I came to know Jonathan at a stage of his life when his careers as a musician and writer were slowing down, and finally ended. Yet Jonathan the man and the friend still had indescribably bounty to offer.

Jonathan had some healing power. When he didn't know my name, I'm sure, I was recovering from a major operation, a life-threatening one, and I played his record over and over; that was the voice I wanted to hear, somehow. Some years later, when I did come to know him, I remember we were going back to his apartment one evening and the battery of his wheelchair gave up the ghost. I was pushing uphill and getting pretty winded when other hands appeared to help. Jonathan and our new companion began to talk. He was from Bangaladesh; he was feeling lonely and sad; he had not met anyone in this strange new place. Jonathan sang for him in his native Bengali that beautiful river song Tom mentioned, spelled (possibly) Oray Sujan Anaya - and that deep voice brought him home....I remember the wonder with which he asked, "How did you come to know that song - !!!!!"

And I remember, too, when I came to see Jonathan at a time when I was really hurting, so much I couldn't talk. I sat and tears rolled down my cheeks, and quietly he just got up and went to the piano and played for me, song after song...How did he ever come to know which ones I loved? The gentle power of the music reached so deeply.

He was a generous man. He was fine. I loved him.