01.02.04

Happy New Year

Time for a site update. Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and had a chance to be close to friends and loved ones. Please note the new email address: elijazz2004@yahoo.com. Drop me a new year email!

12.29.03

At Year's End

2004. Almost mid-way through our first decade in the new millineum and I've barely had a chance to catch my breath. It seems only yesterday we were worried about Y2K. Then came the Internet Bubble Burst, the Fictional Election of 2000, 9/11, Homeland Color Fun, War of Lies, BLACKOUT 2003, and finally, Merry Christmas But Be Very Afraid Because We Say So. I still feel like it should be 2000, not 2004, because I'm still getting used the whole New Millineum idea. Maybe because our government is making it feel like 1950 instead of 2000. I wasn't alive during the Macarthy Era but it seems there are some parallels between now and then. Fear is the name of the game these days and while the Bush administration is loudly banging the War on Terror drum, they are slowly eroding the foundations of our country. The world hates us, the environment is under attack, health care is in shambles while the drug companies make billions, our own people are starving while we spend $87 billion to "rebuild" Iraq (read: pay Haliburton), and I still get the feeling that Bush will get re-elected. How are so many people duped into thinking this administration is doing a good job? Have we forgotten already that this invasion of Iraq was based on lies? There were/are no weapons of mass destruction and there were/are no links between Iraq and the terrorists of 9/11. Why the capture of Hussein is such a huge political coup for Bush is beyond me. The insurgency certainly hasn't slowed and we're still mired in such a huge mess in Iraq that I doubt $87 billion will last that long. Especially since most of it is going to Haliburton and not the people of Iraq as Bush would have you believe. The only chance we have to reverse this trend is to vote for whoever the Democratic Party selects as their nominee in the 2004 Presidential election. We cannot continue down the same path for another 4 years.

12.10.03

All Better Now

"It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. . . " There's nothing like authentic Christmas music to put you back into the spirit. Ella, Frank, Burl Ives -- all the classics. Thanks to Jeff & Bekkah for helping me out of my Scrooge-like state. Anyone checked out the new Outkast CDs? Love Andre 3000 and his Prince cum Cameo cum Parliament take on things. Also been checking out J. S. Bach. You know, just to keep it real. Probably will go to see the Mulgrew Miller Trio at the Up & Over Jazz Cafe and Bill Frisell at The Village Vanguard this week. I haven't checked out much jazz recently and these two spots are great for intimate, club jazz which is the best kind of jazz in my estimation. The Up & Over Jazz Cafe is just that: up and over a Chinese takeout joint on Flatbush in Brooklyn. It has long played host to one of the better jam scenes (if there really is such a thing) and will surprise you with an excellent weekly lineup of great jazz. The club is typical jazz--small, not upscale, but not a dive either. Pretty much any seat, if you can get one, is a good seat and the stage is small and right on top of the crowd. There are lots of opportunities for good interplay between audience and band; the way it should be. The Village Vanguard is simply the Vatican of jazz, and one must travel down the stairs and through the doors of this magical room to really understand why. Again, good stage views are afforded almost everyone (the club is a little larger than you might think) and the bandstand is right on top of the audience. Too much amazing music has been played here for the room NOT to feel good. The snow is melting and so is my mood. If you have a chance, check out the new site I put up for Amy: www.amyatchley.com.

12.05.03

Snow's Aplenty

Tis the season to go crazy, fa la la la la, la la la crap. On my thrice weekly trip into THE CITY, I pass through the bowels of Rockefeller Center, go right past the tree, skate by the skating rink, and walk up 5th ave to my workplace. This time of year, it's all very festive and cheery and freakin' nuts. The scene resembles a huge ant pile, with people streaming past each other, their arms full of booty for their dear queen, Christmas. Add a foot of snow, like we are getting today, mix with Friday afternoon tourists and you get BLECK. BLAH. HARUMPH. BAH HUMBUG. I don't mean to be Scrooge but what's the fuss already? In the spirit of the season, all people seem to be giving, is headaches to one another. Let's slow down and remember what Christmas is really about, shall we? Depression, over-eating, drunkeness, pressure, in-laws -- you know, the good stuff.

12.02.03

Air travel and other things

I guess since I'm getting older, I've got to get weirder. That's the deal, right? You start to develop phobias and have lack-of-control issues and generally start to behave in what some would say as neurotic ways. In other words, I've lived in New York City for 4 years. Flying was never scary to me until recently so when I boarded the plane from Dallas to fly to NYC, I popped a Xanex, downed a whiskey, and thought about all the things I'm thankful for. Less so because it was Thanksgiving and more so because at the slightest bump, I'm envisioning burning a mile long scar in the ground after our descent from twenty thousand feet. I'm most thankful for my friends, family and music -- the usual trifecta. But this Thanksgiving, I'm particularly happy that I still haven't turned into one of the crazy freaks that walk the street and inhabit the subways in NYC. Going to work today, after 4 days in Austin, the usual crowd I've gotten used to here in New York seemed different. When I first moved here, the crazies seemed charming. I would often chuckle to myself thinking what many do; "only in New York." Today, I no longer chuckle and secretly I say to myself, "don't f*%king touch me!" or even more likely, "don't fu*&ing cough on me!". One furtive glance on the train reveals my neighbors; Mister Mental, who likes to rock back and forth; Miss Angry Bitch, who dares you to sit next to her; Teen Psycho Child, who appears to have been raised by wolves in Central Park; and White Rapper From the 80's, replete with denim outfit, white addidas and a leather Run-DMC hat. All are certifiable in my book. But soon, you see, I'll turn into one of them. Soon, I'll know exactly where each train stops so that I'm first in front of the doors, first inside the train, and first to ignore everyone along the way. There's no time! No time for interaction, no time to be polite, no time to actually engage people, I've got to get the f*&cking seat. NOW! Oh, pardon me old lady, did I elbow you in the face? I'm sorry, polite parent with child, you'll be standing today. What, a pregnant lady? She looks young. Once on the street, I'll turn into Mister Inches. I'll know exactly how close I can come to you at a brisk walk while barely grazing your shoulder. If I'm feeling mean, I'll know that I can clip your shoulder, send you tumbling and me; I'll be smiling. Don't like it? F*&k you! I'm an SUV on sneakers, pal. Ah, that's better, I'm feeling like my old New York self again.

11.04.03

All Gangsta, Baby

Yo. Jus chillin, homey. tru dat. fo shizzle in ma dizzle, bitch. westside. eastside. southside. northside. 50 cent. snoop dog. busta rhymes. word. you lookin at mc jazzy e, yo. jazzy e gonna rock yo world wit da gangsta jazz from da street, yo. ain't nothin more gangsta than my boy coltrane or my homey mc monk, son. i'm gonna give it to ya straight, kid, mc jazzy e keepin it real wit ellington, yo. know what i'm sayin? word? yo. basie and ella are off the hook, yo. i'd put ella up against dre any day, right, son? ella be freestylin, kid. she say 'oop bop shabam' and 'skidle me flop', yo. ella be droppin bombs, kid. like gershwin and cole porter and duke ellington. Yo, bird be killin', too, though. No rapper today gonna hang with bird, yo. ornithology, confirmation, relaxing at camirillo, baby. what snoop got, gin and juice? please. yo, americans, check it, the WORLD, got it wrong, yo. the ultimate gangsta is jazz, kid. ain't no more real than giant steps. ain't no more real than love supreme. ain't no more real than harlem airshaft. get to your history, people. this music we all down wit now is bullshit, yo. junior high smarts with stolen grooves. jazz got mad skills, yo. harmony, rhythm, melody, structure, mood, intelligence, sophistication, romance, blues, love, pain. that shit is gangsta, homey. all gangsta, baby.

10.17.03

Curses!

It could not have been a more entertaining post-season for baseball this year. Unless your a Cubs or Red Sox fan, of course. The Curse of the Bambino haunted the Sox at Yankee Stadium again last night and the Curse of the Billy Goat haunted the Cubs when one Steve Bartman unwillingly played into the hands (hoofs?) of the dreaded goat. Ah, the baseball world longed for a World Series match-up with the two all-time losers. Those lovable Cubs from the Northside and the bridesmaid BoSox from Yawkee Way. What a World Series it might have been. Both teams only 5 outs away from jubilation and the chance to erase their miserable past but both teams were CURSED! Cursed, I tell ya. Well, as they say in Chicago, "wait 'til next year."

10.02.03

Your Civic Duty

On a cool, blustery, early-fall day in New York City, I struck out on my usual route down 7th avenue toward the F train. Fall in New York is truly special, and days like today give you an extra spring in your step. Straphanging along to Manhattan, my normal itinerary was altered when I hopped off at Jay Street-Borough Hall; otherwise known as downtown Brooklyn. Spending most of my time in midtown Manhattan (I office at 10E 53rd St), the only time spent in downtown Brooklyn has been avoiding jury duty. The notice you receive in the mail that you've been drafted by our legal system to serve is neatly perforated and labeled so that one can read and flip and tear multiple times and still not understand what one is supposed to do. I did manage to make out the part that I could postpone jury duty if I simply called a number printed on side D in bold face. My last experience with the New York judicial system was not so pleasant and I'll detail it for you some other time. Let's just say that there were tourists, handcuffs and drunk bums and we'll leave it at that. Because of this previous run in with the law, I wasn't anxious to serve my fellow citizens and I called the number in bold face. After this initial postponement, and subsequent chats with fellow New Yorkers, I realized my date with the courts could not be indefinitely rescheduled. After my second postponement, which you must show in person for, I had to sign an affidavit promising I'd would fulfill my civic duty on this day, October 2, 2003. Jury duty is something almost every New Yorker gets called for and many an entertaining conversation have I been party to about this circumstance. Most people either chuckle or sigh and all will use the word boredom when describing their experience. In the minority are the folks who claim to have enjoyed the ordeal.

