ii-V-I: A JassOdyssey Book 2

CHAPTER 1

CAPE GIRARDEAU: PART 2

Marie’s family history

Marie’s grandmother, Cecile Laveau, was born and raised in Haiti but eventually came to America in search of a better life. Many of her fellow countrymen landed in New Orleans, which at that time was one of the most prosperous cities in America due to its strategic position as a seaport. With such a rapid influx of foreigners, there were few jobs available for single female immigrants who didn’t speak the language, unless they sought employment in the red-light district. Luckily, Cecile was able to get a job as a servant with the Gayarr family, a prominent octoroon mulatto clan in New Orleans who lived near the bayou country.

Sabine Gayarr, the matriarch of the family and highly devout a Catholic, needed help due to her failing health. By employing Cecile, she was determined to convert the voodoo-worshipping servant to Catholicism. Before she took sick, Sabine was able to bear her husband, René, a son, Niel. Though the Gayarr matriarch treated Cecile with respect, René, a non-religious believer, felt that she belonged to him. As Sabine’s condition continued to deteriorate, René took advantage of his position and threatened to return Cecile to the streets if she did not comply with his sexual wishes. He also threatened to expose her as a believer of voodoo, which at that time was considered devil worship. Cecile felt she had no choice, because she had no skills or trade that she could use in her newly adopted country and did not want to consider the idea of being a maiden of Basin Street.

Shortly before Sabine’s death, Cecile unwillingly became pregnant by René. After Sabine’s death, Cecile had to raise not only her daughter, Ayida, but also Niel. René would never acknowledge Ayida as his daughter and taught his son, Niel, that Cecile and Ayida were the property of the Gayarr family, to do with what they wanted. All four continued to reside in the Gayarr residence.

Over the years, René’s beliefs about Cecile and Ayida hardened, and though he never remarried, he thought of Cecile only as an object to fulfill his desires. And though he never approached Ayida sexually, he did treat her with disdain. Niel took pity on Cecile and Ayida, but did nothing to improve their lot in life.

In time, Ayida also became a servant on the Gayarr estate, and the same threat that René held over Cecile’s head was imposed upon her. As they grew older, Ayida and Niel played the role of master and slave. He had no interest in her as long as she remained submissive and performed servant duties. Eventually, both Cecile and René died, leaving only the two offspring. Over time they both found suitors. Niel found a woman from another prominent Creole family who eventually became his spouse, while Ayida found a Haitian partner. Niel’s wife bore him two sons, Thierry, like his grandmother of poor health, and Bernard. Though Ayida did not marry, she did present her partner with a baby daughter, Marie, who, like her mother and grandmother, would remain in the holdings of the Gayarr family for a time. Soon after Thierry died, Ayida’s lover died mysteriously, and she felt that her captors were responsible, but she had no proof. As she got older, Ayida did her best to shield Marie from the cruelty bestowed upon them by the Gayarr family. She told her to be especially wary of Bernard, because he reminded her of René, his grandfather.

As Marie matured into a young woman, just as Ayida predicted, Bernard made his play toward his distant relative. At times he dismissed her as a property of the family. Sometimes he would make fun of her skin color, since he was just as fair as the rest of the Gayarr family, just one shade darker than Caucasian, while she was ebony brown like most of Haitian descent. He was a member of the Blue Vein Society, something that many mulattos considered prized in the early days after reconstruction. At other times, he lusted after her dark flesh, and her curvaceous shape and sensual body, accentuated by her jasmine perfume.

