traveling underground is a good way to keep dry: 2016 Adventures

The spring semester is well underway, it's getting warmer outside, and Pitt's spring break is basically over. I'm having a slight bit of trouble getting back into paper-writing mode, but blogging always seems to help clear the brain.

A year ago, I had just arrived in Chicago to explore uncharted territory, and prepare for touring with Tara & Lou. That stretch has been more or less a constant theme for me (especially in terms of the blog), and that I'm now living in the place where we played our last (and will play our next) shows seems like a real significant matter. Since January, I haven't got to play out so much, and it has definitely had an effect on me. I have no doubts that the anticipation of our two shows (this Sat & Sun) here are contributing to my watered-down ability to focus at the moment, but this will be remedied soon.

Gabi doing midi mock-ups in Philly

That said, 2016 has been a good year so far. Almost as soon as I flew back into Pittsburgh, I took a bus to Philly and drove up to Burlington with Gabi Shapiro. Gabi is a tenor player that I met in VT and did a lot of playing with. Since then, we've both left, but Galen (who I did some work with in VT this past summer) asked us to do horn tracks for an album he just finished. It's mostly his original music, and we had a blast getting the arrangements together. Driving up there, and spending a couple of days in our old little city was lovely. It wasn't freakishly cold, either. We both stayed at the Manhattan Drive house (Gabi used to live there), and I was struck by how rejuvenating it all felt. I guess it hadn't been that long, but there was something about that trip that really seemed like a breath of clean air, and it was the only time we could have made it back before summer. It was too short a trip, but maybe that was for the better.

Not more than a week after that, things at Pitt had gotten into full swing. There have been some unexpected challenges this semester, but from the beginning things were pretty well set in stone. There's a lot going on, and everything is moving at a pretty consistent pace. The Pitt Big Band was hurting for low brass and so I've been playing with them this semester, too. I'm enjoying that.

Early in the semester, the composers had a great reading session with Ekmeles, a NY-based vocal ensemble that came to give a concert at the Warhol Museum at the end of January. Tomas Cruz (a friend of mine from NEC) was singing with them that weekend, and we got to catch up a bit after the reading and concert. They were an awesome group, and a really fun bunch to hang with.

Pitt's campus from the bridge into Squirrel Hill

Shortly after this, Steve came out to Pittsburgh for a few days. It was great to see him, do some playing, and get to show him around. His visit also prompted me to move out of the house I had been living in. I've previously mentioned that one of my roommates there was a little bit of a nutcase, but it was unbelievable how erratic he became when Steve was here. Luckily, Steve is one of those people who can really dig into absurdity and find humor in it. We definitely got our laughs out at the bar down the street, and he quickly convinced me that the best thing I could do for myself was move out of that place - He was absolutely right. I'll never forget the way thing unfolded those few days, and I feel lucky that getting out wasn't too much of an issue. Within three days of Steve leaving town, I found a place to move, and informed both my landlord and roommates that I'd be leaving within a week. It wasn't hard to pack up, and I don't regret getting out when I did.

Gabi in the Studio

Irene Monteverde & George Lewis

I'm living out in Greenfield, just south of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel, in a house that gets considerably more natural light. It got icy a few days after I moved and it was tough getting down the hill for a minute, but other than that its been great. I don't have any plans to move any time soon. There's a sun room that I do most of my work in these days. I love it. We need a new dining room table, but that's really the only thing missing.

Since the move, I had really been looking forward to break, though couple of weeks leading up to it were great. The Big Band had our first gig of the semester, and the George Lewis residency was a total blast. In addition to a handful of talks, Ben Barson and I played for him in a masterclass. It was incredible how each of his talks was completely different, and he had unique approaches to every presenter in the masterclass. The first concert was done in collaboration with Geri Allen and several other improvisors on the West Coast, through telematic technology that they'd been setting up at Pitt for months. I could go on and on about that concert and the whole week, but I'll refrain for now...

Ben Barson Shredding Bari

For two days after our last concert (New Morse Code at the Warhol), I didn't do much of anthing related to school, and I needed that. I made one last trip to my old place to grab some odds and ends I had left there, and the next day I met up with a couple of the composers for lunch, record shopping, and listening. On Wednesday a few of us met up in Harmony, an absolutely gorgeous little town about 40 minutes north of Pitt. We went to this neat coffee shop, and spent some time wandering around town before driving back. We were all blown away by the place, and I hope we can get back soon. Out of curiosity, I looked up ways to get out there without a car, and Greyhound (as much as I dislike it) stops there for $11 each way. Summer day trips are totally doable! I love little coffee shops, and I'm pretty sure Wunderbar in Harmony is in my top 5 (see list below).

Now I have to get organized for the rest of the semester, and figure out what Summer is going to look like. I'd be thrilled if I can spend time on the east coast, but I can't plan much until things start to wind down here. Getting back into the grind these next few days is going to be a small uphill battle, but it was worth it to take some time and get my head together.

Five Little Places (most with coffee) that I really really love, in no particular order: