da green book movie, outstanding, A couple years before Mr. Shirley passed, my father told me a story that when he was a young man, he used to go to what I remembered he said was the Silver Bullet Night Club somewhere in Chicago in the 50's, where Don Shirley would play on the weekends.
My dad learned Mr. Shirley's style of play, and that became the style my dad would play until his passing in 2015 at the age of 84.
One day my dad emailed Mr. Shirley telling him what I just said here about playing his style, and about a month later my dad got a call from Mr. Shirley's public rep. who told my dad that Mr. Shirley was so taken by my dads story, that Mr. Shirley would like to talk to my father on the phone.
Within a couple days, Mr. Shirley called my father and began an hour long conversation about Mr. Shirley's entire career.
I don't know what was said, I wasn't there.
But I did learn of the conversation about a month after when my dad told me about it.
My only wish was that my father had recorded the conversation.
I would not only have the complete history of Mr. Shirley's highlighted life straight from the source, but I would have been able to hear my father talk to him, as well.
My father is gone now, but not from my heart.
When I asked my father why he didn't record it, which he had the ability to do, his answer was simply, "I never thought of it".
Love you and miss you Dad. And a BIG thank you to Mr. Don Shirley. Because my father played like you, your unique style has been heavily engrained into my soul and listening to your music always reminds me of my father.