Late one night after everyone had gone to bed, Bernard quietly snuck into Marie’s bedroom. He claimed he had mistakenly entered her boudoir after a night of heavy drinking with friends. As a result of his unwelcomed advances, Marie used a heavy object to strike his face, leaving a wound on his right cheek. Though he explained to his parents that his actions were due to intoxication, Marie knew he was lying and that she would befall the same fate as her grandmother if she did not leave the cursed house. She told her mother the truth and vowed that that night would be the last time she or her mother would ever sleep under the Gayarr roof. She would prepare for their departure the next day. Little did she know that Bernard was also planning her departure, not only from the Gayarr home, but also from this earth. After all the commotion regarding the incident between Bernard and Marie had settled down and everyone had returned to bed, Bernard left the house to put his plans for Marie’s exodus into place. He knew his parents would be leaving town the next morning and would not return for a few days. This would give him plenty of time to perform his villainous deed.

The next morning, Marie made ready their departure. Though the Laveau family seemed inseparable from the Gayarr clan, Marie knew that their future existence would be nil if she did not stop the arrangement. She had always secretly kept her most precious possessions, things that were willed to her from her grandmother, in the carriage shed close to the house. She knew she had to retrieve them before they could leave. Bernard also secretly knew this, and he and his drinking buddies were waiting there in silence for her. And though he had decided he would not participate in her assailment—he would watch only—he wanted her to know that what was Gayarr property would always be Gayarr property.

He hid out of sight while his allies hid behind the door. As Marie entered the shed, the boys immediately attacked her, while Bernard secretly looked on. As they wrestled her to the ground and started to undress her, the voodoo instincts from her grandmother immediately surfaced, and her body seemed to be overtaken by an ancient ancestral force. Her body stiffened as her eyes stared up as if in a trance. Then her arms and legs began to undulate like a snake. In a low moaning voice, she began to chant using Haitian words and phrases. As this was going on, each of the attacking boys stopped their aggression in mid-action, and as if someone had placed a noose around their necks, the air from their lungs was slowly squeezed out of them. With each assailant’s gasping breath, Marie’s chants got louder and louder. Bernard cowered out of sight in horror behind a large covered table as the Voodoo Priestess had her way with her victims. He had heard of the satanic powers of religions from Haiti but never suspected that anyone who was a resident of their estate practiced the black art.

When, finally, their bodies were motionless, Marie got up, placed herself over each boy’s face, gazed into his bulging eyes, opened his mouth and slowly sucked the life force from within. Bernard, in sheer panic, finally made his way out of the shed by way of a hidden side door, unseen by Marie. After regaining her senses and seeing her victims, she realized she was an extension of her grandmother, and that voodoo, the religion of her forebears, was now a part of her. She would always embrace what her kinfolk had given her, and not fear to use it again if her life or the life of a loved one was threatened. After looking at the deceased bodies, she retrieved her ancestral possessions and went to the main house to join her mother. She didn’t have to explain, Ayida already knew. She had had similar visits from Cecile years earlier when confronted by distant members of the Gayarr kin, and they had suffered a similar fate.

By this time, Bernard was out of sight and nowhere to be found. The two Laveaus assumed that he was gone, never to return. After disposing of the bodies in the nearby bayou, they gave a final fitting tribute to the Gayarr family and home. They jointly placed a curse on the house and property so that any remaining Gayarr who entered the dwelling or came on the grounds would be doomed. She also collected some of the fouled soil, placed it in a bag with her possessions and took it with her just in case she encountered another Gayarr. She vowed that if she ever saw Bernard again, he would feel the pain that her family had endured under the Gayarr’s wrath.

CHAPTER 2

ALABAMA

The Jassmobile was well on its way down the highway when it passed a large billboard that read, Welcome to Alabama. Roland looked at the sign and thought about the places that they had passed and visited on their trip. He thought about their initial drive along the highways in New York and New Jersey, and the thoroughfares in Pennsylvania and Delaware. He thought about their visit to the Eubie Blake Center in Baltimore and the reception given to the Jassmobile from an admiring pedestrian. He thought about Washington D.C. and their trip back in time at the Howard Theatre. Then he remembered the piano-shaped gold lapel pin that he was able to retract from the bottom of Miles’ shoe while he was sleeping. He remembered touring the campus of VSU and Miles’ interview with Jordan Louis, as well as their visit with his cousin in North Carolina where they picked up the old horn.

