Symphony of Secrets

Josephine’s initial impressions of New York include colors and sounds. When she gets off the subway, she is jostled by the crowd and accidentally steps on a girl’s foot. Eventually, she finds the music she is looking for; it includes a trombone, a clarinet, and a trumpet.

In the Alibi Club, Frederic Delaney (or Freddy, as he is called here) is about to get kicked out of his jazz band. He argues about his musical mistakes with the other band members, Eli, Red, and Bobby. Josephine Reed, whom they call “Crazy Jo,” plays Freddy’s part on the piano without his mistakes, then plays it again with his mistakes. Freddy is able to hear the difference even though he does not understand her commentary about colors, as when she obscurely mentions “the green with the star” (147). The band agrees to give Freddy another chance in two weeks. As his bandmates leave, he gets a drink and introduces himself to Josephine. She continues to talk about colors, and Freddy asks her to show him what she means by giving him piano lessons. She agrees when he offers to pay her.