I visited the new Main Street Jazz Restaurant (So new, it’s not even open yet) earlier this week. It’s really going to be a nice addition to Suffolk.

The occasion was a taping of Andy Damiani’s Roundtable Talk show on the local cable access channel which, in this case, was more of a RoundPIANO talk as Andy, Bob Pocklington and I sat around a brand, spanking new grand piano on the third floor of the restaurant (dubbed the &uot;Jazz Spot&uot;) and jawed a little about events of 2005 and some of those (many the same) that will await Suffolk in 2006.

Pock, as usual, wanted to talk about property taxes and assessments. Andy, as is his wont, steered the discussion to the miniscule details of a range of municipal government issues that few people in Suffolk outside of him and perhaps the person in the city government responsible for it, grasp the intricacies of, or even care about. I didn’t have an agenda except for once to try to not to embarrass my kids on television.

I was somewhat proud that I was caught completely dumbstruck on camera only once, I think. In response to an out-of-left field question from Andy about something about which I did not have an opinion, I stood there like a deer in the headlights for what seemed like minutes but was likely only seconds. I’ll have to wait to see the show.

It was fun, though, and I think I’m getting a little better at it. I’ve had some really miserable appearances before the camera, most courtesy of Andy. I stammer and stutter and come off like the stiff I suppose I am. It’s the result of an almost pathological shyness. That’s why I chose print journalism instead of broadcast. I like to stay below the radar if I can. And it’s much easier to make cynical, sarcastic comments about people and events sitting in an office with the door shut hiding behind a computer screen than it is looking them in the eye.

One of the restaurant’s owners said it could be open as soon as next week, but that looked optimistic to me. There was still a lot of work to be done. I know they are anxious to get open, as are jazz fans in Suffolk, but whenever the opening is, I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

The show will be airing in a week or so. Please do me a favor and don’t watch.