(June 3, 2012) WILMINGTON, DE to STATE COLLEGE, PA — I started the day in Wilmington with my friends Matt and Jill (above), who were kind enough to drive me to Philly so I could catch my bus to State College. Before leaving Wilmington, I recorded the intro to Monday’s show. I don’t drink, but you sure can’t tell from the intro. That’s what happens when I get out of bed and hit record without eating or showering.
In Philly we checked out the amazing Reading Terminal Market, where I bought a vegan meatball hoagie for breakfast. Hey, when in Philly…
My bus first took me to Harrisburg, which was a larger city than I expected. But generic in the way so many downtowns are these days. Very few buildings with character, at least in the brief glimpse I had. I did dig the big bridge that leads to the capital building, though. That’s a photo of the Harrisburg train and bus station to the left.
Leaving Harrisburg, we drove along the mighty Susquehannah River for quite a while. I looked out my window and noticed … the Statue of Liberty? Yup, there’s a replica of Lady Liberty in the Dauphin Narrows. Because why not?
Pennsylvania sure is gorgeous. I’ve been coming to rural PA for years and years and it never fails to make me smile. The hills, the trees, the pastures — it’s all so pastoral and lovely.
I made it to State College without incident and even a bit early, then walked to the lovely house I’m staying in while I’m here. It belongs to a friend of a friend of a friend of vocalist Amy Cervini, who was kind enough to help me set up this part of my tour. Upon arriving I learned that Barry Kernfeld, former editor of the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, lives almost next door. I’m going to chat with him in the morning and then interview cellist TJ Borden, who’s performing in town tomorrow night.
Most importantly, of course, I got to spend time with my two wonderful sons, Bernie and John, who live here in State College. You may know them from the beginning and end of each episode of The Jazz Session. We played some basketball and football and had fun on a playground before a huge thunderstorm hit the area.
Tomorrow will be a combination of tour business and family time. On Tuesday, I’m going to spend time with saxophonist Rick Hirsch, who lives here in town. He’s also a member of The Jazz Session. Cool, right?
By the way, if you want to support the tour, visit thejazzsession.com/tour to learn how you can do that. I’ll leave you with Daisy, who lives in the house where I’m staying:
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