It was 1969...

[elfs]

It was 1969, and I was on The Muppet Show. I was Dr. Teeth, sitting in my finest white tux jacket trimmed with gold ribbon. Kermit came out onto the stage and introduced us, "And now, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band will play the Thelonious Monk song Straight, no Chaser. Yaaaaaayy!!"

We played. I was on fire. My hands flew across the keyboard, I tossed my head, the band backed me up with the kind of reliability they don't make in Detroit anymore. The music flowed out of us and into a maybe appreciative, maybe dumbfounded audience.

When it was over, I put my head down on the keyboard and started crying. Tears trickled down onto the ivories, and Ralph, who also plays the piano, came over and said, "Teeth, Teeth! What's wrong?"

I picked up my fuzzy head, blinked and said, "I just love playing me some Monk, man."

And then I woke up.

I am having the strangest dreams these days.

Comments

[elfs.livejournal.com]

It's funny, though... I'm not that much of a Monk fan. I appreciate him the way I appreciate Don Delillo-- I admire the polish, skill, and passion, but the work always comes across as from somewhere alien.