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Merry Christmas!
I always remember that Christmas meal: gumbo, some type of barbecue, and stuff that was not made for Thanksgiving. Keep reading »
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Speech for The Century Association’s Monthly Meeting of Members
My great uncle was born in 1890. He was an artisan who cut the names and last statements of the deceased into their resting stones. I lived with him for the entirety of my 6th year and visited on many weekends. He taught me so many valuable lessons passed down from 'old folks sometime long ago' in stories, songs and folkways. My experiences with him saved me from falling into the generation gap. I return in my mind always to his shotgun house on Gov. Nicholls St. in New Orleans with its lack of hot water, 1930's appliances, and big super-cooling house fan. Keep reading »
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Red, Burnt Umber, and Gold
And let us reflect on Concord, New Hampshire and the 15th anniversary of the Capitol Center for the Arts. I love towns of the North East, especially in the fall. Colonial style houses, red, burnt umber (frank stewart's word), and gold leaves speckle the grass and are strewn about clean-cut streets. This cacophony of terra-cotta and yellow, frames the solitary majesty of trees in various states of undress starkly against the clear baby blue sky. Keep reading »
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Going out to vote
It’s 7:30am. I’m ironing a suit and going out to vote-looking at a worn stone my great uncle who was born in 1883 and died in 1982 carved, 'Don't be Discourage'. He was a stone worker for the cemeteries in New Orleans. I look at that when facing a seemingly futile proposition or a corruption so great, you feel paralyzed. Alphonse was his name. We called him Pomp. Keep reading »
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Happy Birthday Clifford
I became serious about playing the trumpet at age 12. My teacher was John Longo. At our first lesson he played two albums: the Chicago Symphony’s performance of Ravel-Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ (Adolph Herseth principal trumpet) and Clifford Brown with Strings. Keep reading »
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Happy Birthday Diz
I want to thank everyone for the beautiful birthday wishes. It was and is uplifting and each one was greatly appreciated and felt. Today is Dizzy Gillespie's birthday. Keep reading »
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Just Folks Talking
Listening to the 9 CD's of Mexican traditional music given to me by a hermano in Mexico City. Victor Alejandro Brian Avendano Ramos, who is driving, is telling me what region the music is from and what its function is. We joke about his 5 names. but that levity does not obscure the message. There are many styles and much depth in this music and in the art of Mexico. Now we are hearing a groove that sounds like New Orleans Indians with ritual flute playing. Before that was a most abstract-scratchy-violin-slightly out of tune-incantation about death (I think). Keep reading »
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We played twice yesterday in Mexico City
We played twice yesterday in Mexico City. Early in the morning we were greeted by 6,000 students for a Jazz for Young People concert. Keep reading »
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The profound power of a shared experience
Our Jazz for Young people concert at the Teatro Mella was enthusiastically received by an eager and engagingly attentive audience. Several students were invited on stage, including the very talented 12 year-old bongo player Dayrón Rodríguez. Keep reading »
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Visiting the National School of Music and Amedeo Roldan in Havana
Friday we visited two of Havana’s more established music conservatories, the National School of Music and Amedeo Roldan. Somehow the embargo didn’t stop the music because thee kids knew about jazz and could play…I mean PLAY! The reception was warm and soulful and the kids were attentive and anxious to learn. Ali, Carlos, Dan and Ted Nash joined me to demonstrate different aspects of the music. Keep reading »