From a letter of Joyce Johnson to Jack Kerouac, April 14, 1957
“I went to hear Miles Davis, who is playing at the Cafe Bohemia in the Village. He’s really fine — beautiful crazy lines floating on top of each other. He stood up very straight and looked stern. The place was packed, but silent as a cathedral — everybody at the bar looked sad and a little apprehensive and there was a weeping girl with a cat’s face wandering back and forth looking for jazz musicians. Then — all of a sudden, a car smacked up across the street between a house and a lamppost. The people in the front seat were trapped but giggling. A man at the bar cried, “Crazy!”, threw up his arms and ran out into the street, followed by everybody except Miles Davis who kept playing. He finished and said quietly, “Thank you for the applause,” and walked off. It was like a dream.”
