Time to regroup, assess, and change

I’m bored and embarrassed with my musical groups. Time for a shift.
Periodically a musician needs to reassess their commitments and direction. For me that time has arrived. I’m bored of much of what I’ve been doing musically here in Toronto. Some preliminary thoughts and principles to guide deliberations.
1.       No going back to relive past glories. I’ve changed, but the world has changed even more.
2.       It must be congruent with my marriage and work. Not a time to screw this up.
3.       If I’m not proud enough to invite my friends and clients, forget it.
4.       It must make me stretch to make it a worthy use of the precious time I’ve got left on this planet.

This past summer I spent time in New Orleans studying Traditional Jazz with Gerald French which culminated with a performance in Preservation Hall. This was followed up with a trip to Poland to study mainstream jazz with Ali Jackson of Wynton Marsalis fame.  We played at the Vertigo Jazz Club, a beautiful well attended old fashioned jazz supper club. The first group: old, second young. Both group of musicians could really play. It blew me away. I really had fun. It was an endorphin explosion. I haven’t had so much fun playing music since college 40 years ago. It has given me the confidence and desire to try some new things. So, what shall I try?
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Best,


David

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