Happy Summer to you all! Hope it is filled with nice notes and some outdoor activity. The spring in New York has been beautiful this year. Not quite so hot as previous springs, and great dog walking weather. Also blueberries are in season! My favorite breakfast is granola with fresh blueberries, banana, and soy milk. Tasty, baby! Blueberries are rich in vitamin c and are one of the best antioxidants.

The Jackets just finished a month of work, and it was great to play every night. We hit Catalina’s in LA, Yoshi’s in Oakland, the Kumbwa in Santa Cruz, and the Triple Door in Seattle. The Triple Door is a relatively new spot for jazz which could turn into a really nice venue. It is part of a spectacular restaurant called Wild Ginger. It is a first class operation!

I’ve been home for a week or two, writing and listening to music for some inspiration. The writing is a constant source of joy and wonder. It is as if it takes on a life of its own, and it becomes up to me to jump on the train. I’ve been having a lot of fun. A little too much mumbling to myself, perhaps, but this is the nature of the beast. I have to remember to get out amongst the living and hang with people. It is doing this where I really get a chance to grow and bounce ideas off of others. Two musical works I have heard lately that are worth mentioning are Miguel Zenon’s CD Jibaro, and a Scarlati harpsichord piece arranged by Vincenzo Tommasini for orchestra called "Good Humored Ladies". Two different ends of the spectrum, but, never the less, both moving and creative works. Miguel’s music is really interesting as is his playing! His band really plays well together and is a joy to listen to. I heard him the other day on a live broadcast from WBGO, and he sounds as good live as on the CD. Really inspiring music!

The Scarlatti piece is a late baroque piece that is exquisitely written. The melodies are gorgeous, and the orchestration is brilliant! This piece has a serious amount of soul and heart. A real stand-out for that time period. I have the version by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Louis Lane (Sony Classical).

There is so much great music out there. I recently heard Hank Mobley on WBGO with Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. It just doesn’t get any better than that for that kind of thing. Then I turned on WKCR and heard Peter Brotzmann taking it all the way out on his tenor saxophone. Wonderful!

KEEP AN OPEN MIND. CHECK OUT NATURE AND YOUR SURROUNDINGS AT ALL TIMES. BE VIGILANT! THINK ABOUT OTHERS MORE THAN YOURSELF. PLAY THE BLUES!!!