Second in a series.
Re: “Finding Herb Alpert’s Man, and All That Jazz”
Shortly after One of Us, accompanied by the Other of Us, apprehensively ascended the stairs to the balcony last Saturday evening at the Vibrato Grill and Jazz club, we were reminded of an overarching show business axiom:
Not all of the valued entertainment talent at a club is confined to the stage.
Escorted to our balcony seats, passport- distance from the stage where the Pat Senator Trio was performing, we were near enough to heaven that an undertone sounded suspiciously like God. Our chairs adjoined the seat of the typically invisible sound engineer.
We later came to learn our talented neighbor wore many hats. Lucky for us, we were ringside to shortly learn about many of their fittings.
On this evening, She Who Must Vote, by dint of her infectious, charmingly persistent personality, came upon an authentic star.
Hussain Jiffry, an exceedingly gifted star accepted our invitation to chat.
An irresistibly bursting 52-year-old native of exotic Sri Lanka, Mr. Jiffry glitters in the manner of precious diamonds.
It matters not whether the subject is:
His infections brilliance is witnessed by his enthusiasm for life. With a smile that never leaves his face, it’s hard to resist that genuine initiation to stay, sit, talk about his world.
Mr. Jiffry humbly submits an impressively accomplished worldwide musical career. He speaks fondly of his time in Japan and especially in Montreaux, Switzerland. His musical talent includes recording, production, talent scouting and admiration for his wife, Marita. “She is the talented one in the family.” he beams. “She sings with perfect pitch.”
Offering a Break
His infectious grin widens when he mentions his two wonderful children. This month he is hosting the Australian singer Cathy Menezes, coming to Mr. Jiffry’s Valley home to record her second album. Thanks to his handy cell phone, we listened to clips from her debut album.
The most memorable takeaway from an excursion down the flower-strewn path of his nimble mind is his unrestrained, untamed enthusiasm for life.
We nearly fell off our seats when he announced he is 52 years young. This guy easily could get carded. He must be living well. Again, he agrees. “I am living my dream,” he says, “to come play music in America.”
Mr. Jiffry, who left Sri Lanka for the States in 1988, could have been on stage this night, on the business end of a spotlight on the polished stage, one floor down. But, there he was intimately hanging out with us, while taking great care to monitor the show below.
Mainly a bassist, the modest Mr. Jiffry more than dabbles with drums and piano.
Oh, yes, and he sings, too. He is in production with his first solo album.
The dominant, eye-catching dimension of Mr. Jiffry’s renewable energy personality is his nonpareil gusto for life, his life, in its purest form.
“I am so blessed,” Mr. Jiffry said.
Hussain Jiffry may be “living the American dream to play music,” but it is neck and neck who felt more blessed that evening of a dream to find a gem in the madhouse of Hollywood, superstars and such.
We truly felt unchanged by the evening which rightfully revealed itself another little slice of treasure hidden in our own corner of the undulating hills of Bel Air.
A youthful Little Richard lookalike, Mr. Jiffry is a globe-traveling, accomplished and versatile musician who performed for 18 years with Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66.
Not to mention his performing work these days with a traveling troupe organized by 80-year-old Herb Alpert, who happens to own the smart Vibrato club.
In a separate universe where everyone jealously guards his hard-won modest plot of entertainment ground, Mr. Juffry again distinguishes himself from the crowd.
“I am so blessed,” Mr. Jiffry said, convincingly. “There are thousands of talented musicians (languishing offstage) who deserve the breaks that I have gotten.”