Upon my arrival, I performed the metal detector ritual and was directed by a friendly court officer to Jury Room 268, one floor up. The cue was out the door as the masses lined up. Time, 8:35 AM. I felt like I was in high school again as the receiving room was like a huge auditorium and the big fellow directing traffic ("Jurors, please form a line to the left and pick up the materials on the table beside me...") sounded just like your assistant principal, but with a Brooklyn accent. I settled into my pew and began perusing my reading material. In addition to the Times, the New Yorker, and a new book, I had two handouts from the assistant principal telling me what a privelege it was to be selected for jury duty. Soon, as the assembly grew larger, Ed Bradley and Diane Sawyer came on the televisions mounted around the room to give me the history of the judicial system, 60 Minutes style. 30 minutes later, I had learned about how the Greeks, the Romans, the Dark Ages and the Enlightenment all approached putting people on trial. William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania, was actually indirectly responsible for our modern jury system when he was put on trial in 1670 which I'm sure I learned but promptly forgot in 7th grade. So far, jury duty was not so bad. Good ol' 60 minutes.

Quickly, my enthusiasm waned, as someone impersonating my very boring geometry teacher started to lecture us about our summons. "Good morning, Jurors." Everyone is now a juror. "Please detach section A of your summons and discard it. We will be using sections B, C and D today." Tearing, folding and flipping ensues. "Please fill out the top of section A. . ." you can imagine the rest. Being the jazz-rebel that I am, I left my pen at home (mistake) but the friedly woman next to me was nice enough to let me use hers. "Now jurors, if you could please pass section B and C to the center, we will collect your information." After the buzz subsided, we newly-minted jurors comfortably settled in. I was forwarned about this stage in the game, so I began reading the Times. Others chatted mindlessly as late comers were instructed to pass their cards forward. Minutes turned to hours and people were slowly called ("Jurors Emelda Esperanza, Woo Chi Tung, Francis DiSpirito, please proceed to the empaneling room. The empaneling room is located through the jurors lounge...") to begin their civic duty. I'm not quite sure what an empaneling room is but we jurors were told to sit tight until called there. Maybe you get empaneled there. It sounds painful. Kind of like a dental procedure. Boredom set in. New York Times? done. New Yorker? almost done. New book? 35 pages into it and a mind-numbing tedium weighs on this juror. Around 11AM, a large woman and her friends were getting restless. "Yo, I'm gettin' hungry in here. Yall better call me or I'm gonna leave. I'm outta here." There was some tittering. "Man, shoot. I don't know 'bout yall but I'm HUNGRY!" When's lunch?" This kept up and made for difficult reading. She became more and more agitated, describing in detail the grumblings of her stomach until she made a lunge for power. "Come on yall," she urged "Let's go. How many of yall are hungry like me? Let's all go get lunch." More tittering. The geometry teacher finally relented and we were dismissed for lunch.

Walking around dowtown Brooklyn for lunch break was refreshing. Although the crowds were there, dowtown Brooklyn holds some real charm. Smaller in scale than downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn always gives you a rootsy, down-to-earth, gritty but sophisticated vibe. Manhanttan can be very impersonal while Brooklyn always retains its blue-collar appeal. After a tuna melt at a diner, I walked back to the courthouse to resume my civic duty. Quickly, people starting getting dismissed. One by one, in alphabetical order, my fellow jurors received the magic piece of paper that released them for today, and for the next four years. I held my breath at G and was heartily disappointed when H came and went. That piece of paper was coveted property right now. Three times through the alphabet and I was pretty sure I was in for the long haul. At long last, my name was called, but not for dismissal, much to my dismay. I was told to report to the empaneling room with my fellow jurors. The gig was up. I was going to have to serve. Through the bowels of the courthouse we marched, past the lawyers lockers (lawyers have lockers?), and up to one of the very small judges chambers, complete with jury box and a spectator section. Much smaller than Law & Order. We were greeted by two friendly lawyers who ushered us in. We were placed in a special order, and one by one into the jury box we filed. Then, the plantif's lawyer (this was a civil case) explained the basic details of the case. A woman was involved in an accident where she suffered personal injury and as a result is suing for damages. Fine details would be saved for the case, we were told. Both lawyers were men in their mid 30's and seemed quite capable. The plantif's lawyer started with juror #1 and asked some very general questions about her job, and how she felt about serving on a jury. About this time, juror #3 asked if he could be excused, because he wasn't feeling well. Good ploy, I thought. He was replaced and after a cursory interview with juror #2, it was clear juror #3 didn't want to be there and actually became combative. She was dismissed. Another good ploy, I thought. Now, I don't have any problem serving on a jury and actually, I think it would be very interesting. Unfortunately, my job pays by the hour and I'm not paid if I'm not at work so I was thinking of a ploy myself. We came to juror #4, me. "James Haslanger, tell me about yourself." I copped a plea. "I work as a freelancer and am paid by the hour. I would love to serve but it would put me and my wife in financial jeopardy." I was summarily dismissed.

Walking toward the train home, I glanced at the time which read 4pm. All in all, a full day a sitting around and a much better experience with the judicial system this time around. Despite the boredom, I was amazed at the amount of diverse people who showed (even though they had to) and the remarkable cooperation that was displayed by all. And to think, this happens every day. It is truly amazing. All complete strangers, but all extremely civilized and willing to participate. I'm glad to have fulfilled my civic duty.

9.17.03

4 : an oscillating wheel operating with a hairspring to regulate the movement of a timepiece

5 a : stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis
b : equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements
c : equality between the totals of the two sides of an account

6 a : an aesthetically pleasing integration of elements
b : the juxtaposition in writing of syntactically parallel constructions containing similar or contrasting ideas

7 a : physical equilibrium
b : the ability to retain one's balance

8 a : weight or force of one side in excess of another
b : something left over : REMAINDER
c : an amount in excess especially on the credit side of an account

9 : mental and emotional steadiness

Numbers 4 through 9 are Merriam-Webster's fourth through ninth definitions of the word balance, functioning as a noun in a sentence. I particularly like number 6 a : an aesthetically pleasing integration of elements. When I thinking of balance in life, I want to think of an aesthetically pleasing integration of elements. How does one acheive this balance? I usually end up feeling like 8 b: something left over : REMAINDER. Of course the obvious choice for a rule to live life by would be 9: mental and emotional steadiness. Who can count on that?

09.11.03

Nothing Changes

Reflecting on this, the second anniversary of 9/11, I wonder, how will we begin to remember this day as the years slowly pass? Will we truly remember the sacrifice, the pain, the suffering? In the two years that have passed, has the world learned anything? Have we really embraced the ideal that we're all in this together? I'm sad today for the families that have lost someone. In those towers, on those planes, in the pentagon, in Iraq, many people have lost their lives. And for what, really? These men in power, you see them on TV, they claim to feel the suffering, understand the pain. How can they? Has even one politician lost a son or a daughter? A wife, a friend? Why must we kill? Because we have been killed? Our country mourns, as does the world, but I feel an opportunity has been lost. The sympathy we received from the world and the outpouring of support lifted my spirits in the days the followed 9/11. Now, as the war in Iraq continues to drag on, and it becomes clearer and clearer that our country is being led down a road to nowhere, I hope for someone who can build a bridge to the rest of the world. Our world, our community, which has been shunned, ignored and defied by the U.S. government, can still help us. We simply need to reach out for their assistance. We need to pledge support to our allies and trust the members of the region to rebuild the country we've destroyed. How foolish we were to expect the Iraqi people to suddenly embrace the U.S. as liberators. Why must we order the world to follow our will instead of working with the world to build peace? War has clearly solved nothing, and in fact, it's de-stabilized the region, spread our resources amazingly thin, and further endagered our lives at home and abroad. Let's change our foreign policy to include the rest of the world, never forgetting today, but always looking to tomorrow.

09.08.03

September in New York

The weather is perfect. Anyone who wants to visit this area should come now. It's no secret why there are so many songs about autumn in New York. Got to hang with my great friend J.J. Johnson who was in town with John Mayer recently. He's playing drums and having a good time. He looks well and they are taking care of him, which is fantastic to see. If there is anyone who deserves success in music, it is J.J. The last couple of weeks here have been difficult for me as I had such a great time in Austin. Don't get me wrong, I do love New York, but I have a growing sense that my time here is coming to a close. For me, it is all about change, and embracing that change, that really makes life go. I'm never satisfied with the same routine although a sometimes a routine does help one cope with the insanity that the world presents on a daily basis. I'm really sick to death about our current administration and how they are handling world issues, the economy, domestic issues, et al. It's discouraging to see them fumble every problem because one keeps hoping they get something--anything--right for a change.

08.23.04

What a trip

Just got back from the great state of Texas and the fantastic city of Austin. Being away for 3 years, 8 months has given me a good perspective of my home town and my home town is pretty cool. Since I moved to Brooklyn, I tell people I'm from Austin and they either reply "Oh, Austin is amazing. I had the best time there" or "I've heard Austin is great, I'd like to go." Well, this reaction always leaves me feeling warm about where I'm from and I proceed to describe all of Austin's virtues like a proud papa. Though I'm back barely a day, I'm reflecting on my amazing week there. Of course, I shoved down all the TexMex I could get my hands on -- not one day passed where I didn't have some type of carne or flauta or tortilla. And hot sauce? You want to talk about some hot sauce? I defy any state to come up with a better tasting hot sauce. The week passed too quickly and we were hard pressed to see everyone and do everything but we did get all the essentials in with the exception of Barton Springs and Deep Eddy. Thank you to my family and all of my friends for a very special week. I had a gig on Friday at the Elephant and wow, what a turnout. The place was packed as I debuted my new material and I had a blast. The musicians I hired performed almost flawlessly on one rehearsal and most of the music came off like I envisioned it would. If I can keep my writing pace up, I'll have enough material for 2 or 3 new CD's very soon. To all who were present on Friday I say THANK YOU. The love and warmth I felt from the crowd and the intensity from the musicians left me more fulfilled than I could have ever imagined. It truly was a magical experience.

