In 1985, when I was coming up as a young musician in Boston, I went to a local recording studio with “my” band to make my first record. I was able to sell the music to a jazz label, get a contract for a second record, and even a great review in the New York Times,...

I imagine you are waist deep in the excellent “decade’s-end” Sunday New York Times - with special sections on what just happened, who died, and what we might be looking forward to. There is even excellent children’s section on the body.  As you know, we are all being...

I am writing from my little studio apartment on the 20th floor of a 23-story building here in north Shanghai.  This apartment is a welcome refuge from the lively and often chaotic streets below.  I am into my eighth and final week here in China.  Feeling so grateful...

Here we are… ….At the precipice of a tipping point:  two days before an election that could lead to the end of this experiment in democracy, the end of a government with checks and balances.  A system that, however flawed, has so far, moved in the direction of...

Twice a month, usually on the first and third Thursday of each month, I bring a jazz quartet up from Boston for an evening of original and improvised music at Spice Thai Kitchen.  Our audience and other diners gather at 7:00 pm for two sets of live music in this warm...

Dear Friends, Many of us are closing out the year dressed in layers, staying warm and sheltered in our homes - as the temperatures stay below freezing for a record number of consecutive days. Makes me feel a little like a tree or a perennial plant in the garden...