Mainline Music attracted me like a magnet. It was a three-floor musical adventure with guitars, brass, drums, amps, hammond B3 organs, and all manner of musical instruments, as well as sheet music (and ‘fake books’ as they were known in those days).

It was owned by a be-bop era jazzman named Jay Cameron (he always finished in the top ten Playboy annual jazz poll). I made myself quite at home there, playing all the instruments in the showroom and sometimes briefly taking care of the store if jay stepped out.

There was a drum studio on the third floor, which we used for several purposes, and all sorts of musicians would be stopping by, often playing in the store.

Many times, tourist girls would wander into the store, looking for records (of course, we had none), but Jay would cheerfully inform those young ladies that yours truly, Mister Gar, would show them a good time nontheless… and most always I did.

Also, I forgot to mention my good friend and musical pal, Bob Weidner, who worked at the store in the small service/repair department (actually just a bench and a few cabinets full of odds and ends). I remember he had a Fender Jazzmaster guitar that he carved into it his astrological sign.

Anyway, Jay also had multi-tracking reel-to-reel tape decks for sale in the store, and many nights Bob and I would use our choice of instruments and record our music. We also sometimes invited young ladies in for the jam (as well as other things).