The First and Last Temptation

Yesterday was International Women’s Day. The most international woman I know is Shannah, the half-sister of my first girlfriend, Marilyn Godfrey. Shannah’s father was a Filipeno, and her mother’s father was a Jew. Shannah was married to Ron Jefferson, Les McCann’ drummer. She was living in Paris when I met Marilyn. Shannah co-authored a novel about Fela Kuti ‘A Bitch of a Life, with Carlos Moore.

Marilyn and I were fifteen and sixteen when we met. She took me into the Hollywood Hills to meet Les, who was like a father to Marilyn who lived in his home with his French wife during the summers. Marilyn was befriended by Jazz trombonist, J.J. Johnson who may have been known to the German Swing Kids who rebelled against Hitler’s ideology.

Marilyn changed my life course. She had just read ‘The Last temptation of Jesus Christ’ a novel that played a big role…