THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY. By John F. Bailey. February 20, 2,022:

My most memorable date with Brenda Starr was at the old Half Note in Greenwich Village. In 1970.

I worked at Hudson Street for Standard & Poor’s at the time and passed the Half Note when I walked from the subway to work,

  I asked the always-editing redhead of The Flash whom I had just met if she liked jazz. I had noted the celebrated sax man, Zoot Sims was playing. She accepted and since I knew nothing about Greenwich Village let alone where to park, in pre-Garman days, it promised to be an adventure.

Well we got there, parked in a garage because I was reluctant to park my car on the street (no parking place), no park signs all around). And made our way to the Half Note at  289 Hudson Street & Spring Street down the block from the S & P building. (WCBS Radio is there today).

The casuality of the Half Note fulfilled all expectations, Ms. Starr was impressed. We had scotch and sodas. Mr. Sims’ side men came in, set up casually, tuned and warmed us up. Ms. Starr, who smoked Marlboros at the time,  took one out and and flawlessly, I lit her cigarette with a one match strike as she held her cigarette in her mouth like Lauren Bacall. I’d never done that beforel. She had me at first light.

As Mr. Sims’ accompanists continued with their low key “jazz overture.” The man himself strolled in with his tenor saxophone, listening and carrying his own scotch in his right hand. He set the drink with plenty ice, on top of the piano. What a move.

What an entrance. He was slowly nodding his head to the build up of jazz mood.

He raised his mouthpiece to his lips. He began to play. Ms. Starr held her cigarette,  lifted in the air by two fingers of her right hand resting on her elbow on the little table, and the blue smoke drifted aloft on his first notes.

We were seated maybe 10 feet away. The music created with each instrument creating a uniqueness of experience that lasts in indelible memory. 

Saturday night Ms. Starr and I attended the Jazz Forum, Onne Dixon Street in Tarrytown  Westchester County’s own intimate jazz mecca and the only one.

Jazz musician and owner  Mark Marinelli, founder with his wife of the Forum in June 2017 presented the famous clarinetist and tenor saxophone jazz impresario, Ken Peplowski and his Quartet.

Mr. Peplowski launched into his tenor sax opening upbeat number and the heads in the audience were slowly nodding then bobbing up and down.

Guitarist Pasqualie Grasso picked up Mr. Peplowski’s  rollicking bopping riff with Mr. Grasso’s nuanced  flow of twang.

Bassist Mike Kam’s   “ strong Bass with intricate authority ”  fulfilled the “get your attention” opener. The elegance with elan percussionist Phil Stewart dressed the out-of-the-gate gambit with intricacies of precise intensities that said forget your troubles, jazz is here!

Then down to the mellow and deep feeling melancholy followup with a deeeeeeeeep standard ballad  that Mr. Peplowsli’s deep tenorizing gently took possession of the full house drinking their cocktails but forgetting all about their drinks, as the uplifting bluesiness of love’s uniqueness held them spellbound. Guitar, Bass and drums each sketching new interpretaions to the memories always in your heart. The diversity of the beats, moods and flights of mesmerizing solos by the 4 went though the hour and a half set.

Weathering the pandemic, the Jazz Forum has come back with a full schedule of always unique and enthralling jazz practitioners on Friday and Saturday nights with Brazilian emphasis on Sundays.

This is a great night out. The cocktails are terrific, the light menu fare sets your appetite for the attention the performers command, and command they will.

Mr. Morganelli’s Jazz Forum is always glad to see you. Mr. PPeplowski and his artists were genuinely seemed to be impressed with the audience.

What I get out of this performance was how recorded music can capture the intimacy and feelings a live performance delivers to you. This is no revelation I know. I loved the Rosemary and Thyme jazz venue in Port Chester a few years ago and the private intimate club atmosphere that created.

Jazz Forum is the jazz destination now.

You’ll also hear Mr. Morganelli play his trumpet sliding inwith the performers for guest solos. It is improvisational. Inspirational.

The Half Note lives again. See the Jazz Forum website at www.jazzforumarts.org

The only thing missing is the blue haze of two cigarettes in the dark.

WPCNR COVID-19 MONITOR. From The New York State Covid Tracker. Observations by John F. Bailey February 19, 2022 UPDATED WITH WEDNESDAY NUMBERS 4:20 PM EST::

The number of new covid positives reported Tuesday by New York State in Westchester County doubled.

Wednesday February 16 positives just released descended to 140 half of the Tuesday total. The county numbers Wednesday showed Westchester with 140 new infections of 8.014 tested, Westchester through the first 4 days of the week has reported 677 new persons coming down with covid, an average of 170 a day.

I should note that 140 positives is the lowest Westchester County positives since November 26 ,2021, the Saturday after Thanksgiving when the county reported 93 positives. Ironically the day before that 93 total, Westchester on “Black Friday”, 179 tested positive. November 27 started the Fourth Wave of Covid with a week of 1,969 positives beginning 7 weeks of record infections.

On Tuesday, February 15, 280 Westchester residents showed positive for covid. The state Covid Tracker is 48 hours behind in reporting results. Testing results for Wednesda descended to 140.

After a weekend of Super Bowl parties and romantic reunions, Tuesday showed a doubling of positives bouncing back up to approaching 300 a day which was the average number infections the week the Fourth Wave of Covid started November 28.

Since Omicron Covid infects faster than the 10 to 14 days previously believed to be the incubation period for corona virus to develop full blown symptoms, the doubling of cases from 140 after Super Bowl Party-Valentines Day to 280 on Tuesday may be a cause for exercising more caution in gatherings over the President’s Day Vacation Week that started today

The 280 figure of positives per day approaches the spread potential that fueled the rise to 36.000 cases from the week before Christmas to mid-January.

In the November 28-December 4, when there were 280 average new positives a day resulting in 1,960 new covid infections, the number of infections grew to 2,791 the week of December 5 to 11 (406 new positives a day in Westchester)

From December 12 to 18 that 400 positives a day rate grew to 5,397 new cases in the county December 12 to 18.

The week before Christmas new persons covid positive averaged 1,635 a day a total of 11,450 doubling in a week.

The week of December 26 to January 2 showed 26,002 persons testing positive in one week, doubling the infections the week before Christmas. Persons showing positive a day averaged 3,714 a day.

There is one week left in February.

That is public school Presidents Week vacation, an opportunity for families vacation out of the area, socializing in the area followed by the beginning of the March Madness NCAA tournament, always calling for parties to watch the games, increased sports bars attendance; followed by the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in White Plains and of course the conviviality of St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations.

To this social longing, add five full 5-day weeks of school in March and you have socialization of children perhaps without masks, if Governor Kathy Hochul and the Department of Health relax the school mask mandate.

The February 15 doubling of infections so soon after a big social weekend may be a just a number now, it might be a just an aberration of one day numbers, but we’ll watch it for you. If it continues to double day by day it is strong reason to be cautious, socially distanced and masked up .

Doubling of infections every day or every week has produced the greatest national epidemic in New York State history the last two years, and coast to coast. Crippled the economy. Divided the country. Enabled the selfish. Killed robust adults Hurt the young. Compromised health care. Eliminated “Normal” from our existence.

Covid should not be given a Fifth Tsunami Wave to delver yet another setback.