1970; I was working at National Recording in New York. National was in the building torn down to make room for Trump Towers. One day Duke Ellington and his brother Mercer came into the studio to record a few compositions with a new sax player. Johnny Hodges had just died and the poor guy was up against a legend.

The session should have been handled by Frank Kulaga but he was sick that day and I was free. The session went very well and at the end a man approached me and introduced himself as a friend of Wally Heider. He asked if it would be okay to tell Wally about me and the session. Two weeks later Wally enters National, introduced himself to the office staff and asked to speak with me. I was busy recording some tracks with another Jazz great; Chico Hamilton.

My wife Cag was working in the office and quickly pulled Wally into the hall fearing for my potential unemployment. We met at a local restaurant for lunch and after 15 minutes he offered me a job in Los Angeles as a staff engineer working in his newest Studio 4. He said it would be finished in about four months. I agreed to move and thought 4 months was enough time to tie up loose ends and move on. Two weeks later he called a told me he wanted me to report to The Johnny Cash Show in Nashville in two weeks. I reminded him of the 4 month time frame. I asked him to give me some time to think it over. He agreed and called me the following afternoon for my answer. Obviously I agreed. I’ll tell you more in a few days.

All my best to everyone who shared that magical time with that one in a million Wally,

Peter Granet tonmeister2005-AT-netzero-DOT-com