NO TIME TO CRY

~ J.D. Justice ~

I think I've posted some of Miss DeMent's before.

One of my favourite singers.

I may have shared Let the Mystery Be.

I would loved to have been in on that jam.

Look at the musicians' faces - they don't give a flying fart for any audience, they've got each other and they've got da music. And how's about that bass player? What a face on that woman - magnifique.

One of Iris's most moving songs is No Time to Cry of which the studio cut isn't online and her concert is badly recorded.

If ever there was a singer of whom I'd plead FFS no covers, pleez, ID is one.

So, of course, I'm proved wrong.

Whoever JD Dance is, he renders this movingly and with a miraculous mix of homage and individuality. A singer/pianist to follow.

Speaking of homarje, I must give a shout out to one Mister Zacharia Works (of no fixed abode) whose copy of Iris CDs I borrowed without his permission or any idea who she was and with whom I fell forever in love.

I made many good friends at Amazon.com - good  friends, no bullshit friends, but Zach is up in the pantheon of the few.

Zach was a piratical cove in those days - tamed now, thank god, by a good woman - but back then the double of Jake Gyllenhaal's world-wearier grizzled evil twin brutha and he played wonderful harmonica.

But I remember him for one specific instant and every time I tell it, to no matter whom, it resonates.

Bear with me as I bore you:

Amazon customer service reps handled email and phones and if we had a question we couldn't handle we'd 'escalate' it to a Lead who'd be a more experienced wrangler. Also, if you had a prob, you could (theoretically) walk over to a Lead and put your problem.

Now, these were multi-tasking maestros of the Universe and wayy  superior to us vermin reps. Their very demeanour discouraged interruption. I know: I played that game myself when I reached Lead status.

They'd have cans on, listening to the hottest latest sounds; they'd be checking their money millions on the market; they'd be on the phone to their lovers; they'd be in their own elevated world. And they'd make damn'd sure to ignore us just to show who was boss.

Not so Zach: I'd tiptoe timidly over, ready to make obeisance and wait, but your shadow only had to fall over his keyboard and he would whip off the headphones and be 100% focused on you.

I can't tell you how classy that is, what devotion and confidence that inspires. Totally without ego.

I tell that and people who have no idea of the 'Zon culture go misty-eyed and nod knowingly and recall leaders with whom they too have had the privilege of working.

Funny how one simple gene of instinctive decency can define a man and make a lasting impression of example and gratitude.

Dubai Stopover: Perfect memory of Firoz by perfectionist Sinbad whose whole tasty blog is worth a stopover deeper look. Except he said carrot cake and now I'll be thinking about Kristina's pantry all morning. (Check you spelled it 'pantry' with that penultimate letter in there.)