What a treat to see one of the world’s greatest bass players, Stanley Clarke, from the third row. Stanley famously founded Return to Forever with Chick Corea in the early 1970s and was Return to Forever was one of my introductions to Jazz in my youth. On this occasion, he was performing a tribute to Chick Corea with a band of amazing 20-something musicians. The set opened with the technically difficult Medieval Overture from 1976’s Romantic Warrior....
In twelve photos, I reflect on 2022. It was a year of branching out and our plans blossomed, so I choose the Cherry Blossoms in Georgetown as the cover theme. 1. Washington DC: we’re here! Audrey looks to the future. In 2022, we officially added a second location in Washington DC to our life. Come visit us in Columbia Heights! (We’re there about half the year.) 2. And we’re not happy with the Supreme Court We made signs and joined the crowds gathered at the Washington Monument to protest the (then leaked, yet unannounced) Supreme Court decision on Abortion rights....
I recently enjoyed a few days at Asilomar, near Monterey, California, while attending a NSF conference on Artificial Intelligence. The air was sparkling clear and fresh. Early the first morning I wandered down to the beach to watch the first rays of sun hit the sand. Waves crashing on the rocks. Walking down to the beach. A lone seagull on the mirrored beach. The winding path back to the conference center....
The historic 6th and I Synagogue provided a beautiful setting for a stunning set by Julian Lage and his trio, featuring bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King. Words that come to mind to describe the music: virtuoso, intricate, emotive, warm, engaging. What we all noted after the set was how much fun the band was having, and we were having fun right along with them. Before the set, I snapped this photo of the wonderous dome above us....
On a visit with Jacob in Denver, we looked at the last minute for some live music and discovered that Charged Particles was playing in downtown Denver. They were playing music of Michael Brecker, who was one of the heros of jazz in my high school years. For example, check out this 1980 performance of Some Skunk Funk. Although Michael Brecker has passed away, his brother Randy joined the set on trumpet....