Blue Notes

I had just finished playing a set at Josies....Most of the band had left, except for my trusty keyboard player, "88" . He was drinking a beer and laughing about something with Gus the Bartender...I waved at both of them, took my trumpet and my sheet music and put them in the trunk of my car. I was hungry...So I walked the block or two to Mabel's Soul Food Joint..Only her youngest sister,Anita was there.

"Hey Reed, I'm sorry babe, but it's way after two...We closin up." she said.

"Oh yeah..that's right...it is." I said.

"What happened, you guys do an extra set tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah, we did two...We had an extra large crowd...They still in there lingering around." I laughed.

"You mean Mister Gus aint pulled out his shotgun and announced..."Yall aint got to go home, but you got to get the hell outta here." she said in her mock Gus voice.

We both laughed, but I was hungry....I think she sensed it and she gave me that sexy little pouty look of hers.

"Hey Reed...Petey's Sandwich Shop is open if you want to walk a few more blocks down." she said sympathetically.

"A few blocks? Hmmph...for that.....I'll drive." I said. "Evenin darlin." I said and tipped my pork pie hat to her.

I drove the few blocks to Petey's and parked my car....I saw a shiny Black 2010 Nissann Z with "RB" engraved on the side..Hmmmm, I thought to myself.

I went in and ordered a Ham and Cheese sandwich on Jewish Rye, with Mayo, Lettuce and Tomatoes and some pickles and a large tumbler of coffee, light cream and two sugars.. I sat at the counter and ate quietly... Ever feel eyes on you? Well I did...and I was kidding myself if I didn't know who it was that was behind me.

I turned around and there he was , smiling with those perfect white teeth and those tinted shades...Downtown Rob Brown...once a rival trumpet player...now somewhat of my young protoge'.

"Reed, how ya doin playa?" he said...

"Hey what's up kid?" I said.

He passed me an envelope full of twenties....I smiled ,then looked at him..There was close to a grand in the envelope....

"What's this for?" I asked.

"That's for you...Those gigs you set me up with on the West Coast paid off in spades...I see why you guys go to San-Fran and Oakland so much...They love their jazz out there man..I got paid like a mug and I got a recording date out there..I figured the least I could do was hook you up man...You know how to put money in a playa's pockets, jim." he said.

"Yeah...I can see by the wardrobe and the car out in the parkin lot that you've been doing good for yourself." I said.

"Yeah dog, Got me a better apartment than the first one I rented from Chess...and ugh, I want to introduce you to a...ughh..er ..ahhh , a friend." he said ,laughing sheepishly.

To my astonishment...it was the singer, Ingrid Rhodes....She had been the frontliner in Symphony Sam's band and the rumored lover of Phillies ace, Johnny Diamond. I had heard that she and Diamond had busted up. I see that she wasn't too busted up about breaking up with Diamond.

"Reed Nelson, this is Ingrid Rhodes." he said.

"Actually ,I believe we've met...Symphony Sam introduced us in Josies a few months ago." I said.

"Yes...He did...Pleased to meet you again Reed....I heard you were packin em in at both Josies and Mulberry Street." she said.

"I've got a gig at Mulberry Street tomorrow night....Wanna sit in youngin?" I said looking at Downtown Rob Brown.

"Heyyy, sure...if you don't mind bein upstaged.." he joked.

"If you've got a song I can sing...I'd like to sit in with you too." said Ingrid.

"Sure...the more the merrier....I just hope Symphony Sam doesn't get mad." I said.

"Oh, he won't mind." said Ingrid. I could tell by the way she said that ,that she had him wrapped around her finger....wantin some, thinkin he might have a shot...while in reality ,he didn't have a chance. Something about this woman gave me a bad taste in my mouth,but I was cordial.

Rob walked over to me and whispered..

"Hey Reed..I'd be pleased if you didn't mention any of this to Delores or your babe.." he said.

"Mums the word...You gonna tell her?" I asked.

"Aint no need to really....I aint serious about this....and I don't want Delores to get upset."he said.

