November 8 was the date, and 2008 Hidden Hills Dr. was the place! Our annual jazz festivity!
Music was provided, of course, by none other than our own little homegrown jazz group, which includes:
John Hoag, piano
Steve Koppell, sax
Michael Minnis, guitar
James Minor, percussion
Phil Auldridge, acoustic bass and Hammond B3 organ
The music was rounded out by vocalist Dorothee Auldridge
and Kim Kafka ( www.kimkafka.com )
Steve Koppell and I found each other almost 5 years ago, and have been playing together regularly ever since. The other members have joined us, one by one, and we enjoy each others’ talent and cameraderie generally twice monthly on Sunday afternoons.
This Sunday morning dawned overcast and drizzly, but that didn’t stop some 90 people from joining in the fun from all over Texas. Out-of-towners included our good friends Mark and Debbie Rue from San Antonio, as well as my ENTIRE family: daughter Deirdre from Garland, brother Ronnie and wife Lori, and sis-in-law Vivian from Goldthwaite, some 2 hours up the road, and sister and hubby Lee Ann and Larry from Manchester. (nothing like calling on family to round out a party!)
As it turned out, the rainy weather, which produced a number of drenched ducklings showing up at our door, offered somewhat of a mixed blessing as we central Texans were just emerging from a summer-long intense parboiling. After several months of scorched earth and brown plants, our meadow had just sprung back to life and provided (finally) a nice green background to the whole affair:
There was lots of good food, plenty of music, and chance to renew old acquaintances and meet new friends.
We’ll see you here next year?