I wanted to write something here to acknowledge the passing of Floyd Standifer. There are a lot of us who consider the New Orleans Restaurant something of a second home. Floyd was among that group, and I thought somehow I could write something that might picture what Floyd meant to the rest of us. The more I pondered that, the more I was concerned that I didn't know Floyd well enough.

A web search yields literally hundreds of articles about Floyd. Most of the older articles relate Floyd's artistic accomplishments and his importance in Seattle jazz scene. The more current articles are eulogical in nature, about Floyd; about how he touched the lives of people - many of whom didn't know him well.

Floyd started here a couple of years before I did, but we'd both been playing weekly gigs here at the New Orleans since the late 1980's. He was Wednesday. I was Monday. Almost the entirety of our personal interaction was based on that.   On occasion Floyd would, while on his way to or from somewhere else, drop into the restaurant on a Monday. He'd sit at the end of the bar, sip a glass of wine, talk with the bartender and the waiters, and listen to our quintet. Mostly, he'd stay around for our first set. Once in a while he'd hang around a bit longer, but usually not. Always, though, he'd stop and say hi to the guys in the band. He always had a kind word, a compliment, a little chuckle ... something to share.

Before he left, he'd offer his hand with obvious warmth and appreciation. There was a level of mutual professional respect between Floyd and the guys in our band. I was proud of that and always felt a bit honored that the respect was mutual. Truly, what local jazz musician didn't respect Floyd? It was a no-brainer. He was an incredibly-accomplished musician. He was an icon. He was a legend. He was Floyd Standifer. He was also one of the most pleasant people you'd ever meet. Someone of his talent and celebrity need not have displayed the humility, the quick smile, the dignity ... to everyone. Everyone respected Floyd, but he had a lot of respect for others, also. That's who he was.

A friend told me "Floyd always shared himself with people, even though he was a pretty private person." Despite the seeming contradiction in that statement, it seems right to me. I have a few pretty vivid memories - all good ones - of Floyd, even though I didn't know him well. The underlying thread seems to be that in some small way, they all make me feel something good about myself. I suspect Floyd had that effect on a lot of people.

Maybe I knew Floyd better than I'd thought. Rest in peace, Floyd. We'll miss you around here

Dave Holo - The New Orleans Quintet