“Lemme get this straight: you’re tellin’ me that this guy’ll drop everything if someone asks him t’play th’piano?”
Louie nodded. “He’s over there with Sarah.” He pointed with his champagne-laden hand.
I peered around the small clump of people in front of me. I saw the great Irving Berlin, with a giggling leggy blonde on his lap.
I whistled. “Y’think he’d leave her just to play the piano?”
“I know it.”
“Alright, I’m holdin’ you t’this one.” I asked Louie to hold my drink & went over to the clump around Irving.
“Mr. Berlin?” I asked.
“Yes sir.” Sarah giggled again.
“Good to finally meet’cha. Hey, my friend Louie & I were talkin’ about you. We were wondering if you could play us something on the piano over there-”
I barely got the request out of my mouth. Within seconds Irving was nearly running to the ivories, leaving poor Rachel on the floor.
A small crowd gathered as he began to play and sing a ditty he wrote: “I love to hear somebody play upon a piano, a grand piano. It simply carries me away.“