2024-09-28 update: I still remember how stressed my dad was the morning he drove me to college 37 years ago. He must have been experiencing the same insane mix of pride, joy, loneliness, and sadness I described in this post. The day I posted this, an interesting article – titled “Lighthouse Parents Have More Confident Kids: Sometimes, the best thing a parent can do is nothing at all” – appeared in The Atlantic by Russell Shaw....
About two years ago, I experienced intense pain in my lower right abdomen during a walk. I feared appendicitis, but the pain eventually went away. Six months later, I noticed a lump in my groin and realized I had a hernia, something more than 25% of men will eventually experience. (I’ve seen some estimates as high as nearly 50%!) “露馅儿” (lou4 xian4 er) is one of my favorite Chinese phrases. It literally means “to leak/expose the stuffing/filling....
A few updates: I normally sleep on my side, and a single piece of tape sufficed. But following hernia surgery in August, I needed to sleep on my back. I found I needed two pieces of tape when sleeping on my back. When I haven’t shaved, the tape I use sticks poorly. The longer my facial hair grows, the more likely the tape is to come loose during the night....
My first four “Jazz I Love"s – #1, #2, #3, and #4 – were assorted jazz recordings from the past few decades. #5 focused on 1960s jazz and #6 on piano jazz. I’ll now share a trombone-focused edition. I’ve tried to include at least one performance by many great trombonists. Please treat this as a starting point for discovering more amazing performances by these incredible artists. Enjoy! Nils Wogram & Harry Watters Cherokee - Slide Factory European Trombone Festival 2009 Delfeayo Marsalis, Nick Finzer, Steve Davis, & Michael Dease International Trombone Festival Live J....
My first four “Jazz I Love"s – #1, #2, #3, and #4 – were assorted jazz recordings from the past few decades. #5 focused on 1960s jazz. I’ll now share a piano-focused edition, which I hope to follow up with additional instrument-focused editions. I’ve tried to include a performance by many of the greats. Please treat this as a starting point for discovering more amazing performances by these incredible artists....
Before the pandemic, Christopher Rim’s average client would apply to 12 schools. This application cycle, the college admissions consultant said, 90% of the students he works with are applying to 20 or more schools. “It’s an unprecedented number,” he said. “At some level, it’s becoming a lottery, and these kids just decide to cover all their bases. They’re just applying to as many schools as possible,” Rim, the CEO of Command Education, told The Post…...
Here are some recordings I’ve made since February (mostly in April, I think). I continue doing 15+ minutes of piano most days. Miss a day here or there but that’s okay. It’s a life-long habit, not an addiction. It Had To Be You On Green Dolphin Street Sweet Georgia Brown (new version from different piano book) These Foolish Things You’ve Got a Friend With A Little Help From My Friends A few things I’ve recently noticed Figuring out the proper fingering used to be a challenge....
“Jazz” is hard to define because it’s fluid and ever-evolving. A big reason jazz is hard hard to define is because it has continually mutated and thrived for well over a century. Continual evolution has kept jazz fresh and surprising. Bebop, for example, evolved in the 50s and 60s, while “jazz fusion” arose in the 70s. Jazz musicians today continue to innovate while simultaneously harkening back to and riffing on the genre’s brilliant past....
Three new recordings reflecting my growth – I hope – since beginning to learn piano about eight months ago. I try to do at least 15 minutes a day. Missed a few more days recently when I drove with my son to Pittsburgh (where he auditioned on trombone at CMU). The Trolley Song I Want to Be Happy I Get a Kick Out of You A few things I’ve recently noticed Piano has become a habit....
Trombone-heavy list this time…. And I’m using the term “jazz” very broadly, as in “quality music.” ;-) Steve Davis Sextet featuring Antonio Hart & Eric Alexander Jeannine BLUE NOTE TOKYO ALL-STAR JAZZ ORCHESTRA by ERIC MIYASHIRO with Steve Gadd Way Back Home Too Many Zooz (+ Lucky Chops) I Will Survive Snarky Puppy Take It! (feat. Bernard Wright) (Empire Central) Hilario Duran and his Latin Jazz Big Band Esperando la Carroza (Live In Studio) Javier Nero Jazz Orchestra featuring Sean Jones, Tim Green, and Josh Richman Jam #3 (In C# Major) T-Bones Brasil Ensemble Chega de Saudade (No More Blues) Rafael Rocha Big Band feat....