Gigs, now.

All gigs before 2008 will be in South America.
I'll be with Diana Krall in Rio de Janeiro (Vivo Rio) on November 28; in São Paulo (Parque Villa Lobos) on December 2; in Buenos Aires (Grand Rex) on December 4.
Returning to Brazil on December 5, preparing for the launch of our "Nova" CD, there will be performances of the Anthony Wilson/Chico Pinheiro group in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, and hopefully Rio de Janeiro.
All dates will be announced here as soon as they are confirmed.

At least one gig in LA pre-Xmas. Also, to be confirmed here.

Aglio Olio & Expectations

Aglio Olio (and salad) once again, and rich sounds on the vinyl version of Keith Jarrett "Expectations." I have always appreciated this recording, and am drawn deeply into the piece entiled "Nomads." Also, after talking with Tanya casually about him on Saturday, I pulled a few Andrew Hill records from my shelf for some study. His, "A Beautiful Day," and this record, are shinging a bright light on a very fascinating path in my world of writing for large ensemble. I'm also thinking of Bill Dixon and all those priceless lessons that are still in an untapped part of my musical consciousness.

Last night, hung with Pisano, Gene Bertoncini, Ricardo Silveira, and Barry Zweig. More doors opening. My instrument does reveal itself more to me, and when I sit with it, give it extra hours of attention, it yields, it opens up... This evening practiced "Embraceable You" and "It Had To Be You," with a quiet mind, and my fingers showing me the way, and stayed aware of the subtle balance of finger coordination to string interval relationships: how few notes have to be played to express quite sophisticated harmonic tensions, or even basic chords. We hear this in Bach all the time; and my favorite players, old and new, always have something to add to this narrative. I think particularly of the way Larry Goldings plays when he is unaccompanied, and of course Ted Greene.

Wine tonight is Carlisle Zin, "Carlisle Vineyard," 2002.

Saw Coens' "No Country For Old Men" on Saturday, and "American Gangster" on Sunday.

(Picture is Aglio Olio & Brussels Sprouts from last Thursday or so.)

bataliblog

well looky here, what the cat dragged in, a new blog from iron chef mario b. this should be fun! (just click the header above)

Cooked it up right

The dish in the foreground is filled with a little contorno I fixed up this evening: "Lacinato" Kale from California, slow cooked in the pan with bacon, garlic, Cipolline onions, sea salt, pepper, chili flakes, white wine (Falanghina), and white wine vinegar. The kale was in danger of going unused, but now it's poised for my belly. Along with a little spaghetti aglio olio, I can't go wrong! Buon appetito!