We're here in Nippon

The time difference here is tremendous. However the people are first class.

JAPAN BOUND

Thursday we head to TOKYO. There's an energy element there that does not seem to be matched. You can play the music and actually feel the energy coming back in an endless loop. No draining march through two hours. It inspires one to max out every tune.

TOKYO

Getting ready for Tokyo. I'm forever thinking about what Miles Davis felt about the country. He felt that his sound was recognized instantly in Japan. I tend to agree with this assessment. I'm always tweeking and experimenting in the studio, yet on the road in America and the Europen countries I keep it close to the vest. The Japanese want to feel me and the Americans want to intellectualize this simple man and his works. LOL. So now it's to the woodshed.

the pursuit

I'm in somewhat of a zone musically. It seems to be navigating me lately. I just hold on and try not to squeeze the moment. I'm tooling around with my trumpet again. I'm in the midst of a tour and what do I do? play with the trumpet of course. LOL. It's been a minute since I've actually practiced with it. Ironically I'm told it's the hardest brass instrument to play. I'm the only one in my entire family able to play it. That's big magic considering how gifted the family is as a whole. I find a sort of serenity that escapes me during marathon recording or production rehearsals. I used to have an electronic mute that had ear plugs to allow one to rehearse without anyone else being disturbed. The weirdest thing is that when I hold it I remember what miles told me when I asked him why he pointed his bell towards the floor when he played. He answered that I should play the motherfucker any way I chose. How true is that about my entire life?