Pirate Radio

Debbie drove me to Penns Landing and showed me where the boat was docked.   It didn't look like much..at least not from the outside..It looked like it could sink within the next few minutes...

"You want me to come with you?" she asked.

"Nah...that won't be necessary..just sit tight and wait for me." I said with a smile.

Before I got out of the car, Debbie leaned over and gave me the longest wettest kiss I'd had in weeks.....

''Wow, what was that for?' I asked.

"For luck." she said.

"Luck eh?" I laughed.

I got out of her car.. and walked over to the boat...It was eerily quiet..Didn't look like anybody was aboard...
I called out for the captain or crew members , but there was nothing...I walked aboard the boat and walked down it's stairs to the next level...There , to my utter surprise was a state of the art radio broadcasting station..
Inside a sound proof room, I saw a man about my age with a beard talking to a mike... Over him was a bright red electrical sign that said "'On the Air"... A very shapely and attractive young lady walked over to me ...

''Can I help you sir?" she asked.

"Yes....uh..I'm sorry to just intrude...Just walk on your boat...but is there any chance I can talk to the guy on the mike there?" I asked sheepishly...

"Oh My God..You're Reed Nelson!!!" she said.

''Yeah..I am" I said.

"I saw you at Josies here in Philly and a couple of times when you played San-Francisco. My name is Verna...Verna Creighton" she said.

"Wow....Pleased to meet you Verna" I said.

''I caught you at the Baha Jazz festival in Mexico too. and once in Japan." she said.

"Well Alright...Okayyy..You get around." I said.

''My dad gets around...This is his ship... he used to be a big time promoter..You may hve heard of him "Captain Ahab." she said.

''Nahhhh..Can't say that I have." I said.

"Oh well...He retired...but he always loved being on the radio....He worked as a jock for a station out in the Bay area....that got bought up by a conglomerate...he lost his job....but he won this boat from a guy that owed him money..Soon as he discovered it had a radio station and a powerful signal that could cut into almost any market...he began broadcasting on this pirate station of his...We hang around until the FCC or the law starts breathing down our backs and then we split....As you can see I'm kind of expecting" she said.

''Really?...I can't tell." I said

"Yeah..I'm about a month gone...Soon I'll be leaving him for awhile..Until the baby is born." she said.

"Wow....That's something...but how does your dad make any money?" I asked.

"Partially from promoting local gigs with local talent and the other way is through less legal ways that I'm not at liberty to talk about..." she said with a sheepish grin.

''Well when he gets off the air...I'd like to ask him about something he played yesterday." I said.

''He's motioning you to come into the studio with him now...Go On." she said as she opened the door and i walked in.

II-

I walked in.... "Captain Ahab"'s real name was Alexander Creighton...He was part African-American, Part Jamaican....All Hustler....

"Ladies and Gentleman of Philadelphia...We have a local boy here with us today...Mr. Reed Nelsonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...Give it up yalll!" he said...  He pushed a button and canned applause was heard....I shook my head and laughed...

Ahab was a very gregarious and personable guy and we talked about music, the state of Jazz today, Hip Hop, R&B...The election even for a good hour...I thought about Debbie waiting for me in the car and I motioned for him to play some music and cut the mike off...he complied.

''What can I do for you Mr. Nelson...I figured you came here for something other than my company ." he said.

"You played something yesterday..a tune called "Carlotta's Song" by Chet Cook..." I said. I noticed how his eyes arched and how he kind of jumped when I mentioned the name.

''Yeah...a trumpet player like yourself...he gave me a copy of that a few months ago when I was in Puerto Rico." he said.

"You saw him in Puerto Rico?" I asked...

"Uhhhh Yeah, uhhh...we hung out on the boat for days...then he vanished without a trace.." said Ahab...

''Yeah he had a habit of doing that." I said.

"So you know him?" said Ahab.

"I knew him....I am friends with the guy who produced that recording." I said.

"Meek Rollins? I know him." said Ahab...

"What about Chet?" I asked. He looked a bit uncomfortable ,when I asked him about Chet again...Like he didn't want to talk about him anymore.

"Look...between me and you..I think he's in trouble with the law...Just the way he acted.." said Ahab..

He looked up and his eyebrow arched....He also looked relieved....

"My My Myyy..Is she with you? Tell me she's not..." he said....Debbie had boarded the boat and his daughter, Verna had led her to where we were.

"You were taking so long, I was worried." she said.

''I'm sorry Deb." I said.

''You gotta woman like THIS waiting for you and you're wasting time with me asking about some bust out musician?"he asked.

''Yeah...it is kind of crazy." I said.

He frowned....I laughed....

"This is my lady friend...Debbie..Debbie , this is-" I said..

''Captain Ahab..I know him or at least of him....I've been to several concerts he promoted and I remember him when he was on the radio out in San-Francisco." she said.

"When were you in San-Francisco?" I asked.

''I worked out there about ten or eleven years ago...before I met you .I actually lived in Daly City, near Berkeley." she said.

''Always nice to meet a fan." said Ahab.

"Listen Reed, you might want to talk to your band and a few other locals....I'd like to throw a big Holiday jam right here in this city..." said Ahab...

''I'll run it by some people and let you know." I said.

"Please do...I'm serious...and tell that old rummy Gus at Josie's Bar that I said hello." he said.

"You know Gus? " I asked..

"Are you kiddin? Who doesn't know Gus? When I first come to Philly some years ago..He was the first person to let me book acts in his club....Yeah..me and old Gus go back a few years." he said.

We both smiled....

"Well, We'll be going now...and I will put the word out about your jam....uh..It will be in doors I hope...I just played a gig outdoors today." I said.

"Outdoors? Today? in this weather?" he asked.

"Yeah...but the bread was good." I said.

"Of course...why else do it right?" he said with a laugh.

"You got it." I said and he nodded his head in agreement....

"To answer your question...of course it would be inside...I'm hoping maybe that Gus lets me use Josie's for it." he said.

"Okay...that'll work....I'll get back to ya." I said.

"Nice to meet you." said Debbie as we left the boat.....

"Same here toots." he said.

As we drove off Debbie looked at me -


"Well did you find  what you were looking for?" she asked.

''No..but I did find out something." I said.

''Chet Cook is alive and he's here in Philly." I said.

''What?"

(To Be Continued...)