I was in town for the Washington University Ragtime Festival. This shot and David Roberts #1 were on my first roll of b&w film in my new Canon AE-1. I had been studying up for this. It was daylight outside, I loaded with 400 and turned on every light in the room and shot in available light. The light was right. Over the years, I have several really good photographs of Trebor but like this one best. Trebor Tichenor's role in both Ragtime, especially Folk Ragtime, and Traditional Jazz is pivotal. A whole timeline of music would not exist without him.

I had first shown up in St. Louis five months earlier for the Traditional Jazz Festival. I had planned to get a motel room, and clean up first but saw the Goldenrod Showboat at berth as I crossed the Mississippi so thought I'd drive by. Heard some sounds, and didn't see any harm in stopping for just a little while. Was still there at 4 a.m., scroungy and wound tight. Ed Sprankle introduced us but Trebor didn't have much use for me. Fortunately, his player piano was on the fritz and Ed told him I was a repairman. So I was invited to take a look at it, showed up clean, and fixed the player. (I had brought my tools.) After that, we were friends. Trebor is great people. You'll hear no bad about him and neither will I.