Hangin' On to Summer

This first week of school has still been pretty...summery.

Even though yesterday was a much fuller teaching day than Tuesday, last night went back to bigtime summer mode, jamming till all hours since I didn't have to wake up until 8 this morning (I'll explain later why I have two off periods on Thursday mornings). About the time I get used to waking up at 6 a.m. again, it'll be the weekend. Everything will settle in eventually, but for now, I like easing my way back--entering the pool through the steps of the shallow end, rather than chucking myself off the high dive.

Tuesday, as predicted, I spent a half-day with Halfling on his birthday, doing lunch, listening to tunes and then going to the Rangers game with him, his family and Angie. The Rangers won big, 16-4, and we got to see Mark Teixeira hit for the cycle that night, the first time someone had done so in a Ranger uniform since Oddibe McDowell in '85 in the old stadium. A great time was had by all.

Yesterday, I taught until 5:30 and then we had a belated burrito night (where we got to see Gold Dingus for the first time since May) and another TD/D horn rehearsal. I can't wait to add a rhythm section to the mix really soon. (Dingus has posted a list of tunes we're currently rehearsing on the TD/D site.)

Tonight is a short gig in the "intimate apparel" department "showroom" of a ritzy major department store, and then I'm off to Halfling's for a little friends-and-family gathering on the eve of his departure for UNT. Thankfully, next week is a bit summery too, as college classes don't start until the 30th.

The ecstasy of de feet: As you probably know, from either reading Fun Facts or actually visiting Casa de Kev, I basically never wear shoes in the house, and that means there's always a big adjustment for me when school starts (my feet were sore by my third lesson yesterday). Now there's an article out which validates my pseudo-Asian habit, saying that, according to many podiatrists, we do in fact spend too much time in shoes, and it weakens many of our foot and leg structures. So the barefoot-ness is not just a comfort thing...it's good for you.

Playing this week in the Kevmobile: Bob Mintzer Big Band: Live at MCG with special guest Kurt Elling. It's the first-ever live recording of Mintzer's New York studio band, and the pairing of him with Elling delivers on the promise. The magnum-opus rendition of Herbie Hancock's "Eye of the Hurricane" is worth the price of the disc all by itself; Elling takes things to a new level and then comes back for an amazing chorus-trading session with the leader. Go. Buy it. Now.

http://www.mcgjazz.org
(...but I found it locally at Borders)