The 17th edition of The Community Music Hangout met on Sunday June 11th at the West Piano i.e. Carly. The conditions were mostly overcast, with a few glorious blasts of sunshine. It was breezy but decent. I can confidently say that #17 was the best hangout yet! Wow, we had quite a crew of familiar faces as well as a whole slew of new friends! It feels as though the Hangout is starting to gather some momentum and that’s a great feeling. Rikki was back this week! And Sage and wordsmith Brett! Brian biked up too! We met Gianni and he played his first blues! Youngsters Ralph and Sam blew us all away with some super technical and impressive playing. Keep it up, kids! Nick saw our posts online and showed up with his guitar. Great job, Nick! We met John and Rebekah from Grass Valley who kept trying to leave for 5 songs in a row. But the pull of the Hangout #17 was too strong! I love that energy. And then Kyle on the double bass made an unforgettable entrance! You might not think this is possible, but this guy snuck up on me with his double bass. We were in the middle of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra, we had two guitars and a handful of singers and Kyle ran up from behind just in time to make a bow entrance on the climax of the song! I was very surprised. Another memorable moment came during our rendition of “In My Life” by the Beatles. A family on a 3-person bike stopped in front of us and the Dad sang to mom and daughter “there is no one who compares with you”. Adorable scenes! We also saw Camden and Leigh, and Trevor stopped by for a number. We also managed to intercept Kat and Steven as he was on his walk back from playing a set at the beer garden just up the way. They were very good sports to stop by and join in the fun for a bit. Last but certainly not least, Alexis suggested that we try to play Ben E. Kings “Stand By Me”. We did, and I found it to be an immediate add to the songbook! The vibes in CMH #17 were absolutely top notch! We didn’t wind down until nearly 4pm. It was a fabulous time and I can’t wait to see you all again for CMH #18 next SUNDAY June 18th from 11 until at least 2 at the west piano!