Sunday Thoughts

[Horace Greeley]

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Hi, David,

Truly music to my ears!  These are the things that make and keep us human.

Cecil was a genius, pure and simple.

Glad you made contact with Mike, too...good man!  (Hi, Mike!)

Thanks very much for a truly wonderful Christmas gift!

Best.

Horace




At 10:44 AM 12/12/2004, you wrote:
>Hey my colleagues------
>
>
>Just thought I=92d share a little from the last week.  I have a client, Don=
=20
>Beamsley, who has been a well-known and successful jazz player in SoCal=20
>forever; he=92s played with every big band around, from Tommy Dorsey,=
 Horace=20
>Heidt, Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke----the list is endless; he was even the LA=
=20
>Dodger organist for a while in the 60=92s and 70=92s.
>
>So=ADhe=92s got a sweet Steinway B that he was given by his mentor, a 1930=
=20
>instrument. It was maintained throughout its life by mostly 2 legendary=20
>techs---first Cecil Short, the =93man=94 in the Pomona Valley for many=
 years,a=20
>nd then by Norman Neblett, an LA denizen and Golden Hammer=20
>recipient.  I=92ve been maintaining the piano for the last 18 years.
>
>Anyway, you know the story---I=92ve been nagging this guy for years to do=
=20
>the work:  the piano=92s got all original parts and strings, and he=92s=
 always=20
>used the traditional procrastinating musician=92s excuses: =93 I just can=
=92t=20
>pull the trigger now, DA---I can=92t be sure if I=92ll work this strong=
 next=20
>year, my wife=92s gig stopped this year, I need a new roof---=94whatever.=
 I=92m=20
>a life-long musician; I=92ve used them all.
>
>He is so sweet, and so funny, and such a monstrously beautiful player, and=
=20
>I=92m such a soft touch in a certain way, that I made it no problem, and=20
>just kept bringing the damn Protek ( the verdigris was out of control on=20
>this pig).
>
>To make a long, long story very short, Don now has Class 3 Parkinson=92s=20
>Disease, has for 2 years, has lost 90 pounds, and his prognosis is=20
>delicate,  to put it mildly.  But he still rolls himself up to the piano=20
>and plays for an hour or so every day.
>
>So a month ago I took his wife in the other room and just said now=92s the=
=20
>time, sweetie, for the bullshit to cease and for us to do=20
>something.  So---because her cash flow at this point is questionable, we=20
>opted for the battlefield triage:
>--Rebuilt keyframe: key bushing, underfelt, backchecks and wires, clean=20
>and polish rail pins and captstans and glides, raise height and level keys
>--repinned shanks, =93smoked-out=94 whippen flanges
>--new knuckles
>--rebuilt pedals and pedal mod
>--hammers filed (very difficult and dicey)
>--lift, level, seat strings
>--COMPLETE action regulation
>--RP and tune
>
>THANKS SO MUCH, MICHAEL CAMPI.  You did a great job on the keyframe,=20
>pedals, knuckles and shanks.
>
>When I FINALLY got the damn thing playing =93right---=94 and that took=
 almost=20
>2 full days---
>Don rolled up and started playing; we were both crying.  He loved it; he=20
>called me =93a friggin=92 genius.=94
>
>This is what I work for; this is what I live for; I did the work at about=
=20
>65% of what I would ordinarily charge;
>The money is NOT the payoff.
>
>To bring love and happiness to music lovers, music players, human beings=20
>with sweet hearts and beautiful intentions:  this is what this work is all=
=20
>about.  I=92m feeling good.
>
>My love and respect to all.....
>David Andersen

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