In celebration of Jacob’s birthday and Father’s Day, we visited the new Guild venue to “take a journey” with Kamasi Washington and his powerful band. With two drummers, the beat was always intense and funky. Kamasi also brought a singer, keyboard player, trombone and flute/sax. It was my first time at The Guild and I loved the new space. Also enjoyed seeing our ushers, Patti and Larry. Tunes included a wonderful new song for Kamasi’s newborn and the powerful closing “Fists of Fury.” ...

A double bill of a quality that would be hard to find in New York City or anywhere in the world – that’s how Stanford Jazz Workshop’s Jim Nadel introduced the show. And the music did not disappoint. James Francies opened the show with his trio of Zach Moses (bass) and Eric Harland (drums). The music featured powerful open chords and interesting melodies. A lot of sustained chord sounds, maybe fourths. Francies at times was technically fast and precise, but mostly very melodic and musical, with repeated cycles of chords that slowly built drama. Eric Harland played the set imaginatively, with constantly shifting beats and colors, building slowly to a climatic solo at the end of the set. ...

At dinner with Jacob, I enjoyed the local photos on display at the wonderful Love Lane Kitchen, on the wall just behind where we are seated. I mentioned this to our server and she said “Well, tell the photographer, she’s seated right behind you!” So I did. I told her I particularly admired her sunflower photos. But I also liked the barn she shot with an American flag painted on its side. ...

Tradition continued in ‘22 with a great family clam dig in Peconic Bay. Would there be few clams this year? Only big chowder clams? Or a bonanza? Around 11 am the first rakes hit the water. We were in luck! Just 20 feet from the water’s edge we quickly found beds of nice sized clams. Everyone took turns with the clam rakes, dragging through the water until you hit a bump, digging, and scooping up the clams. Sometimes we pulled up two or three at a time. The ever-talented Audrey followed in Jacob’s footsteps by digging up clams with her toes. ...

A beautiful Sunday took us to the beach just north of Half Moon Bay, to hear Tierney Sutton sing at the Bach Dynamite and Dancing Society. Her theme was “love.” To open the show, Tierney sang a song from her “Blue” album, which featured Joni Mitchell songs. She playfully combined the standard “April in Paris” with Joni’s “Free Man in Paris.” Later in the show, Tierney gave a tour-de-force performance of the Dry Cleaner from Des Moines, a Joni Mitchell song with a ton of very fast, very complex lyrics. ...