In 1969, somewhere around the middle of November, I heard James Taylor’s song ‘Fire and Rain’ on a late night WIBG radio program called “Americana Panorama”. It was a seminal moment for me, an eclectic black kid living in North Philly, who was going to a mostly white high school across town. The strains […]
I just took the opportunity to watch and listen to The Most Reverend Michael Curry, the first African-American Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, preach his righteous butt off at the occasion of the royal wedding yesterday. Bishop Curry, in 13 minutes of eloquence and spirit, laid out the message of what the power of […]
On this Thanksgiving morning, I wake and give thanks: For all who have not lost hope in a world that often makes the effort of keeping it alive so very difficult. For cheesesteaks and the many places that make them… really well! For no longer living in a place ALL the time with places that […]
Hi Friends and Music Family! I’m writing this to you from high in Canadian airspace. Now some say that musicians are high all the time, but we don’t need to go there. I’m making my way back from Calgary, AB where I was performing this weekend with my buds Greg Greenway and Joe Jencks. We […]
Looking back over the years, it appears that I was born to collaborate! Starting when I was 4 or 5, my mom, my sister Marlene, and I would gather at the piano on a Friday night at home there in Philly, and we’d sing hymns and other songs until bedtime. With the TV turned off and […]
Yesterday was one of those days on my Facebook page! The Trolls came calling! Two of my posts, both political in nature but not accusatory in any real sense, attracted loads of attention from some truly ugly trolls as well as a host of angry supporters of Trump. They came in like fire ants, bearing ill […]
Greetings and Peace, Good People! As many of you know, I have been part of the UU Living Legacy Project as Music Educator and a board member, for the last 6 years of so. My activity with LLP has provided me with some of the most incredible and heartrending challenges of my life. The experiences along […]
This morning I was reminded of a small cartoon that I saw, years ago, of two men in a hillside, having a moment. One was obviously a “disciple” who was standing in front of the other, pictured as an “Elder/Learned One”. The caption read, “The road is long….take a sandwich!” Jimmy John Founder has a company […]
Merry Christmas to All… Peace on Earth and goodwill to those we like? Or, something like that? Well, another year of holiday festivities is underway and, in the spirit of the season, we’ve got lights, trees and wonder… all going 24/7, as find ourselves deep into exclamations of joy, celebratory eating, gift exchange and gift […]
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu This morning I woke up after with the most joy in my heart as I’ve had for a while. The winter Solstice concerts that I shared over the weekend with Kim and our friends Magpie, (Greg Artzner and Terry […]