The Show Must Go On

Things don’t always work out the way one had planned, and it’s not always even bad. Yesterday at the Old Lady was a contradictory proof of that. I’ve long waited for yesterday’s gig with Petra Vlková and Jaroslav Šindler, whom I think belong to the absolute cream in the Czech music world when performing in this concept. First warning was upon my arrival to the club when I had a quick look at the stage, microphone for Petra yes, guitar set up for Jaroslav yes, but also a saxophone, hmmmm. Turns out that our soloist for the evening, Petra, had a really bad flu, bronchitis or whatever, summa summarum she was sick. So why was she there in the first place? The show must go on and some feel the responsibility for the audience, for good and bad. As Petra so nicely put it, you were expecting a duo and now you have a trio, an upgrade in the program! The set list was of course made up to our lady’s condition and it was just as lovely one can hope for, sick or no sick. Petra lasted one set before she had to throw in the towel. So that was it for the evening one could imagen, not a chance, the show must go on!

Time for the evening’s guest star, ladies and gentlemen, on saxophone Alexei Bondarev. Just to make things short, this guy was/is good, professional and with a feeling for what he did that you should go and listen to him if you have the chance. And of course when you share the stage with the grand old man of Czech guitar, Jaroslav Šindler, you always put in your best effort. The guitar master again made the old jazz standards sound like something he just made up, he really has a magic touch to his guitar, and I’m not referring to his excellent technique or the skills he developed over the years. I’m talking about the one thing you can never teach anybody, you have it or you don’t, and Jaroslav has it. So yes I’m very sorry Petra was sick, but at the same time I’m very happy that I had a new and unexpected music experience, and that guitar…. 🙂 Get well fast Petra because the show must go on! 🙂