the pod bay door

:: The last three days have been better for walking about – the temperature has dropped, and the humidity is way down. Last night, I took the subway to a place called Smoke, to watch Carolyn Leonhart perform. I arrived around 6:20 to find a tiny jazz club and cocktail lounge that serves no food, very intimate and relaxing. With maybe 3 or 4 people at the bar, I took a seat at a table near the “stage”, and when Carolyn and her band began, I was the only one sitting at a table. It felt like I was listening to and watching a private concert! Carolyn sang a few jazz standards, some of which appeared on her album, Steal The Moon. Her voice is sultry and smooth, and I felt drawn in to her music and delivery. She was backed by an amazing trio of musicians on piano, standup bass and percussion, to whom I cannot do honour as I cannot recall their names.

While in NYC, and thanks to Carolyn, I was able to obtain a copy of the album Glass Lounge, by the Swiss percussion group Lyn Leon, of which she is a member. I’ve not heard the album yet, but at their website you can hear sound clips and video of the group in action, and order a copy here.

After the first set, I approached her to say hello, and to ask if she would sign the CD insert for Glass Lounge (which, btw, comes in a package with a round piece of embossed glass!). For the next 20 minutes, we spoke about her career and its direction, how she came to sing with Steely Dan (since 1996), her albums and forthcoming recording project, and other things. She was gracious with her time and company, and I thank her for that. She gave me the ok to take a few pictures during the second set, and I hope they turn out well. I will post the best ones when I return home.

I have Steal the Moon, and if you are looking for a relaxing and engaging album of jazz standards and originals (by Rob Bargad), this album is worth your effort. Order it here.

Thanks, Carolyn, for a memorable evening of music and conversation.

:: This afternoon I saw the film, Blue Car, featuring David Strathairn, one of my favorite actors, and a brilliant young newcomer, Agnes Bruckner. More on that later. What happened when I bought my ticket was a rite of passage: I approached the ticket window (which is outside the theatre showing the movie, on 2nd Avenue near 12th Street), wearing a bball cap, sunglasses and a t-shirt. I gave the attendant $10 and said, “Blue Car”; he looked at me and asked, “Senior?”, as in, “you look old enough to qualify for senior admission prices”, to which I responded, “I’m not EVEN FIFTY YET, thank you.” And I always thought I looked younger than my age. Ha ha!

:: I also spent an hour with one of my favorite people, Jessica Owen. We had coffee and swapped stories, and I walked her to a studio where she was going to record 8 demo tracks of new tunes she’s written. I shamelessly promote her latest album on my site – please buy it, you won’t be disappointed. Love you, Jess.

:: The last two days have been active. Yesterday Geoff and I walked around the South Street Seaport area, where we bought tickets at the TKTS booth to see La Boheme, which was amazing! Following that, we crossed Broadway, and saw Darrell Hammond at Caroline’s. He was a hoot! Earlier in the day, we rode the Staten Island Ferry, which is now free of charge.

This morning was a trip up the Empire State Building. It took 90 minutes from entering the building until we made it to the 86th floor observation deck. After my bag was x-rayed, I was asked to pull out my Swiss army knife. It was given to a guy in a suit who started to bag and ticket it for pickup when I came down, but then he stopped, looked at me and asked, “Where are you from?”. I said, “Edmonton”, and he gave the knife back to me and said it was ok.

Tonight Geoff and I plan to see Carolyn Leonhart perform at Smoke. No cover charge! Geoff leaves tomorrow, I’ll be back on Thursday. Also, today the humidity is way down, and it hasn’t rained (like it’s been doing every other day this week).

:: It’s cooler here today, and my neck is hurting again (left side). Geoff and I had a nice visit with Leo and Diane Dillon last night, as well as their son Lee and his partner Greg. Diane made a wonderful chicken dinner with two salads. Much wine was consumed as we visited for almost 4 hours!

In addition to cooler weather, it’s misty in NYC today. This is a lazy day for me, I’m exhausted from the conference. Geoff is off visiting the Met, and we’re hoping to catch a play on Sunday. Tomorrow night we’ll be at Caroline’s to see Darrell Hammond. I’m hoping to see two or three movies next week before returning to Edmonton on Thursday, June 19.

:: My favorite headline of the year so far: Adam Ant arrested after removing his pants

:: BTW, this is my 200th posting.

:: After many SLA conventions, whenever possible I’ll attend a major league baseball game. Historically, most of the games I’ve seen have been boring, and the home team always loses. This trend remained intact on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, except that as the game neared its end, things got really, really interesting.

The Yankees were playing the Astros, and the Astros’ pitcher pulled a groin in the second inning and was replaced. As the game wore on, more Astros pitchers took the mound, and no Yankee hit the ball. Into the 9th inning, it was still a No-hitter by Committee. In the 9th inning, the Astros’ closer blew 101 mph pitches by two Yankees for strikeouts, and enduced a ground out from Hideki Matsui. It was a no-hitter by six combined pitchers, a new MLB record, and humbling for the Yankees. It was also the first time the Yankees had been no-hit since 1958 – 45 years, also a new major league record. Imagine the chances of seeing my first and only Yankees Stadium-based baseball game, and this would happen. The Yankees were embarrassed in front of their fans, so much so that the announcer didn’t announce the box score at the end of the game.

:: The SLA convention is over, and Geoff and I are hanging out. It is hot and muggy, making it tiresome to walk about. Thank God for air conditioning.

:: It’s Tuesday, sunny and warm in NYC. The SLA conference is in full swing, with two days left. Yesterday we partied in the evening at an event sponsored by Dialog, which featured Tommy James and the Shondells (we don’t know of any of the band were members of the original Shondells, mind you). Then we went to a dessert party featuring a 40s-type jazz band, at the Park Plaza. Yes, one of the hotels on Central Park South, where the daily brunch costs a mere $79US.

:: Day Three began this morning with a meeting at the Marriott Hotel that was kind of a bust. For $28US I attended a mentoring breakfast, and arrived to discover the meal consisted of bagels and coffee. To boot, no students or new librarians attended. *sigh* I’m learning that the costs in the hotels here for conventions are sky-high (duh), and that the unions tightly control all labour.

Last night, Geoff and I were among the guests of IOP at a cabaret and dinner featuring the legendary Blossom Dearie. In her late 70’s, she played a superb show, with a nice mix of songs, and was supported by a great drummer and bass player. Afterwards we had dinner, met new people, then repaired to a couple of division suites where we shared drinks and laughs with friends and colleagues, including Stephen Abram and David Stern.

The keynote speaker is underway, but I’m passing in order to prepare for my short presentation as part of a panel at 11:30, and to make a couple of quick stops in the exhibit area. The weather has been cloudy and muggy, but thankfully not all that warm. Thank Ghu we have air conditioning in our little room at The Leo House.