My Dad’s Favorite: Ted Heath

The Ted Heath Orchestra.

The Ted Heath Orchestra.

Strange, you know. He saw all the big bands in college. At Cornell, he danced to Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. Played them all his life.

But when he had a wife and kids, he had business trips to Europe and he saw the final gasp of the big bands. Here’s a song he couldn’t stop playing (I’m not sure it’s the right cut because what I remember had more piano…)

I think it was the song itself, the desire to be closer to my mother while he was overseas. The Nearness of You.

Searched for it a long time since my parents died. This doesn’t mean I’ve found it. The version I remember had a Chopin captivating quality to it. This one doesn’t. We still need the piano.

And, yeah, their wedding anniversary would be on the 20th. 1946 to 2015 is a hell of a jump. But they died before they could make it..

Happy Anniversary, mother and dad.

I keep remembering our time here.