Trio's - - May 17

(Kimberly Gordon)
When was the last time you received a gift from someone "just because"? What do I mean? Well, what I'm referring to is this: It's not your birthday. It's not Christmas. No one owes you a favor. It's none of that. Yet, a gracious, open hand simply stretches toward you and says, "Here. This is for you". When was the last time you experienced this?

And in my opinion, nothing compares to a gift like that. Why? What makes this kind of gift so uniquely special? Well, since you asked...my humble opinion is simply this: It's the beauty of the motivation behind it. There's no agenda driving it like the square space on a calendar, or an obligation of some kind or a "balancing of the scales" - it's just love. That's why unexpected (and, I might add, undeserved) gifts are so special to all of us.

I received this kind of gift at Trio's. It wasn't my birthday or Kwanzaa Day or anything like that. In fact, it was a rather Saturday-as-usual kind of day. The band is scheduled to play in South Bend at my friend Herb's upscale jazz club called "Trio's". Now, I'm really excited about this particular gig. Why? Because I have a hunch it's going to be a very special evening of great music.

And I wasn't disappointed.

The night proved to be one of those unexpected gifts I was describing. It falls under the "intangible gift" category. Music is one such intangible. Though it's something we enjoy. Though it affects us emotionally. Though it gives us tremendous joy and can even move us to tears with its beauty, we can't stuff it in our pocket, seat belt it in the back seat of our car or carry it home in our wallet.

Now, I'm looking around the club on Saturday night. I see no decorated Christmas trees anywhere, no tinsel or Christmas colors or lights. It's clearly not Christmas at Trio's, but it sure could have been. Like a pile of gift-wrapped packages under the tree, the evening was piled high with gifts - each of which had my name on it! They were everywhere.

One gift was the wonderful opportunity to do music with three very talented musicians: my brother David on drums, who is a tremendously gifted and sensitive player - someone with whom I share a real musical chemistry. Then there's Demos Petropoulos and Kimberly Gordon, a husband/wife team from Chicago. Demos plays piano with such power and energy that people are leaving their seats just to get a glimpse of those big, powerful hands literally bouncing the Yamaha grand! Yet, Demos is a gentle,soft-spoken and down-to-earth individual who carries a wonderful warmth about him and possesses a fun, subtle sense of humor, too.

His wife Kimberly is the perfect compliment for him. She's colorful, sassy and deeply personable, all of which come through in her vocals. The liner notes on Kimberly's 2004 CD release really says it: "Kimberly Gordon's music reflects her personality; both are sophisticated with a streetwise flair. Her voice is as sassy, sultry and sensuous as the brassy tones of any tenor sax."

Kimberly just throws herself out there for anyone and everyone to enjoy. Her fearless love for people is evident. I witnessed (as did the others with us) how a perfect stranger, a retired vocalist herself and quite elegant lady, meets Kimberly on a break. They hit it off and the next thing we know, she offers Kimberly and Demos a place to stay for the night in a hotel so they can get a good night's sleep before making the long drive back to Chicago! Wow! Talk about gifts!

Even though we just met that evening and never played a note of music together, the energy and synergy on the bandstand was really quite powerful! The crowd's response to Kimberly's commanding stage presence and the sheer power of the music is enthusiastic. It's obvious the club owners are enjoying this night,too. It's high caliber Chicago jazz and they are perceptive and sophisticated enough to know this! What a great gift of music!

Another gift I get to open this night is to have some very special friends drive from Elkhart to South Bend to spend the evening with us. Since they know who they are I don't need to spell their names. They just happen to be our strongest, most dedicated supporters. Their friendship is truly one of the richest gifts I get to lay claim to. Each time they arrive I get such a shot in the musical arm. Thank-you guys! I love you!

Well, all I can say, is if you open your eyes to the beauty of the people in your life, and the wonderful gifts this life offers (like music - HA!), I think what you'll discover is that you don't have to wait around for December 25th or your birthday or any of that to enjoy the magic of Christmas. The gifts are everywhere and your name is written on each one of them! Find one today and open it! I sure plan to.

And, just so you know....there's another gift waiting for you, too. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until Saturday, June 28th before opening it. I guarantee, however, it'll be worth the wait. Kimberly and Demos will be joining my brother and I again at Trio's Restaurant and Jazz Club in South Bend for another night of high energy and very entertaining Chicago jazz. Mark your calendar. Just mark the #28 white block, "Christmas".

You won't be disappointed, either.

There are few gifts to compare to warm, close friendships, delicious food and great music. Come join us for an evening of gift-giving and receiving. I look forward to it with you on the 28th!