My music columns are always about one musician or a Key West music venue. A few weeks ago, I was at Viv’s Wine Bistro listening to Larry Baeder and Terri White. While they took a break, I walked down to Andy’s Cabana to listened to Sam Carlson. Sam asked who was at Viv’s and when I told him it was Terri and Larry, he asked, “How long have they been together?” He gave me the idea to write this column about this amazing duo.
Terri White was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. She grew up in a family of musicians and vocalists and has been performing since she was 8 years old. She started out as a tap dancer, aka “hoofer.” She moved east to New York and sang in theater, plays and soon Broadway musicals for most of her career.
Larry Baeder was born in Philadelphia and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. Many of the older jazz greats from Kansas City (Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Lester Young) were still alive while Larry was growing up and played a significant influence.
As a teenager, Larry played a classical violin. At 15, he could not even get a date. Larry learned to play the guitar and two years later, he was playing regular guitar gigs and had a girlfriend who drove a Corvette. He studied and graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1979.
From Larry’s perspective, “You can’t play American music without feeling you’re a link in the chain.”
A musician needs the understanding of musical history, not just who played what or when but an understanding of the subtle and not so subtle intricacies, and sometimes slight differences, that separates musicians from one another.
In the late 80s, when Larry wasn’t on the road, he had a steady gig at Arthur’s, located on Grove Street in New York’s Greenwich Village. Next door was a piano bar called Rose’s Turn where Terri performed during Broadway’s off-season. Music began at midnight at Rose’s and both venues were open to 4 a.m.
Arthur’s allowed smoking but the piano bar was a non-smoking area. When on a break, Terri would go next door for a smoke and invariably, Larry would invite her to sit in for a song or two. Over many years, they became very good friends and would hang out after work. Sometimes, it became a marathon of fun that would last to the next afternoon. During their time in the Village, they never gigged together.
After the election of Rudy Giuliani in 1994, various enforcement actions were taken, including the resurrection of a 1926 Cabaret law. Combined with the impact of the 9/11 attacks, many of the piano bars, that were once off-season employment for Broadway actors, were closed.
The piano bars that stayed open seemed to want younger talent. Terri White could no longer make a living singing in Greenwich Village. Rose’s Turn closed its doors in 2007 and Terri found herself without many opportunities and income. She was evicted from her apartment of 14 years, became homeless in the summer of 2008 and living in Washington Park. David Taylor, a police officer and long-time fan of Terri’s, found her a place to live. Through the help of her many other friends, Terri landed in Key West. She helped open the Keys Piano Bar on Duval Street. It reminded her of being in the Village again. Terri began singing her heart out once again and finding new love.
She recovered quickly, and was cast in “Finnian’s Rainbow,” returning to Broadway in 2009 and a number of other plays soon followed. She married Donna Barnett in 2011. Her career was skyrocketing again. She performed all over the country. Unfortunately, six years later in October 2015, after performing a cabaret act at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Terri announced that she was retiring from live performing because of a chronic eye illness which resulted in blindness.
Shortly after Terri retired, she returned to Key West and began singing at the Little Room Jazz Club and other venues. She reconnected with her old friend, Larry Baeder, from the Village. He was now a full-time Key West jazz and blues music star. They began performing an amazing jazz duet which has continued for the past ten years. Larry also played a duet with Bill Blue around the same time. He loved his two great duets.
Larry is humbled and honored to perform with Terri. They complement and feed off of each’s musical prowess during their duets. They have been together so long and have studied each’s musical talent, correcting and improving constantly. They truly dot their i’s and cross their t’s.
Both musicians have a special regard for their audience. To them, it’s all about “who hears the song.”
They are two old-school entertainers, taking on new tempos, with always new very interesting dynamics of Larry’s accompaniment. Their “happiness factor” relaxes the audience with their extremely well bonded entertainment. They are two true musicians that enjoy their friendship immensely. They are best friends, a very cool duo, and the audience really “gets it.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.keysnews.com ’
