Well to tell the truth this one is not really about live music, it's more about musicians.
In 1987 I was living in New York on 6th Ave next to Bryant Park, working as a jeweler on 19th Street & studying guitar very seriously with the Guitar oracle.
Now in this shop there were all types of people the one thing they had in common is that they were all professional jewelers, masters of the trade with their lives totally revolving around creating quality pieces of jewelry... The "traditional" way.
There were really only two that had devoted themselves to a different tradition, R. Montalvo & myself.
Montalvo was a family man in his late 30's at the time and was a bass player of high quality capable of pumpin' out slabs of Funk, loads of Salsa or buckets of Jazz all with equal authority.
We worked together and occasionally played together (though I was in no way playing at his level) and spent our lunch hour talking about music & life.
During one of these lunch hours Montalvo told me how he was actually very good friends with Carlos Alomar, for those that don't know, Carlos Alomar is and has been the guitarist with David Bowie for many years.
Now... I have never been the type to doubt the things my friends tell me, even back than at the tender age of 25 I knew that life can take you to all types of places, and do all types of things to ya' but... I must admit I thought to myself... "Yeah Right!"
87' was the year of Bowie's "Glass Spider" tour, the tour that feature Alomar on guitar as well as Peter Frampton?
Well as fate would have it while sitting in that shop and listening to WNEW on my headphones I heard that there would be a performance nearby @ the Cat Club @ 1:00 and it was open to the public!
I immediately turned to Montalvo and told him all about it and said I'm going & he should too, who knows he might be able to introduce me to Alomar.
As I think back that might have been a little cheekiness on my part.
We cleared it all with the man in charge and when 12:30 rolled around we started over to The Cat Club.
I have always been a big Bowie fan so I could feel my excitement building on the way over, but I had no idea what was in store!
We were about half a block from the entrance when Frampton comes out of the back stage doors & goes walking by... in full stage make-up and then 2 seconds later out pop Bowie and Alomar!
Alomar takes one look in our direction (probably wondering where Frampton was going) sees Montalvo and immediately sticks out his arms to greet his old friend.
I felt like I had been smacked across the face with a wet mullet!
They walk and talk their way back to the club doors where Bowie is waiting, with me trailing behind looking, understandably Gob smacked.
So now I'm standing in a man- circle with Alomar, Bowie & Montalvo.
Montalvo & Alomar are so busy catching up that I am left standing next to Bowie, talk about your uncomfortable silence.
I think, I finally said "I think they're old friends" or something equally as obvious while we waited, eventually they finished with old times and introductions were made we all talked about the show, the new music the conversation must've lasted 5 minutes then they were called back in.
After about five more minutes when I was able to speak again I apologized to Montalvo for ever doubting him for a minute, and that now if he wanted to tell me he was the first man on the moon I'd believe!
Don't know if Montalvo & Alomar ever saw each other again.
Oh... Yes the performance was great!
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