RIP Sally White of Sally's Place

[paul secor]

http://www.westportnow.com/index.php?%2Fv3%2Fcomments%2Fsally_white_former_owner_of_sallys_place_88%2F

A good friend and I used to meet a couple times a year at her store in Westport to talk music and pick up some sides. She always had a welcoming spirit. I miss her store and I miss her.
Thanks for being a great hostess and for being a friend to the music, Sally.

[Dan Gould]

Damn damn DAMN.

Sally White was a fantastic lady and lover of jazz (and high school classmate and good friend of Horace Silver in Norwalk, right next door to Westport).  I discovered her store not long after I got deeply into the music and while I was living in CT, made what seemed like weekly visits. Later the visits only coincided with family visits which were often at Christmastime. Her store would be so busy and so many, many friends like me coming in to chat with her. I'd outlast them all until the store was quiet again and we could get caught up.  

I think she was proud how her store outlasted all the chain stores in the area. Maybe it was the customer service or the niche she occupied (I'm guessing 40% of shelf space was given over to jazz) but eventually the internet got her shop, too. And she wasn't happy about it. She offered free shipping but the convenience and even larger selection available online kept me shopping there if I wasn't standing in her shop.  Then I'd feel guilty, when she'd remind me that she does mail-order, and I'd nod but never call her.

I think my favorite memory is the time that we got together outside the store, we took the train from Westport to NYC and saw Eastern Rebellion, I think at Bradley's. David Williams and Cedar himself came over to chat with her. I think Sally is hanging with a lot of old friends now and hearing a lot of sweet sounds.

 

 

 

[J.A.W.]

I contacted her once years ago. A very friendly and helpful lady. Very sorry to hear this.

[mjzee]

She was a nice person and very passionate about the music.  It seemed important to her that she approved of what I was buying.  I’ll spin a Grant Stewart disc I bought there in her memory.  RIP.

[sidewinder]

She sounds like a great lady - RIP.