Smart Phone. Dumb User.

Last week Wiff and I went to Birdland to see Bill Charlap. I would have added “the great…” before his name, but that seems a little overdone. I mean, yeah, he’s great, but do we need to keep saying “the great so and so” whenever we introduce someone great?

And what defines greatness these days? I don’t know how or whether greatness these days is different than any other days. And who defines it?

Anyway, Wiff and I were in Birdland watching the show [which, btw, was great], when I noticed the two children sitting at the table to our left. They were not watching the show. They were watching their phones. The entire time. I only know this, because their phones were as bright as the stage lights, despite illuminating something not half as interesting. [Or great.]

They also didn’t clap. I can forgive not clapping after a musician solos. Maybe they're not part of the jazz cognoscenti and don’t know that one applauds after each musician’s solo, despite the fact that the applause steps on the next musician’s solo. That’s okay.

What’s not okay is not applauding once.

When even come to the show?

They acted like they were in their own private dining hall just killing time while “the entertainment” played.

It got to be so annoying, that I did what any well-mannered jazz show audience member should do: I whipped out my phone so I could take a picture of them.