A Wonderful Start

Hello and a very belated Happy New Year!

I left off in November of last year. After the Thanksgiving holiday -which I spent happily with family in Minneapolis-- we headed to Fresno-- a wonderful start of their new series with a masterclass for the students at the University there. A very great group of people and we had a ball. Many thanks to John and Tama, Tom and the whole crew (Jim Totoian & crew too) and the very enthusiastic Fresno audience!

Then onto Memphis, where we enjoyed doing a masterclass again for the general public and met several great/local musicians. Memphis has such an amazing jazz musical legacy-- some of our favorite players come from there: the late, great and sorely missed James Williams for one, as well as Mulgrew Miller, Harold Mabern just to name a few. The hall there in Germantown was beautiful; we had a great concert, many thanks to our sweet friend Mike Kelly.

Some of my 'big news' is that I bought a house! In western Massachusetts along the Connecticut River-- it's another great adventure in my life, and though I still love living and being based in NYC, having a lovely retreat to go to when I get time off is a real dream come true for me.

In January, we went to Honolulu to perform at the Academy of the Arts, had a wonderful, packed house-- all involved at the Academy made us feel right at home (again!) instantly. Also many thanks to the folks at Hawaii Public Radio and to my family there.

Back to the main land and headed for Fayetteville Arkansas and Columbia Missouri. The flu season caught up with me there I'm afraid--- I got quite sick with it, and so did a few band members-- but we pulled it together and did our best. Our friends Robert and Susan Ginsberg were gems and a pleasure to work with in Fayetteville-- and Jon Posses' "We Always Swing" series is top notch. Many thanks to all of them and the great crowds.

In February we visited (where else would you go in February?) VERMONT!! I had never been and loved it-- what a beautiful place Burlington is--right on Lake Champlain--looking across the lake to the Adirondacks, lovely! –Especially with quite a bit of snow.

And thanks go to the folks at the University: Natalie and Jane-- and the wonderful crowd for Valentine's Day.

Off to Tokyo as soon as I finish this; then to Florida, then to Tel Aviv... will catch my breath and write again.

Thank you for checking in–

Karrin