Wish you had all been there

Monday night was our night downstairs at the Cornelia Street Cafe in the Village, where the audience enjoyed readings by two creative nonfiction writers from upstreet number three, followed by a short musical program by one of the readers. Frank Tempone read his upstreet story, "Born Again," and Karen D. Taylor a personal narrative, "Not Tina in This Country: Remembering the Things My Grandmother Told Me." Karen, also a jazz vocalist, then performed five musical numbers, beginning with an a cappella rendition of "Dindi." For the subsequent four songs, Karen was accompanied by Marcus Persiani, piano, Andy McCloud, bass, and Jimmy Delgado, percussion. Those numbers were "People Make the World Go Round," "Work Song," "My Favorite Things," and "Angel Eyes." Poet Bill Zavatsky and I were the guest hosts. This was a treat, and I hope we have an opportunity to do something like it again.