Close encounters of the idiot kind

Yesterday when I was offering my timeless insights into Jack Kemp, I promised to tell the story of my idiot meeting with the flutist Emmanuel Pahud. If you are new to classical music all you have to know is that Emmanuel Pahud is one of the greatest flutists in the world.

That is a picture above of Emmanuel Pahud whose path crossed mine late Thursday night, this would have been.

This happened at Jackie Jocko's a couple of nights ago, when I had had two glasses of wine and Jocko chooses that time to call me over.

"Mary, come here," he yells. "Say hello to this guy!"

And I have had these two glasses of wine and I am trying to wave Jocko off.

Then I hear him telling this guy to go over and see me so, OK, I get up. And it is this British guy Jocko is trying to get me to meet. I did not catch him name, and all of a sudden this other guy shows up.

"This is Emmanuel Pahud," my new British buddy said.

And I thought: you're kidding!

With which, I turn and I say exactly that. "You're kidding!!" I said. "You're Emmanuel Pahud?"

Hahahahahahahaaaa!

It is like my cousin Howard when he was introduced to Graham Nash. My cousin Howard had had a couple of drinks and all he could say was: "Graham! Graham!"

Nash, he said later, "was not impressed." I may have told that story before because it is famous in my family.

Here is a video of Emanuel Pahud playing Mozart with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Here is a picture of Emmanuel Pahud with a fan who had better things to say to him than, "You're kidding, you're Emmanuel Pahud?"


That fan is not me!

Don't you hate it when great musicians jump at you from out of the blue after you have had two glasses of wine? I hate when that happens. Also this other guy Jocko threw at me as "this British guy" wound up being the distinguished harpsichordist Trevor Pinnock and I had nothing sensible to say to him either. My life Thursday night got worse and worse.

The Hyatt in downtown Buffalo is terribly unpredictable. Musicians who have turned up there include Leonard Pennario, Mark Murphy and Dave Matthews. You have to be ready! Which, the other night, I was not.

Later Jocko ...


...asked Emmanuel Pahud how he pronounced his last name and before the flutist could answer, I said, "Pah-hood."

And Mr. Pahud looked at me and smiled this charming Gallic smile and said: "Well, yes, you can say it that way if you want to, but in French it is Pie-yood."

What is with me and my big mouth?

Zut alors!