08.15.03

Spending the night with my AM radio

Have you ever spent the night with the radio? I mean listening to the AM radio all night long; flipping the dial back and forth, back and forth, listening to the doomsayers, the inflammatory right-wing pundits, the sports radio . . . It's fun! Especially when there is nothing to do except light a candle and listen to the coverage of BLACKOUT -- 2003. What a trip. I came across a program that must have originally played in the 50's, or at least it sounded like that. Mike Holliday, private investigator, looks into the disappearance of his client's father. An ex-con, he's either on the lamb or worse -- he's dead. With no power and only the candle to sit by, I was instantly cast into a world devoid of images. I then flipped over to ESPN radio for awhile and even caught part of the Yankee game. Even in a blackout, you can be sure that the Yankees are on. Baseball is cool on the radio, though. You really hang on every pitch, even if it's a meaningless game. Of course, I was constantly flipping back to 1010 WINS (all news, all the time) for the latest coverage of BLACKOUT -- 2003. When the power went out, I was working at home and I thought it was just my building. I went outside and I immediately knew something was up because the streets were crowded with people. After walking a few blocks and asking a few questions, I learned that the city was out of power. I then went to the store (I had $5 to my name) and bought a bag of ice and a beer. I then went back to the house and iced down most of the perishables and tried to contact Amy. She was stranded in Manhattan (no trains, packed buses) and she decided to call it a night with some friends there, so I was home alone with the AM radio. Resigned to the evening, I went downstairs and chatted a bit with the next door neighbor. We had the radio going and many people stopped and asked for updates and if it was a terror attack, etc. etc. It was remarkable how calm everyone really was. I think after 9/11, most people shrugged this incident off as a minor inconvenience. As night fell, it got a little creepy. No lights -- I mean NONE. If you've never been to NYC, this is very unusual (sarcastic understatement). I put a candle in the window to let all would-be robbers know that I was home and settled down to the AM radio. It was stifling hot and no place on the couch was comfortable. After a couple of beers and hours of flipping through the stations, I turned the radio off and for 15 minutes, all that was heard was the sound of cars passing and people talking on the street. It was strangely calm. For a moment, I felt pretty helpless and certainly alone. That soon passed as I turned the radio back on and heard the mindless chatter of talk radio. Does it ever stop? I guess the only comforting thing was knowing that 50 million people were in the same boat. Isn't it time our government woke up and started exploring alternate energy resources? Oh, I almost forgot, they're all making way too much money off us suckers.

7.30.03

Gig Update

I'm going to be playing at the Elephant Room in Austin, TX on Friday, August 22. I metioned earlier that the date was the 20th but the gig has recenlty been changed. The lineup will be a quintet of Austin's finest jazz musicians and will feature all original compositions. Look forward to seeing you there.

07.24.03

There is something VERY wrong

. . . when our government thinks its appropriate to parade dead, mutilated bodies across the television in the name of "news".

. . . when analysts who speak of the dead 14 year-old boy who was also killed in the raid as "unfortunate collateral damage."

. . . when the president admits not reading the report he quoted in the state of the union and then expects Americans to not be alarmed by this.

07.23.03

Texas, Texas, Yee Haw!

Making the annual pilgrimage to the home state in August. It won't be too hot, right? Booked a gig at the Elephant Room so all y'all Austinites come out to hear some jazz on August the 20th. Otherwise, it's been a pretty low-key summer so far. Checked out fireworks for the 4th on the rooftop with some friends and the show was spectacular. There was a 5 minute period where everyone was pretty much speechless. "Arty" was the word for the show.

Been listening to a lot of music including Weather Report, Brecker Brothers and other early fusion acts. Pretty cool stuff. I think Wayne Shorter is one of the greatest jazz artists of all time and Joe Zawinul's compositions are outstanding. I've been writing a lot of straight eighth and back beat compositions that I'm eager to hear with a live band.

06.13.03

Some doors open, some doors close

Smalls, one of NYC's stalwart jazz clubs over the last 10 years, has closed its doors for good. Rumors of its demise have been circling ever since I arrived in New York but they were always met with some skepticism -- kind of like Tom Ridge and his color-coded chart, or as I like to call him, the boy who cried wolf. Anyway, I digress. Small's was THE club in town for jazz 7 days a week, 10 hours a day so needless to say, it will be missed. Many local mainstays like Jason Lindler and Omer Avital came up here and even heavy-weights like Brian Blade played Small's regularly. Jazz clubs do come and go but this seems like a real sign of the times for New York. When speaking with Chris McBride at his show, he proclaimed the Manhattan scene "dead." It must be bad if a cat like Chris McBride says it's dead 'cause he is one of the most in-demand bass players of his generation. I don't think jazz will ever die but it certainly is going through a low-point right now. Why is this? Is it all a result of 9/11 or is it something else? I have my opinions. let me hear yours. Drop me a line and tell me why you think the jazz scene is suffering OR why you think it's thriving.

On a personal note, my friend Jacob Rodriguez called me to sub for a salsa band called Hai Rezolution which may turn into a regular thing for me. My first rehearsal was last night in the Bronx and the cats were all REAL friendly. They made me feel right at home and everyone was having a great time. It's been awhile since I played in a full salsa band (12 members) so it was a blast for me. Next rehearsal is Wednesday and I hope to play with them often. Everyone played great and it was a lot of fun to groove with that rhumba clave.

05.25.03

Christian McBride Band

Saw the outstanding bassist with his band at Southpaw, a new club in Brooklyn, last Tuesday night. My friend Terreon Gully has been playing drums with Christian for the last 3 years and the rest of the line up included Geoff Keezer on keys and Ran Blake on saxophone. This is one of the very few shows I've seen recently where guys under 50 came together and really sounded like a band. From the openening number to the end of their 2+ hour set, there was hardly a time where I wasn't completely captivated by the music. The intensity was high and so was the musicianship. Unlike other recent shows I've seen, emphasis was on the group sound and concept which I'd say was coming from the Weather Report side of things. All musicians were technically very proficient (esp McBride - he's amazing) but the technique was clearly secondary to the overall group sound. What a refreshing change of pace. Chris alternated between electric bass and upright while Geoff switched between a Rhodes, a synth, and a moog. They played almost exclusively straight 1/8th stuff and it really sounded great. This was jazz music for today played by some of the finest young musicians around.

05.15.03

New Orleans

Took a short trip to the Crescent City over the weekend to see our friends Fredrick and Sheila Sanders. They have three kids; Savon, Elijah and the new baby, Dominique, who was dedicated at church on Sunday. Fred and Sheila live just across the Mississippi River in a nice house close to downtown and all the action. It was hot, but we had fun visiting and exploring the French Quarter and Garden District. Fred played Sunday night with Shannon Powell (former drummer with Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall) at Donna's on Rampart Street. They played straight ahead with a nod to the New Orleans classics like Basin Street Blues. New Orleans' jazz is very different than New York jazz. New Orleans' musicians are loose, friendly and full of heart. It's easy to see why the Big Easy produces so many swinging, creative, expressive and open musicians.

05.01.03

It's Spring . . . ahhh, Spring!. . .

Prospect Park is a beautiful thing right now. The sun is out, it's been in the 60's consistently and yep, I think the cold is finally behind us. I'm sure you are sick and tired of hearing me complain how sick and tired I am of it so we're all happy.

04.15.03

It's Spring . . . no, wait . . .

Well, it is supposed to be Spring but last week we got 6 inches of snow and it was in the 30's for a few days. Today it is supposed to get up to 80 but I'm skeptical for good reason. Even the die-hard New Yorkers are sick of it by now. During Winter, the common phrase I heard from natives was "well, it's better than being hot." Now, I hear, "this is ridiculous! It's Spring, already." Anyway, at least the sun's out today.

Haven't checked out any music recently but I have been buying CD's that are inspiring. The latest Kenny Garrett entitled "Standard of Language" is excellent. Much like his 1998 release "Song Book," Kenny and a strong band rip through a set of originals minus one standard (What Is This Thing Called Love). I still think Kenny, Joe Lovano, Branford and Mike Brecker are the unique individuals on the saxophone these days. Kenny has such an intense sound and his harmonic conception is so modern yet rooted - really outstanding.

Other titles I've been checking out recently: Art Tatum, The Complete Capitol Vol. I; Jimmy Smith, Home Cookin'; Medeski, Martin and Wood, Combustication; Kenny Dorham, Una Mas; John Coltrane, Live at Birdland.

03.21.03

Live jazz

The best thing for me about living in NYC is the great live jazz I'm afforded on a weekly basis. About three weeks ago, I saw Joe Lovano with Kirk Lightsey (p), Rufus Reid (b) and Victor Lewis (d) at the Village Vanguard. Joe was headlining the famous club with "A Tribute to Dexter Gordon" as the theme for the weeklong stint. I caught both shows on the eve of February 26 and was delighted to hear the most formidable jazz man on tenor saxophone swing favorites from Dexter's library all night. Joe is THE man on sax these days. No other player has the sound, soul or concept of this mighty talent. In addition, he has a warm, welcoming presence on stage that most of the younger players these days have seemingly abandoned or just ignore. Many a show I've attended where chorus after chorus is spewwed out by a highly technical wiz kid who almost dares you to understand what he or she is playing - not that they care what you think, anyway. Not Joe. His stage is immediately warm and inviting and the club, it holds an atmosphere that is pure jazz. His sidemen had all played with Dexter at some point in their career and the camaraderie was evident. Mr. Lovano even humored me and took some questions for a review I hope to finish and publish soon. He answered all of my questions thoroughly and embraced my enthusiasm for the music. I left the evening inspired and convinced that the music is in great hands with this amazing talent.

