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Andy covers jazz events for Centerstage. Check out his picks here. Music first reached him in early childhood when he spent much time with a grandfatherly neighbor who happened to be a veteran of the Civil Air Patrol and a confident crooner and player of spoons, ukulele and electric organ. "The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot" by Nat King Cole was a popular favorite during their sessions together. Tunes by Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer were also in heavy rotation. Pierce and his senior mentor enjoyed Pepsi served in frosty "B.C." comic glasses and generous servings of peanut butter pie with ice cream during many set breaks. That's also where he learned that tuna, mayo and crackers make for a fine meal. Pierce would like to thank his life-long friend Jerry for liberating his housemate Eric's copy of The Quintet: Jazz at Massey Hall (1953) around 1990. Jerry was right: The CD was too cool for Eric and it set Pierce on the right musical path. He would also like to thank Karma Records, of Kokomo, Indiana, for putting an early Anthony Braxton CD in the bargain bin for $2.99 during the harsh winter of 1993. Interviewed in early 2008, Pierce said that he feels that we are fortunate maybe even spoiled to have so many musical choices in Chicago's comfortable and affordable venues. "I think we are living in a special time when we can hear the masters, the young lions and the beginners all play out and work toward new inspirations and directions," he said. "There's someone or some group worth going out to hear on any given night of the week. I've been reminded by my peers that scenes come and go and that this opportunity might be ethereal. That's why I encourage anyone who will listen to go out and hear jazz and creative music in the wide variety of venues it is hosted. Go! You don't have to stay all night but you can if you like it. "We have it better here than in any city on Earth," Pierce continued. "I'll bet that you find a sound and a place that lifts your spirit up in some way. I would be surprised if another year goes by and you are not excited by one or more Chicago musicians performing in a club, theater, park, studio, museum, concert hall, school, record store, radio station, church, gallery or some other special place. "I hear way too many people say 'Oh, I've always wanted to hear him or her play' or 'Oh, I've always wanted to go there,'" Pierce added. "The scene and the sounds are happening now and they are not waiting for you to get out and get there." | 