TAKE FIVE

Wesleyan scored a huge coup that year by bringing the Dave Brubeck Quartet to our stage.  Take Five was a tremendous hit at the time and we were thrilled to see the group in person. My friend Bootsie and I dressed up for the concert which in 1963 was no small task.  I wore a black Merry Widow bra, a girdle, stockings, a black slip, a black sheath dress and high heels and Bootsie was equally resplendent.  We wore full makeup and "ratted" our hair to unnatural heights, then sprayed it so it wouldn't move.  We would have fit right in on the Mad Men set except our hair was bigger.

 

Dave and his boys were fantastic. The drummer was encouraged to play solo which he did for at least ten minutes, sending me into raptures.

Dave played all his famous hits and was rewarded with loud, enthusiastic applause.  We were college kids and this was jazz!  After several encores were demanded and given, Dave and the guys were finally allowed to leave the stage wearing huge smiles.

Euphoric, Bootsie and I hurried backstage (we were familiar with the territory) to meet the great ones who were sweating and very, very happy.  I have no memory of what was said but the boys were glad to see us.  We were young, attractive girls and I was wearing my push-up Merry Widow bra which garnered a great deal of attention from the jazz greats.  Dave signed his name ten times on a pad of paper and gave it to us, smiling all the while.  It is certainly possible that these kindly musicians were hoping for some companionship for the rest of the evening, but Bootsie was engaged and I was dumb. Really dumb and blind to all possibilities.  So we bid our new friends a fond goodbye and slithered right out, taking our complicated undergarments with us.

Parked outside was our old friend Bill who had been nursing a crush on Bootsie since the year before, but now that she was engaged and off the market, Bill had to settle for me.  Did I want to take a ride with him?  It was almost midnight; the dorms would be locked soon.  How would I get in?  Bill gave me his engaging smile and said Oh, come on!  So I got in the car and we drove off into the night.

                                     TO BE CONTINUED