Before the advent of Iridium, Les used to perform at Fat Tuesday’s in NYC every Monday night. On one of those Mondays listed on the schedule handout below (I believe it was Perry M who took me there), I finally had the chance to see Les in person.
I remember he was very casual and upbeat, creating a comfortable atmosphere.
Later, I watched him play with his backing band. I already admired his style, so naturally, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. One thing that etched itself into my memory was that during one song, halfway through the set, Les started changing keys in the middle of the song.
He went from B flat to E flat, then to F sharp or wherever he felt like going. It was completely random, not following any predictable system. The fascinating part was that it was all improvised in the moment. Les suddenly decided to make the leap, and the band had just a few seconds to catch up with him! This happened several times within the song. It was a captivating sight, witnessing the silent battle, and despite the unexpected key changes, the band played on without missing a beat, showcasing their professionalism.
By the way, there’s a note at the bottom of the schedule mentioning that from May 22nd to 27th, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, and Tal Farlow played together at Fat Tuesday’s for six nights. It must have been an incredible event. I wish I had been living in NYC at that time. I hope someone recorded it.
By the way, note at the bottom of the schedule, May22-27, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Tal Farlow played together there… 6 nights! It must have been really hot. I wish I lived in NYC…Hope somebody taped it.