(June 4, 2012) STATE COLLEGE, PA — You never know who or what you’ll find right around the corner. For instance, the mothership — or is it a water tower? — pictured above, which grabbed me visually when I saw it today.
Or, more relevantly for this tour, the editor of the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz and the author of What To Listen For In Jazz, who turned out to live three blocks away from the house where I’m staying in State College, PA. My host told me that Barry Kernfeld lived nearby and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk with him. I called him out of the blue last night and told him who I was and what I was doing. He wasn’t sure he’d be an interesting subject for an interview, but I said let’s go for it. I’m so glad I followed my instincts, because he turned out to be one of the most interesting people I’ve spoken with on The Jazz Session. You’ll hear our conversation on Monday, June 11.
I spent the afternoon producing Thursday’s show. Not to sound like a broken record, but it’s an interview with another of the most interesting people I’ve ever met, guitarist and visionary Vernon Reid. We had a wide-ranging conversation about everything from Spectrum Road (Vernon’s new record with Jack Bruce, John Medeski and Cindy Blackman-Santana) to the development of improvisation in rock music and the dangers of influence. While you’re waiting for Thursday to arrive so you can listen to the interview, please do yourself a favor and check out The Field Negro Guide To Arts & Culture, the podcast Vernon Reid co-hosts with comedian W. Kamau Bell. It’s one of my favorites. As Vernon said in our interview, it’s a show “about everything and everything else.”
I was supposed to interview cellist TJ Borden in the afternoon, but travel delays prevented that from happening.
Then it was family time. I went to the library with my kids and then out for ice cream. Here are a few photos, starting with my son John photo-bombing a picture I was trying to take of his brother:
Bernie relaxing and reading about (surprise!) baseball.
Sitting on John’s lap while he reads to me.
Tomorrow I’m spending the morning with saxophonist Rick Hirsch, then leaving in the early afternoon for Shepherdstown, WV. I’m doing a poetry reading in nearby Martinsburg on Wednesday, June 6. I hope to see you there!
If you’d like to support the “Jazz Or Bust” tour, please visit http://thejazzsession.com/tour. Thank you.
I’m in Martinsburg now!