Vera Ferrara
Vera Ferrara was a mixed-race and multi-ethnic (Italian and Black American) jazz-club owner and former singer. Vocal nodules ended her performing career, after which she owned and managed The Session in Manhattan’s West Village. She met Charlie Rivera when he entered the club at thirteen and began allowing him to perform there at fourteen.
Career and The Session
Vera ran The Session with warmth and exacting musical standards. She admitted musicians on the strength of their talent rather than their age or credentials, but expected each performer to earn a place on the stage.
Vera maintained the club’s musical standards while longtime bartender Reggie handled the bar and helped sustain its community. Her experience as a singer informed her work with the musicians who performed there.
Relationships and Mentorships
Charlie Rivera
Vera’s relationship with Charlie developed through years of performances at The Session. She treated him with longstanding familiarity, affection, and high expectations. During one later set, she put him onstage, warned him not to show off, and quietly monitored his food and juice intake when his blood sugar dropped afterward.
Jacob Keller and Logan Weston
Vera recognized Jacob Keller from an earlier visit when he returned to the club with Charlie and Logan Weston. On that earlier visit, Vera asked Jacob to play, and he chose Bill Evans. On a later visit, Charlie prompted a different performance. Vera later rejected the music industry’s tendency to describe Jacob as a brooding genius. She knew about Logan through Charlie before meeting him.
Physical Characteristics
Vera appeared to be in her fifties and had dark hair streaked with silver and sharp eyes.
Memorable Quotes
“It made you good.”
(Vera responding to Charlie’s complaint about her management style.)
“Don’t show off.”
(Vera speaking to Charlie before his set.)
“Eat before I tell Gene you survived Miles and got taken out by juice.”
(Vera directing Charlie to eat during a low-blood-sugar episode.)