We are a bit late catching up on the happy news, but congratulations to Bria Skonberg and her husband Matthew Papper on the arrival of their first son, Wiley, on October 15, 2020. Responding to fans on Facebook, Bria stated, “Yes. It’s my first time ... so I can say it’s the best it’s ever been! It’s an immense learning journey. I feel fortunate to have this time, despite having to stay at home, to just focus solely on that. Much like jazz, it requires a lot of improvising.”
Bria is one of the moving forces behind the New York Jazz Camp Virtual Weekend Workshop, which was scheduled for October 9-11, 2020. Asked if she was able to do the camp and all the sessions, she said, “Yes, I did. The virtual camp was Friday to Sunday, and on Thursday, Wiley was born. He came to the gig two-and-a-half weeks early. He showed up early, just like a pro. My due date was actually November 1. I had just packed the hospital bag.”
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A couple recent news stories and the revival of a classic movie brought back some personal, but ancient memories. The passing of bandleader Eliot Lawrence reminded me it was his band that provided dance music for my senior prom at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1948. Lawrence and Ray Anthony were considered the last survivors of the prominent big band leaders. Born in 1922, Anthony, who led a band for over 50 years, is also
