Memories of John, the keyboard wizard

by Ivan Anandappa

It certainly will surprise me if some of you oldies like yours truly haven't heard of or seen the man I am talking about. He was a wizard at the piano. I was playing and singing for the Harlem Combo of Bertie Dias, a top class Hawaiian guitarist who had his group the Hawaiian Seranaders which included me as his electric bass guitarist.

John could play the piano better than those with four eyes and 20 fingers. He had another asset. A sense of humour and an uncanny sixth sense. I first met John when my best friend's sister who was a nun requested me to sing at a variety show in the convent hall.

I was the last in the show, as I requested. I went to him and said, "Can you play 'Autumn Leaves'. He just nodded. I played finger style acoustic guitar and sang.

Everyone commented that our rendition was mellifluous. When the screen was closed and the show ended I packed my guitar and noticed that he had an awkward position by the piano. I walked up to him and helped him to a chair back stage. Only then I knew who he was.

Then I had to leave as the sister beckoned to thank me. When I returned he was gone.

Convent

I walked out of the convent on to the main road. There the stood leaning on a lamp post. All forlorn. My heart skipped a beat as my blood pressure rose to giddy heights. I went upto to him and asked, "Didn't they give you transport?" The man who said that he would take me back had vanished".

"His birth certificate reads father unknown. Damn him", I said.

A taxi came by and I helped him into it.

"Where do you stay?" "Kollupitiya in a lane." I dropped him and asked "Where can I contact you?"

"In a hotel in Fort. He named it. By the way, what's your name?"

I gave it to him. A fabulous name, singer and guitarist. And a man with a large heart.

Three weeks later, our pianist said he was unable to come on Saturday night. On Thursday I went to the hotel in Fort. He was seated on the piano stool taking a short break.

I walked up to him and said, 'Can you play "Autumn Leaves" and he said "on Fsharp". And we both laughed.I told him to come to Wellawatte at 5.30 and gave him the address.

"Wait at the head of the lane I'll pick you up. "Okay brother, anything for you", he said.

At the correct time I got off the bus and walked towards him. He was leaning against the wall at the head of the lane about 60 yards away when something that happened, hurt me.

An elderly woman got off a taxi. She saw John and opened her handbag.

I quickly went and told her, "He isn't one of them" I took John by the hand. He said, "wait a minute there is a gal following you. What's so special about "Autumn Leaves".

"It's like this", I related my history, while we walked down the lane. My left heel is about 1 1/2" shorter than my right which causes a little limp. I thought may be she was watching that. Lame leading the blind?

I rode nearly 100 kms a day for years, when I worked in a hospital. My musical career has been in most parts of the island. I sang for almost one year with a beautiful girl who didn't give two hoots about my shortcomings.

One Saturday night when we returned to Colombo after the Kandy Lake club show she broke my heart.

"On Wednesday I'll be sailing to Australia. Take good care of yourself because I care. I'll write to you".

I just couldn't take it. That was over a year ago now she lives where Autumn Leaves fall. But now I do not miss her at all because Autumn leaves don't fall.

She always called me 'Sweetheart' and left me with a bitter heart.

"That gal I told you is right behind." I looked over my shoulder and there she was.

About 50 feet in front two woman came laughing loud and when they came to our hearing they laughed lauder and said, "Lame leading the blind" John said "Did you hear someone say something".

"I sure heard it". They stood in front, I said. There were the two sisters who were spinsters.

On Saturday the occasion was the wedding anniversary of Bertie's pupil's parents. They lived in the same lane about five houses down.

It was a serene party. About 25 couples only. The cream of society. It was quick step foxtrot and waltz. I thought of Zylie, the first song I had heard him sing. They were going to cut a cake. "John? Do you know "The aniversary waltz" "Sure I do". What key?" A major. I told the drummer. Waltz. Bertie asked me." When cutting the cake? Surprise... waltz on a major.

They lived in a large houses with a big hall. As the couple got set to cut the cake I played the first bar of the waltz and John the drummer and I played the aniversary waltz. It was a feather in Bertie's cap. When they were cutting the cake John played the chorus and I sang only four bars.

"Darling I held you close to my arms Angels were singing a hymn to your charms Two hearts gently beating were whispering low Darling I love you so".

Everybody clapped showing their appreciation, I had heard that song sung by Lylie the great inimitable Godridge only.

I haven't heard' it played in a musical or even on a record. We were requested to play it several times. The quests were a group of classy ladies and gents. The party ended by twelve midnight. They complimented us and said "We'll let you know anytime we need you".

We played together for about one year. Mostly club nights and outstations estate club nights.

We had enough bookings though we were an unknown quantity because we never forced ourselves.

Everything came to an end and John went missing. No one knew or seemed to know what happened. I searched for him in every nook and cranny. Bertie and I reverted as Hawaiian Serenaders. John was funny. I asked him where the lost chord is.

If he was born in America, even blind, he would have lived like a normal human being, not being humiliated by Charles Darwin's evolutionised people who have a monkey ancestry, the uncouth ones are in a 999 out of 1,000.