Last week, I went to see the venerable Roy Haynes at the Blue Note. Mr. Haynes is jazz royalty and one of the few remaining elders of a bygone jazz age. He has played with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Chick Corea to name but a few. Mr. Haynes turned 78 last Thursday but to the eye, he looks no older than 58. Still spry and still very much a force behind the drums, Roy was joined by Josh Redman, Dave Kikoski (p) and Scott Colley (d). Josh, he of jazz blue blood himself, now hails from San Francisco while the rhythm tandem make their home in the Big Apple. I am a fan of Mr. Redman's but I have to say the set I saw that eve was just OK. They played mostly standards and the music was well executed but hardly inspiring. It was my impression that the band had never really played together before and it showed. Mr. Haynes was the highlight as his drums snapped and crashed with fire through the entire set. The Blue Note, in my estimation, is possibly the worst club to see music at in the world. It has the name but little else. The decor is left over from the Miami Vice era what with slanted mirrors and carpet on the wall and the expense is hardly worth the trip. I had two drinks and left the club $81.00 poorer. The management has always been rude, the chairs cramped and uncomfortable, and the waitresses are always interrupting the music. I have never had a pleasant experience at the Blue Note, even when playing there, and I doubt I will ever go there again.

02.24.03

The Grammys and the state of music

Norah Jones, the heretofore unheard of daughter of Ravi Shankar, walked off with 8 Grammy awards for her debut album last night. Her record Come Away With Me on Blue Note sold over 6 million copies last year. It's amazing to think that just last winter, she was waiting tables at a local, eastside restaurant. We happen to know the songwriter, Jesse Harris, who wrote most of the songs on the record. Jesse and a couple of the other musicians who play on Norah's record run in the same circles as Amy and her band so needless to say, we're very excited that Norah was a big winner. Amy's CD is due out soon and we are hoping for similar successes for her. Who knows, right? I can tell you the CD sounds great and any record company would be a fool not to take a chance. Speaking of chances . . .

Did you know that Blue Note records (a division of Sony-EMI) is and has been the most prestigious label for jazz music over the last 50 or so years? Blue Note's catalogue features a who's who of instrumental music including famous CD's by John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and the like. Apparently, jazz isn't selling that well (sarcastic comment) so on a whim, they signed a woman who sang songs that could easily be catagorized as singer-songwriter to see if they could generate some revenue. Boy, did they. Word is, Norah single handedly saved the label. If you've heard the record, I guarantee you that none of the major pop labels would have signed Norah. Her sound is much to subtle and understated. This brings me to an interesting point. As a jazz musician, I lament the fact that Blue Note is clearly no longer the hardcore jazz label it was, turning to pop and other pop-jazz acts to fuel the bottom line. Yes, they call Norah's music "jazzy" but it's more country than jazzy. I think the writing has clearly been on the wall for a few years now that the music that I call jazz is sinking to its demise with concrete shoes to the bottom of the East River. This depresses me. On the other hand, Norah's music is refreshingly honest and sincere. She is the antidote to all the pop, hip-hop, rap schlock that has been streaming out of the major labels recently. She busts open the doors for all those very talented, truly deserving musicians who have been toiling under the radar for years to produce some type of music with integrity. She's a down-to-earth person who doesn't do dance moves with her posse of 50 onstage. She sings about the ocean and the moon and love with words that are highly crafted and intelligible. Her music makes Eminem look like a kindergarten thug - exactly what he always has been and always will be. Music is supposed to enlighten and transform, not intimidate and incite. So there's the rub for me. Had it not been for Blue Note, maybe we never hear from Norah Jones and maybe the music industry doesn't make the paradigm shift they clearly made last night. So what I'm driving at is, if jazz has to take a back seat so real music can flourish again, so be it. I'm glad Blue Note took the chance. Maybe other labels will do the same.

Speaking of jazz, I read an amazing article on Wynton Marsalis online today. Check out this link: http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/03/hajdu.htm. Let me know what you think because I think it is an amazing article about the state of jazz today that uses everybody's favorite touchstone, Wynton. The crux of the article deals with the decades old fight between what is seen as the neo-classicist camp that Wynton embodies and the "jazz-is-for-now-please-don't-kill-it-by-institutionalizing-it-Wynton-you-asshole" camp that many club owners and musicians like Bob Brookmyer personify. If you are interested in the state of jazz, I recommend you read the whole article. It's lengthy, but worth it. Here is a quote that I think is a very astute observation by the author:

"In seeking to elevate the public perception of jazz and to encourage young practitioners to pay attention to the music's traditions, Marsalis put great emphasis on its past masters—particularly in his role as director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Still, he never advocated mere revivalism, and he has demonstrated in his compositions how traditional elements can be referenced, recombined, and reinvented in the name of individualistic expression. "It's a mistake when people say about Wynton that what he's doing is recapitulating the past," Gerald Early says. "I really think that what he's doing is taking the nature of that tradition and really trying, in fact, to add to it and kind of push it forward." But record executives came away with a different message: that if the artists of the past are so great and enduring, there's no reason to continue investing so much in young talent. So they shifted their attention to repackaging their catalogues of vintage recordings. Where the young lions saw role models and their critics saw idolatry, the record companies saw brand names—the ultimate prize of American marketing. For long-established record companies with vast archives of historic recordings, the economics were irresistible: it is far more profitable to wrap new covers around albums paid for generations ago than it is to find, record, and promote new artists."

02.18.03

Martian Landscape

Ever seen NYC after a blizzard? I have. It's not that pretty. Imagine 6ft piles of snow with garbage. Man, I've never seen anything like it. Small paths carved in the sidewalks so people can walk. Mountains of snow at crosswalks. Black sludge with mysterious depths. I think this winter is my last.

02.16.03

Fear and Loathing in New York

I've got my duct tape and plastic all ready to go. Thanks to Tom Ridge, I now know exactly what to do when whatever is supposed to happen, happens. It's nuts up here, as you can imagine. I have convesations with people about buying gasmasks. But at least I have a sense of humor about it, too. Chances are, if something hits New York, I'll be ok. But hey, you never know. You really never know, do you? I mean, who would've guessed 9/11/01? I could have been there. It's not that far of a stretch to think I may have landed a job at the World Trade Center. It's also not a stretch that someone could blow up a building in Oklahoma or take a gun to school and shoot a bunch of people. It is truly a brave new world. I'm over holing myself up in the apartment and way into doing everything and anything you ever wanted to do with your life. No one is ever promised tomorrow.

Man, I wish it would stop snowing and being like, freakin 12 degrees and stuff. I feel like I live in Siberia. I'm mean, I'm from a climate where it freezes maybe once or twice a year so I am really tired of the cold stuff. I guess were supposed to get a foot of snow tonight and the temp today hasn't been over 25 or so. The cool thing is that 35 degrees is now a version of warm that I really never knew before.

02.11.03

Chinese New Year

Spent all day Sunday in Chinatown celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year is the year of the ram - or sheep or goat, our friend John Ko tells us. In Chinese, there is only one word for these animals so I guess you can take your pick. We started the day having dim sum with John, his brother Will, and their mom, dad and sister. John and Will are 1st generation Chinese-Americans whose parents came from China in 1969. At dim sum, John's mother and sister gave us a red envelope with money in it. This is a Chinese tradition to give money for a prosperous new year. We had chrysanthumum tea, chicken feet, beef tripe and other assorted delicacies. From the restaurant, we walked around Chinatown and John's mother gave us an informal tour of her neighborhood. Along the way, we were surrounded by throngs of people who were all wearing red for good luck. We saw parts of parades, colorful flags, confetti and an amazing martial arts demonstration. Perhaps the coolest thing we saw were troops of people following the dancing lion. Two people fit into the lion costume which has a large, colorful head and body. The lion is accompanied by drums, firecrackers and confetti as he stops at storefronts to ward off evil spirits for the coming new year. Some stores hang a head of lettuce, sometimes bagged with oranges, that the lion dances up to, consumes, then tosses out to the audience. This offering to the lion gives good luck to the store for the entire year. After about 8 hours in Chinatown, we headed back to Brooklyn with a new sense of Chinese culture. Thanks to John Ko and his family for wonderful hospitality and an inside look to the Chinese identity in New York.

02.04.03

Random Thoughts on Music, Space Travel and War

Had a gig last night at the C Note - a little, funky dive in the East Village where Coltrane once played. I don't know if the club was in the same spot then, but hey, I guy can dream can't he? I played with a group called Elephunk - yea, baby. A little big band of sorts with the following instrumentation: tenor, tpt, alto, bari, guitar, keys, bass, and drums. We played funky jazz arrangements and a couple of originals and I had a lot of fun. I almost forgot what the word "gig" meant. Heather Bennett, and Austin ex-patriot who moved to NYC about 5 1/2 years ago, called me for the job. I recently got in touch with her again and I'm glad that I did. I played a session over at her house a few weeks ago and she's sounding great. Her fourth CD is due out soon and it seems she's really settled herself in NYC. I've also scheduled and played a few sessions myself recently and generally have been playing out a bit more which is good. My hat is off to those who come here and stick it out. I'll tell you, it isn't easy - even if you have a gig and keep a high profile, etc. etc. It's just a flat out struggle to keep it together here. I don't see how cats do it for 10, 20, 30 years - I really don't. I guess I'm a southern boy at heart.

Our country has lived through another tragedy. I woke up Saturday and flipped on the TV just as the first reports were coming in about the space shuttle Columbia. Needless to say, it was a depressing day as we once again revisit those familiar feelings of sadness and loss. I have a strong sense that although nobody wants to face death, perhaps this is a fitting way for these heroes to pass on - doing what it is they loved to do. I'm amazed that humans have the capacity to overcome the overwheming odds and accompanying fear to travel in space. What an incredible feeling it must be.

In the face of this tragedy, we explore the real possibility of going to war. I for one abhor the thought and pray that cooler heads prevail. I'm not optimistic. How is killing people going to change anything for the better? I just don't see the rationale. Who really believes that Hussein is any more of a threat than North Korea or even China for that matter? Why does Bush have this holy crusade-like attitude about Iraq? It's the oil, it's the oil, it's the oil. End of story. We'll kill innocent people to control their oil reserves. Oh, they say it's about the human rights, they say it's about the stability in the region, they say it's about terror - but we know it's all about the oil. I've called the White House and expressed my dissent and I hope that all of you voice your opinion also.

