I was very lucky to grow up in Detroit with so many future famous musicians - classical, jazz and pop in my community. I went to school...

Another of my favorite places to play in New York was Zinno, conveniently located at 126 W.13th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in the...

I became friends with the great Tony Bennett in the 60s when I was the house pianist of a 7-piece band at the 1st class Roostertail...

or Watch what you wish for- you just might get it! When I was little we lived at 4136 Brush Street, Brush and Superior and to the left...

I have a vivid memory of hearing Dinah Washington when I was about six at the Paradise Theater. I can’t remember who was in her band. But...

ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc42tshR17E

Lars Bjorn & Jim Gallert

Mark Stryker - University of Michigan Press

Patience. A lesson in patience. My whole life seems to be about the lesson of patience. Patience with myself. 18 April 2014 in Paris

From the tender age of 6 I have had a front row seat for the American performance of race riots and rage. It all began for me at home in...

In a roundabout way, when I finally moved to New York, Cecil McBee led me to moving into a six story 1900 loft building in Noho full of a...

By the time I was born, Detroit had become a famous and successful city because of the automobile industry. People flocked to Detroit...

When I came from LA to New York in late 1979, Bradley’s was not my destination; the NY Playboy Club was, with bunnies and all that, for a...

For five years (1980-1985) I played piano in Dexter’s quartet with Eddie Gladden on drums, Rufus Reid on bass -later replaced by David...

with Johnny Griffin Dexter was a strange kind of person to travel around the world with. He had his own agenda wherever he went. He could...

Before Maxine became Maxine Gordon, she was Maxine Greg who was with Woody Shaw and had a baby by him about the time when I made the...

Clarinet, bass, flute, cello, bassoon & bass clarinet: Over the years, I’ve played many pianos around the world: in clubs, concert...

I was born bangin’ on the piano. It was just a toy, I guess, and it still is. There was always a piano in our house because my...

New stories will be added to this section as we go. In Detroit, I met many wonderful musicians and friends, these stories are my "special...