no one to dance with!" they replied. If that wasn't an invitation to dance, I don't know what is. We took these young-at-heart ladies for a slow dance. I danced with Betty. The song was just about over. I could see some tears swelling up her eyes before she said, "We lost our dance partners a few years ago."  I almost melted as we finished our dance in silence because I didn't know what to say.

After that dance, our lovely ladies left. But I was quite pleased we had that dance. Put things in perspective.

A few of us cast members stayed till the night's end. As the band played their closer "New York, New York," our dance captain showed up the entire crowd with her high kicks and Rockette  style moves. The vocalist and band leader came up to her after the show and exclaimed, "You're going to Hollywood baby, no doubt about it," in his classic Brooklyn accent.

Indeed, I've come to love these Fridays. A night to take in life.