Puerto Rico

1.25.03

Went to Puerto Rico last week for 5 days of fun in the sun. Great time to get out of NYC - terrible time to come back to NYC. We've just come out of a stretch of 14 days below freezing. Today, it got to a balmy 35 degrees. Wait, though - there's more. Monday's high will be in the teens and the low will be in the single digits. Night before last, it hit zero. That's degrees, not celcius. I hate the cold. I'd rather fry my brains out in the Texas heat any old day of the week. Unless, of course, I'm on the slopes in Taos but that's not happening any time soon. What did happen was I really enjoyed my 5 days in paradise. The Puerto Ricans were very friendly and the beach and nightlife were a lot of fun. We took in some sun and surf (blue, Carribean waters) and toured the Old San Juan district which reflects the history of Spanish rule on the island. An amazing fort, El Morro, sits at the head of the island and helped the Spanish secure the Carribean for many, many years. All in all, a great trip and I promised myself some type of vacation once a year.

01.12.03

The Road Less Traveled

I feel like I should have been born around 1935. Yesterday's JazzMobile workshop was hosted by Mr. Ira Jackson, one of the thousands of older jazz musicians you've never heard of but has been there and done that. Mr. Jackson grew up in the heyday of Detroit's jazz music scene going out nightly to hear Elvin Jones, Tommy Flannagan, Donald Byrd, Barry Harris and countless others who were local jazz musicians in Detroit and went on to gain world wide recognition as jazz masters. After we played a bit, Mr. Jackson talked for about 2 hours about the golden age of jazz (50s and 60s) relating personal stories about John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Barry Harris, et al. Mr. Jackson lamented about today's music scene telling me in particular that NYC's jazz scene was the worst he had seen it ever. "This is the worst time to move to NYC as a musician, man. There aren't any gigs and the gigs there are, pay $25. Now who can afford to do that?" Tell me about it. Mr. Jackson described a time not so long ago in Harlem where every joint had live music and you could get a gig just by meeting other musicians and telling them you played jazz. "There was a real community, a network, and you could actually get paid to play," he said. "Then, if a club paid lower than Union scale, cats wouldn't play and the club would either have to pay or face going out of business. These days, there are so many musicians here that will play for virtually no pay, the clubs know they can hire good musicians for nothing." Mr. Jackson also provided some insight about how the music used to be passed on from seasoned veteran to young gun for absolutely nothing. "The older cats learned from their idols so they felt it was their obligation to pass it along. After gigs, before gigs, at sessions, the older cats were always there telling you how to phrase, what notes are right or wrong, what the changes really were. They did it for free, man - they wanted to pass along the information." More than anything I've learned musically at the JazzMobile, these 1st hand stories about the history of the music are absolutely invaluable. These stories give me a sense of how the music is supposed to be played and really when you hang out with these elders who have been there, you do get a sense of the JOY they have inside, no matter their circumstance, because they love the music. They absolutely love to play it, talk about it, and share their history. These guys are treasures, providing information you'll never find in any text book. One of the main reasons I came to NYC was to seek out these stories so that when I play jazz and teach jazz, I know that what I'm playing and teaching is real. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

01.01.03

Gangs of New York

Saw the new film by Martin Scorsese which I enjoyed. Daniel Day-Lewis puts on a tour-de-force of acting that is a sheer joy to watch. The Gangs of New York is a fictional story surrounded by the real-life story of the events leading up to and including the riots that gripped New York City after the draft was declared for the Civil War. Scorsese focuses primarily on the Irish immigrant story told through Leonardo DiCaprio and his archrival "The Butcher" played by a scary Daniel Day Lewis. Scorsesce only briefly touches on the barbaric racism that gripped African-Americans and the country at this time by including an African American in the Irish Tribe DiCaprio leads. Scorsese focuses more on the racism the Irish were subjected to by the Natives or Sons of the Revolutionary War. To the Natives, the Irish were lower on the ladder than the African and Scorscece does an amazing job of relating that story. Perhaps the epic would have been far too long to try and tell the African-American story as it related to the Irish story but as far as what I've read, the African-American and the Irish didn't really hang out that much then. From what I can tell in NYC now, the same pretty much holds true.

Weird NYC stuff set in this A.M. I had to go to the Brooklyn Supreme Court building today to ask for a postponement of my jury duty. I call a car service and hop in the car around 7:45 A.M., sipping a coffee from my favorite french bistro. As I'm waking up and adjusting to my new surroundings, my driver asks me "another grueling day, right? You're a lawyer, right?" I replied to him that no, I'm on my way to postpone jury duty. So he asks me "Where are you from? I gotta teach youse how to do it around here, I guess." (Imagine the typical Italian-New York accent). I told him Texas and we exchange typical football guy talk about the 'Horns and at least Chris Simms won one big game, etc. etc. and he says "Yeah, I tells 'em I'm from Bensonhurst and they say 'ok', 'bye-bye', 'no jury duty for you', no whatimean, pal?"

At this point I'm tripping out because I do know what he means and I'm making a big connection from the movie and it seems a little eerie that I have a racist second generation Italian-American driving me to the courthouse. "Yeah," he says, "in my neighborhood we just string 'em up - any blacks looking at white girls - and we just string 'em up. Priests keep their dicks in their pants in my neighborhood 'cause we'd cut their balls off in my neighborhood. Kids and ladies walk the street any time of night. Knowwhatimean, pal?"

"Uh, yeah ?" I say.

"So where do you work?"
"At a publishing company but I'm really a saxophonist"
"And a real Southern Gentleman, too, I bet."
"My mom raised me right."
"I bet they string em up down there, too, right?"
"Not in Austin."
"That's right, you're left. Park Slope is way left. I bet other cities in Texas aren't left."
"Uh, yeah, they're pretty central."
"So you're not gay?"
"No, the wife and I moved up a few years ago."

At this point I really don't want to be in the car anymore but I'm pretty much trapped.

I ask Mr. Really Scary Car Man if he'd seen Gangs of New York. He said no, he wasn't into that shit. I said it was pretty interesting, the whole Irish-Catholic immigrant thing. He then asks me my ethnic background to which I tell him Irish-German. At the mention of German he gets all serious and talks in a more respectful tone.

"Ah, Bavaria. Beautiful place. Are you Bavarian? When I visited my family in northern Italy, (we have family from the south, too) I made a trip up to Bavaria and the people were so nice. I've got lederhosen and the hat and everything." Wow. Now I'm really tripping because this guy is a true white supremacist who is way off into the German "pure race" thing. Luckily, we get to the courthouse and I thank him for the ride and quickly get on my way. To imagine that an individual like that still lives today in modern America is truly frightening. 150 years is not so long ago, it seems.

12.30.02

Christmas in Texas

Was great as always. Ate way too much food but loved seeing the folks and relaxing with friends. The weather was unreal (in the 70s) so the return to NYC was a brisk shocker. Back to the grind today which was no fun but after a few days should be OK Having Wednesday off will help ease the transition. No big plans for New Year's eve except for enjoying Amy's company.

Before leaving for Texas, I had my first experience with Mr. Charles Davis and the Jazzmobile workshop. It was grueling but educational. From 11am-2:30pm we talked and played jazz. There are 3 other saxophonists in the class with me so there was ample time for Mr. Davis to give us each individual instruction. We talked about the dominant scale and the corresponding harmony, the major scale, the minor scale, the half diminished scale, the b5 scale, the double diminished scale and the whole tone scale. His theory is harmony comes from scales so you need to know your scales. We played "Dig" by Miles Davis and "Dexterity" by Charlie Parker. Most illuminating was the discussion of the dominant scale and corresponding harmony. We also reviewed "turnbacks" (turnarounds) and substitutions for said turnbacks. Mr. Davis has played with Kenny Dorham, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, and Sun Ra to name but just a few.

I also participated in the coolest jam session Sunday after Jazzmobile. It was at a new bar close to where I live in Brooklyn called Barbes. It is run by a very nice cat who welcomes everyone to play. You can play when you know the tune and no vibe if you don't. The first session of the welcoming kind I've experienced since moving to NYC so I'm sure to participate again. I played some rhythm changes, Dolphin Dance, Moment's Notice, S'wonderful, and I Hear A Rhapsody. 6 times the amount of tunes I've played at other sessions in the city.

12.08.02

Jazz Deaths

Bob Berg, tenor saxophonist extraordinaire, passed away this weekend after his car collided with a cement truck. This snowy weather is said to have played a part in his death. Mal Waldron, the great pianist who penned "Soul Eyes" (one of my very favorite songs) passed away this weekend as well. Berg's death is certainly tragic as he was only 51. Waldon, a life-long smoker, lived a full life (78) and died of cancer after a brief illness. Though not as shocking as Berg's death, I was taken aback by Waldron's passing simply because I saw him in good health playing at the Blue Note about one year ago. I was actually on my way to see Amy play at a club on Bleeker St. and when I passed by the Blue Note, Mal was standing outside the club, by himself, smoking a cigarette. I instantly recognized him and said, "Hey, you're Mal Waldron and you wrote 'Soul Eyes' ". He nodded and smiled and I then said, "Wow, that is an amazing song. Thank you for your music." He replied, "your welcome," and I went on my way thinking to myself that I should make a concerted effort to see him play. Life rolls on.

12.05.02

White Out

Well, the first snow of the year hit the city and it came with a bang. They're predicting about 6 to 8 inches in the city and I can tell you from walking around in it that about 4 inches have fallen already and it doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon. Last year, we had one snowfall and it didn't even stick. If the snow and cold weather are any indication, it's going to be a long, cold winter this year. I don't believe I've ever seen it come down quite like this, being a Texas boy and all.

Went to check out Orrin Evans at the Jazz Standard. Orrin placed 2nd in the Monk piano competition the year Eric Lewis won and he was at the club with Ralph Bowen and some others I've never heard of. Orrin is an accomplished pianist and all the players with him played well enough, but I wasn't really inspired by the group. NYC fosters an extremely competitive atmosphere so there are lots of great players but rarely have I heard a band or group sound. Often, composition and melody is eschewed for long solos and even longer group jams.

11.26.02

Music, music, music.