But his mind drifted back to the gold piano lapel pin. Trying to put it out of his mind, he forced himself to think about the concert given in honor of Dizzy Gillespie in South Carolina that they had participated in and their exploits with Yusef in Atlanta. But again, his mind kept going back to the pin. He remembered what Miles had said as they hurriedly exited the Howard Theatre just as the swing-era building was morphing back to its present-day form: I was the one that ruined your chance to see them. Roland decided that now was just as good as anytime to talk about it.

Miles, said Roland, do you remember our trip to the Howard Theatre in D.C.?

Miles thought for a second. Yeah, I remember some of it, said Miles slowly as he recalled the scene.

What do you remember? Roland asked.

Well, I remember going into the building and waiting in a ticket line in the lobby with you. I remember going inside the theater and sitting in a seat behind you. I was hungry, so I asked you for some money and you gave me a dollar so that I could go to buy some food. I remember I was in the lobby, and I saw these two nice-looking girls checking me out. The last thing I remember was going to the men’s room. But when I pushed on the door to get in, I heard a crashing sound from the other side. That’s all I remember.

Feeling disappointed that Miles’ memory had failed him just at the most opportune time, Roland asked, You don’t remember the fog and lightning in the lobby?

Miles shook his head slowly as he watched the oncoming traffic.

You don’t remember me pulling you out of the theater? Roland asked.

Miles looked over at him as if he was searching for something in his words. He shook his head again.

You don’t remember telling me that you were the one who ruined my chance to see them? Roland asked.

See who? Miles quickly responded.

Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Eckstine, said Roland.

Miles thought about Roland’s question. I don’t remember saying that, he said as his inquisitive eyes looked again in his uncle’s direction.

Because Roland remembered his disastrous childhood experience at the theater and wanted to get to the bottom of it, he asked his nephew firmly, "Do you remember running into anybody on the other side of the door?

Nope, said Miles uneasily.

Roland reached for the gold piano lapel pin in the sachet that was in his shirt pocket. He patted his pocket to confirm that it was still there. He then looked at Miles who was now starting to show signs of annoyance. Miles started rolling his eyes at him and squirming in his seat. Roland could see that his line of questions was starting to take its toll on his nephew. Feeling that Miles wasn’t intentionally holding anything back from him, he then said, Don’t worry about it. These long drives sometimes make me edgy.

To break the tension, Miles tried to change the subject by turning on the radio. After switching from station to station, he finally settled on the sounds coming from a broadcast sponsored by Samford University, WVSU-F, one of the many smooth jazz radio stations in the nation.

Roland ended his inquisition of Miles, and concluded that, unlike his first attempt to see Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Eckstine at the Howard back in 1932, at least this time he was successful in seeing them onstage. He was also glad that he was reacquainted with a long-lost friend, his gold piano lapel pin.

After a long drive through the plains and hilly roads of Alabama, the Jassmobile finally made its way into Birmingham, the Magic City. They passed by a number of municipal landmarks, including Vulcan Park, the Aldridge Botanical Gardens, the Birmingham Zoo, Five Points South Entertainment District and the Civil Rights Heritage Trail and Institute. After zigzagging their way through the city and crossing a number of streets and neighborhoods, such as Hoover, Homewood, North Birmingham and Titusville, they finally got to the neighborhood of Smithfield and their destination off of Graymont Avenue, which was the three-bedroom bungalow of Caldonia Moore, Roland’s wife’s aunt. The small house had a white picket veranda along its exterior, and the door had three small windows arranged at an angle near the top. After they drove the vehicle into the driveway, Nancy emerged from the front door of the house, waving to the vehicle’s occupants.

Hey Roland! Hey Miles! she said as she smiled and walked over to greet them. I didn’t believe you at first when you told me that you were driving this thing, but I’m glad to see you made it here in one piece.

