Imagine having the opportunity to meet one of your favorite performers. You go to sit next to him, but then you stumble and nearly fall off his piano bench.

That's what happened to me Friday night when I met the legendary pianist and composer Joe Sample.

Sample, one of founding member of the 1970s group "The Crusaders," was brought to the Qcity to perform by Tammy Greene, Jazz Diva. She's a local promoter who focuses on bringing well-known jazz acts to Charlotte.

As I sat in the near-capacity audience at CPCC's Pease auditorium listening to Sample, it was like listening to an old school uncle give a history lesson.

The 71 year old chatted with the audience about random influences on his life, like the nuns who disciplined him during his childhood, working with artists, such as George Benson, and what inspired some of his songs.

Did you know Sample wrote the song "In My Wildest Dreams," which Tupac Shakur later sampled for his hit "Dear Mama?” He joked that Tupac got paid millions, but he didn't.

The spirited performer and his two-piece band (bassist Reggie Sullivan is from Columbia, S.C.) performed many of his well-known songs, like "Street Life," "Chain Reaction" and one of my favorites "A Long Way Home."

If you enjoy live jazz, then you missed a treat. Kudos to Greene for keeping Jazz alive in the Qcity.
 

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