Autumn Years Summer 2024

was completely dead and so were about seven complete sets of pipes—many had been badly burned in the fire. Some 184 pipes did not “speak” at all. Many indi vidual notes were missing, including the A and B above middle C. Air leaks cre ated a perpetual hiss. The full foot pedal keyboard also needed work as many pedals no longer produced sound. When Mark found he had more free time than usual during COVID, he start ing researching pipe organ repair and restoration. It did not take long for him to reach the capacity of what he could learn on his own, so he sought the help of a pro fessional. “I was lucky to find Jim Kon zelman, a genius organ repairman and restorer who is about a year older than I am,” says Mark. Jim was by no means lacking work and already had requests to service more organs than he could pos sibly care for, but Mark convinced him that he was a willing and eager student, “When I’m learning and growing, I feel alive.”

a fast learner, knew how to hold a light and would gladly be Jim’s “go-fer.” As always, Mark

went all in, learning as much as he could. A group of about three women at the church expressed interest in help ing Mark on the organ project, and he had the perfect task in mind. The or gan’s more than 2,000 pipes had dam aged leather stoppers that needed to be replaced. Jim taught Mark how to re leather organ pipes, and Mark, in turn, taught the women he now fondly refers to as “the leather chicks” how. Their name came about after one member told Mark she was once a biker chick. Two men later joined the group, too. Repairing a pipe organ involves liter ally climbing inside the organ, which is about 30 feet tall. To make this easier,

pose things in my head or cross chords to achieve the right tone while playing,” recalls Mark. One of the musicians who attended Mark’s party later recognized him one night at Preservation Hall. He said, “You the man who did the cross chording!” Mark smiled in acknowledgement. He was also invited to play with the band that night and eventually the last hour of the night during every one of his vis its over the next 30 years. Preservation Hall also hired Mark to play for pay for two full nights during his many trips to New Orleans, which paid for those trips. “This was a wonderful chapter in my life,” recalls Mark. “I was so lucky to play with these musicians and know them as friends who became like family.” About four years ago, Mark was of fered the music director position at Christ Episcopal Church in Hackensack, which entails playing its grand pipe or gan during services. He accepted even af ter the full disclosure that the organ was in “hopeless” condition and, although a professional jazz pianist, Mark is a self taught organist. The organ was severely damaged in a 1978 fire, and the church never had the funds to fully repair it. Playing this organ would be a challenge, but that was part of the appeal to Mark. This pipe organ has three keyboards with 61 keys each and 36 ranks, or com plete sets, of 61 pipes—more than 2,000 pipes in all. When Mark accepted the job, one of the organ’s three keyboards

Mark at the Fairview Library discussing a 1907 book on the area.

48 AUTUMN YEARS I SUMMER 2024