I got to see Grappelli with the Disley Trio in the '70's in NYC. 3rd row seats next to Jay Ungar. Both of us were sitting there with our tongues hanging out. I walked out at the end of the evening saying, "I'm going home and break my fiddle over my knee. If I can't play like that, I'm not going to play!"

I did give up the instrument for a while, but I came back to it out of love for the music. I guess I'll have to settle for being an old-timey fiddler. But damn, does his playing touch my soul.

Mark Ross