Every time we hear the great Barbara Trent's wondrous jazzy stylings is sublime, but this past Wednesday night was beyond the beyond!
Wednesday's at Centre Bridge Inn - about 10 minutes north of New Hope, across the Delaware from Stockton, NJ - always tend to be small & cozy, compared to the crowd Barbara draws on Friday nights. As she says, it feels like a family gathering. This past Wednesday had unusually few people at the warm, welcoming bar and the three of us - a grannie client, John & I - were the only diners sitting near the piano. It might have been a low-key crowd, but it was anything but a low-key evening!
Barbara arrived right after we did, so we walked in together. John helped her get settled in, pulling the baby grand into a better position.
Smiling, thinking about Barbara's outfits. The woman must have a gigantic walk-in closet, she has so many different outfits & hats. We can't remember ever seeing her repeat one, which is no small feat since we are there practically every Wednesday. Barbara exudes joy, love of living, love of what she does, love of the people who adore her as much as her singing. She is an experience.
It took the three of us a while to get settled in. The table where we normally sit had a bit a draft around my g.c.'s legs, so we ended up at the table right in front of the baby grand. NOT a good place for sitting, as there is a very cold draft aimed right at the shoulders of the person sitting to the left, but my g.c., sitting catty-corner to me, was comfy & that was all that mattered to me.
Dinner at Centre Bridge Inn is always yum, even for a veganish diner such as moi. Oh, to have the Centre Bridge Mushrooms, simmered & served in a decadent cream sauce! But the Solebury Salad was delicious. Vodka martini for my g.c., gin martini for John, large water with four lemon slices for moi. (No sad songs for me - lemon water suits me just as well as my previous Manhattan.)
As the night passed & people left but no new ones arrived, the crowd finally consisted of just the three of us & one fellow at the far end of the bar. That was when things got special. Barbara asked us to pick selections - she doesn't read music, just plays from her astonishing memory - for her. In succession, she played my requests of Deep River, Impossible Dream, How Great Thou Art, and a medley of patriotic songs for my g.c. John & I took a cozy turn in the tiny dance space, swaying to Cole Porter. It was magical.
When I requested All of Me, my g.c. - surprised at my request - asked if I knew the words. Barbara had trouble singing through her own laughter, since the words (which I know by heart) are perfectly suited to over-sized gestures, which I gladly supplied. It was truly a rollicking, grand night for singing!
Is there anything more heart-warming than being with people you love & enjoy being with? That was the four of us. Barbara's always had a soft spot for my g.c. - the two formed a mutual admiration society from our first visit. Through the year, the two of us have gotten to know & appreciate each other, and she is a total devotee of John & his gallant, quietly charming ways.
It was hard to imagine how the evening could get better. As we were preparing to go, my g.c. excused herself to the ladies' room. In her absence, Barbara started into a medley of songs about autumn, which ended up in her traditional grouping of songs of farewell. John swept me into his arms & we slow danced - very slow. When my g.c. came back, she entered the room all aglow, dancing over to Barbara. The three of us stood around the baby grand, dancing & beaming at our wonderful friend, who beamed right back at us as she sang, "I'll be seeing you..."
When I first started working with my music-loving grannie client, she often wondered what good she was doing on this earth, what possible use God could have for a 92-year old widow. When we experience a night like Wednesday, when I think about the people who saw her enjoying every moment of her life, experienced her joy in BEING, it's pretty darn clear to see at least a little part of that calling. She touches lives by simply the way in which she lives life to her fullest.
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