are you with me, dr. wu?

the LA concession

as i begin to settle in the city of angels on the "left" coast, i finally had the chance to spend time this weekend digging around some local music venues.

the internet is an amazing thing, providing a unique and efficient way to meet people of all stripes.  my music writer cyber-friend gina vodegel put me on to public relations specialist lorna chiu as a contribution to my los angeles rolodex.  of course what has now become the inevitable steely dan connection reared its serendipitous head yet again because lorna just happens to be married to john beasley.  john is a steely dan alum of high regard and a fine musician in his own right.  in any event, lorna was able to hook me up with a client of hers who made an appearance on the nightly newscast i executive produce here in los angeles.  then came the invitation to meet and hear john play at charlie o's, a van nuys jazz haunt in the san fernando valley.  john's quartet performed three sets of incredibly monster jazz featuring heavy doses of john coltrane.  amazing musicians those cats.  john and lorna introduced me to some friends and they were all warm and welcoming ... a much appreciated gesture.

the following night's music agenda played out at the catalina jazz club on sunset boulevard in hollywood.  i had visited this club a couple of years ago to hear mike stern.  this time the headliner was bobby caldwell, whose music i've enjoyed over the years but had never heard/seen live.  the wait was worth it.  caldwell's septet was definitely a world class bunch and the high energy 80 minutes+ set was chock full of those bobby caldwell tunes we've all heard and recognize ... and still hold up very well today.  and by the way, caldwell was hitting all those high notes just as he was in the late 70's so there was no cheating on the vocals.

all 'n all a rewarding music weekend that lays the foundation for future forays as i become "localized" and routinely drive west on sunset to the sea.

daddy don't live in that NYC no more

but he should. every time i visit new york the overwhelming sense that i should be living, working and playing there seems to intensify.  this latest foray into the bustling pool of diversity that is my birthplace resulted in a wide variety of experiences. the music scene was chock full of surprises.

starting with guitarist peter mazza's terrific trio at the bar next door on thursday, followed by a visit to the comedy cellar where an outrageous lineup of seven comedians underscored the meaning of the term "to split a gut".

friday evening was reserved for a visit to smoke on the upper west side where wayne escoffery and his most excellent quartet played a steller first of six sets over two nights that once cherry picked, will result in the release of a live cd. wayne's wife carolyn leonhart was in the house and as usual it was great to hang with her for a while.

saturday evening it was 55 bar night for all three k.j. denhert sets and typically, they rocked, funked and urban-jazzed the house. made some very nice new friends there, including two wide eyed nine year-olds who along with the mother of one were treated to great music and an unexpected photo op with k.j. herself. also on hand were two subjects of the british empire who were also experiencing k.j. at her very best.

can't wait for the next return visit, and hopefully at some point i will instead of flying, drive my car into town with a moving trailer in tow.

reality check

cruising through the streets of downtown detroit yesterday afternoon was surreal, really.  a reality check for sure but, some things just don't make sense. 

you can see honest and commendable attempts to revive the once thriving now blighted area, but somehow these are mere drops in the bucket ... and incongruous at that.  the new tigers baseball stadium and adjacent ford field, home of the nfl lions, are stunning and majestic structures but what happens when there are no events, which amounts to over 200 days per year?  the myriad dilapidated old office structures with their somber gothic appearance add a foreboding feel to the mix, and when compared to the few and far between newer construction efforts, seem to be staring in disdain at those soon-to-be modern buildings ... as if feeling the pain at the thought of losing their status as keepers of the city skyline.

casinos seem to be the choice as the sure-fire bet to get detroit off its duff and join other great american urban centers as a vibrant and exciting city.  there are about half a dozen of these gambliing joints and the marketing is everywhere to be seen, including compelling billboards for 2 cent slots.  yes that is correct, 2 cent slots!  ladies and gentlemen, detroit will be saved by nickel and dime gambling revenues.  maybe it will work and maybe it won't, who am i to say.  one thing i can tell you for sure is the irony that bops you over the head when you see a city that is broke rolling the dice in an effort to secure its future.

i don't have a connection with detroit beyond superficial knowledge of its history and my respect for the city being the birthplace of the motown sound.  that soulful music was born at a time when there was social turmoil and cultural revolution all over the land and the motown sound became a bookmark for those stirring historical events. 

i truly hope the city can bounce back.  tall order and tough task but some fresh ideas would be good contributions.  it also wouldn't hurt if the urban population took a personal interest in the efforts to revive the city.  there is quite a bit of work to be done and money doesn't solve everything.

travel day

hello one and all.  the motor city beckons so i begin my detroit journey to visit family and eventually wind up at the steely dan concert on monday evening.

for the next few days my nephew promises quite a bit of action after dark, as well as perhaps taking in a tigers game on sunday afternoon.

i have not been in detroit since the late 80's so i look forward to seeing the changes.

stay tuned for more moblogging about my trip and concert journal come monday.