Last call at George McClintock’s jazz club, the Spigot, had ended hours ago, but the after-hours jam session at his house just off Shoreline Park was in full swing. Louis Armstrong and his band were smoking hot that September night in 1965, riffing on the Great American Songbook, to the delight of all the neighbors. George’s beautiful wife, Lucy, was serving authentic, old-world Italian cuisine, while George was barbecuing steak. This was only the second time that Louis and his band had performed at the Spigot, but they were welcomed, not only as the greatest men of jazz, but also as family.
Dr. Kathy McClintock remembers that night well. “I was about 12 years old. My brother and sisters, ‘the kids,’ as Dad would call us, were supposed to be asleep. But, that night, as with many, it was all too exciting at our house, and we just could not miss a single note. Dad described Louis Armstrong, ‘Satchmo’ or ‘Pops’ as he was known, as the most important musician in the history of jazz. Looking back, I cannot believe that Mr. Armstrong singled me out and gave me that beautiful smile, which was his trademark.
“I remember him playing his trumpet, with intensity, as though it were a part of him, an extension of his whole personality. His eyes were very wide as he played, and his face was soaked with perspiration. I was standing, half hidden, staring entranced at the legendary musician. Mr. Armstrong finished the set and looked straight at me. Smiling wide, he said joyfully, ‘Look at those big blue eyes! Isn’t she adorable? Everybody, that’s George’s little daughter! Hey, girl, have you got something on your mind?’ I smiled back at him and, embarrassed, just shook my head. He laughed heartily!”