Sometimes, you never know, when and where you will meet someone.
Here is a person that changed my musical landscape forever.
In 1992, a rep from MCA, who I knew from "the industry", gave me a video cassette and a promotional CD of a brand new artist. This artist was soon to be launched by Impact Records and I was being asked what I thought of her talent. We popped that brand new video into the VCR and it was only an intro and a verse before I was “all in” on this artist. I had heard female vocalists before, but this one, became my immediate favorite. Still to this day, I would put her talents up against anyone. How impressed was I? I still have the video cassette, promotional CD, and some other really hard to find product for that time. After all, she was from Canada.
It wasn’t long after that "artist review", Sass Jordan literally came walking into my life. I was working when I saw her and she needed some help. We talked, chatted, and before we knew it, she had to be back on her way. In only a few hours, she was going to be opening for Joe Cocker. As we said our goodbyes, she took my name and said that tickets would be waiting for me at the door. Back in the day, this didn’t happen too often (at least to me) and I was more than excited about it all. Her show? It was amazing. One of the few times, I can honestly say, that an artist’s performance was better than the recorded album.
She had come back to Vegas in support of another tour. This time though, I had gotten tickets the old fashioned way. I bought them. There I was, up front, at the stage, ready to enjoy another performance of hers. Back in the car, was the video cassette and promotional CD from my first introduction to Sass. I was hoping to get them autographed after the concert (look again, you will see them signed). The show was again flawless. And for a brief moment, I could have sworn that she looked at me and recognized me. I let that thought go, because really? She would remember me? After the show, I scoped out the area and figured out where she would have to leave the venue and get to her tour bus. Not too stalkerish, eh? She did come out and I was surprised that there weren’t too many fans around. She saw that I had brought some things and I asked her if she wouldn’t mind signing them. As she did that, I brought up our first encounter and thanked her again for “hooking me up” with tickets. She looked at me, with a bit of what I thought/hoping was remembrance, smiled, and said, “You’re very welcome. It was my pleasure.” “Hope you enjoyed the shows.”
Let’s fast forward through 25 years.
I can't even begin to say how many times I have played three of my favorite songs of hers: "Make You a Believer", "High Road Easy", and "Pissing Down". But I can say, I have never tired of those songs and only hope to meet up with someone who can sing the crap out of those tunes and play them again live.
Thank you Sass Jordan for what you do. Thank you for being so kind to someone you didn’t even know. And most of all, I hope to see you again in Las Vegas for the 25th Anniversary tour of “Racine”. Maybe you can finish signing the last of my stuff.
P.S.-if you ever need a bass player...