Roland and Miles exited the vehicle and simultaneously hugged and kissed her. After the embrace was over, Miles said, Hello, Aunt Nancy. We’ve had a great time.

Glad to hear it, she responded, as Roland started taking the luggage out of the vehicle.

Roland, she said directly to him, how are you holding up?

Doin’ fine, he replied as he started lugging the cargo to the front door of the house.

Miles hurriedly assisted him. He also grabbed the horn and showed it to her. The three made their way into the foyer, where the luggage and horn were initially placed next to an umbrella stand. Inside the vestibule was a small table up against the wall with an overhanging oval-shaped mirror, a coat rack and a bin containing old editions of Essence and O magazines. They could hear the faint sounds of gospel music coming from the radio that was on the table.

Sure is hot down here, said Miles as they shut the door and felt the coolness of the house.

That’s ’coz you’re down here in the Deep South, said a voice with a Southern drawl. Miles was not familiar with it. It was Caldonia, Nancy’s aunt. Miles looked around to find the owner of this unfamiliar voice, but couldn’t find her. Nancy grabbed him by the hand and led him from the foyer into the living room to meet her.

Caldonia, a white-haired lady, was sitting in a comfortable recliner. She was lean and lanky in appearance. Because she was a widowed, retired schoolteacher who had no children of her own to help her during her recuperation from knee surgery, her niece, Nancy, had volunteered to help her. She wore sunglasses to protect her eyes, even though they were in a moderately lit room. One of her legs was on the hassock, completely bandaged up, the other, uncovered, planted on the floor. Along one side of the recliner was a walker. On the other side was a pill stand filled with bottles of medicine. Some medicines were to relieve her pain and to give her comfort from her recent surgery, others to allow her to sleep, while yet others were to relieve her anxiety. Also on the stand were a water glass, a pitcher of water and some crackers. She was facing a television, and although there was motion on the screen, the volume was turned down.

Come on over here so that I can get a good look at ya, said Caldonia to Miles. Nancy formally introduced Miles to her aunt while Roland hauled the luggage and the horn from the foyer to the spare bedroom in the back of the house. After she took off her sunglasses, Caldonia’s weak eyes scoured Miles’ lean body.

Just call me Callie. You look like a string bean, tall and thin. Then she turned to her niece, put her sunglasses back on and said in a slight chuckle, Nancy, you need to tell that sister-in-law of yours to fatten this boy up. She then extended her arm out, pointed to a chair in the dining room, and said, Nancy, grab that chair and bring it over so that your nephew can sit down here and tell me about himself and New York City where he’s from.

Turning to Miles she said, I’ve never been there. I’ve only gone as far north as Richmond, but Nancy’s told me a lot about you, your sister Abbey and your momma, as she rubbed her bandaged leg, which was starting to ache.

Nancy obeyed Callie’s orders and brought in a chair from the dining room table and placed it right in front of her. Miles sat down and started telling her all about his childhood, his dreams, his city and his goals.

So, I hear you like that Hippity Hoppity music, said Caldonia as she attempted to reach over to the table to pour herself a glass of water. Initially, Miles smirked at her description of his kind of music, but seeing her struggle with the pitcher, he jumped up. Oh, let me help you, he said, pouring the water for her. He sat back down and, as he started to defend the virtues of the musical style and his aspirations, she opened the top of an orange medicine bottle and took out a pill.

I feel a little twinge comin’ on, she said as she put the pain pill in her mouth and drank the cool, refreshing liquid.

It’s called hip-hop Ms. Caldonia, and it’s the ‘heartbeat of the urban setting,’ said Miles.

Like two attorneys in a courtroom, the pair had a lively exchange, discussing what constituted a heart beat and what constituted an urban setting.

Nancy, said Caldonia as she took a second drink of water from the glass, I like this young man. He’s respectful, courteous and has a head full of smarts. She shook her head as she continued, Not too many like that down here, and I’m sure they don’t have that many like that up there in New York.

