What is your most fond musical memory.

I think the experiences that we have when we are in our teenage years are the most intense and we spend our later years trying to recreate that feeling.

In pop music, the most memorable I ever had was hearing Bob Seeger at a high school gym around 1971, when I was 13. Seeger had a hit a few years before (Rambling Gambling Man) and the Detroit radio stations would play all his music, but he must have been at a career nadir and unsuccessful outside the Detroit area (before he hit it big a few years later). It was probably my first concert by a “known” musician and he had us screaming our lungs out.

A few years later I had gone deeply into Classical Music. I heardBartok Music For Strings, Percussion and Celesta in concert and the great first movement had me shaking because it was so intense. Shortly afterwards I heard Gary Graffman play Beethoven last Piano Sonata, Op.111. The last movement has always , starting with that concert, struck me as a person in communication with God, who is explaining all of the secrets of life. I still listen to that piece afraid to breathe, even to a recording, for 20 minutes, for fear of missing a detail.

Having Doc Watson perform with his nephew at my father’s farmhouse in Western North Carolina in the early 90’s at Christmas time.  Doc is a legend in our part of the world and was a pure musician.  

The day I succumbed to my friend's relentless endeavor to convince me to go see the Grateful Dead. He bought me a ticket for my birthday and told me I was going if he had to knock me out and toss me in the trunk of his dad's brand new Mercedes. So, at 9AM on September 26 1981 we loaded up the car with coolers of food and booze and we were off to Buffalo NY. Fifteen hours, two tabs, and countless cocktails later we were in the parking lot of the Buffalo Aud listening to a tape of the show we just witnessed. Needless to say I was hooked. I spent the next two years following the Dead around the country. Arguably the two most exciting and formative years of my life.

David Bowie concert in New Haven, CT, summer of 1974.  The music was fantastic and my date was a beautiful girl who was a dancer in with the Alvin Ailey troupe. One of the best nights of my life. 

Tripping on LSD back in 79' listening to Santana loud as hell with 4 speakers around the living room, Pink Floyd...when the clocks struck 12, I thought for sure the cops were busting the door down! So freaking intense the music is when your on the same stuff as the band! :-) Ahh to be young again...  (I probably wouldnt do any of that again LOL)

Went to a Friend's birthday party in New Jersey back in the early 70's and he had a band he knew playing at his party. Some bearded guy sung with a backup band named the E Street Band. They were good. I heard they made it big.

We’ve seen a lot of “industry” people living in So Cal. over the years, but the night I spent sitting next to Tom Waits at a bar I,ll never forget. We were in the basement of a Chinese restaurant in the worst part of downtown LA ,the Cathy de grande, it was a great venue in the 80,s for punk and new wave. We were watching Top Jimmy and the rhythm pigs, who would go on to be immortalized in the Van Hallen song “TopJimmy” in 1984. Waites had just been on the Mike Douglas show and he did this routine with the cigarettes where he patted all his pockets looking for the pack and matches while hunched over. I couldn’t resist,I bummed a Chesterfield from him and he did his thing.I was in heaven,

Tom Waits came to Seattle an my buddy Ron somehow got us tickets on the second row.  A memory burned into my conciousness both musically and performance wise.

The days I dated singer. I was in my 30s and fresh after divorce:-)

Even though I accompanied her on many occasions, I did not like that music, but certainly liked more "rewards" outside of rehearsals and performances.