Street Musician
After today's Anti-Trump demonstration, I walked over to the Art Institute to revisit the terrific photography exhibition entitled "Provoke," which was the name of a Japanese photographer's collective that existed in the Sixties. While waiting on the steps outside the Michigan Avenue entrance for Evelyn to finish her scone, I heard a terrific trumpeter who clearly knew his chops. I assumed he was a jazz cat, but when I went to put money in his bucket, he asked me if I would take his photograph. Happy to do it. So we tried a number of poses. Turns out he is a blues player with J.W. Williams & the Chi-Town Hustlers. They will be performing at Kingston Mines tomorrow night and February 27 before heading off to Europe.
Super nice guy, who said he would send me his name and e-mail address. Hope he does. The impromptu street concert made it clear that a proposal to eliminate street musicians on Michigan Avenue is a bad idea. The City or a foundation should hire more talented people like this trumpeter to add some spice to the streets. New York certainly has no shortage of talent in the parks and on the streets. It is time for Chicago to step up to to the plate.
