Tom Vartabedian
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Edolo Lupi is not your average musician. Neither is his sidekick, Bob Kiley. They get together each week at Ed's apartment in Mission Towers with their instruments and treat the assisted living center to a veritable jam session.
While Bob tickles the piano keys, Ed gives his violin a workout. One minute it's jazz, the next classical.
Watching this duo perform, you would guess they're preparing for a Carnegie Hall recital. There to applaud them is Lupi's wife, Eda. They'll be married 70 years this October.
The routine hasn't changed in two decades. Each Tuesday and Friday morning, Bob rings the bell to Ed's pad on the bottom floor and finds his usual place at the stool.
Above the piano is a vivid painting of Ed at the violin several years younger. Next to it is a photograph of him tuning a piano many years older.
In fact, he tuned all Bob's pianos when Kiley owned and operated the Haverhill Music Center downtown for 50 years before his daughter Pat took over the business.
"Hey, I tuned Liberace's piano when he was at the Frolics," Lupi smiled.
What makes them unique, of course, is their age. Ed is 98 while Bob checks in at 82.
Lupi played 10 years with the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic. He appeared at the Frolics on Salisbury Beach, a haven for headline musicians like Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis Jr. Those days you found him playing trumpet at some of the best venues around.
Kiley joined the likes of Jerry Goodrich and Ruby Newman in his prime. He never left. The gigs keep coming as often as he would like. This week you would find him at the Jewish Rehab Center in West Roxbury on a weekday and the Rockingham Ballroom on a Saturday night.
Private parties, celebrations and business gatherings are his forte these days and the keyboard artist hasn't lost a beat. Like wine and cheese, he only gets better with age.
Music has always been their life and despite the years, neither would ever dream of a day when they wouldn't play.
On Fridays, they cut their session a little short and head to the Hannah Duston Nursing Home where a third member of their party awaits. Paul Abbondanza, a noted pianist once upon a time, is looking forward to some accompaniment.
They are joined by a fourth musician, drummer Tony Tripoli. Out comes the calzone and the vino Italian style and they eat and drink to their heart's content. Then comes the best moment of all - the urge to play together.
What follows is more music and any residents who amble by to listen or sing along.
Music is a panacea stronger than medicine in some cases. Guys Caz Brosky are apt to agree. For decades, Caz operated a music studio on Marshall Street and his door was always open to children of the neighborhood, whether they could pay for a lesson or not. There wasn't a finer trombonist anywhere than Caz.
Others like him — percussionist Joey Comeau, bass guitarist George Azzarito, guitarist Ted Schiavoni — they'll tell you about the merits of music.
Don't get them started on the absence of music education in our schools. They'll give you an earful about how music complements the educational process. And they're not blaming the school department for such a shortfall.
"If kids want to play an instrument, they can find a way, just like we did. It should be the parents getting their kids into it."
Lupi has retired from tuning pianos and has trained his daughter Lorna, who handles the task very well. She also plays the keyboard. His next big showpiece will be his granddaughter's wedding come September.
Lisa Perkins will be entertained by two violin selections, "I Love You Truly" and "I'll Always Love You." Grandson Chris Pelosi will accompany him on guitar.
It's the best gig Edolo Lupi will ever play.
Tom Vartabedian retired as a staff writer and photographer from The Haverhill Gazette. He contributes this regular column.
