The marsh grasses in Ipswich turned yellow and red this week – as the green life drained out of them – Renee just found out this week, on a nature walk she took at Crane’s Beach, that these grasses which grow submerged part of the day in salt water, need the heat of summer to photosynthesize. The cold weather appeared suddenly last week and so these vast expanses of Spartina grass have seemingly changed color over night.

I am getting ready for an exciting Autumn season of music performances and I am writing just to let you know where I will be appearing.

Our trio gig at the Stone Soup in Ipswich is continuing every Thursday night. Mark Mapham, the owner, who is a really great chef and huge fan of ours, comes out of the kitchen to sit next to our drummer, Joe Hunt and listen to our last set. Mark has extended our gig – even though the tourist season has ended. I am really enjoying playing with Joe again on this gig. He was on my first couple of CDs in 1985 and 1987 – and we were working a lot together back then. He has such a deep feeling in his playing which is a joy to connect with. John Lockwood or Peter Kontrimas joins us on bass; and I am certain that the flow of the music has a lot to do with their maturity and energy as well.

For the first two weeks of October I will be going to Japan to play with my friend Kazumi Ikenaga (who was a dedicated student of Joe Hunt’s) This is the twelfth year in a row that Kazumi has set up a tour and invited me to come and play. As you can imagine, I so enjoy this trip, Japan, its culture, people and language and the generosity of rapt audiences night after night. We have a terrific following and it is amazing to see our friends year after year at our gigs in Tokyo and Kyoto and surrounding areas. This trip always inspires me to work hard so that I am able to bring new material and some other form of musical growth to share.

Then when I get back I will be starting to play every Friday night at the Four Seasons Hotel with my good friends Nat Mugavero on drums and Barry Smith on bass. Nat has played with me for over 20 years – you have probably seen us play at the Taj or at the Bostonian before that. He is always getting us to ask new questions when we play – and in a most musical way, pulling the rug out from under us. Barry is a really conversant bassist and the three of us are excited about our chemistry as a trio.

I hope that you will look at my web site and refer to the “gigs” page for specifics about my schedule. I would so enjoy seeing you.

It just doesn’t seem possible that summer sped by so fast. My hope is that the fall season inspires all of us. There is a lot to look forward to….even to see what shade of brown the grasses will turn next.