From the first note, this band was tight and sonorous. Each soloist put something different on offer. We were seated directly in front of trombonist Steve Davis and enjoyed some masterful trombone playing. Dr. Eddie Henderson surprised us with some sweet sounds in soft passages, as well as bright fast trumpet solos. The pianist (not George Cables) and drummer worked particularly well together. At 5:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon, Blues Alley held a mostly full crowd who were there to listen. We were surprised when after about three tunes, Steve brought up his wife, Abena Koomson-Davis, who was a great singer and engaged the crowd. It made for a uniformly entertaining hour and half of music. ...
For 5 days we basked in Portugal’s abundant sunshine, delicious food, and friendly people. Saturday Seafood at the train station’s Time Out Market Ornate design in the Palácio da Bolsa and adjacent church Sunset looking back at Porto after walking across a bridge Sunday Train ride to Braga for Palm Sunday processions Meeting the locals with friend Grant Beautiful gardens and blooming trees Big meat and cheese board at Orpheu Tapas Monday ...
In five short days, Jacob, Ellery and I saw a wonderful slice of Portugal from our base in the city of Porto. This photo of Mercado Ferreira Borges set the stage. This iron-and-glass building is painted a bright red. It houses craft shops, restaurants and a nightclub. This collection of photos features the colorful sights we saw. The São Bento train station displays tile artwork that tells a history of Portugal between the two major rivers, the Douro and the Minho. ...
Semana Santa (Easter Week) coincided with my visit to Portugal to see Jacob and Ellery. On Palm Sunday, we decided to visit the city of Braga. Braga is the religious center of Portugal and celebrates with elaborate processions through the cobblestone streets. We arrived in Braga at the end of a 1-hour train ride from Porto. After a strong coffee at Nórdica Café, we waited in the square for the first procession. ...
It’s been a relaxing winter break. One day Audrey and I took Ollie for a walk in a small redwood canyon called Thornewood Preserve, which is two miles from our house. I liked it so much I decided to come back the next day with my camera. I brought a tripod along, so that I could take long exposure shots and make the water look smooth and glassy. It’s quite dark in the forest and the winter sun was very low. It’s quite hard to photograph a redwood forest, but these seemed to capture the spirit. ...