NO SALE.

A SEARCH FOR A GERRY MULLIGAN CD IN HARLEM.

The African American
Guy was selling cds
From a small stall in
Harlem. You approached

Him with a particular artist
In mind. Have you any Gerry
Mulligan records? Gerry
Mulligan? Yes, sax player.

You’ll have to look and see.
Could be. Got Charlie Parker.
No, I want Gerry Mulligan.
He sighed. Think there’s a

Dizzy Gillespie there, too.  
He was one of the Four
Brothers; all sax players,
You said. He pursed his lips

And looked bored. Four
Brothers? They have the
Same father? You looked
At him briefly as you searched

The stall. No, they weren’t real
Brothers. He nodded his head.
I’ve got real brothers, he said.
One plays guitar in a band.

You fingered through the cds
Slowly, trying to take in what
The guy was saying. Not jazz
Though, he added. Soul. Got

Some soul if you want it. No,
Just Gerry Mulligan, you replied,
Holding up a Wes Montgomery
Momentarily. That him? The guy

Looked over your shoulder. No,
That Wes Montgomery, jazz
Guitarist. He any good? The best.
The guy nodded his head and

Scratched his a*s. May likes
Jazz, the guy ventured. My sister,
She likes some guy called Hancock.
He grinned. She likes plenty of that.

You tried not to imagine, searching on.
There was jazz, but no Mulligan.
You sensed disappointment. No,
Mulligan, you said. No, Hancock

Either, May had the only one I had,
The guy said, sensing a sale leaving him.
Got a Duke Ellington there somewhere,
He fingered through the cds and brought

It out. No, I just wanted Mulligan. Shame,
May reckons he’s quite something. He was,
But I just wanted Mulligan. No, Mulligan,
The guy sighed. You nodded and smiled

And he volunteered a small smile that
Lingered on his lips like shy girl getting
Undressed in front of her boyfriend for
The first time. Then it was over and the

Moment fled; it was as if you, Mulligan,
May and Hancock never entered his head.

Author's Note

PHOTO BY ARLEEN HODGE.

Reviews

[Sunflower/Sara Kendrick]

Interesting and entertaining work..Got my attention and drew me in even though I haven't the foggiest who any of the recording artist were...Sunflower