For Ruaraidh

We were watching a documentary tonight about Sonny Rollins, one of the finest jazz saxophone players, based on his eightieth birthday concert in New York in 2011. I'd noticed it was directed by Dick Fontaine, a renowned British film-maker, who I met a couple of times through friends who regularly worked with him.

Many years ago, I helped to organise a multi-camera film crew for him to record a jazz concert in London, so I guessed it would be interesting. After the documentary, BBC4 then showed an archive recording of Sonny Rollins at Ronnie Scott's club in 1974, which had been feared lost, and was now found and restored.

What grabbed my attention was when Sonny introduced his band's soprano saxophone player, dressed in a yellow and brown kilt, with suitable stockings, to play the highland pipes. He was even given a solo, after which I grabbed my camera and snapped this picture of them, just before the tune finished, after which he returned to his soprano sax.

I was so amused that I thought Helena's brother Ruaraidh, who now lives with his wife and three kids in Botswana, should see this. He is the third generation of highland pipe players on their mother's side of the family, from the Macintyre clan in Argyll. I am sure he plays in Africa, so if he does get to see this I hope he too will be amused.