This show, 25 years ago this month, marked the start of my career in TV. I knocked myself out for this program, working on it exclusively for 5 months. A very early HD broadcast, it aired throughout the world; in the US, it was part of PBS’ Great Performances and was nominated for an Emmy.
The number of astounding moments in this show are almost uncountable. A favorite moment: walking by Dressing Room 3 in Carnegie Hall (maybe half the size of a Starbuck’s bathroom) and hearing music leaking out around the door. I slipped into this tiny room and there’s Antonio Carlos Jobim at an upright rehearsal piano (on his last visit ever to New York) with Pat Metheny, Joe Henderson, Charlie Haden and Al Foster, all jamming together (Al was playing his hands in his lap) for an audience of one: me!
More than that, I developed a huge admiration for the crew running and producing the show, many of whom are friends to this day. This crew– the all-star team of multi-cam TV production– were all so good at what they did, so dedicated to making great TV shows together, that I joined them as the talent manager and worked on tons of memorable shows with them (even still do, from time to time).
Great thanks to Chris Roberts at Verve Records, Allen Newman and Jeff Rowland at Polygram Diversified Entertainment, Mitch Owgang and David Horn at WNET-Thirteen, and Catherine Gevers and John Fernandez at Carnegie Hall for putting their faith in me. Thankfully, as we say in the biz, we fooled ’em again!
Okay, that’s enough bed-time stories for one night. Now get some sleep.