Concert Of A Lifetime At Ronnie Scott's

S ome years ago, when traveling with a friend in London, I knew we had to stop by Ronnie Scott's, the famous jazz club.  Being a big fan of Gonzalo Rubalcaba -- who at the time was not allowed to perform in my home country of the United States due to his Cuban citizenship -- I was overjoyed to find out that, by pure chance, Gonzalo was booked for the very night that my friend and I were visiting the club. 

But this was just the beginning of our good luck.  When waiting outside the packed club to get in, the bouncer started eying the crowd and said "Who isn't smoking?".  We looked around and saw that every set of would-be concert-goers was exhibiting at least one lit cigarette on that cold night.  Everyone, that is, except my friend and I.  The bouncer then asked us pointedly, "Do you guys smoke? -- And don't B-S me!"     "Heck no!" we answered with our sincerest faces.  The bouncer immediately took us in and sat us front and center -- right behind Gonzalo's right shoulder, a mere 6 feet from the keyboard.

We were amazed at the band, including mostly teenagers from Cuba with the fastest fingers you've ever seen.  We were close enough to have almost reached out and touched them, and we were literally bedazzled by the music.  One in a million.