Cary Gries

I was sitting in my first class painting period with John Mandel, my mentor/instructor, and David Salle, TA when someone runs through the door to say there’s a big surprise in the Main Gallery at noon. We go and Benny Goodman is playing very alternative jazz pieces with Mel Powell on piano with Leonid Hambro jumping in rotating with Mel every now and then. It was my favorite memory because Benny and my grandfather, Muggsy Spanier, were friends and when I spoke to Benny and reminded him who I was, his face lit up.