“Del Dako is a new friend.

At this place in my life I don’t make many of them anymore. It is not that I don’t care; it is just a matter of time. However, there is something about Del Dako that made me open my heart and spend hours chatting with him. Why? It is a combination of several qualities that help to define him. It is Del’s ability to create a deep level of intimacy by making you feel that you are the only one he has ever confided in or shared a particular story with. It is his comedic flair (seasoned to perfection by his ability to go blue at just the right moment) that disarms you. There’s his commitment to teaching the young music fans and players of the future that is admirable. Lastly and perhaps most important, it's because I respect his outlook on life. It is a perspective that comes only when you have knocked on heaven’s door. To have your world completely taken apart and then to rebuild it piece by piece builds character very few of us can imagine. Here’s to many more years of long chats with my new friend, Del Dako”

ROSS PORTER, CEO, JAZZFM91, TORONTO