"Okay...it's your play Downtown.." I said.

I finished my sandwich and drove over to Debbie's house...As luck would have it, her sister, Delores was leaving with a well wrapped box.

"For me? It aint even my birthday." I said ,playfully grabbing at the box.

"Stop it silly...It's for Rob...I can't wait until he gets back from San-Francisco."she said as she smiled and ran out to her car.

She didn't know that he was already back and from the looks of things, had been back for days!

Debbie drapped her arms around me...

"I don't know what that guy does to her, but she is sprung...She love her some Rob Brown.."laughed Debbie.

"Hmmmm, I see." I said, not looking at Debbie.

The next night...We played at Mulberry Street to a packed rooftop crowd....Sean Jackson was there taking photos of the concert.. 88 was playing his fingers off and I was trading solos with my saxophonist...Downtown Rob Brown was a no show...I wasn't mad..He probably didn't want to get shown off because I was pitchin a bitch tonight...Playin like Miles on acid... I did a little number and Ingrid Rhodes came up on the stage to the crowds delight and surprise and sang a beautiful solo as I played a trumpet solo along side of her...Still no sign of Rob Brown...Maybe Delores had "surprised " him and he couldn't get out of bed , I thought and laughed to myself.

After the concert,I counted my money.....Between tonight and last night at Josie's...I had made a nice little peice of change...That was my rent for the next six months and then some...I was eyeing a new suit for our next road trip.

"Thanks for allowing me to sit in with you." said Ingrid..

"Thank you for singing with me...You're a hell of a singer...Symphony Sam sure is lucky to have you in his band." I said.

"Thank you Reed..Sayyy, have you heard from Rob?" she asked.

"No...I thought you two would've come here together." I said.

"We were supposed to...He spent the night with me and left early this morning to go back to his place and that was the last I seen of him." she said.

"Well, I'll drop by his spot on my way home and tell him to call you." I said.

"Thanks Reed." she said.

I stopped by Mabels Soul Food Joint and bought a Fried Fish Sandwich for Debbie and a Spare Rib Sandwich for myself and two cokes...I drove by Rob's new apartment....Pretty nice...He really had done well for himself with the gigs I set up for him....I just had too many commitments in the past month, so I broke him off a few gigs...I knew he needed the bread.

Once I got to his floor, I heard it...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh, Ohhhhhhhhhhhh babbbbbbyyyyyyy...ouuuuuuuuuuu........."

"Whose is it girl...who's is it?"

"It's yours...yours....allllll yours...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuu, Roberttttttttttt,ohhhhhhhh...."

"Ohhhhhhh babbbbbyyyyy..ohhhhhhh.."

I recognized the female voice....It wasn't Delores...it was someone who used to make those same noises with me!!!!!!

I knocked on the door....Then I thought to myself...Why are you doing this?...Come back tomorrow...I waited a few minutes, then I turned to walk away when Rob came to the door..butt naked!!!

"Yo man!!! Get back inside!!!" I said. he didn't seem the least embarrassed or self conscious!

"Heyy Reed...I'm sorry I missed the gig...you know how it is man, heheheheheheheheheh..I got a little ..uh, caught up with this chick." He laughed.

"Robbbbbbbbb, come back to bed....mama wants some morrrrrrre.." came the voice...A voice I knew all too well...It was Cherry...Cherry Johnson...I hadn't seen her in months...I had heard that she'd left town..I guess she hadn't...But what was she doing with Rob, a guy at least 12 years younger than herself? I had to ask?

From the crack in the door, I saw her..She was wearing a red shear negligee...Her huge breasts were out and just bouncing around and her hair was everywhere... Her big shapely legs were evident..She didn't see me, but I could tell she wasn't trying to.

"Well uhh, I can see you're busy...I'll talk to you tomorrow." I said.

"Uh yeah,okay Reed...and uh, hey, not a word of this to Delores okay?"he said with a wink.

"Okay man...this aint none of my business." I said.

(To Be Continued....)