Sometimes the real power isn’t the person you’d expect. Although royalty always wears a fur coat. In this case, the ruling genius of Smalls (that wonderful jazz oasis on West Tenth Street in New York City) is Minnow, the resident Maine Coon cat — who surveys everything with a mixture of reserve and disdain.
I’m told that Minnow — after hours — has a Cecil Taylor conception at the piano — but I’ve yet to video one of her sessions. She did make a cameo appearance with supporting players Ehud Asherie and Jon-Erik Kellso in this 2011 performance:
On September 10, 2013, I went to Smalls to hear and record three eminent humans — saxophonist Michael Hashim, pianist Spike Wilner, and string bassist Murray Wall. But before the “jazz musicians” took the stage, Minnow decided to let everyone know — silently but powerfully — whose club, whose stage, whose gig it really is. Local 802, take note. The paparazzi certainly did:
All the cat joins in, or something like that.
May your happiness increase!
