This week we switched the cable music channel from Smooth Jazz to just plain Jazz, and there has been no turning back. I’m keeping a list of the saxophone players that I hear on the channel, and pretty soon I’m going to need another index card: this one is almost full.
Starting with contemporary smooth jazz and moving to a mix of classic and contemporary jazz, I have heard from Dave Koz, Paula Atherton, Mindi Abair, Vandell Andrew, Riley Richard, Jazmin Ghent, Michael Lington, Richard Elliot, Hank Mobley, Don Byas, Dan Block, Marcus Anderson, Gordon Goodwin, Steve Cole. Charles Mingus, Kim Waters, Adam Schroeder, Ryan La Valette, Stanley Turrentine, Greg Chambers, Kirk Whalum, Art Farmer, Danny Green, Andy Snitzer, James Carter, Charlie Parker, Charles Lloyd, Ben Webster, Euge Groove, John Coltrane, Jimmy Smith, James Moody, Tia Fuller, Herlin Riley, Bobby Watson, Johnny Hodges, Scott Robinson, and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis.
And each night last week I hauled out saxophone 2 while saxophone 1 was out receiving an estimate of the cost of cleaning and overall refreshment. I received that estimate on Thursday, and I decided to send in saxophone 2 for its own estimate in hopes that it would be less costly. In the end, I’ll be playing for my own pleasure and I’m not sure that pouring a lot of money down the bell of the alto saxophone I played in high school will make a huge difference to my ear.
Today, however, I had to do a different sort of musical practice, since sax 2 is on its way out and sax 1 hasn’t yet returned. So I sat down at the piano and restarted my Learn To Play Piano in Six Weeks or Less book. I don’t know how long I played; I didn’t even bother to set a timer. I took my time and enjoyed it. I’m looking forwrd to doing it again, and might even pay closer attention to the instructions this time.
This week I’ve been so busy listening to jazz and practicing the saxophone and going to physical therapy and going to occupational therapy and taking myself out for dinner and a saxophone concert and, yes, working, that I haven’t done anything towards the Impossible Read or any knitting projects. This week it’s been about [a certain amount of] variety and not so much about balance.
I am, however, sticking pretty well to my schedule of working on the book project. I’ve located a few more sources, asked a few more questions, and requested a few more inter-library loans. Watch this space.
Chocolate Sheep 