A memoir of life in post-WWII New York, of the West Coast music scene during the heyday of pop recording sessions, of law practice in "small town" Los Angeles, and the denizens of these worlds. The author is a musician and attorney who has studied with Leonard Rose and Pierre Monteux, performed with Pierre Boulez, recorded with Frank Sinatra and toured with Frank Zappa. He provides an up-close view of such diverse subjects as life in the recording studios and concert halls, an attorney's daily dealings with clients and courts, and a blow-by-blow description of the pitfalls and pratfalls of adult dating at the beginning of the 21st Century. By turns nostalgic, uplifting and amusing, the author tells his story, and the stories of those whose paths have crossed his, with a clear eye and an engaging, often tongue-in-cheek style.
About the Author: Jerome Kessler was born in Ithaca, NY, because he wanted to be near his parents, music educators there. His aunt took one look at her new baby nephew and burst into tears, because he was so ugly. When he was a week old, his godfather almost dropped him on his head. Things got better after that. A child of the 1940's and '50's, he grew up in Yonkers, NY. He started playing the cello when he was seven, an action that he can blame on no one but himself. After a conventional education, armed with AB and JD degrees, enthusiasm and a dirty mind, he commenced an unconventional professional life in Los Angeles: By day, as a practicing attorney, he helped thousands of clients survive each other in a chaotic world. By night, after stepping into a phone booth, doffing his three-piece law suit, donning a union suit and uttering "Shazam" (or, more likely, "Shostakovich") he emerged as a musician, performing in symphonic and chamber ensembles and in the orchestras of the record, motion picture and television industry. A cellist, conductor and composer, he has appeared in all four corners of the US, and in between. He played with Pierre Boulez and Frank Zappa and recorded with John Denver, Neil Diamond and Richard Harris, to drop but a few of many illustrious names. His music has been enjoyed by millions. (All right, hundreds of thousands, but millions sounds better.) Father of two, former boyfriend of many, husband, brother and friend, he has known the joys and perplexities of parenthood and married life, the angst of single life, and the realization that he may never play professional big-league baseball. He has had many near-life experiences. He plays golf (good swing, high score), chamber music and the ponies. He favors antiques, old cars, old cellos and older women. Kessler believes that any child, by virtue of basic intelligence, hard work and careful planning, can avoid ever becoming President of the United States. He has been named Man of the Year by the Topanga Chamber of Commerce, but only once. He lives in suburban Los Angeles with his wife, the neighbors' cats and 3.5 cellos. He recycles, returns the neighbor kids' balls, and comes promptly when his wife calls him to dinner. In return, his house doesn't get TP'd and he does get fed. He is an avid traveler, a prolific photographer, an educator, a writer and a raconteur. He may grow old before he grows up.