Heat Wave

7.22.11 THINK COOL THOUGHTS

July Heat

Tues., July 12, 2011. I recd a call today from a friend in California who follows my blog concerned that I haven't written in a while. I apologize, all is ok. My numbers are good and I feel good. Carol is fine and busy. Mom is doing very well also. I started a new drug to help me loose weight and it is helping with the cravings to eat. So I hope this will work better than other attempts. The music jobs have been keeping me busy this summer. Mon. and Tuesday mornings still the Big Band in Paterson; Mon evenings Jazz at the Parkwood Diner; Wed. nights concerts at the pool; last Sunday MapleWoodstock (see MapleWoodstock.com or Maplewoodonline.com) and Friday night Summer concerts in South Orange. So we are busy. I've also been posting frequently on that other site (FB). On a hot day like today I'll get over to the pool and get in some laps and do some reading.
I'm easing up on the rehearsals with cello, and with the brass quintet, and the trombone quartet, this summer. We'll get back to that again in the fall.
We got up to Woodstock for a fine July 4th weekend...favorite restaurants, the Miro String Quartet at the Maverick; a great movie, several art galleries etc. All in all a wonderful vacation. We'll go back for some weekends soon and then a week in August.
Rebekah and Greg and the kids are in Israel for a nice trip. Exciting stuff. We enjoyed having Ben and Maayan here for a week...Spiderman, miniature golf, movies, restaurants, NJ Shore, and Seaside Park amusements...lotsa fun. Also reading and math skills with Grandma and Music lessons and Woodworking skills with Grandpa for that "Camp Grandmapa" week.
This year at MapleWoodstock I played with the Jimmy Lee Ramblers, our new country band. Lotsa fun. Very different from my usual gigs. I gotta go buy me a new pair of cowboy boots soon....my old ones are too small anymore.
OK, enjoy the summer you all. I'll write again after my next visit to Memorial Sloan Kettering in August. Peace, and again, thanks for keeping up with me. JIM

Memorial Day weekend 2011

We're off to Woodstock. enjoy the weekend. Thanks to all who help with Millie. The art show was a success, I sold a piece. I'm so excited, I found some old pine Armoires, so I'm fixing 1 up for Woodstock and the other to sell and get my money back. The workshop at MSKCC in Basking Ridge was very informative, not about our specific diagnosis but about blood cancers generally. Dr. Hamilton was an excellent speaker. Getting ready for Open Gardens.com soon. Peace. See you soon. We're off to San Francisco next week for the Bassists Convention. Enjoy. Thanks for keeping up with me. JIM

Spring health, music, art and flowers.

Carol and I are fine with good numbers all around. Carol was planting her flower boxes on the deck today, looking good. More plants into the garden this week. We ducked up to Woodstock to strip the seat covers...we take them home and wash them to get ready for the season. We'll open up Memorial Day weekend. Today I played Jazz at the Art gallery celebrating the closing of our "Take Five" Jazz Month show. Next week I bring artwork into the hospital for the annual patients art show. Brought 2 old windows back from Woodstock to use as frames for some pastels. Tomorrow Beethoven's 3rd and Mass in C up in Sparta, NJ. Fun gig.
Am playing Jazz each Monday evening at the Parkwood Diner. Lotsa fun. Good crowd. Yesterday I went to Juilliard to hear a former pupils BA degree recital...real fine. Corey Schutzer. He's off to play in Europe before working on his Masters.
Maayan was a delight on the Skype this week. Love these Grands. Saw Elana on Skype at our Easter Sunday Seder. Fun.
Gotta go see/hear Lee's rock band tonight at 10 in HCK. Have fun y'all. JIMBO

