Live from Berkeley, it’s Trombone Micah! An evening drive up to Berkeley took me to the California Jazz Conservancy, where Micah has been taking an evening class and playing jazz. The group played a set with three tunes: Four (Miles Davis) Anthropology (Charlie Parker) Nutville (Horace Silver) The music was joyful, challenging, and uptempo. Interestingly, the group’s teacher, Dave LeFebre, was also my jazz teacher when I was a grad student at Berkeley, decades ago. Indeed, he and Susan Muscarella led the Jazz program at UC Berkeley when I was there, but then built the separate Conservatory nearby. I said “hi” and “thanks” to Dave. ...

The Roschelle family happily converged at Morningside Heights to celebrate Micah’s commencement from Columbia University. He actually graduated two years ago, in May 2020. But that was the year of coming home for spring break and never returning to New York to finish senior year. So it was great to finally have a full on celebration two years later. My mother, Alice, has a master’s degree from Columbia, making it a multi-generational roar of the Columbia lion. And, of course, Victoria also graduated from Columbia, a year before Micah. Columbia blue was everywhere as were the big smiles. ...

Audrey and I created some impromptu posters, hopped on the #54 bus, and joined the Washington DC Women’s March. We were protesting the Supreme Court’s draft decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Lots of people asked to take a photo of Audrey’s poster: “if men could get pregnant, abortions would be available at ATMs.” The weather was misty, but warm, so we didn’t mind getting wet. The rally started on a lawn just below the Washington Monument. The featured speaker was California congresswoman Barbara Lee. After lots of speeches, it was time to march! ...

Union station in Washington DC is one of the most beautiful train stations in the United States. One afternoon, I had a great time wandering about and shooting photos. The station is fun for people watching, although some people appear frozen in stone.

Danilo Peréz’s Global Messengers I’ve always been a huge fan of Wayne Shorter’s quartet with Danilo Peréz, John Pattituci and Brian Blade. And I enjoy each of the artists individually. So I leaped at a chance go hear the pianist, Danilo Peréz lead his own group. The setting could not be more beautiful. The 6th and I Synagogue is a historic building in downtown Washington DC, and its a Sephardic-style building. Rather than a long vault ending in an alter, the building is basically square, with a dome above four huge arches. The dome is pained a lovely sky blue. And the colors throughout the space are warm and inviting. I had been looking for an opportunity to show Audrey the space and it was a special bonus that Sarah was visiting us. ...