The Pianobabbler's New York Tales - vol. 6: Sir Paul Up High Melissa Below
July 21 2009

New York is the best walking city in the world. Paris may compete. Nothing comes near NY.

So, the Pianobabbler walks. A. Lot.

This day, it's a 140+ block walk. Down from 151 St. to Greenwich Village. Shockingly long to some New Yorkers. Heaven to me. Through Washington Heights, to Harlem, and Columbia University. On to Lincoln Centre. (Or Center, as they put it here.) Columbus Circle, Times Square, Flatiron. Into Chelsea, and finally the Village.

And that ain't the half of New York.

Two tales of music. As I head towards 42nd Street on Broadway, I pass by the Ed Sullivan Theatre. It's where the David Letterman talk show is shot daily. The marquis is always loud, the area always congested. Today there's a difference.

A swath of street in front of the theatre is blocked off. Camera booms. Dollies. Sound gear. And tech personnel strewn about, leaning and scowling with the universal body language of arts techies the world over, weary in waiting for their assigned task to call them into action.

In a what-is-going-on eyeball survey of the scene, the Pianobabbler looks up. There. On the theatre marquis. It's as large as a stage, and about two stories in the air. On it, a roadie is assembling and testing a drum kit.

Cool. Some band is going to play outdoors on the marquis, for the Broadway crowd.

Showtime is clearly not for a while. The Pianobabbler continues on his way.

He makes it to 55 Bar, on Christopher Street. It's just next to the Stonewall, the home of gay rights. I've come to see Melissa Stylianou, a top Canadian jazz singer, now living and working in New York.

55 Bar is one the jazz spots, by reputation, in New York. It's in a basement. I'm surprised to see how small it is. Capacity... 60? If that. And no piano. Boo. Hiss.

Melissa is there with a quintet, including her husband Jaime Reynolds on keyboard. Jaime's playing is terrific. Musical. Melodic. Full of energy. Props, Jaime.

The band is a glove fit for Melissa. She is gifted, with tons of style and technique. Her material and arrangements are inspired. Next to me at the bar are two young musicians. At the end of every song, they exclaim, with a passion that belies the insincerity repetition implies, AWEsome. Every song is AWEsome.

There are about 30 people or so to hear Melissa and her AWEsome music.

Later, I learn that the band that played on the marquis of the Ed Sullivan Theatre was Sir Paul McCartney.

The Pianobabbler is not one for spectacle. And he is happy to remember the Beatles' music as it was, not in post-cosmetic re-creation. So I don't mind having missed Sir Paul.

It was an event, though. Very New York.

But only Melissa was AWEsome.

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