Jerry Wexler died

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/22595667/the_record_collector_jerry_wexler_dies_at_age_91">Jerry Wexler: The Man Who Invented Rhythm & Blues dies at age 91

You and Ahmet *done good*

Ahmet: Ray, I'm gonna tell you something and I don't want you to take it the wrong way.
Ray: Well, then give it to me right then.
Ahmet: I signed you because I sensed something special in you not because you sound like Nate Cole or Charles Brown.
Ray: But I thought you liked what I do.
Ahmet: Look we love the tenor of your voice, your vituosity, your energy...
Ray: But not my music.
Ahmet: Man, I didn't say that.
Ray: Look, Ahmet, this is what I do. I gotta make a living. This is what the people want. I don't know no other way.
Ahmet: Well we gotta help you find one. Look, let's try a little change of pace. Your familiar with stride piano?
Ray: You kidding me, man? The man I learned the piano from was a stride player.
Ahmet: Okay, I've got a song. It's called the Mess Around.
Ray: Mess around. Cute title. Who wrote it?
Ahmet: I did.
Ray: Oh. You wrote it. Well, sing it to me, man.
Ahmet: Sing it?
Ray: Yeah, it's not like I can read the lyrics.
Ahmet Ertegun: Alright. It's in the key of G.
Ray: Key of G. (Begins playing)
Ahmet: No. More like a Pete Johnson kind of thing.
Ray: Pete Johnson. (Begins playing again])
Ahmet: Yeah, yeah. That's good.
Ray: Oh, you like that? Okay, let's go.

in the late 90s at the Greek Theater in LA. Absolutely incredible. The man had a beautiful voice that just tore me to shreds on the more melancholy songs.

I'm jealous. I never got to see him live.

The people I went with were a tad embarrassed, but I couldn't help myself. I'm so glad I went to see him then. That concert, and seeing B.B. King at The Blue Note (nice, small venue) in NY are my two favorite performances ever. Well, I'll also throw in seeing Jose Carreras at his peak at a small concert in LA.

Rest in peace.