Modern technology - other than solar powered pants - is really quite remarkable. I was sitting at my desk last evening downloading a collection of jazz piano pieces - Erroll Garner, Art Tatum,, George Shearing, Oscar Peterson - using Kaza when my mind turned to Peter Sherlock.
Peter was my closest friend at school. He was a gifted pianist whose mum was a wonderful woman who was like Hyacinth Bouquet - domineering but unaware that she was. His dad was a gentle man, who worked in the wool trade and was a magistrate. Peter had a great sense of humour and was just an all round good guy. He was best man at my wedding. He didn't go to University but got into law and is now Director of Legal Services in the Bradford court system. In the previous picture, he is on the back row on the far left.
He introduced me to jazz piano, especially Erroll Garner. Peter himself was no mean pianist. We would pop over to his place in Keighley for supper after school and he'd play, we'd talk and go for a beer.
When I was back living in Europe, we met up briefly. His son goes to St. Bede's - our alma mater - and I was giving out the prizes at speech day. Peter is very involved in the music scene in Bradford and has a small choir, which he conducts. He looks well and has been happily married almost as long as Lynne and myself (35 years this year).
I wish him well and thank him for my life-long love of good jazz piano.
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