Checked out Toshiko Akiyoshi's band at Birdland a week ago Monday. I then heard some young cats at the Rising Cafe playing some straight-ahead bebop on Thursday and finished last week with Fred Hersch at the Jazz Standard with Kenny Wheeler and Mark Turner on Sunday. Tonight, Eddie Palmieri is playing at the BlueNote so I'll be down there checking that out. Man, it's rough getting to hear all this great live music but I guess I'll make it. I was very happy to see one of my ex-students playing with Toshiko. Wil Swindler is in the loop to sub for that band which is fantastic. Hopefully, he can join the band one day.

Happy Thanksgiving.

11.16.02

Steve Coleman + 5 Elements

Went to see Steve Coleman and his band and the Jazz Gallery this past week. Whoa. Steve Coleman has been doing his thing his way for about the last 15 years and it just keeps getting more and more refined. The instrumentation was drums, 2 electric bassists, trumpet, alto sax, and harmonica. The music is very rhythmically based and the harmonic/melodic content is at times twelve-tone but there are melodic motives that run through the tunes. It is very difficult to describe the music - it is a terse, densly-packed sound that is somewhat difficult to digest but has a visceral quality that makes you want to listen. I felt pretty overwhelmed after the show and left with many impressions. The music makes you think about what your definition of music is - what is melody? what is rhythm? what is form? I didn't like everything I heard but I was amazed at the concept and was particularly impressed with Steve's alto playing. No one in the world sounds like this guy.

Went and auditioned for the Jazzmobile workshop series on Saturday. I fought the weather (cold, rainy, windy) and made my way all the way up to Harlem to PS 197 on 135th and 5th ave where the registration process was happening. After filling out a short theory test, I played for one Mr. Charles Davis who is from the old school. Mr. Davis has played with Sun Ra, Duke Ellington, Kenny Dorham, Frank Sinatra and Illinois Jaquet to name but a few. After having me play a few scales and a tune of my choice, he accepted me to the advanced group and we'll be meeting every Saturday for about 17 weeks. I don't know exactly what to expect but I look forward to learning as much as possible.

My friend and ex-student Wil Swindler is substituting in Toshiko Akiyoshi's big band at Birdland on Monday night. Congrats to Wil! This is certainly a feather in his cap and could really lead to some great things for his career.

11.08.02

ALREADY NOVEMBER? Damn, we're screaming towards Christmas again. Listening to Josh Redman's latest CD, I'm inspired 'cause it is real good. Brian Blade and Sam Yahel play trio with Josh and they all sound great. Although Josh is removed from the NYC scene (I've been here 3 years and I think he's played the Vanguard once), he's still got a great feel for what is happening in music these days. The son of Dewey Redman, who made some soulful music with Keith Jarrett, Josh carried the "young lion" mantle for awhile (as I guess any jazz musician under 30 who achieve success will invariably be) but with this record, to me at least, he is clearly starting to give chase to the throne held currently in triumvirate by Lovano, Garrett, and Marsalis. Elastic is the name of the CD and it features very cool tunes and very organic, hip improvising with heart and sophistication to boot. Yahel is a local boy who has put in some years in the NYC scene. Brian plays with his trio at Small's but I've yet to catch it. Now on the must see list. Of course, Brian's CD's are certainly some of the best music happening in jazz recently. Some good music to be heard over the next week and I need to catch some of it.

Standing on 5th ave and 53rd St on a Friday afternoon is not really my idea of fun but I had a coffee break today (working 40 hrs these days) and stepped back to enjoy my view. It was a comfortable 60 degrees with a slightly chilly breeze, but if you had a jacket and a scarf, not to mention deli coffee, you were set for a nice caffeine groove. The sun was out and I smiled to myself as I watched the mixture of locals and tourist collide. If you've never been to New York, as many I've seen clearly haven't, you must take time to avoid the fast moving people on cell phones almost always dressed in some form of black or grey. They don't like to move out of the lane they are in and will most certainly run into you and cast you a "get the f*ck out of my way" glance. You gotta problem with that? Good.

After chuckling awhile at the people who were clearly having fun (tourists) and working stiffs like me just trying to get home at the end of the day, I realized what a New York insider I've become. I know the city pretty well - it's moods and it's colors. I'm apart of a very dynamic and extremely complex society. I work at HarperCollins, which is one of the biggest publishing companies in the world (owned by NewsCorp) and do a good job there. I'm part of a team that's responsible for publishing hundreds of books and I've only made a few mistakes along the way. It has been an incredible learning experience to see how the publishing industry works from the inside and for the most part, it has been a very positive experience. It has made me want to write a book. Unfortunately, it has taken up too much time and energy for me to truly try to pursue playing at night. I feel pretty caught right now between the comfort of the job and the risk of trying to play music. It is a risk. Even the most successful musicians take it every time they perform or record. I'm improving but not playing is very tough. My first year here, I kind of needed it as I feel I was pretty burned out of the survival scene most musicians have to adopt as a way of life. When I got the gig with Maynard I though, "allright, this is the start of me entering music again on my terms" but unfortunately it hasn't happened that way. I'm pretty sure if things continue on like this through next year, I'll have to find a different way to approach it. What is good is I'm inspired and practicing.

10.31.02

Happy Halloween

Halloween is a little different up here. The kids still get dressed up but they go from storefront to storefront, not door to door - at least in our neighborhood. They start around 3pm and are done by nightfall - no night time tricksters. There are also parades. The famous, West Village Halloween Parade and then other neighborhood ones like ours that happens on 7th Ave. All the dogs and their owners get dressed up and walk down the street. Halloween parades.

Had a great visit to Texas over the weekend to see our friends Trish and Ty get married. It was an amazing wedding and an amazing time. I miss Austin but I know it is in my future so I'm gonna be patient. Haven't had the time or the inspiration to work on much music these days as I've been slammed at work. On a cool note, the book I designed Sandy Koufax, A Lefty's Legacy reached number 4 on the New York Times Bestseller list recently.

10.16.02

Mike LeDonne and Eric Alexander

Saw these cats last night at Smoke, one of the cooler jazz spots in town that has jazz 7 nights a week. Mike is an outstanding pianist/organist and Eric is one of the tough young tenors on the scene right now. They each have CD's out and play and straight-ahead, hard-bop style that I enjoy and is very accessible to most people who have heard even a little bit of jazz. Mike holds down a regular Tuesday nite organ gig at Smoke and they play originals, standards, etc. I stayed for a set, introduced myself and caught a ride back to Brooklyn. Although I'm not playing, it helps to hear live jazz to keep the creative side flowing.

Man, I wish they'd catch this sniper already. Very scary stuff. It's not like we don't have enough to worry about already. This person is obviously very smart and is clearly a trained assassin. Why can't we catch him? Why can't we catch Osama Bin Laden? Why are we jacking around with Iraq?

10.12.02

Yikes

After three years of traveling on the subway, I thought I had seen it all - crazies, troubadours, regular folk - but yesterday pretty much redefined what to expect on the train. We were riding from the Smith/9th St station to the 4th ave station when there was an explosion right outside the car I was in. Sparks flew, smoke billowed and the lights went out briefly while passengers exchanged somewhat puzzled looks. A funny thing about New Yorkers - nothing fazes them. The damn train was ON FIRE and people are sitting there, reading the paper, sipping their coffee, and generally acting as if the train catches fire every day. By the time we pulled up to Jay St, I hopped right off the train (as did a few others) and told the conductor that there were flames shooting from underneath the train. Not until then, when the conductor made an announcement to get off the train, did most people realize that it was probably a good idea to get off the blazing train from hell.

On the music front, not much happening. What's new? I have been practicing, writing and transcribing Speak No Evil so I'm improving but I haven't had a chance to play at all. I really miss playing live but I'm patient and I'm doing the best I can do everyday so I'm not going to heap a bunch of expectations on myself. I've been talking to a lot of musicians around the country recently and the feeling I get is it's really slow all over. The economy and the impending war with Iraq surely can't help so just keep your eyes on the prize and keep working hard on your goals.

9.24.02

Branford at the Bottom Line

Got to check out Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Eric Revis at the Bottom Line, a small club in the Village last Thursday. I was so close, I could untie Branford's shoes if I wanted to. Not kidding. They played A Love Supreme in its entirety, a slow, funky tune and a medium blues. Branford showed me why he, Kenny Garrett, and Joe Lovano are the cream of the crop. I like Mintzer and Brecker too and there are many, many other great saxophonists alive today (including Wayne Shorter who I put into a different category - living legend) but for my money, those first three guys are it. Speaking of Kenny Garrett, I got to check him out for free in Battery Park on Saturday. Just stumbled across it after touring the World Trade Center site. One of the many wonderful things about New York is you don't know what you will stumble upon day to day. I didn't even know Kenny was playing that day, let alone for free and my friend Ty and I hopped out of a cab on the way to the Staten Island Ferry (great free view of the Statue of Liberty) and heard the strains of Giant Steps floating through the air. I immediately heard who it was and we walked over to check out a tune by the outer gate. Much to our surprise, we found the entrance protected by the usual bag searchers but no ticket takers. As we waltzed to the second row (Clarkesville style - everyone was sitting on blankets or those cool little foldable chairs which are perfect for grassy knolls) Kenny and a group of young NY guns were killing it playing all originals sans the nod to Trane. After the free set, we hopped the Ferry to watch the sun set on the Statue of Liberty.

Branford, Tain, Joey and Eric were seriously swinging. Although I would have preferred a set of Branford originals, they smoked A Love Supreme. Tain and Branford have a special bond - kinda like Elvin and Trane. Dissimilar styles, exciting end product. The concert was really a tour de force for Branford and Tain, kind of like what I imagine Trane and Elvin were like together though I suspect their spiritual connection may have been deeper. Joey was amazing though he was forced to played fortississimo (as loud as possible) because of the material. His range as a musician wasn't fully explored since there were no ballads and after listening to Tain and Branford you could see why the piano layed out a lot in Trane's Impulse stuff (and live stuff) and also see why it became more of a percussion instrument in Trane's later stuff. I'm not saying Branford is the next Trane cause Branford has already established himself as a major force in the jazz scene today, but his technique and tone are the best I've heard from him. He also swung like Lester Young on the last medium blues and nailed every last change and was super soulful to boot. I introduced myself to him after the show (I gave him a bloody lip in Austin the last time I saw him in 1991 during an impromptu after-the-show basketball game but I didn't want to remind him of that) and told him I sent my material to his A&R guy at Branford and Ellis' new record label. I saw Ellis in February during the jazz fest in which I opened for him and he didn't tell me about the label but he did mention his extreme dissatisfaction with the record industry (Sony). He commented the only thing he ever received from them was a bill for recoupable expenses. I then told Branford how great he sounded (obligatory fan comment) and left. He was very gracious and seemed sincere when he said he'd check out my material. New York is truly amazing in the access it provides not only to the artist's music but to the artist themselves. Tonight there is the start of a Hank Mobley festival at the Jazz Standard, one, of the cooler jazz clubs in town.

