An Afternoon with Wilmer
My Wife and I met Wilmer at Charles Colin Music (on 53rd Street) at Noon on Friday. This was the day that we were going to hear the New York Philharmonic and Wilmer suggested that we walk up 8th Avenue to Lincoln Center and find a good place to eat close to the hall. It was a beautiful day (we really lucked out and got great weather – mid 50s during the days) and gave us a chance to see some sights too.
I told Wilmer that we had really enjoyed the performance of Wicked the night before at the Gershwin Theater (what a show!), and he mentioned that he had played Sweeney Todd in that same theater years ago. He said that there had been some issue with the parking garage and not only were there “fumes” that worked there way into the pit, but in the winter, the temperature was close to freezing! He said Angela Lansbury liked it cold in the house, so the musicians had to tolerate the conditions! Yikes!
I also mentioned that after the afternoon performance with the Philharmonic, I was going to get to meet Jim Ross. He said that he hadn’t yet had the change to meet Jim, and then he started talking about some of the other 2nd trumpet players that he had known at the Philharmonic. He had lessons with Nat Prager and said that he was in school with Vincent Penzarella. And then he mentioned that Mario Lanza lived right down the street in his neighborhood. Wow!
We stopped by Rayburn’s Music so that he could pick up some valve oil, and then we continued on to Columbus Circle. He mentioned that Wynton had realized a life long dream in building the Rose Hall and several other smaller performance spaces for jazz as we walked by them. He also commented that the City seemed to change every time he went to different neighborhoods and that it was nothing like he remembered it. I told him about the big changes that are going on in downtown Tempe and said with the creation of
Tempe Town Lake the whole complexion of that part of town is so different from when I first moved here in the late 80s that I hardly recognize it. Seems change it happening everywhere.
At lunch (right across from Lincoln Center), we talked about all sorts of things and just enjoyed each other’s company. I told him that we would be seeing A Chorus Line on Saturday night, and he said that the trumpet book was amazing. Well, you were right Wilmer! John Chudoba was just incredible playing the part. And what a show it was!
Wilmer walked us over to Avery Fisher Hall and pointed out the building where Wynton lives. It was quite a memorable afternoon, and would have been perfect if I had remembered to take out my camera for a photo.
Thanks for everything Wilmer! It’s nice to finally meet after being "pen pals" on the computer all these years.