There is an distinction between pain and suffering, two words and concepts that are often (but erroneously) treated as synonyms. Even if our pain is unavoidable, we can improve our quality of life by tackling suffering!
Continue ReadingReflections on the delicate balance that I’ve found governs the quest for self-actualization and fulfillment.
Continue ReadingReflections on life as a journey (not a destination) and gratitude to a dear person who has personified this before my eyes.
Continue ReadingA few days ago the 2014 class of NEA Jazz Masters was announced, with honors going to the diverse crew of Richard Davis, Anthony Braxton, Keith Jarrett and Jamey Abersold. 3+ years ago, I wrote about musicians who I felt had been neglected in this selection process (click here to read that post for reference), and the latest batch has led me reflect a bit on who has been inducted since and who is still overdue.
Continue ReadingThis is my 9th Father’s Day as a parent. It is, however, the first that is fraught with “survivor’s guilt.” Parents lose children and vice versa every day in every community, but since 12/14/12 that has been all too real. I can’t bring the children of Newtown (or any other place where people experience this…
Continue Reading15 years of marriage, and now the secret to our longevity can be revealed . . .
Continue ReadingToday marks Kenny Barron’s 70th birthday. I have written before (click here) about the impact he had on me as a teacher and a role model for class and dignity. Here, though, I will focus on his incredible recorded legacy. Whittling down the recordings that have shaped my own conception to 10 was pretty well…
Continue ReadingI am happy and proud to announce that I will be presenting this year at the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation’s annual conference. This is a great honor for me and, perhaps more significantly, the fact that I am so excited about this is a great sign of how far I’ve had to come to reconcile my place in that world.
Continue ReadingMulgrew Miller is in a sense the symbol of a whole generation of musicians. This list represents him as a bandleader and as a sideman, as a composer and as an interpreter and as a purveyor of music that is at the same time hip and modern yet soulful and direct.
Continue ReadingAs anyone who reads this blog is aware, brevity isn’t my strong point. With music, though, I am always concerned with making a performance the “correct” length. If it’s meant to be epic, then longer is often appropriate. Sometimes, though, it’s a matter of making a pithy statement and then letting it be absorbed. Certainly as a listener, I have a soft spot for songs that feel complete and compelling while clocking in at under 120 seconds.
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