While on my first trip to Rio de Janeiro a tour magazine listing led me to a nearly empty club just off Avenida Atlantico near Copacabana Beach, where only Portuguese was spoken. Nothing new there, I thought, as I was ensconced on a red velvet bench along a side wall of the second floor space. I ordered a drink and watched as a parade of patrons began to populate the place.

Then a Brazilian gentleman stepped into the room. His spare frame all in white, his grey hair pulled into a braid, he took a seat on the bench next to mine. Somehow he reminded me of Artie Shaw -- for those not old enough to remember, Shaw was a superb clarinetist and a man of commanding presence who once married Ava Gardner.

Many musicians were now arriving, and one by one they stopped in front of the old man, bowed low and kissed the ornate ring he wore on his right index finger. And you know to this day I wonder if this was a ritual back to Roman times or if I may have been witness to homage being paid to Rio’s music Godfather.

Positively, Carolan