I had lunch yesterday with Bill Kirchner and his wife Judy Kahn. You may have read about Bill lately at Rifftides or About Last Night as both announced the new paperback edition of The Oxford Companion to Jazz. (To see their posts, which include a list of the essays included in this tome, go here or here.) In addition to being editor of the Companion, Bill wears many hats including those of composer-arranger, saxophonist, bandleader, educator, record and radio producer, and jazz historian. (Bill’s web site.)
We ate at a little bistro around the corner called The French Roast. Open 24-hours a day, it is a popular spot, and rather noisy when crowded. (When I was a kid, that corner location was Blimpie’s, a precursor to Subway sandwiches and the local neighborhood teen hangout.) Judy had just come from a desktop publishing class at The New School and gave me sneak peek at her latest layout of ther CD booklet for Bill’s new CD (more about that when it’s released). Judy is also a professional organizer and her business card reads Re-thinking Space, Designing Systems, and Organizing Homes, Buinsses & Files. Her website is currently under revision, but I love the name — De-Stress That Mess — and if you’re the disorganized type that might need help, you can bookmark it for future reference.
We talked about the jazz world and people we knew in common (coincidentally, one of those people mentioned was Annie Kuebler, who figures prominently in today’s Rifftide’s posting), shared ideas for our respective projects, lamented the price of tickets for live entertainment, and waxed nostalgic about the old days when for the price of a few drinks we could hang out at Bradley’s and hear the legendary pianists — Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Roland Hanna, Jaki Byard, and others. I have a CD library well-stocked with the works of these artists, but there is magic in the moment of creation that can never be captured and replayed.
Technology and the Internet provide wonderful tools for promoting one’s projects, sharing one’s thoughts (and art), and connecting with people across great distances (or even across the street), but I’m always glad for the in-person encounters.
ps. I am taking a couple of days off, so I will not be posting again until Friday.