Miles grew a bashful grin on his face.

He comes from good people, said Nancy as she affectionately rubbed his shoulder. Roland’s been helpin’ him out.

Good, Caldonia replied. Now, why don’t you go into the kitchen and start dinner. Me and Miles got a lot to discuss.

Nancy rolled her eyes at her bossy aunt, and then bowed out of the conversation, leaving the two in the room to continue their chat. But before retreating to the kitchen to prepare the meal, she caught up with Roland as he finished placing the luggage and horn in the spare room.

Your Cousin Yusef called earlier today, she said matter-of-factly. He said something about he’d figured it out.

Roland grinned while he shook and lowered his head. He knew that Yusef would solve the puzzle but had hoped it would take longer.

What did he mean by that? Nancy asked.

Thinking quick on his feet, Roland said, When we stopped off in Atlanta on the way here and saw Yusef, I don’t know if you know it or not, but he and Ernestine are getting a divorce.

Divorce! Nancy screeched, Huh! Well, it’s about time. Good for her. That poor girl put up with a lot of his mess over the years.

Roland knew that there was not a lot of love between his wife and his Cousin Yusef. He then continued, Well, as I was saying, Yusef said that he needed to figure out what to do next. Well, I guess he figured it out. I’ll have to give him a call.

Good, said Nancy as she left Roland thinking about what would be his next move. She went into the kitchen to prepare dinner and set the table, not giving Yusef a second thought. Roland knew that if he ran into Yusef he would pester him and Miles to find out how to go back in time. He also knew that some people might not be able to handle this special gift. Its possible that he might even go back in time and take revenge on Busta, Jarreau or even Ernestine, Roland thought. He knew he had to keep Yusef from the materials needed to go back in time. To do this, he knew he had to stay one step ahead of him. He had to come up with a plan.

Roland then joined Caldonia and Miles in the living room; the two were laughing and having a lively dialogue.

So, I see you’ve met Miles, said Roland to Caldonia.

Yeah, she said, he was just telling me about New York, his college road trip and the interesting places he’s visited. He’s also been talking about the people he’s met on the way, as well as the interesting facts he’s learned from you.

Well, I can’t take credit for all of it, said Roland as he looked around the room searching for something that he might use to slow down Yusef. Miles has a genuine interest in jazz, especially since he’s been learning how to play the sax and make repairs on musical instruments.

Caldonia turned to Miles, and like a carnival barker trying to entice a crowd, said "Well, if you like jazz, you’ve come to the right place. The city of Birmingham and the state of Alabama have a rich jazz history. Coming from New York, did you know that Duke Ellington’s main trumpet player, Cootie Williams, was from Mobile just down the road? And that Nat Cole, a real fine crooner during his day, was from Montgomery before his family moved north to Chicago. And since you like that Hippy Hoppy music, I’m sure you’ve heard of the a cappella group Take 6; they’re also from Alabama. And that Lionel Ritchie, he’s also from Alabama. And though he’s not a jazz musician, he can still park those size-eleven shoes under my bed anytime."

Roland was slightly embarrassed by what Callie said, but persisted in looking around the room to find something to slow Yusef’s progress, while Caldonia continued to pitch the state’s jazz legacy to Miles. By then, Nancy had finished setting the table. While some of the food was still cooking, she left the kitchen temporarily to join the group in the living room. Roland was looking for a telephone. He knew that if he could stop all incoming calls, then Yusef would not be able to contact them. There wasn’t one in the living room, but he saw a push-button phone attached to the wall in the kitchen. He excused himself from the group and went toward the kitchen, which had a door between it and the room that Caldonia, Nancy and Miles were in. He went through the entranceway between the two rooms and shut the door.

After pretending to make a phone call, he left the phone off the hook, and placed the receiver behind a row of kitchen appliances along a counter wall, out of sight. He then returned to Caldonia’s sales pitch of the jazz scene in the area after shutting the door, thinking that he had temporarily solved his problem with Yusef.

