Back to School

Kids are back in it, Harry 3 days and Gus 2, and are sick with colds after the first week. Mom and Dad got it, too, but seem to be getting over it faster. Stress? Daph is at her BPI energy auditor certification class all week so am home trying to keep it together. Meals, dishes, laundry, work, kids. Bonus is I recording more music than I have in a while, with several projects underway: jazz quartet, Rev Chris' live Beatles covers, which sound great if I do say so myself, newgrass with the Friends band, Fonksquish, and my own little seed for a new album. Cutting some tracks today with Denise King, and will be working with Phil and the Rev. tonight to cover the spectrum from sad ballad to funked up jazz to heavy metal. Philly peeps be sure to come out to Campbell's Sept. 30th for the jazz/hip-hop/poetry open jam to benefit Jazz Bridge.

Slife Productions has been hard at work producing lots of new Philly Jazz, working with Donald Williams, Joanna Pascale, Orrin Evans, Denise King, and Victor Bailey. Here's the latest clip:



Will also be taping this upcoming tribute to Lady Day show for the Philadelphia Jazz Heritage Project:

The dawn of a new studio space

The big Slife news today is that within the next week the architects and students at Philadelphia University's Engineering and Design Institute are completing design of our new, green, (hopefully LEED certified) audio/video recording studio at 7926 Roanoke St. in Philadelphia. We will be incorporating the studio into the existing 1000 sq ft structure known as "the garage." The space will feature a modest reception/lounge space, a voiceover/isolation booth, and a 300 sq ft sound stage/control room, equipped with 12x16' green screen and convertible fabric backdrops. Heat will be solar hot water supplied, and the site will have a waterless, composting toilet. The design is being completed with a $10,000 grant from Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the best part is that Phila U EDI Master's candidates and professors will be supplying the labor and expertise to build the space in the summer of 2010. One minor problem to be addressed is the small issue of finding the funds to purchase materials. Not to mention navigating L&I down at City Hall...Of course, we'll be video documenting the entire process for the blog as well as producing an educational DVD!

Summertime

Living ain't easy but it sure is fun. So much work I don't know what to do with it. Backlogged on editing Friends of the Wissahickon 85th anniversary event video, where I interviewd Mayor Michael Nutter. Can you spot the photoshop? So many episodes of Philly Jazz sitting uncut on the shelf. Coming off the total craziness of the 6th annual, 2009 West Oak Lane Jazz and Arts Festival, where I spent the last 96 hours, walking, talking, listening, shooting, editing, and earning a buck to promote the festival and OARC, a local non-profit CDC that is doing great work in the community. Can't believe that a mere 4 years ago I first wet my feet shooting jazz at the festival for fun. Full circle? So grateful that "following my bliss" is my career.
Wrapping shooting for the School District of Philadelphia this week with some principal interviews, miles of footage to plow through for a couple character education clips, and met an interesting woman at the festival this weekend who is also working for the School District to write a book on Philly Jazz history - could be a companion DVD/website?
What else? Raising these two boys is a blast and a constant challenge. Gus is stringing words together into mini sentences. Hard to hear "bye bye dada." Harry is trying to prove himself the macho man but seems to follow every assertion with a query as to the statement's veracity. Kids will both be in daycare this fall but only 2-3 days a week, so we are trying to remember to enjoy these precious moments of early childhood while we can. Before the system gets 'em and twists 'em around.
Vacation in a couple weeks to Bridge, and am very much looking forward to it. For now, much editing, a board meeting, and a couple days shooting this week for University of Pennsylvania. Now some rest...

Springing to Maine, Summer preview

This blog has lapsed for 5 months as we have been cranking out new episodes of Philly Jazz and feverishly growing Slife Productions. Like the rest of the world, also spending more time communicating in mini-missives via facebook and twitter, which has no doubt hobbled my ability to craft coherent paragraphs. Working currently on videos for the School District of Philadelphia and Harris Ad agency, and looks like we'll be back at West Oak Lane again shooting the entire 3 days of the most amazing free jazz and arts fstival on the East Coast, this year featuring Billy Paul, Roy Ayers, Tower of Power, the Mingus Big Band, and literally hundreds more of the finest musicians in Philadelphia (and thereby, the world!). Soon to be posting a 15 minute promo piece for non-profit Jazz Bridge hoping to spread the word about this great organization and generate some donations. In these tough economic times now more than ever, worthy non-profits need our help. Contact Jazz Bridge to volunteer or contribute financially: info@jazzbridge.org.

Spring brings us to Maine for a brief visit to the farm and family, this time Dad is traveling with both boys as solo parent so there should be some interesting action to report. Harry is nearing 4 years of age, and Gus is coming up on 1.5, so they are generally able to play with each other, with some gentle assistance. 4 is an interesting age, as Harry is starting to find his inner voice and stubbornly insisting on his independence. Gus is still very much in the Neanderthal period, smashing, grabbing, hair pulling, yet sweetly and giddily "being" in each and every moment. If it weren't for all the laundry this parenting thing would be a breeze...

On another note, the Chestnut Hill Allstars are booked to perform at the Pastorius Park summer concert series on July 15th - pencil us in!