All the music is the plus side of NYC. The minus side is the cost, the trouble to get to the shows (tons o fun on the F train late night coming back to Brooklyn) and the early rise for the day job the next day. I'm grateful to have a day job that pays well but I sure wish I could play jazz full time for a living. Anyone else out there agree?

Listening to: Speak No Evil (#1 jazz record of all time), Duke Ellington and John Coltrane (Take the Coltrane), and Inner Urge (JoeHen is amazing on this CD which I just bought recently - what was I thinking?)

9.11.02

It's been a year. . .

And a lot has changed. We got up late today and watched some of the memorial activity and made our way into Manhattan to go to work. I don't think we were worried about another attack but of course it sits in the back of your mind. People's mood around the city varied from optimism to depression but most were solemn. After work, I watched some of Fox 5's coverage before turning off the TV for good to practice. I was about to get sad when I thought the best thing for me to do would be to surround myself with friends and talk things over. I shot an email to various folks and we all agreed to meet at Bar Reis, a cool Brooklyn hang down the street from where I live. Once there, we had a beer, talked about the state of the world and I think we all were feeling better about things though a general sense of alarm swept through us when talking about the impending attack on Iraq. By and by, 5 firefighters from the neighborhood stopped in and we ended up having a drink and some conversation with a few of them. It started off with lighthearted banter but one guy, whose name I'll withhold, started to spiral downward to a state of depression. Our new friend was rather intoxicated by the end of the evening but talked quite lucidly about the day that I fear will torment him for years to come. He broke down crying many times while he recalled those moments and there were moments where we offered encouragement and moments where there was nothing to say. That day, he was awakened by a phone call from his brother (also a firefighter) telling him to please check his scanner and meet him downtown. Not believing what he heard, he quickly raced to the scene via the Brooklyn bridge where he proceeded to jump on the pile and pull dead bodies out. His "brothers", other firefighters, were the first bodies they encountered and I'll spare you the grim details of the scene. He did happen to rescue a captain who was on the verge of dying but even this amazing act of bravery could not help the overwhelming feeling of guilt he had. He felt as if he should have been dead and even talked of killing himself many times while relating the story. We all insisted we needed him around so to please not consider that an option. We felt helpless as our firefighter friend cried and cried about the day he lost 40 friends and even more acquaintances but we also felt he needed to tell someone so we listened as he recounted his story for about an hour. Then, another firefighter came over and tried to lighten the scene but our guy wasn't having it. He eventually left and his buddy said that he's been known to do this on occasion and not to worry about him. Needless to say, his story will stick with me forever.

It isn't a great photo, but this is a shot of downtown from my apartment on that day, after we finally made it home.

9.01.02

Mingus Big Band

Finally went to Fez to check out the Mingus Big Band on Thursday nite. The band has been playing in NYC for years now and consistently wins "Best Big Band" from Downbeat magazine. The band is full of NYC heavyweights like Ronnie Cuber, John Stubblefield, Frank Lacy and on this particular night, John Hicks on piano. Other notables of the evening included Jaleel Shaw, Wayne Escoffery, Ryan Kisor and John Swana. I enjoyed the bands performance, albeit a little loose, but what else can you expect from the Mingus Big Band? I don't think Mingus' bands over the years could ever be considered "tight" like other combos or big bands. This was part of Mingus' soul, right? What I appreciated most was the fact that the band was dusting off some tunes they hadn't played in awhile and although the execution was sometimes lacking, the heart was always there - I never felt the band mailed in anything during the performance. I think as a listener, I appreciate a band that is always going for it and makes a few mistakes more than I appreciate a band that is super tight but lacks emotional intensity. After the show, I introduced myself to the bassist who was MC ing and gave him a brief history and said I would love to play with the group someday. He was very nice and told me that Sue Mingus approves all of the members and the best way to try and play was to talk to the sax section and see if one of them would let me sit in during the second set. I then introduced myself to Wayne Escoffery who's been playing lead tenor in the band for a couple of years now. Wayne is a great player and very nice guy who invited me to come back anytime so next time, I'll bring my axe and see what I can do.

Got a great email from saxophonist Tom Greisser in San Francisco today. Tom plays with quite a few bands in the Bay Area (nice gig scene) and had a lot of good things to say about jazz music today. I really love hearing from other musicians from around the country because it helps me to realize that I'm not the only one who is trying to carve out an identity in this world. As a musician, it is often difficult to keep taking that "road less traveled" and it strengthens my resolve when I hear from other people who are struggling with similar things that I am. It is also inspiring to see that there are many, many successful musicians who are "swimming upstream" and doing quite well. I've always believed that if you have a vision and place it in your heart, that you can make that vision happen.

8.20.02

My Practice Routine

A common question I get frequently is: "what do you practice?" My answer: see below.

My practice routine: 30min to 1 hour of flute practice, 30 min to 1 hour clarinet practice, 1 hour to 2 hours saxophone practice, 30 min to 1 hour composition/piano. Now I may not get to all of these things in one day but then again I may. Generally, no less than 2 hours per day and I always get flute and clarinet in because I'm trying to get my doubles together. This routine changes as I change my goals as a player. This is the most important advice I have to give. You must address what it is you want to improve about your playing and be very specific. Then, have a routine that addresses this and pursue it every day. This is the quickest way to achieving all of your goals musically and otherwise. Look at your weaknesses, be honest about them, and diligently (every day) work on them. Within the general framework of my practice, I have these elements that I apply to all instruments:

1. tone/intonation - I strive for a full tone that is even up and down the horn and is in tune up and down the horn. The easiest way I have found to improve this aspect of my playing is with long tones WITH A TUNER.

2. technique/vocabulary - Major/ minor (all forms) /diminished /whole tone/ etc. scales with a metronome set to 60. Vary the rhythm by starting on the beat and off the beat and with 1/8ths and triplets. After scales I try to practice vocabulary items. Now, by vocabulary items, I mean anything that I hear that I want to play. It could be a version of a Bird lick, part of a Monk tune, a lick from the Slonimsky thesaurus or a Trane lick that I like. Anything. The key is, making it your own by practicing it in all keys so it is effortless. Yes, at first, it will sound like you are "working in" a lick when you improvise but over time, it will become part of YOUR language. Now, I have distilled my vocabulary items thusly: blues, bop, and modern. I believe that jazz today should incorporate these elements. Your job is to find vocabulary items you like and incorporate them. Once you have an item, practice it like this: take it around all 12 keys in half steps, whole steps, min thirds, maj third, fourths, and tri tones. That way you have exhausted all the possibilities for that item. Many people just take it around in half steps but I believe it is more thorough approach to take it around this "root progression". Another key here is to vary the rhythm of the item. If it starts on the beat, practice starting it off the beat or if it's all 1/8 notes, make it into triplets. That way, you are practicing your rhythm as well. The key is to get your mind into a space that is conducive to improvising. It's like being a painter. We've all seen Van Gogh and can identify his "vocabulary" easily but what still astounds us is how he varied his language from painting to painting. Many great players (Bird, Trane, Miles) have their characteristic licks you always hear them play but WHERE THEY PLACE IT is what sets them apart. They have a language but they are truly improvising with it instead of regurgitating it - see the difference? This is obviously easier said than done but if you can get your mind into that space of always trying to play something different, this will help. Remember, I don't mean playing a totally new item that you miraculously come up with on the spot, rather, I mean how you put your sentences together is what will give you your sound. Here is another way to practice "improvising": Take your metronome and set it to about 120. Then, just start playing, making sure you are swinging with the time. Don't limit yourself to any changes, just play whatever comes to you naturally. Maybe an item you want to work on comes up. Develop that. Take one rhythm, say, quarter rest, quarter note, quarter rest, two eighths and play any notes you want, just stick to the rhythm. Develop that rhythm. Assign a specific interval to each note and take it around the root progression. Start to develop a phrase from this simple rhythm. See, when you hear Sonny Rollins, he's always relating what he's playing to what he just played. This is motivic development at its finest. He is more concerned with the rhythm of his improvisation than with the melody of his improv - rather - the melody is from his rhythm…make sense? I could go on, writing for hours on this subject but for now, this should be enough for you to chew on.

After vocabulary, number 3 in the practice routine is playing tunes/writing tunes. I'm to the point in my career where I really want to play my music so I'll work on my stuff - working out particular passages where the changes give me problems. Recently, I have been playing a lot of standards, too and monk tunes and bird tunes. The key here is to pick out a handful of tunes and work them over and over until they are totally digested. I would think you really don't know a tune until you play it for 3-6 months daily. Play it slow, play it fast, play it with others, play it only with a metronome. Play it play it play it. Memorize it. Make sure if you are learning a standard that you have a recording to reference. That way you can hear the right changes. This is also the time to work in whatever new items you are working on. Play only that item or the rhythm of that item over the whole tune many times. I usually play one tune for about 45 min so I can really get into it. My handful of tunes usually last me about one week. That's basically it for my practice routine.

