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...

The leaves on the maple tree outside my practice room window are finally starting to turn red.  They have remained green for weeks longer than usual.  The unseasonably warm weather has softened summer’s seemingly sudden end. I hope this email...

This is a first.  I am writing this letter to you from my economy seat on the plane back home from China.  That is right - I didn't say Japan.  I have been on the road playing duo concerts — piano and alto saxophone — in 13 different Chinese cities over 19 days door...