TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

It was Springtime in NYC when Lance finished the mural. He was so homesick by then he kept imagining what it was like in Southern California. The weather could be unpredictable at home. Sometimes it rains in the Spring, other times it's so sunny you can go down to the beach for a game of Frisbee. You never know from year to year what Mother Nature will bring. What he did know was that he was tired of New York. The snow, the cold, even the color of the frozen dog turds, it had all gotten to him. He just wanted to see a green leaf, a real live green leaf.

There wasn't anything tying him to New York anymore. Waiting around another week or two, he thought maybe he could nurse along another job. But nothing turned up.

The loft had been cleaned up, his clothes were packed, and he stopped by Electric Lady Studio to say his last goodbyes.

Walking down to the recording studio area, he ran into Bob Levine, a member of Jimi’s key management team, and Jerry Morrison coming up the stairs with Carlos Santana. He didn't recognize Carlos at first because he was wearing one of those caps that holds all your hair in. Lance wasn’t used to seeing him that way.

Bob looked up at Lance as they passed and said, “Here he is now. Lance, I want you to meet Carlos.” Lance looked surprised.

“Wow, I’ve been looking at your mural, man,” Carlos complimented him. "You did all that? That's amazing!"

Carlos booked the studio to record his new album, but all of that took a back seat to his curiosity about the meaning of Lance's work. Walking up and down the length of the massive painting in the narrow, curved hallway, Carlos wanted to know everything about each section. He then explained to Lance what he thought was its significance. This took Lance back. Most people spent more time trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

For the next two and a half hours Carlos and Lance spoke about the mural's concept. Lance could tell their conversation was very important to the rock legend. Never mind that an orchestra of musicians filed into the recording studio booth with their instruments in hand. Carlos didn't give it a second thought when they sat down and waited patiently for him to come in and start recording. This was costing him a fortune. The studio time alone was around five thousand dollars for a half-day session. Add the musician’s time in and Carlos Santana wasted fifteen thousand dollars that day so that he could talk to Lance about his creation.

The recording session got underway. Lance and Carlos finally parted ways. As Lance left the studio for the last time, it was very apparent to him that Carlos was a very spiritual person.

Taking a cab to the airport, Lance figured he could've stayed in New York and spent all the money he earned on the mural or he could go home where he belonged.