Rest time

Sat. April 2, 2011. I'm resting a bit, still catching up after last week's opera performances, which went brilliantly. Had great audiences and exciting performances. Been recovering ever since. The Fri night gig at Hat City also went well. It'a a fun country band. Now to get Beethoven's 3rd Sym under control again for the May 1st gig. We last did it 3 seasons ago. We went to hear the NY Philharmonic Thursday. Fantastic sound, with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting and Annie Sophie Mutter performing a new violin concerto. Dynamite. Carol and I always love to get into the city. It's time for us to repeat our NY weekend soon. Last year we loved a weekend at the Iroqouis, next to the Algonquin. Heard 2 good nights of jazz recently, Winard Harper at Shanghai and Houston Person at Trumpets. This weekend is Maayan's birthday shabbot (April 3rd). Last night they had guests for dinner, Maayan sounded very excited on the phone when I called her. Also last night we took in a weird but funny movie, Grand Rapids. Had to have a tooth worked on today..ouch...now for an extraction and a post and buildup. Yikes. Expensive. Also waiting for a new chimney on the Maplewood house, more expense. Nutz. Our Jazz nights have begun at Parkwood Diner, to some fine reviews. Been digging my neighbor Stephen Reilley on You Tube. Such a fine player. We took a hike in the cool air last week in the reservation...brisk, but feels good to be back in the woods. Post snow and ice. I think they had another 8 inches in Woodstock yesterday. Garnet Hill was advertising extra spring weekends of skiing in the Adirondacks. Wild. Well Wed. we're back into the hospital for some tests and checkups. Hopefully everything is ok. Soon we'll be getting to the Woodstock place for a weekend. Can't wait, but I need it to warmup a touch. After tax day we'll be ok.Gotta go. Keep healthy. Enjoy the Spring. JIMBO

Spring returns

Friday,March 18, 2011.5:00 am. I love to get up early in the Spring. Today will be warm enough that we will take a drive up to Woodstock to look in at the house. We're keeping healthy and playing alot of music. Carol is involved in the Community. Last night she hosted the Hilton Neighborhood Assn. meeting featuring the Board of Ed Candidates forum. She has also put in alot of time and energy into the Maplewood Library where she is Vice President of the Board. I did a recital last Sunday with our Brass Quintet on trombone and tuba. Next weekend I conduct a small Chamber Orchestra on a short Opera based on Green Eggs and Ham. Fun, but a real challenge. Next month Beethoven's 3rd Sym. again. Great opportunity, we haven't done it in 2 years. This Wed. I play a Community Band Concert on Tuba; I no longer conduct there, but I love to play tuba. I continue to play in Big Bands at the Union Hall on Mon (tbone) and Tuesday (Upright Bass). I'm also studying cello and practicing some duos with a violinist. Great fun. Read a recent book about The Bach Cello Suites. It is time to slow down and enjoy the outdoors. We've had our fill of snow and ice and things dangerous. I broke a rib on the ice the day after Thanksgiving. The snow arrived the day after Christmas (our 46th wedding anniversary) and it stayed until last week. I have some ice damage on the house which needs work. Last week we enjoyed a family gathering for a Bat Mitzvah in Nashville area. I had a ball, I was tooling around in a beautiful, hot. red Mustang. So sporty. Loved it. Did 2 museums with Cafes as well. Mom is doing well and may join us on today's field trip. Last night brother Bruce hosted the family for St. Patricks Day. Delicious Corn Beef and Cabbage, his wife's recipe. It was fun to see my cousins and catch up. Mary made fabulous soda bread. We read Elana's blog from Costa Rica, so fine. She can write. Well, time also to go hear music, maybe Jazz tonight; next week Elfin plays all Bach. Soon NY Phil. and others. Heard Israel Phil recently here in NJPAC. Zubin Mehta was brilliant putting the woodwinds in front for the Schubert Great C major. Enjoy the outdoors. Stay healthy. Peace. JIM

February

Feb. 5, 2011. 7:30 am. Well the schmutz continues. Ice, rain, snow. A dangerous combination in below freezing temperatures. Today we go to NYC to see Elfin's play. Tonight to Montclair State with Bud for a recital by Carter Brey and Christopher O'Rielly. We're missing Jon Flower who was in town for some recordings, he's a bit fluey and has to run back to LA at 1:30. Next time we'll get together. I'm watching beautiful videos of Balkan cities. Gotta get there one day. I want to do the entire Meditteranean cruise soon, and Croatian river cruise etc. Got to the Y to workout and swim yesterday. Am studying a chamber music piece to conduct in March; Green Eggs and Ham, an operatic piece based on the Dr. Seuss classic. It will be coupled with "Sneeches" as well. FUN.
After the holidays and our cruise I felt a bit out of shape playing instruments, but that is slowly returning. Aboard the ship we saw the Kindle was very popular. I love reading mine as well. Right now a Bio about Ron Carter. Had to buy 2 more bags of salt for the ice.But, of course, the sun is rising earlier and setting later now so I can hear birds in the morning which reminds me that Spring is not far off. We have so much snow in Woodstock I want to go up and see the nhouse, but I've been busy. Maybe tomorrow before the Super Bowl I'll get up there.I'm enjoying my neice's blog from Costa Rica. Gotta get there one day as well. Have a warm Valentine's Day. We're playing at Churrasco Feb. 10th. Peace, JIM