April 11, 2020
NO JANE JARVIS, BUT...:
Even With No Baseball, Fenway Park Organist Josh Kantor Plays On (EVAN BLEIER / APRIL 11, 2020, inside Hook)
If you grew up in the Boston area, you may have had heard this riddle: Who's the only person in history to play for the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins in the same season?Answer: 1970s Fenway Park and Boston Garden organist John Kiley.While Josh Kantor can't make that same claim, the current Fenway Park organist is making a name for himself anyhow by continuing to play on in the midst of the pandemic even though the ballpark is closed. With the baseball season on hold and many people quarantining within their homes, Kantor decided he would try streaming a 30-minute organ concert from behind the Yamaha Electone at his home on Facebook.Originally intended to be a one-off show, the "7th-Inning Stretch" has become a daily fixture at 3 p.m. with Kantor playing classic tunes as well as requests from viewers which are relayed to him by his wife Mary Eaton. It's a treat for fans to watch the 47-year-old show off the musical chops that have brought him on tours with members of Blondie, the Young Fresh Fellows and R.E.M. as well as led him to be called onstage to play with Wilco.
Posted by Orrin Judd at April 11, 2020 9:38 AM