Tony Bennett and the Moon

Something rather amazing happened a few weeks ago at the Monterey Jazz Festival. On Saturday, September 22, 2012, to be exact.

Mr. Bennett was due to start singing at 10:50 that night. We got to our seats for the 8:00 performance and stayed until it was all over.  We couldn’t help but notice that it was very cloudy in Monterey that evening … no stars.  No moon.

About 10:20 or so, as we were waiting for the concert to begin, the clouds parted and out came the moon, as clear as can be. And to help seal that deal, Mr. Bennett sang a lovely Fly Me To The Moon for us all at the end of the concert.

Of course, Tony Bennett famously sang Lost in the Stars at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966;  as he was singing, a shooting star appeared, to the amazement of the audience.

Just a few days before our trip, my co-blogger Lesley was at the grocery store, recycling bottles. An older man, likely homeless, greeted her warmly and asked how she was doing. She replied that she was leaving for the Monterey Jazz Festival in a few days and was going to see Tony Bennett.

“Tony Bennett,” he said. “That man has seen God.”

I think he was right.