And here in the Magic City, resumed Caldonia we’ve produced a lot of fine jazz bands and musicians, such as Lionel Hampton, Urbie Green, Cleve Eaton, Sun Ra, the pioneer of Afrofuturism, and one of our most proudest musicians, Erskine Hawkins. We’ve got a park on Twenty-Fourth Street named after him. Every year in the fall, the city sponsors a jazz festival down there on Fourth Street. Now, some of these names might not be familiar to you, but you ought to have your uncle take you right down to Fourth Avenue to visit the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. There, you’ll learn everything there is to know about jazz, Alabama jazz musicians and some national jazz musicians, and, since you like playin’ the horn, you can take some classes to help you play better.

There was a brief pause to allow Caldonia to catch her breath, drink some more water and resume her train of thought.

You said that you’ve visited a number of sights along the Chitlin’ Circuit. Well, we’ve got a number of stops on the way right here in Birmingham, she said as she clapped her hands, and wobbled her head and shoulders as if she was doing a dance.

Miles’ eyes lit up like a child about to open a Christmas present, ready to explore these sites. But as she was about to continue her sermon, her dancing movements stopped, her eyes looked up and her head looked inquisitively around the room, just as a Chihuahua might do trying to locate a hidden sound that was inaudible to the human ear.

What’s that noise? she asked.

Everyone except Roland stopped what they were doing in order to hear what Caldonia had drawn to their attention. At first, they couldn’t hear it. But eventually Nancy recognized the muffled, beeping sound coming from the kitchen, and said, It sounds like the buzzing from a telephone. Then she turned to Roland and said, You must have left the receiver off the hook. But as she stood up to go to the kitchen to reconnect it, Roland jumped up and interceded.

I’ll do it, he said as he raced to the door, opened it, retrieved the hidden receiver from the row of appliances and placed it back on the hook. Roland decided, as he rejoined the crowd in the living room, that he had to find a better way to stop Yusef from calling.

Uncle Roland said Lionel Hampton was a performer on the Chitlin’ Circuit, said Miles to Caldonia as the conversation resumed. Nancy went back out into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.

That’s true, said Caldonia. Him and a whole lot more. For a while he lived here in Birmingham with his grandmother, but they later moved to Chicago. He first started playin’ the drums, but then eventually moved on to the vibraphone. He was so good that he was later called the ‘King of the Vibes.’ He got so popular that even whites couldn’t ignore him. He became part of one of the first racially integrated jazz bands in America, along with Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa. You know, up until that time, blacks and whites couldn’t perform together.

Caldonia stopped talking once more, lifted her head and sniffed the air like a bloodhound on the trail of fresh meat.

Nancy, you got that food ready for dinner yet? barked Caldonia. We’ve got a hungry, starving boy out here to feed, she giggled as she patted Miles on the arm.

Just about ready, by the time y’all get cleaned up and grab a seat here at the table, said Nancy.

Roland stood up and charged for the kitchen door. Caldonia edged her way forward in the recliner, and reached for her walker. Miles stood, moved the chair he was sitting in and assisted her by gently holding her bandaged leg while at the same time moving the hassock. He then pulled the walker forward and positioned it in front of her. After she stood and started moving the contraption toward the kitchen, she turned to him and said, After dinner I’ll tell you more about Alabama and its jazz roots. Also, I’ll tell you about a musical friend of mine who wrote and named a song after me.

Miles was amazed at Caldonia’s knowledge of jazz. At first he thought that she, like most people, knew of only a few locals as well as nationally known jazz figures such as Ellington, Basie and Armstrong. But the more she spoke about the topic, the more it seemed as though she was not just a passive observer of this art form, but an active participant in it.

