REFLECTIONS ON MORTALITY

November 2nd, 2026 The Day of the Dead

Dear Friends,

   This past week, the Rochester community suffered a tremendous loss in the death of our friend Jed Curran. He was a steadfast musician in town who always included everyone in the work that he did. He led the jam at the Flipside Bar and Lounge for many years. I met him around 20 years ago when I opened the store. He bought a used guitar from us….a beautiful Santa Cruz, which was his main instrument. There have been many tributes online to Jed so I will not expand on this, but he was an important figure in the Rochester music scene and and emptiness is felt in the entire community. In the same week, our good friend, Scott Regan, longtime host of "Open Tunings" on Public Radio has retired. His morning show always featured local performers and he did more to promote local music than anyone around. He will be missed…. but it’s time to rest, reset and time to move on.

      Perhaps it is our demographic, but it seems that as each week goes by there is someone else who is crossed over to the next world. It is painful, to say the least, but we are all eventually headed there. Maybe I’ve been dwelling on this a little bit too much since I turned 79. I know my years are certainly numbered. As I said before, males in my family, seldom live to be over 80. So far, I’m blessed with good health and I plan on keeping going and doing things as long as I can, but I can feel my body slowing down and I can feel my parts start to ache. Currently, I’m dealing with an infection in my index finger, which has made it hard to do simple tasks….open a door, tie my shoes or pick my nose. I have been very dependent on Julie for help and she has been gracious and accommodating. She will not pick my nose though.

    On Friday night, Julie came home from work in time to take me to Naples, New York. It is a beautiful community at the end of Canandaigua Lake west of Penn Yan by about 20 miles. There was a party at the Naples Hotel put on by the infamous Henrie family…. musicians extraordinaire, from the nearby town of Middlesex. I’ve known the Henrie family for over 50 years since the days when they played at the old Sweet Basil Café on route 332. Forty years ago they played for our wedding. Recently, brother Bobby Henrie has been facing some serious health concerns. The family came in from all over the country… well all over the world….one sister even came in from Australia. They were all there to be with Bobby to celebrate his music and give him support and love. It was an All-Star cast with musicians from across the Finger Lakes playing "old-time" music in the first set. Then, his brothers in music, Brian Williams and Harry and Eric Aceto joined him in a gypsy jazz set. It was perhaps one of the most magical musical evening I have spent in many, many years. The music and the camaraderie were enough to bring one to tears. I love these people with all my soul. Music sustains life…. In fact Music is life. Support live music in anyway and any time you can. Amen.

    Tomorrow is election day. In past elections in the United States the people who decide the winner are those who don’t vote. In the last presidential election more people did not vote than either of the voters for the two major candidates. IF YOU DON’T VOTE, YOU DON’T PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY…. and you’ll have nothing to complain about because it will be your fault….if you are registered please vote. Can I get another AMEN?

With peace,

John Bernunzio.