Re: playing "outside" the changes is something I have been thinking about a lot recently. First, I'd like you to consider that there is no inside or outside. All notes are good. Even if you play all "wrong" notes, consider them "right". That way, you aren't judging yourself and consequently won't punish yourself for "wrong" notes played. This really helps people get over the concept of playing "inside" or "outside". When you hear someone play a lick purposefully "outside", say up 1/2 step from the key they are playing in, it sounds contrived, right? It's almost cliché to do that these days - play a lick, then take it up 1/2 step, then back down. Formula. This is ANTI jazz. First of all, you must define what it means to YOU to play "outside". Does it mean playing in a foreign key? Well, those are "wrong" notes, right. No! All notes are right. You see, there is no formula for playing what you hear. Coltrane made a science out of playing "outside" by drawing a crazy diagram with descriptions of how notes related to each other and he practiced this religiously. Giant Steps was his seed and by A Love Supreme, it had flowered. He discovered this - there was no formula - he played WHAT HE HEARD. So, my advice to you is: when playing inside or outside, always play what you hear instead of what you THINK may sound cool. Now, here's the key: you must have listened to so much music that your frame of reference is broad. That way, all notes ARE truly good. Another, more nuts and bolts approach is: modern music is generally constructed in fourths and fifths and more dissonant intervals like maj and min 7ths and 2nds. Bop and traditional vocabulary is based in thirds. This is a simplistic reduction but it is a starting point. Listen to McCoy Tyner and how he plays over various tunes. Over a standard, he will employ both thirds and fourths to give his sound a rooted yet contemporary approach. This is a tricky subject because it is highly subjective, like all music. However, I believe the key is playing what you hear.

8.16.02

Writing, practicing, playing part deux.

Since it is so damn hot, I stay inside most of the day at work then at home practicing and writing. Working hard on about 15 new tunes which are polishing up quite nicely. I'm in a solid direction now of finding my harmonic and melodic voice which feels good. Clarinet and flute are coming along as well. Exploring the notion of perfect pitch which many people think is god given (not learnable) but I think otherwise. Middle C to C in the staff pretty regular in the head these days with minor variations about a step up or down. Mind you, those are major variations but I seem to be on approximately 75% of the time. Perfect practice makes perfect. Got another email recently regarding my practice routine which I will outline in a later journal entry. I get these frequently and I love to respond to them because when you write down what is in your head, a clarifying of the concept occurs. Then those concepts create other concepts. The more you live in that other space, the more that other space becomes reality. Been checking out Brian Blade (Fellowship), Dave Douglas (Stargazer) and John Coltrane (Crescent).

8.01.02

Fun with trains

It's hot. Real hot. And I don't mean Texas hot where you can still breath when it hits 96. No, here when it hits 96 it feels pretty much like what I imagine hell would feel like. For fun, I like to hike down a tunnel say about 50 feet underground where it's about 20 degrees hotter and wait for a fabulous, un-air conditioned subway car. After work (1pm) on Wednesday, I hopped on the F train to make it to a doctor's appointment at 3pm. I figured I could make it back to Brooklyn, get some food and make to the doctor by 3, no problem. Well, 2 hours later I barely make it to the appointment after 2 hours in the NYC subway system. Oh well sure, the emergency brake gets pulled and you sit for 40 minutes with your fellow passengers then have to catch the F uptown and transfer to the A which you then take to downtown where you transfer to the 1 and then you make it to Brooklyn 2 hours later. Just one of many exciting and rewarding trips on MTA. Upon arriving at the doctor's office the official diagnosis: strained soleus muscle. Heating pad 2 or 3 times a day, Advil and light on the exercise. No real timetable for recovery so we got to wait it out. Could be worse, I could be the "Ed" star who got caught tonight smoking crack with homeless guy in Brooklyn.

Saw Kevin Hays with Seamus Blake (winner of T Monk sax competition this year) and was impressed by Kevin. Seamus was struggling playing only soprano since his tenor was broke but you could still hear flashes of a very talented musician. The drummer and bassist were outstanding and it was obvious they had played with Kevin many times. Kevin Hays really is an amazing talent.

7.24.02

Cool Email

"We increase the layers that we were originally trying to strip away and forget the simplicity inherent in the beingness not the doingness..." was the coolest sentence in one of the coolest emails I have received in some time. The sentence refers to our frequent inability as humans to get to the "core" of the issue - often muddying the waters when all along, we wanted to crystallize them. As an artist, one shouldn't be concerned as much with the technique as with the message. Now, I do believe practice and hard work are part of the equation but not at the sacrifice of inspiration. How do we "strip away the layers"? How can we become inspired? How do we remain inspired? Is our message complete?

7.13.02

Take a deep breath....

Then take another. Exhale slowly. Take another deep, deep breath and let it go slow. Repeat to yourself, "I am love. I am great. I am a master." Focus on clearing your mind. All thoughts of bills, due dates, and other priorities slowly slip from your conciousness as you enter "the space". Meditate for 10 to 20 minutes every day and focus on your goals. This is one of the messages of Effortless Mastery that is helping me right now. God knows, I'd like to shout some obscenities and get on my high horse 'cause the booking agent for Kavehaz booked someone else on August 3rd and 4th. I'm screwed. It's not that uncommon for a booking snafu to occur - it's happened before and it'll happen again - but this one takes on an extra unpleasantness. Musicians I've never worked with before now have a notion about how I book gigs - how can I call them again, even if I did get another one? Ah, how I love jazz. No money, no respect and now, no gigs! I know this isn't the worst thing that could happen - I have a beautiful life - but it sours you on the jazz life. Just as I thought I had some momentum going. . .

On a lighter note, the weather here has been fantastic - sunny but not too hot and very low humidity. Strange but I'll take it. Today, I'm celebrating my birthday with some friends at Bar Reis here in Brooklyn. On Thursday, I'm off to Yankee Stadium to check out the Bombers play the Tigers which will be fun 'cause its a day game. Day games are great - especially if the weather is nice. Beer, peanuts and good chit chat with my friends Jeff and Bekkah are on tap.

If you have a chance, go see my friend Wil Swindler's new website. Great player, great guy and a nice site to boot.

7.09.02

Happy Birthday to Me

Yo, I say its my birthday....gonna have a funky good time. Ahh, double 3... 33... a good luck number. I will accept all well-wishers and gift senders. It's been a fun ride and I've got a lot more ahead of me. Just got back from Tejas where I enjoyed myself immensely. Austin was great and the beach (Galveston) was oh so fine. Had a good gig at the Elephant with Brannen, Mike, and Eddie. Marvin "Smitty" Smith even dropped by and sat in for a couple of tunes. Next gig, Kavehaz on August 3 and 4. Started reading Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery which is very interesting. So far, he has been preaching the "quiet mind" techinique which is really a great tool if you can master it. Getting out of your own way and allowing the music of the subconcious flow. Heady stuff but worth revisiting especially when surrounded by neurotics in New York. More soon.

6.25.02

Coney Island

Went to Coney Island on Saturday for the first time to check out the Mermaid Parade. We actually missed the parade but caught the beach which was loaded with people but fun nonetheless. It has been hot since Saturday so I guess summer has officially arrived. Coney Island is the last stop on the F train (our train) so it is very convenient. If it is very hot this weekend, we will probably head down early on Saturday and be back in the afternoon in order to miss the crowds. You sometimes forget how close you are to the ocean living in this city.

Checked out the Vanguard Orchestra last night with special guest Joe Lovano. I also got to see my old teacher, Dick Oatts who plays lead alto in the band. They sounded great as they revisted a bunch of the tunes they used to play when Joe was in the band. The Village Vanguard is truly the best jazz club in the world and anyone who is a jazz fan simply MUST visit. It is a small club and they pack you in right on top of the band. I showed up an hour early and was close enough that if I wanted, I could touch Joe. The band blew the roof off the place (as usual) and Joe is Joe. One of the best saxophonists in the world. It speaks volumes to how tough it is here that Joe played with the band for 12 years, virtually unknown until his records with John Scofield in the early 1990's. It is inspiring and depressing that someone that talented was overlooked for so long. Inspiring because he never quit, depressing that it took so long. Got Dick's number and I'm going to hook up with him maybe for a lesson soon.

6.13.02

Practicing, playing, writing

Have been "in the woodshed" for the past couple of weeks. Averaging approx. 4 to 6 hours a day practicing, playing, and writing music. It feels good. Music can be a solitary business when you are in the state of mind I'm in right now. There isn't much room for much else in the brain. Notes, rhythms, and sounds pretty much push everything else out. Booked a gig at the Elephant room in Austin for July 4 so all y'all in my Austin crew come out and show your NYC boy some love. Let me just say, Austin is a beautiful place and will always be my home, no matter where I'm living. Barton Springs or Deep Eddy in the summertime - what's not to love? For those of you in NYC in August, I'll be playing Kavehaz at 8:30pm on August 3rd and 4th. Back to the shed!

5.26.02

Nightlife in Manhattan

Went out last night in Manhattan with good friends and had a great time. If you can afford it, Manhattan is one of the most fun places in the world. Our first stop of the night was in SoHo at Puck Fair, a younger crowd that reminded me of my college days. We met our friends for one drink and moved on to the Temple Bar which was an older, more sophisticated crowd (our style) but the service wasn't the greatest and one martini cost $12! Wow. We decided we could be a little less sophisticated so we moved on to Cibar which is just east of Union Square. A little less expensive and very nice ambiance. We hopped on the F train at the end of the night and made our way back to Park Slope having very much enjoyed our night out. The restaurants and bars in NYC are some of the best in the world so we like getting out and experiencing them as much as possible.

Saw a couple of former students over the last couple of weeks. Wil Swindler, who used to take lessons from me in Austin when he was still in high school, now lives in Manhattan. Wil was always super-dedicated even in high school and now is a fantastic alto player who is a writer/arranger in his own right. Stan Killian is another former student who was visiting NYC last week. He has recorded his own CD and has his own website (www.stankillian.com) and like Wil, an extremely dedicated individual. I was lucky enough in Austin to have many students, most all of whom were serious about the music and wanted to play for all the right reasons. It makes me feel a little old to see these guys out of school and playing professionally but it also makes me feel proud that I may have had an influence. It also is inspiring to see these musicians, who were at one time young musically, grow into great players/writers/arrangers, etc. At the risk of sounding corny, it gives me faith in the fu