When we posted Golden City a few toll booths back, I wrote :
An early recording also includes a strange and wonderful duet; if we can find a good edit we’ll post it here.
In honor of Sayan Becker’s recent birthday — a special day for Walter’s pride and joy, whom he adored “to the next galaxy” — here’s a snippet of that duet performed many many years ago (completely uncorrected for the harsh sound levels).
Sa could often be found on dad’s lap as he fiddled with his little midi set-up. She was a really musical tyke — still is; musical that his, no longer a tyke but now an amazing young woman — and in this brief excerpt you may be able to hear a few early indicators of that talent.
(Skip my observations please if you simply want to enjoy the sweetness, unadulterated).
First, young as she was — oh gosh, she must have been no older than 3 or so — she had the good instinct to blow over the segments when her dad wasn’t singing. In other words, she took solos … and knew where the blowing should go.
The full duet also evinces a narrator’s soul; she told stories about her life, her family, the fun to be had…and issued invites to her listeners to come along for the ride (or for the cookies). I’ve not posted a longer segment because some of you may be coping with diabetes, and I doubt your pancreas could handle such a dumptruckload of sweet.
But one of the first things that struck me when I heard her duets was that she had a natural way with syncopation. You guys can hear that, right? Indeed, throughout this full track, she actually approaches rapping at times. Was that from listening to her similarly rhythmic dad…? Or was it already in her genes? Probably the latter; she also became a very talented dancer while still quite young, and damn sure she didn’t get that from observing Daddy Longlegs B.
Her intervals are pretty interesting, too. While I don’t know many itty-bitties, I’m quite sure I’ve never heard any tiny humanoid jump and scat like Sa does here, and elsewhere in her early recorded oeuvre.
So please to enjoy just a little bit of Sayan Becker and her dad making some sweet music together, as they always did...and still do…and always will.
Happy birthday, SaGirl
Auntie D
A delightful, beautiful and precious personal moment, showing a gifted child and a Dad happy to share his passion for music making. Thanks for sharing. Walter may have crossed the rainbow bridge, but he will live on for many generations yet, with the legacy of music, words, photographs and memories he leaves. As a family friend wrote on the occasion of my father's passing: No man is truly dead until the last time his name is uttered, his words (and music) re-read (and listened to), his photograph viewed, his conversations (and concerts) recalled. In this way, Walter will live on for a very long time yet.
This is beyond beautiful.
Sending love.
Boy, you can just see how much they loved each other in the pictures from the clip. I'm glad for Walter that he got that in his life and for Sayan as well and I'm so sorry that she had it taken away far too soon.
Lyrics
does she really start by checking with the musical director:
my twrun?
.
.
.
....you like to be
d'ya like to be
hello to me
and to me
and my daddy and kawai and
mommay!!
then I almost imagine I hear her say
cut
(it was at the final fade...)
A bit fuller picture of the big man... It is so easy to pigeonhole Walter as the leaning silhouetted figure in that famous photo...that unseen presence behind the board, making the music, and acerbically offering non-answers to erstwhile reporters en masse. But then you remember that his life was fuller than what he showed or we saw. Its why it shouldn't have been incongruous for me to find him so warm and friendly when I met him and after, despite a prickly public persona. I found myself wondering later if the hard outer shell, the seeming indifference and diffidence, only existed to keep that warm kind person from getting hurt. We all do that, to a greater or lesser extent. Ben Folds called it "The Best Imitation of Myself." We present a version to protect what is real. It isn't a false version, at least not necessarily, its just an incomplete one.
But I feel like the warmth was always there to see. "I wear my heart out on my sleeve / a sight you surely must have spied by now." He often told sad stories about sad people, but he told them with warmth. Whenever one of these little warm moments is shared, I don't regret that the curtain is being drawn back a little...I just find myself glad to know he found some measure of love and warmth and happiness in his life. God knows he deserved it.
Oh my goodness... This is too sweet! A beautiful moment for sure. D, I skipped your observations for my first listen as instructed and whaddya know, I was thinking the same thing: little 3ish year old Sayan already had better rhythm than the vast majority of people I know!
Happy birthday Sayan!
Thank you.. As much as this makes my heart ache, it also brings me Everlasting Joy.. These moments are precious... Lary
Thanks for sharing this personal moment.