ABSTRACT
The interview with Michel Petrucciani by the author is a good example of a snatched conversation before a concert which, when he went back to it after his death as the source for a radio obituary, turns out to have been more packed with insight than he thought. Either as a BBC presenter or Times journalist, there's no more opportunity than a hasty chat backstage to collect essential background for a broadcast or a review. Petrucciani succeeded in becoming one of the world's top jazz pianists against seemingly impossible odds. He suffered from the rare bone disease osteogenis imperfecta, which left him with a diminutive stature, brittle bones and a whole string of constant minor ailments. It was soon apparent that he was a more than usually gifted musician, and it was the experience of first hearing Duke Ellington on record that prompted Michel to begin to play jazz seriously himself.
