Mysteries and Mentors

I like to rewatch this documentary (full movie at Apple) from time to time to remind myself what a quiet, unassuming, humble dedication to one's craft should look like. Decades of refinement, without much hope for immediate rewards (whether fame or fortune).

Yes, some of you know Ricky Jay, but I venture to guess that most who hear that name have no idea who he is. You might recognize him from movies like Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights or his incomparable Magnolia. Or Christopher Nolan's The Prestige. Or I suspect still fewer of you might know him from David Mamet's Heist, a personal favorite with the recently departed Gene Hackman.

"Mysteries and mentors." And how! When I see the legendary Dai Vernon here and that glint in his eye, I can only think of my dear friend and mentor Jim Long. If you knew him well, you know those eyes and that look. How grateful to have a chance to sit at the feet of titans, ask questions, long for their approval... and one day get it.

I love learning about magicians, bizarre carnies, obscure standup comics, and quirky chefs who don't have their own television series and cookware brand deals. I have applied many of their life lessons to my own pursuits in the nonpublic and strange world of production music over the past 30 years. While I harbor no fantasies about there someday being a documentary about my life's work, I do see a few parallels with these unconventional career paths and the particular niche of the music business that has been my passion for decades. I wonder if you might recognize any parallels, or if there are other eccentric lives that similarly inspire you. Do tell?