Tonight they would be in Kansas City. Tomorrow night is St. Louis, then Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Omaha. Sometimes it gets to the point where you don’t even know which town you’re in, night after night. That’s the life of a jazz pianist. This is what Walter had been doing for the past twenty-five years. He was fortunate enough to be able to make a living doing what he loved.
There were many phases to his career. At first he started out as being part of the band for a number of different jazz musicians, and then as he gained more recognition, he formed his own band, and they put out a number of albums. It’s been awhile now since he had a recording contract, but he and his band still travel the country playing music. The people love them.
Now that the kids are out of college and on their own, Walter’s wife Aurelia is part of the band. She was their singer, and she could really sing. With him on the road so much during the kid’s formative years it wasn’t the easiest way to raise kids, but they made it work. Aurelia had been a high school principal but once their children were all graduated from college, and working, she decided to take a very early retirement, and join Walter on the road.
Walter first started taking piano lessons when he was about nine years old. He had begged his mom to let him take piano lessons, and finally she said yes, but only if he took time everyday to practice. Walter promised that he would, and he stayed true to his word, and he became a very good pianist.
Things really took off for him when he learned to “feel the music,” as he called it. It got to the point where he could hear a song and play it by ear. He played the keyboards in a few bands during his high school years. One of the bands, Southside Express, even made a record. It was a 45 inch single called, “Mellow Summer,” with “That’s Life,” on the flip side.
In college, Walter majored in music. It was in college where he first discovered jazz. He had taken a couple of classes on jazz, and he was hooked. It gave him the musical freedom that he had never felt before. He started going to a few jam sessions in town with some fellow music majors, and the rest was history.
Tonight, Kansas City. The band was making last minute preparations before they hit the floor. There was an air of excitement, just like there was before all of their performances. Walter and Aurelia held hands backstage, and said a short prayer, just like they always did. The stage manager said it was time, so they all took their places. “Ladies and gentlemen. I have the great pleasure of presenting to you this evening, Walter Evans, and Sunset Melody.” “Ok,” Walter said. “Here we go. One, two, three…..”