Hey, Peace:

I left New York City and came to Connecticut in July of 1964. If you were in the Village before then, it is possible that we met. I also went down occasionally after that, as I only lived a 45 minute train ride away. If I had met you I woulda knowed, because you was on the cover of a record album and was famous. I was a non-entity in a city of 8 million. Perhaps you are mistaken. Maybe it was Claire Voyant you met.

I was recounting a crazy experience I had one night in New York City, to my friends Joe and Frankie... maybe worth repeating, as it has everything to do with that indefineable "connection" that occurs every once in awhile. I was playing at a Hoot at the Gaslight Cafe one evening, and after I did a couple of songs and went to sit down, someone came over and introduced themselves as Luke Faust. He really liked my music and wanted to get together some time to play together. I gave him my phone muber and a few days later got a phone call from him. A friend of his had a studio and was going to be recording Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry that night and invited Luke. Luke asked if it was alright if I came along. I was very excited about it, and found my way down to a warehouse district that night, and walked up a couple flights of stairs and knocked on the door. Luke was there, and the guy who owned the "studio," but Brownie and Sonny had run into a problem and couldn't make it. So, the guy said that as long as he had the recording equipment set up, he'd record me and Luke. I had never even heard Luke play, and he'd heard me do a couple of songs, but there was home-made beer to loosen us up, and we sat down in front of the mikes. I pretty much knew the Anthology Of American Folk Music by heart and as it turned out, so did Luke. So, I'd ask him if he knew Fatal Flower Garden, or Peg and Awl, one of us would run through a line or two and then we'd be off and running. I never heard the tapes and after a couple of beers the night went slightly out of focus, but we must have played for two or three hours, quickly moving on to songs that just one of us knew, but the other could intuitively jump in to. It was unlike any expeerience I've ever had. It was like a second line of my music was coming out of Luke's voice and instruments, and a counterpoint of Luke's was coming out of mine. Later, I met someone who had heard the tapes and thought they were very good. They couldn't believe that we had never played together before. It was more under-standable for Luke because he was a certified genius. I was more of a three chord Carter Family clunker and had never played music with another musician before. It was exhilarating, and very bizarre, at the same time.

Whether it's being a "soulmate" who you love immediately without ever "falling," or a rare person where you know that there is no need for subterfuge, or apology the moment you meet them, there is a comfort and familiarity that doesn't exist in many people you've known for your whole life. Maybe it's the recognition that there is no need to spend a minute trying to impress someone, or make them like you. It just is.

You are one of those people, Peace. It's a small handful in a lifetime, so each friendship is to be cherished. It comes ready-made.

Jerry Voyant... Claire's brother