Guss-proof

["Bob Laughlin" <rlaughlin@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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I recently had the pleasure of meeting and attending several =
performances at various venues of a local pianist here in Orange County, =
California, name of Vern Pat Nelson. He plays, entirely from memory (as =
most professional classical pianists do,,) , various jazz and classical =
pieces, and teaches a number of young up-and-coming pianists in the =
area. He gives concerts at local theatres, and plays at a local dinner =
joint on their resident grand piano on the weekends. This guy is =
amazing, in his ability to just pick things out of the air, though I =
would not necessarily call him "world-class". His ability seems to be a =
gift, similar to David Helfgott, the Australian eccentric. His memory is =
astounding, though the execution is not flawless. The intensity is =
there, and the technical side, but maybe the emotional is limited in =
range.

He also has his own jazz group, and I've sat in with him on harp a =
couple of times at the dinner club,,by invitation.

I've noticed that he has the ability to converse with people freely =
while playing the most complex of pieces,,a gift I find quite amazing. =
As he's talking with admirers, or engaging in banter with the audience, =
he never misses a beat, playing things most pianists couldn't dream of =
attempting to play. To him,,the concept of "gussing", I would suppose, =
is non-existent, primarily because of his ability to focus. Audience =
interaction is seemingly incorporated into the very idea of his =
performance. He seemingly has no difficulty with this, and even enjoys =
it.

I think, to some, "gussing" is more of a threat or an interruption, =
perhaps because some have more difficulty focusing than others. Some =
feel more threatened, or interrupted, by "gussers" than others, I would =
imagine. Those who feel threatened, or otherwise displaced by the =
appearance of "gussers" should probably have an arrangement with the =
club that if any such ne'er-do-wells approach the throne, the =
establishment would be forewarned to deal with the offender, rather than =
attention be taken away from the quality of performance in order to =
accomplish this task.

Courtesy, however, dictates that "gussing", as it is most often =
understood, be personally disallowed, with the exception of clearly =
agreed upon allowances amongst friends.