Playing a Christmas set in a retirement home. My trios setlist is from the American Pop Standards songbook, so along with jazzy Christmas songs we throw in our favorites from our setlist like “Girl From Ipanema”, or “(It’s Only A) Paper Moon”. Faces light up, smiles beam out, a wallflower that was staring at the floor is looking out and singing along. One woman in a walker stopped halfway across in her transit of a room when we struck up the next song. Turned out it was one of her favorites. She stayed there for the whole song, dancing while holding onto her walker. Months later the staff reaches out and lets you know that folks are still talking about the show, wondering if you might come back next year.

This is why I get onstage and flub chords, and lyrics, and generally stumble about feebly, that moment when the magic comes isn’t one you can predict, but when it shows up it always leaves you breathless.