The Guilty Pleasure

Jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins has probably played his last gig. Diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis (a debilitating disease that creates scar tissue on the lungs) is making it difficult for him to breath.  In a recent interview, this 87 year old jazz giant spoke about his career, and finding meaning in his work. Rollins life has … More Is It Creating The Music Or Listening To The Music That’s Important

Pretending to be something you’re not was the core of my childhood. I use to take long hours, outside pretending I was a famous dancer, private eye, and (yes) a tree doctor. I would find twigs on the ground, and run around my yard sticking them in the to the bark to take their temperatures. … More The Playful Skill of Sound and Word

I have heard jazz refereed to as a conversation.   A rhythmic repartee of sound and beat. When a group of musicians meets for the first time, they check each other out like a like dogs in an alley. They circle with curiosity, and sniff at each other with great circumspect. All the time their … More Speaking in Time

There is no shelf life on good music. In my industry, I hear that from my peers every day, and I believe it’s true. As for me, I spend a great deal of my time listening to music created over a century ago. I’m fascinated with it’s history, and how it’s evolved.  The question is, … More Yesterday and Today

crit·i·cal mass noun  the minimum size or amount of something required to start or maintain a venture: “a communication system is of no value unless there is a critical mass of users.” I am not a scientist, but I do enjoy facts about our planet, and all of it’s molecular wonder. I would never try … More When Critical Music Hits Critical Mass

I wish I would have said that. To have a mind that flowed so confidently with the understanding of a talent or skill that I could challenge everyone with the magic that was within; now that would be a gift. Those words were from Louis Armstrong. The truth is that jazz would have been born … More If You Have To Ask What Jazz Is, You’ll Never Know.