I found this shot of my grandfather and his oldest son taken outside their church in downtown Tampa in the mid 1930s. Turns out granddad got a group together to play gospel music there, and he made his own bass fiddle! He obviously had not mastered bending wood, but this design worked for him. He went on to make a cello.

Thought also occurred to me that it’s been 40 years since I took up the same instrument, to do the very same thing! When I get up yonder–he would understand that lingo–we’ll be side by side, in the pocket!

Ironically, up there, I’ll finally get the complete set of musical gifts–but I won’t need them. Who’s going to need to read bass clef on that pearl-studded bandstand?

It will be an ear player’s heaven!