After enjoying their bountiful meal, Caldonia, Miles and Roland remained seated while Nancy cleared the table. As they sat there, the pain medicine that Caldonia had taken earlier was starting to wear off. She turned to Nancy and said, Nancy, fetch my orange pill bottle; I feel a twinge comin’ on.

Are you sure you need that? Nancy asked. You just had one a few hours ago.

Yes, Caldonia replied. I only take ’em when I need ’em.

Looking frustrated, Nancy dropped the dishes in the sink and turned toward the door to obey Caldonia’s request.

Miles jumped up from the table and said enthusiastically, Oh, let me do it.

He retrieved the bottle and rejoined the group at the table. Caldonia took out a pill from the bottle, put it in her mouth and finished it off with a drink of water from her glass.

I was just thinkin’, said Caldonia as she gingerly rubbed her leg. You’re on a college road trip, and you’ve driven this far; why don’t you just drive on over to N’awlins and visit my alma mater Dillard. It’s a fine school. Taught me everything I needed to know to be successful in life. I had a lot of good friends and a lot of good times there. I still keep up with some of them. That’s where I met my husband, God bless his soul. He was goin’ to Xavier, another school from down there. We met at a sorority dance sponsored by my Delta Sorors. After we graduated and got married, we moved here to Birmingham, where he got a job as a supervisor over at the steel mill, and I started teaching. But I still remember those college days.

She paused for a second to relive some of her college memories. Roland and Miles looked at each other as though they were sending secret messages to each other.

Yes, said Nancy as she took a break from her kitchen duties and listened in on the conversation. I’ve heard that they’re both good schools. You may as well, since you’re so close here, unless you think that ‘vehicle’ of yours won’t make it.

That ‘vehicle,’ as you call it, has served us well, said Roland laughing, and it’s gonna continue to serve us many more miles for the rest of the trip, thank you.

By the way, how much further are you and Miles planning on goin’, Nancy asked as she resumed with the kitchen chores.

Roland scratched his head and thought about it. Then he said assuredly, I’ll go as far as it takes to help Miles get into a good school.

That answer left him with a lot of playroom to travel. And the response he got from the group led him to believe that he had their tacit approval.

Amen, said Caldonia, in an exaggerated style typical of a Baptist preacher. Then everyone in the room, including Miles, joined in and repeated after her: Amen. Then they all broke out into a laugh.

After the laughter subsided, Caldonia talked once again about Alabama and its contributions to jazz.

Tomorrow you ought to take Miles down to the Hall of Fame, down there at the Carver Theatre, so that he can learn more about it, said Caldonia to Roland. From what he’s been tellin’ me, seems like you both would benefit from it.

Roland was a bit uneasy about staying in Birmingham long. Though he loved being with his wife and her aunt, he was afraid that Yusef might show up unexpectedly and ruin things. But one weakness of Yusef’s that Roland knew of was his hatred of driving long distances. Because of the distance between Atlanta and Birmingham, he was more willing to stay an extra day to explore what the theater had to offer.

After Roland and Miles had agreed to her suggestion, Caldonia ordered Nancy to bring her the phone.

I know a few charter members on the board. I’ll see if I can get you and Miles a private tour, and see if we can make arrangements for Miles to get a few jazz music lessons. Let me make a call.

After a few minutes of talking, she hung up the phone, and with a smile on her face, said, All done. In the morning, I’ll give you directions on how to get there. Once you’re there, just ask for ‘Newk.’ He’ll be expecting you.

For the rest of the night, Caldonia, Roland and Nancy talked about politics, the state of the nation and other topics that Miles considered boring. But he was looking forward to going to the Carver Theatre the next day with Roland. By this point in their journey, Miles was starting to feel that he belonged in the jazz world and was anxious to learn more about the early explorers in the field. Caldonia had whetted his appetite for what the theater had to offer.

During their evening conversation, Roland made several trips into the kitchen. Nancy thought he was getting a snack, knowing that since their odyssey began, he and Miles had probably been eating poorly. At least she knew that the food being served at the Moore household was wholesome and a good break in their dietary routine. Because of that, she did not question his kitchen visits.

