It was 1988 I believe, and I had been doing doubles, 6 nights a week at the Hyatt Regency in Austin. I played with a jazz quartet on the bottom floor, in a bar/club called “Branchwater”. I remember Austin radio personality  Cactus Pryor was a regular, who would come by to sing “What Are You Doing the Rest of your Life”. That was a 5 to 9 gig, and I had about 10 minutes to put on my tux, ride the elevator to the 17th top floor,  to another club called “Foothills”. Foothills had a spectacular view of the city above Town Lake, and was a favorite destination for many people.  I had a nice grand, and played solo piano, from 9 to 1AM, Monday through Saturday. Sundays I’d be back to play the Sunday brunch, so you can surmise the Hyatt was my “home away from home” for about 12 years.

It was a Monday or a Tuesday, about midnight, when Jack Lemmon and his manager came in for drinks. They sat a couple tables away, and I noticed that Jack Lemmon was really listening to everything I was doing. He smiled and we didn’t say anything, and I was done at 1AM. Then next night they were back again, sitting right in front of me. Smoking was still allowed back then, and they would talk and listen, drink and smoke. When I played solo piano back then, I had a couple hundred tunes in my repertoire, including all the Gershwin, Cole Porter,  Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers, and Irving Berlin standards. I had my Bill Evans style down and I was totally into playing these tunes well, and getting well paid. This was, for a pianist, the very best gig in Austin.

The next night, before closing, Jack Lemmon’s manager came up to me, and asked if I would stay after hours and keep playing. He said Mr. Lemmon’s private hotel suite was directly below me on the 16th floor, and he’d been listening all night. I said sure, I’d be happy to. And so it came to be, that for the next 4 nights, after the club emptied, Jack, his manager, the bartender, and I would hang until 4AM in the morning. Jack would request tunes. He asked if he could sit just to the left and behind me so he could watch my hands. We started talking, and became fast friends. Jack was in Austin making a movie (I’m guessing it was “Dad” 1989). I didn’t know until years later that Jack had 2 jazz piano albums. He was well known as a pianist. He was so complimentary, and started asking if I would show him some stuff. I explained how I built chords and soloed, and used my classical training to phrase lyrically. We played for each other, and had a great time each night.

What I will always remember, is that at one point Jack Lemmon looked me straight in the eye, and said. “I’d give this all up, if I could play like that!” I was taken aback. I said, “Jack, you have the adoration of millions of people, who love everything you’ve done in the movies, and you’re a world class actor. How can you say that?”  He said, “Acting’s easy. I’m really a frustrated jazz piano player.” I said, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. You have the awards, and acclaim from all your peers. You don’t need anymore.”

On his last night, Jack Lemmon left me an enormous tip. I tried to turn him down, but he wouldn’t think of it. We left like we were friends for life. And I am so happy this happened to me. Thanks, Jack!