Tonight: fulfilling my goal of getting to Close Up as often as possible and not yet regretting it one bit. This time with guitarist/vocalist Dida Pelled with Will Gorman, Spencer Murphy, and the legendary Kenny Wolleson.

I'm emotionally swinging between total uncertainty at work, anger and despair at {everything}, and complete distracted joy from livemusic. Not sure it's sustainable, but TGIF, I guess?

Happyplace'd at Barbès for now at least...

Tonight: not sure there's a funkier thing going these days than Daniel Villarreal. Also not sure how he's not packing every room he plays when he comes to town, but that's why I'm not in the biz. But it's more than just funk and I'm more than happy to have more space. This time his band crushing it at the quadrophonic Public Records, just a short walk from home, lucky me. Sizzling Wednesday night. These guys are just so so good.

Tonight: 16 (!) years ago a friend asked if I wanted to write for a new blog one of the promoters in town was starting. Seen some good shit & done some decent writing for Bowery Presents over that time. We used to have an annual House List outing that died with the pandemic, but tonight it was resurrected 5 years later. Good eats, kinda killed it on the lanes, & jams courtesy of Deadband Bushwick's Dead were actually pretty great. Fun Wednesday!

Putting together a very strong lineup for the upcoming Freaks Day Out run, got some great acts lined up to play in our little Brooklyn hideaway, aka the FDO Amphitheater.

Outdoor music season will soon be here!! If you're in the NYC area, I hope you'll come out to one or some or all.

First one will be 3/30 with Tasca, a fab organ trio.

Tonight: wouldn't miss a Tim Berne Tuesday at Lowlands if I didn't have to. Always a treat to see a band same-but-different a regular gig. Tonight seemed to be especially guitar heavy with lots of shreddy-style solos from Gregg Belisle-Chi, and of course Rainey was sublime.

Happy Friday from the happy hour gang at Barbes, may the weekend be restful and next week less horrifying.

Tonight: Close Up is where the youngs play jazz and also where the youngs go to see jazz. Pleasant set from Jeong Lim Yang playing with Jon Elbaz on piano and Jon Starks on drums. Pretty straightforward except when it wasn't. Some surrealist moments. Such a great spot, though, gonna start going there more often. Love the vibe.

Tonight: the best distraction... Tim Berne with his core unit (Belisle-Chi + Rainey) doing their semi-usual thing at Lowlands. No big name guests, so a tidy intimate crowd.

Tonight: first stop = couldn't resist a return for the second night of Natural Information Society sunset performance. This evening from a different perspective, no less mesmerizing.

Tonight: started off with a very cool sundown set from a beefed-up Natural Information Society at the Kitchen, a gallery overlooking the Hudson River. One of those special NYC moments, in the round! Excellent NIS drones with Patricia Brennan, William Parker and more. And they're doing it again tomorrow.

Tonight: wasn't sure I was going to get into LunÀtico tonight, always tough, so when the host says I got a seat for you, you take it. Ends up being an inch from the front of center stage. A little close for comfort, but for Yacouba Sissoko, like a deep cleansing breath of fresh air. Nothing but positive vibes, serious West African grooves, and some of the best kora playing this side of the Atlantic. Thank god for livemusic.

Tonight: first time at Dada in Ridgewood. Chill spot, I dig it. Killer set going down from guitarist Elias Meister in trio with Scott Colberg and Jeremy Gustin. More jam than jazz, almost Krantzy. I just love watching JG play drums, never seen or heard anyone do it like he does. A mesmerizing groove no matter who he's playing with.