He wears a brown suit
Although none of his patrons
Will even have a jacket on tonight
But he knows the rules
The flavor and aroma of this place
What it’s supposed to be
When the piano starts
Soft and slow
And the knives and forks
Clink against the china
There have been great musicians here
One old man, back in 92
Had played bass for Benny Goodman
He was here in town to visit his sister
Not just anybody would have heard about this
But the man in the brown suit, he knew
That was business, his business
To get the best, have the best
And oh, that night was fine
Did anybody know it then
Did anyone else hear the fine control
The unhurried line that waited on the melody
If not, if they did not know it then
Then surely some day, years down the road
They’ll remember that evening and won’t know why
But some song they’ve never heard again since then
Some lonely, aching song
Will play in their memory
And they’ll wish they could name it
And won’t be satisfied again
Till they hear it once more
And they’ll wonder
Pingback: Small Town Jazz, Part 2 | Home Economics