After a long day, the four finally retired for the night. Roland and Miles knew that the next day they would be taking another venture along the route of the Chitlin’ Circuit. Both hoped it would be enjoyable, unlike the last few minutes of their trip back in time in Atlanta.

Nancy was the first to get up the next morning. To her surprise, she found the phone lying on the floor, disconnected from the wall. She thought it strange and wondered how it could have happened as she picked it up and reconnected it to the wall, still not realizing that someone was trying to prevent incoming calls. She allowed Roland and Miles to sleep late that morning. After they joined her and Caldonia for a late breakfast, Caldonia gave them directions to the Hall of Fame and handed them the house keys.

The traffic was light as the Jassmobile made its way down Fourth Avenue toward Birmingham’s Civil Rights District. After spotting the theater on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Seventeenth Street, Roland pulled the vehicle into a parking lot not far from the building. Though its marquee was empty, writing on the front of the building said, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame—Carver Performing Arts Theatre. Between the two parts of the inscription was a large column with the letters C-A-R-V-E-R vertically arranged on it.

Miles, who was carrying the case containing his horn, and Roland got out of the vehicle, crossed the street and entered the lobby of the theatre. Pictures, records and photos adorned the walls. Musical instruments, posters, drawings and more records were in large display cases highlighted by bright neon lights. Another display area in the lobby featured a full-size mannequin wearing a tuxedo and matching pants, along with a white shirt, bow tie, cummerbund and spats. The mannequin was holding a music baton as if conducting an orchestra. The display also featured a piano, table and chair, along with other musical instruments, including a trombone, saxophone and vibraphone. Featured in the background of the display was a large black-and-white photo of a 1930s-era jazz orchestra. A number of museum customers were also in the lobby admiring its contents.

While Miles started to look at some of the items in the lobby, Roland walked over to the sales ticket counter, where a woman was sitting behind a cash register. The counter was positioned in front of a small back room area.

We’re here to see a gentleman by the name of Newk, said Roland to the woman. She thanked him, excused herself, then disappeared into the back room. Almost immediately, an elderly gentleman wearing thick glasses, and dressed in a suit and tie appeared. He had a slight tremor in his head and hand.

I’m Newk, he said as he came forward. He first turned to Roland and said, You must be Caldonia’s niece’s husband, and then he turned to Miles and said, and you must be his nephew. Roland and Miles acknowledged him in return.

We’re glad that you were able to see us today, said Roland to the gentleman as they shook hands, which seemed to momentarily quiet the tremor in Newk’s hand. We’re only going to be in the area for a short time, and we wanted to see the museum. Caldonia recommended it. She also said that Miles might be able to participate in some of your jazz classes today.

Miles swung the horn case around so the gentleman could see it. Newk smiled, nodded his head and replied, Thanks for stopping by. We’re glad to tell you Alabama’s jazz story, and I’m sure we’ll be able to get your nephew into some of the classes today. As a matter of fact, one will be starting in a few minutes. Caldonia is one of our biggest patrons. Sorry to hear she’s homebound, but if it weren’t for that, I’m sure she’d be here with us right now.

Roland and Miles nodded their head in affirmation. As Newk started to stroll through the museum lobby, Roland and Miles followed him. He first spoke about the many missions of the museum, which were to foster, encourage and educate, and to cultivate a general appreciation of the medium of jazz music as a legitimate, original and distinctive art form indigenous to America; to preserve a continued and sustained program of illuminating the contribution of the State of Alabama through its citizens, environment, demographics and lore; and to perpetuate the heritage of jazz music. Then he gave them a quick tour of the attractions in the lobby. He also gave Roland a brochure that contained pictures of the exhibits in the museum, including a picture of the full-size mannequin. Next, Newk led them through the main entrance of the museum to the theater side where music classes