【第一章】E06 外教版 | A Queen of the New York Jazz Scene

Chapter 1 A Queen of the New York Jazz Scene 

Twenty minutes later, Joe sprinted up to a green brick building with a red awning over the doorway. Once inside, he paused to catch his breath. His eyes swept over the black-and-white photographs lining the stairwell that led down to the club. All of Joe’s heroes were there: Duke Ellington. John Coltrane. Miles Davis. Ella Fitzgerald. Thelonius Monk. Ornette Coleman. Dizzy Gillespie. Charlie Parker. Bill Evans. And so many more.

And now it was Joe’s turn. At least, he hoped so.

“There he is! My man!” Curley was waiting for Joe at the bottom of the stairs. He was taller and broader than the last time Joe had seen him, and his head was shaved bald. But he had the same sweet, round face he’d had at thirteen.

“Hey, Curley,” Joe said, shaking his hand. 

“Leon skipping town really put us in a bind, man,” Curley told him.

“I’ll bet.” Joe tried to look sympathetic. But inwardly, he thanked his lucky stars. If he ever met Leon, he was going to take him out to dinner for giving him this chance!

“I’m glad you made it,” Curley said, leading Joe into the club.

As Joe’s eyes adjusted to the semidarkness, he saw Dorothea onstage, warming up on her sax. Silhouetted against the red curtain, she looked. But it was the music that stopped Joe in his tracks. The sound coming from her sax was warm and rich enough to drink. He stood there for a moment, dazzled.

“Hey, Dorothea,” said Curley, “this is the cat I was telling you about. My old middle-school band teacher, Mr. Gardner!”

“Call me Joe, Dorothea ... I mean, um, Ms. Williams. It’s a pleasure. Wow. This is amazing,” Joe gushed.

Dorothea lowered her saxophone. She gave Joe a long, appraising look. The silence stretched on awkwardly.