Chapter 1: Overture
Sonata Franklin leaned back in the director's chair waiting for the arranger Leon Johnson to solve a problem in the harmony. Sonata respected Leon as a colleague of many years although his final decisions were made after vacillating among a mired of possibilities. Leon was a Gemini so Sonata was resigned to his indecision even though she made decisions quickly and moved on. Leon had to exam all of the possibilities twice before making his decisions.
After waiting ten minutes, Sonata stood and walked toward the ladies room, not to use the facilities but to demonstrate her impatience for the delay in the rehearsal. Her alternative was to leave the recording studio. If Leon did not resume the rehearsal in another ten minutes, she would have left in order to be at another recording session across town.
Sonata was always well rehearsed because her routine kept her singing or playing eighteen hours a day in any key, any tempo, and any musical genre. Sonata began singing when she banged her spoon on her high chair tray in rhythm while uttering "ma-do-re-do." She developed a five octave vocal range from baritone to mezzo soprano. While earning her BA and MFA degrees in music, she studied classical, jazz, rhythm and blues, country western, pop, and hip-hop.
By the time Sonata was twenty-three, she had established a lucrative career as a recording artist's back-ground singer and musician. In the beginning, there were many auditions at many recording studios to perform with a variety of recording soloists. Eventually, the recording artists were auditioning for her services. Her voice was a perfect blend for any harmony a featured artist desired. Sonata also played piano, keyboard, organ, wood-wind instruments both single and double reed. She was often asked to bring her guitar. As she became a studio virtuoso. she was forced to purchase a van to accommodate her instruments as she drove from studio to studio around Nashville.
When Sonata returned from the ladies room, Leon was ready to resume the rehearsal. "Here are the changes, Speck," Leon said as he handed her the revised score. Sonata rolled her eyes as she took the score and resumed her place with other musicians. Leon always used the nickname he had given her which was in reference to the hundreds of freckles on her skin that were prominent on her face and uncovered arms.
Sonata was easily recognized by the music community throughout Nashville. She had dark red hair worn in an Afro and light tan skin covered with brown freckles. Her body was lean with a near flat chest and no curves to be admired. She was six feet two inches tall. Her best features were her smile and large hazel eyes. Although she had developed superior talent, she had no style for fashion. She found fashion to be useless because her physical features generated so much attention. In addition, it was her voice that spoke with authority and her accompanied body language that others noted. Thus, she was at home in the recording studios versus the glamour of stage settings sought by most performers.
It was easy for Sonata to follow the revised score with the additional vocal trills and syncopation. Leon was so satisfied that the repeat of the rehearsed passage was recorded on the final track. "Thanks, Speck, you've done it again girl. Sorry for the delay," said Leon.
"Genius takes time to be perfect, Lee," replied Sonata. "I've got to get out of here for my next gig. I'll check with you later."
As long as she had known Leon, Sonata could never figure him out. He could be almost flirtatious as he apologized while she was making her exit. At other times, he was aloof.
As Sonata opened the door to her van, she heard her name called from across the street. The baritone sound could only be from one person, her former husband,Curtis Mitchell. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt numb as she quickly sat in the driver's seat. By the time she closed and locked the door, he was knocking on her window.
Sonata pushed the button to lower the window. "Curtis, I'm late for my next appointment," she said.
"I won't detain you but just needed to say hello. I'm back in Nashville for a while."
"I know of the loss of your Aunt Salona. I plan to be at her service on Saturday."
"That's what I was hoping. She would want you there. I'll see you later." He tapped lightly on the half opened window and backed away from the car.
Sonata started her engine and drove away with a glance of Curtis crossing the street as reflected in her side rear-view mirror. The shock of his sudden appearance directed her focus away from her next assignment until she entered the parking lot of The Rave Studios. Chuck Green was waiting for her and quickly approached her car. She released the lock of the back hatch door. He removed her guitar case and closed the door.
"Sorry for the delay," said Sonata. "Hope you haven't been waiting long."
"Not a problem," replied Chuck. "We're set up and ready to roll. You already know the score and my interpretation so I'm ready to record as a first take."
Chuck opened the door for Sonata. As he followed her down the hall, he smiled with his thought of connecting with her away from the studio. His fear of rejection made him hesitate from approaching her because he did not want to lose the best back-ground singer and guitarist he ever had. Even though this was Nashville in the twenty-first century, a White male country-western singer and a Black female musician may still have a relationship problem by living in separate cultures within the music world. The number of Blacks in the country-western music world was still less than one per cent.
The arrangement of Chuck's song made Sonata's role more duet than back-ground. She questioned Chuck about this because a solo entertainer in live concerts would need someone on stage.
"Maybe it's my way of persuading you to come on the road with me for awhile."
"You know I don't do live road shows, Chuck. Never have and never will," replied Sonata.
"What about your performances on Friday nights at The Shack?" asked Chuck.
"That's my brother's place and it allows me to try out some of my compositions while letting Mama and Elise to take the night off."
"So you could spend some time traveling first class for at least nine weeks."
"Not when I have contracts signed for the next three years."
"O.K., since it's Thursday evening, let me treat you to supper. I need to celebrate our new single we just finished."
"I'll take a rain check on your invitation, Chuck. My evening has been promised to family to celebrate my Daddy's birthday. Thanks anyway. Bye." Sonata hastily picked up her guitar case and ran down the hall and out the door to her car before Chuck was able to escort her.
Sonata entered through the kitchen door of her parents' home just as her twin brothers Joshua and Jethro were carrying the ribs and chicken platters into the dining room. Her sister Elsie was tossing the salad. Her mother was placing the candle numbers on the cake. Daddy was sixty-two. Sonata went into the half bath to wash her hands. She returned to carry vegetable dishes into the dining room
After the Franklin family was seated and Daddy prayed, the family enjoyed the food and fellowship. It was always easy to satisfy Daddy with cash. Each of the four children decided to give him sixty-two dollars inserted in a birthday card. Mama was the cleaver one. Her card held two dollars so that the total amount Daddy received was $250.00. They all laughed and knew that Daddy was going to spend a few hours in a pawn shop finding a $250.00 guitar for one of his "kids" to give him or her lessons. Nashville would soon have another musician available for hire.
Daddy was still an auto mechanic by day and a Grand Old
