Walking through Brownsville, you could revel in the music of Big Band music softly playing on balmy summer nights. Live! The tall (6-story?) buildings had rooftop dance floors. Occasionally these bands were hired to play for the tenants and their guests – maybe for weddings, anniversaries, or just simply a friendly vertical neighborhood gathering. I never attended, but years later saw the remnants of the Japanese lanterns, decorative trellises, and bandstand. My imagination filled in the rest.
Although I like and welcome today’s popular music, it feels somehow more intrusive on quiet nights. It may be that I appreciate the relief from round-the-clock MTV, chest-deep bass drums, and the like. Back then, that rooftop music was always a surprising and pleasant interlude.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
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