I was in NYC the other day and I picked up the magazine of the musicians' union which included an obituary of Keith. I was saddened to read it. I knew Keith when we were teenagers. I am two years older but we met at the NBC youth band at the studio in Rockefeller Center. It was a big band--actually a junior achievement project. We rehearsed at the NBC studio across from the tonight show which, at the time, starred Jack Parr. We sometimes listened to the tonight show band which included the great Clark Terry. Keith and I became friends and I spent time at his house in St. Albans. I played trumpet and we even did some gigs together. In fact, the $10 we made were I think the first paid gigs for both of us. On Keith's website he mentions a couple of guys who played together back then. Al Maxwell played bass. I also remember the piano player he refers to in an interview. I was also playing in the band in the Village opposite Cecil Taylor the he describes. It was quite funny to watch people leave as soon as Cecil Taylor started playing. As you can see below, I did not become a professional musician (I do play trombone now) but I met Keith at the Saratoga Jazz festival in the 1980's. I asked if he remembered me and he said something like, how can I forget, those were my first gigs. It is more than 50 years ago but I remember those teenage years with Keith with great fondness. I lived in Flushing near Whitestone at the time. It was a long bus ride to St. Albans but I always liked seeing Keith, playing jazz with him and talking to Mr. Ray Copeland. I wish you all the best. Jeff Jeffrey D. Straussman Professor Department of Public Administration and Policy Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy University at Albany 135 Western Avenue Albany, New York 12222