Note to Karen Mantler on her mother Carla Bley's fan letter from Barack Obama

Something i wrote a few years ago... for Carla on her Heavenly Birthday/Mother's Day

yeah, i was over at barry's house the other day and he was trying to come off all hip showin' me his record collection when he asks me what my favorite tune on elevator on capitol hill was and i said you mean escalator over the hill dude and he said man what are you talkin' about? and i bet him twenty bucks right then and there cause he didn't know carla from carly

and of course when i asked him to name some of ms bley's illustrious sidemen on the album he stuttered and said somethin' about all the terrible stuff goin on in indiana and yemen - then he reached in his pocket and said - oh, hey i'm the president of the united states, i don't carry any money on me so i stormed down the hall to biden's office and when i kicked open the door he was standin there in his boxer shorts and flip flops shooting pool, smokin a big stogie - he came right over and gave me that big grin and shook my hand, handed me a cue and said you got stripes buddy - i'll take solids - and i said look biden, barry owes me 20 bucks but i don't ever touch a jackson bill cause he was an indian killer and some of my best friends are ojibway - i told him he could pay off his boss's mark in fives as lincoln was cooler than most of those creeps on the money - so he scuffs over to this big oak desk and yanks open the top drawer where he's got a pile of money and pays barry's mark - and says ok i'll break, but i make my get-away just as the cue ball goes rocketing in the side pocket - in other words it's almost 1 am and our new pug alice kooper is snoring and its time for me to do the same - all blessings on your mom, steve and you - g'night!