Vicki Abelson's Broadcast: The Road Taken

We only had David Bowie's Piano Man, Mike Garson, for 45 minutes, but boy did he make every second count. His stories, golden treasures, were matched by the mastery of his impromptu music. I first saw Mike play on the Diamond Dogs Tour, where Bowie soared above the audience in a cherry picker to sing Space Oddity. Here, 47 years later, Mike told the tales of that tour (and Ziggy Stardust) with Mick Ronson, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, Carlos Alomar, and bookended the show with an original Bowie Variation of said song––stunningly beautiful, soulful, and emotional. I’m still a bit teary. From backing Mel Torme, Gregory Hines, and hundreds of singers in the Catskills starting at 14, studying with Herbie Hancock and Stan Getz amongst other jazz icons, to an 8-week gig with David Bowie that endured through 40 years, 150,000 hours of playing has sure paid off. Mike’s classical training to the fore, he treated us to a few improvised gems weaved betwixt sensational stories––how he started, got the gig, played