Greetings Friends !

It’s been awhile since I’ve contributed to this blog— perhaps I’ll call it “the occasional yarn” instead — but here are some thoughts …as of today !

I’ve been teaching pretty steadily for a couple years now and that has taken a goodly (un-godly? :)) amount of time — @ Hartford & WM Paterson, along with private lessons …commutes have been … sincere! I’ve enjoyed the students and faculty on both campuses… proud of the student’s developments and successes…

It’s a very different ‘head space’  from teaching and doing one’s own thing & performances— sometimes difficult to juggle, but if MUSIC can remain paramount – that is the ticket–

So, I am ready for spring and summer !

The weather has been wacky, lots of big winds…but at the moment it’s a beautiful afternoon — very spring like… listening, seeing some glorious birds, saw a woodchuck (on campus!)

Anticipating a few springtime/ summer thunder storms… I love to tap into our environment whenever I can, and that is very connected to any environment I’m in — so it’s very hard to ignore the not-so-pleasant things along the way – such is Life!

I’m very excited about our new release “A Kiss for Brazil” on Origin Records and all that it brings…

Getting ready for my own touring dates but also a few very fun guesting dates too; Dizzy’s as a part of Rodgers & Hammerstein Tribute (w the wonderful Deb Winer as our host) Birdland w Frank Vignola… always fun- we choose anything we like !

Onto the Green Mill (for our annual ‘lifetime verbal contract’ shows – 🙂 @ The Green Mill -as anyone who’s every experienced that place knows, its a marathon of music — so we mix it up quite a bit which I like !

Hadley MA area fundraiser for Lake Warner … then start of Spring / Summer tour – Twin Cities Jazz Fest, Jazz Alley in Seattle, onto the Bay Area for

Half Moon Bay/ Bach, Dancing and Dining, hanging in SF for a few days — then to Oakland Sound Room and singing with my friend Kenny Washington,

Taking some time in Mammoth, CA area to hike, then to LA for Catalina’s — and a house party in Long Beach…

Back to east coast- Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, and onward into the Fall with Kansas City/ Folly Theatre, and BIRDLAND week Oct 29 – Nov 2…

I will be helping GET the VOTE OUT in November, and looking forward to getting ‘my boots on the ground’ with that extremely important election.

This World is just one big troubled spot — as Mose Allison put it…. Aside from personal losses I’ve experienced with friends and inevitable disappointments… we’ve all had them- and I hope that yours are manageable …

Music is a balm and can help — here’s a quote from Socrates:

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything.

It is the essence of order and lends to all that is good, just and beautiful.”

Amen to that!

And more food for thought:

How strange it is that one silly primate can see itself as separate from all those it shares this world with. What might happen if we remembered we are a part of this wild world — and let that understanding and humility guide every choice we make? That was in the NYTimes…

 

So I’m looking forward to seeing you out there to share some soul, imagination and song !! 

Thanks for tuning in.