Welcome to Wilsonian's Whirld. Right here is where I'll sound off (but no mindless rants) on topics of interest - places & spaces, food, sports, favorite folks, comedy, social commentary, and of course the music. In the interest of keeping it real there will be entries that should prompt (hopefully intelligent) discourse and exchange, but I'll be keeping this page primarily on the positive tip. Let's face it - we get bombarded with enough lunacy.


August 2009: Indeed these are interesting times...the Yankees are way up, the Mets are way down, the Jets have a real quarterback, Brett Favre retires and un-retires more times than he changes underwear, citizens toting guns to town hall meetings... Seems that a lot of opining is being shaped by the "American Idol Syndrome", i.e. the Okie Doke that is played out time and again via 5-second sound bites. There's plenty of info out there that's not (allowed) on the boob tube. Take the road less traveled and you'll be amazed at what you'll find, then you can make up your mind!

July 2009: Playing the Vermont Mozart Festival in Burlington was a thrill and an honor. We debuted a new quartet featuring Danny Grissett, Joe Saylor, and Ben Williams at Grand Isle Lake House. Three nights later I performed the Villa-Lobos Fantasia for Soprano Saxophone with the VMF Orchestra conducted by the brilliant Gil Shohat at Shelburne Farms, and they ended the evening with a moving rendition of Dvorak's New World Symphony. Both performances were outdoors at these beautiful venues nestled on the pristine shores of Lake Champlain. The audiences were among the best we've ever experienced, and the festival organizers and crew were the cream of the crop. I can't say enough about the great musicians of the orchestra and the quartet to whom I'm so thankful for their artistry and camaraderie -Bravo!

June/July 2009: Working with Christian McBride's Inside Straight has simply been FUN. This band fires on all cylinders all of the time, and McBride wouldn't have it any other way. We did two weeks on the west coast, where McB's fan-friends (among many) included the likes of Morgan Freeman, Gena Gershon, John Clayton, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Regina King, and Howard Hesseman, and "Smitty" Smith and George Duke graced us on the bandstand at Catalina's in L.A. We then barnstormed through Europe and London for two weeks literally hitting the ground running in Palermo, then traveled every day (except for one) and performed every night, ending in Rome at the beautiful House of Jazz. We'll be doing more this year and in 2010. For an inside peek at our glamorous travel check out this video from Bro. Peter Martin: http://petermartinmusic.com/2009/07/09/trouble-in-palermo/

June 2009: My dear friend and colleague Bruce Barth and I performed and recorded as duo in performances in Fayetteville, AR and Columbia, MO. After 22 years of working together this our first time performing in this context, and Bruce continues to amaze me with his inventive, soulful playing and composing. Robert Ginsberg and Jon Poses are two great presenters and good guys at large who keep it happening in the Midwest.

June 2009 I've just posted an interview with New York jazz writer Howard Mandel and myself discussing Jazz and its reflection of the class divide in my blog section on my Myspace page. Please check it out and leave your opinion.

May 2009: Read about and see Prom Night in Mississippi, a documentary about students at Charleston (Mississippi) High School who organize the first non-racially segregated prom in the school's history, with help from actor Morgan Freeman, and documented by Canadian filmmaker Paul Saltzman.

May 2009: Saying "it is not a big deal", James Harrison the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII MVP, opted out of going to the White House with his teammates at the invitation of President Obama. Harrison's agent then cited his fear of flying as the reason, except that he flies to away games during football season. Evidently and sadly history is lost on Mr. Harrison, as is this case with too many of his generation. Perhaps he should consider on whose shoulders he stands-Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood, Jim Brown, The Freedom Riders, Goodman-Cheney-Schwerner, Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Fannie Lou Hamer-real MVPs and real heroes who in some instances made the ultimate sacrifice so that we, including Mr. Harrison, could have the constitutional right to pursue our dreams and livelihoods. In James Harrison's case he is worth at least $51.175 million courtesy of a new contract, affording him the means to get anywhere he wants whenever he wants however he wants in the grandest style. Perhaps, just perhaps Mr. Harrison should consider who would be in the White House and where would he be if these real heroes had opted out.

April 2009: In residence at SUNY New Paltz with guitarist/arranger David O'Rourke, we worked with great faculty and student players performing selections from Bird with Strings, a new arrangement of Gershwin's 'Swonderful, and in configurations from trio to sextet on originals and standards. David's long-time friend Werner flew over from Ireland just to see this concert- now that's a real music lover. Props to Mike Hollis and Laura Hartmann for wading through "muddy waters" over several months to pull this off! Look for more exciting projects from this collaboration with Mr. O'Rourke.

April 29, 2009: The 110th birthday of The Duke - Edward Kennedy Ellington.

March 2009: Props to the UConn Huskies (30 wins-0 losses) and UNC Tar Heels (28 wins-4 losses) for winning the women's and men's NCAA basketball championships, respectively.

February 2009: Super Bowl XLIII plays out to be one of the most exciting in NFL history with the Pittsburgh Steelers prevailing. While you've got to give props to Big Ben Roethlisberger and the crew, the Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald solidified his status as the best receiver of his generation.

February 2009: Winnipeg, Canada in February doesn't exactly conjure images of palm trees and pina coldas, but I was given the warmest welcome as artist-in-residence at The University of Manitoba. Steve Kirby, the staff, and students are building a standout jazz program and there is a vibrant arts community in full swing. And there is plenty of great cuisine to be had at Earl's, The Current, Bellissimo, and In Fernos Bistro.

January-April 2009: Touring with the Blue Note 7 through 50 cities in the U.S. was a phenomenal experience. It is rare these days that a jazz group can tour that extensively in the Estados Unidos, and this was a success by every measure musically and commercially. We criss-crossed the lower 48 over 3 1/2 months and the cats were bringing it strong every night. And yes New York and L.A., the audiences bring it strong in Boulder,CO; Norman,OK; St.Louis, MO; Manchester,N.H; and Sioux Falls, S.D. Props to Danny Melnick and Jack Randall.

January 2009: The inauguration of Barack Obama was one of America's best moments. Finally a true representation of our diverse nation was present and accounted for at the festivities, and indeed the entire world celebrated.

Recommended Reading:

Democracy Matters - Cornell West
Setting The Table- Danny Meyer
Sacred Hoops - Phil Jackson
Forty Million Dollar Slaves - William C. Rhoden
On The Shoulders of Giants - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Faith in Time: The Life of Jimmy Scott - David Ritz
Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
Brain Droppings - George Carlin