On a winter Saturday, I ambled around 14th and U Street, a part of Washington, DC. The U Street area was the birthplace of Duke Ellington and was the heart of a Black culture that blossomed in DC. Then it became run down. Over the past couple of decades, it has rapidly gentrified, and now has designer furniture and clothing stores, trendy restaurants, and nightlife. I particularly like the large mural of the mailman taking a saxophone break. One photo captured the photographer! ...

A new year brought a new artist to my awareness, the Israeli-Ethiopian singer Aveva Dese. She played a soulful set at the JCC in Washington DC. With only guitars backing her singing, the set highlighted her powerful voice and strong song writing. In between songs, Aveva told stories of her family’s history as they left Ethiopia for Israal, and her own search for identity. This article shares more of Aveva’s background and I found her website, as well. ...

For our 8th Anniversary, our dogs took us for a walk to Paterson Falls. Ollie was particular enthusiastic about making sure we saw all the paths, and Sugar Baby made sure only good smells awaited our footsteps. The dramatic view was a favorite of my father, who photographed Paterson Falls often. It’s still great! Paterson Falls is near my hometown of Wayne, NJ. It’s a national historic park. And Paterson Falls is the 2nd most voluminous waterfall east of the Mississippi. The most water, of course, descends Niagara Falls. ...

On a sunny but cold December Saturday, I rode a city bike down to the US Botanical Garden, near the Capitol in Washington DC. The building itself is a sprawling greenhouse, with sections for each climate. The centerpiece is the tall tropical garden. In the outdoor garden, I was delighted with the holiday model train exhibit. Many different tracks and trains were running through the garden at varied heights. There were sculptures of creatures that pollinate and the plants they serve. And the tracks ran along and through a landscape made of wood, camelias, and other organic material. ...

The Christian McBride Quartet raised the roof at the Village Vanguard with a fiery set. McBride shared that the group had only played together for one night so far, and then announced they would “hack” their way through Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice.” Hack? Blaze! I’ve seen Mike Stern (guitar) many times and he was in the finest form I can remember. Tivon Pennicott had marked intensity and sax. And although we could not easily see him from where we sat, Marcus Gilmore was strong. ...