I’m taking time away from my vacation activities to do a quick post. Vacationing or working does seem to be a bit of a head trip I do to myself. It is working to think of myself on vacation. I am getting a lot of reading, practicing, and studying done.

It was a week ago today that Rhonda and I live streamed an AGO Workshop. Here’s a link to our handout, if you’re curious.

I am doing a lot of thinking about Jazz these days. Herbie Hancock’s Harvard Norton lectures on YouTube continue to give food for thought. I have been listening to a lot of  Hancock’s recordings. I am coming to think that he is one of those rare people with whom I share an aesthetic.

Hancock’s first Norton Lecture was about Miles Davis. I am back reading So What: The Life of Miles Davis by John Szwed and Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of An American Original by Robin D. G. Kelly. I temporarily left off reading them a while back and am enjoying working on them both at the same time. At this point, the bio of Miles Davis is discussing some of his work with Monk. It’s fun to read these two bios side by side. Apparently their relationship was a bit contentious.

Greek is going well. I have the F major invention of Bach just about memorized. I’m also studying Levine’s  book on Jazz Theory. It’s a companion volume to a book on jazz piano technique that I have worked in quite a bit.

Apparently I needed this  vacation. One indicator is that on my first day of vacation every adult in the house asked me how it was going. Hmm.

It’s going well.