[Dixielandjazz] Ford's Vacation House in Water Mill

[Stephen G Barbone]

> Harry Callaghan <meetmrcallaghan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Although I lived the last 18 years of my life in New York on Long  
> Island
> (1958-1975) I was not familiar with the town that Steve made mention  
> of
> regarding the Ford gig, so I put the question to my friend "Crazy  
> Henry"
> Newberger.
>
> This was his response.
>
>
> Hello Harry!
>
>   Water Mill is just east of Southampton. As you pass Southampton,  
> you go
> about 2 miles and you have to make a sharp left on Sunrise Highway to
> continue towards East Hampton. That is Watermill. It has lovely  
> homes, a
> small retail area (on Sunrise Highway [which is really Rt. 27 out  
> there).
>
>    In the Water Mill public schools, if you misbehave, you have to  
> drink a
> domestic Chablis at lunch.
>
> Henry

Harry:

Water Mill is a "hamlet" within the boundaries of Southampton. Search  
Google Maps for:  Water Mill L.I. Then click Satillite at the top  
right of the map.

See Mill Pond ( a lake) just to the left of the town.

Zoom in on that house on the north edge (top) of the pond.

That was the house that Henry Ford II built. Back in 1960, there were  
fewer houses around it. <grin>

The SDRCS jazz Band was playing a gig from 9 to Midnight at a posh  
restaurant in Southampton called Herb McCarthy's at Bowder Square.  
About 11:30, a young man in a dark blue suit came in and asked us if  
we would play a party after we were done. Pay would be $100 a man  
which in those days was a good chunk of change. We were gigging at the  
restaurant for $20 a man. We said sure and at midnight we drove a  
couple of miles to Henry the deuce's home.

We didn't realize it was Henry Ford's place until we got there, when  
the gofer in the blue suit met us at the door. Beautiful Steinway  
concert grand in the large living room was perfectly tuned. Paintings  
by Klee, Pollack, Dufy on the walls etc. We played for 2 hours and  
chatted about Dixieland with Ford, and his wife about paintings, on  
the break.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband