Sax Solo For Senate Dough

There just happened to be a spare saxophone on the bandstand, so the president grabbed it and plunged into a jazzy rendition of My Funny Valentine.

The scene, with a relaxed Bill Clinton providing the solo for a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary at a political fund-raiser for his wife, Hillary, would have been unthinkable a year ago.

That vacation took place in the immediate aftermath of the president's speech to the nation acknowledging he hadn't told the truth about his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. There were demands for more complete apologies. The tension between the president and the first lady was clear.

On Sunday, those clouds appeared to have parted even though the actual weather on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard was cool and overcast.

The Clintons greeted a crowd of 250 people gathered at the Edgartown home of Viacom executive Frank Biondi and his wife, Carol, to pledge support and money for Mrs. Clinton if she makes her expected run for the Senate seat from New York being vacated by Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

The Clintons passed up church services in anticipation of the late-morning political brunch, which raised $1,000 per ticket for the first lady's potential political future.

Mrs. Clinton spoke, but the president did not.

However, Mr. Clinton, who has never forgotten his days as a high school band member in Arkansas, honored a request by an unidentified couple celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary.

He picked up a saxophone and joined Resonance, a high school jazz band providing the entertainment.

The guest list numbered some of the Vineyard summer residents that the White House staff refers to as "the usual cast of characters." They included Clinton friends Vernon Jordan, Steven Rattner, Dick Ebersol and Maurice Tempelsman. Also attending were humor columnist Art Buchwald, lawyer Alan Dershowitz and Mrs. Clinton's former spokeswoman, Lisa Caputo.

Afterward, the Clintons journeyed to a restaurant in nearby Oak Bluffs to a birthday celebration for longtime aide Kelly Craighead. On Sunday evening they went out to dinner with another set of friends.