one more letter
Hard to believe, but we have been gone from the Bay for 3 months! This last missive barely can cover it all, so I am sure there will be another, but this one is a start. Here, Carla has done tremendously. I can't (or won't) bore you with all the details, but suffice to say she now has a co-producer for her show, so will be coming down to LA on Thursdays to do it once a week at the Hayworth theater on Wilshire Blvd, has the agent for Mort Sahl, Dick Gregory and Jay Leonhart booking her for colleges and festivals, and another agent wants to book her for film, TV and theater. Her first audition for a feature film is tomorrow. I always knew she was the more marketable one in the family and she is absurdly talented, so it is nice to see this happen for her. She will become a star, in all likelihood, and my only nonnegotiable is that she gives me the right of first refusal as MD on any TV, movie or Broadway deal she gets.
Mac continues to thrive. He is now taller than I am, with a lower voice, is a basketball stud, has skipped a grade and is about as cool and decent as I could hope for in a 14 year old. I am blessed and will work hard to maintain a strong connection with him. When I see how well he is turning out, centered and wise and levelheaded, I am very glad I made the choice to move from New York and basically prioritize being his father. It has paid big dividends...
As for me, I continue to do some cool things. Playing Berkeley Jazz Festival on Thursday August 24th (returning that day), then the following weekend play the Bach on Sunday and Yoshi's on Monday with Balajo, the Latin big band I co-lead, and have a tour of the Northwest in beginning of December with the amazing guitarist John Stowell. He is a subtle, harmonically beautiful and musically sensitive player, and he comes from the Ralph Towner, Abercrombie, Mick Goodrick world, so that is a nice direction for me to explore - quieter and more spacious textures. Lastly, have hooked up with a fun drummer down here named Michael Barsimanto, who is Lieb's favorite drummer in LA - very organic, modern and loose, so not surprising Dave likes him. Beautiful cat, too. So I will be coming down to LA to occasionally play with him and others here, as well as help Carla out on various things.
The saddest and toughest thing has been with my father. He has Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and also got a blood infection which went to his brain. We thought we were going to lose him. I was up in Vancouver to help out, immediately after the 9 week run of Carla's show ended, and had the distinct pleasure of being there when he returned home from the hospital. We had a few very wrenching days, but he is better now, and my mother has hired full-time live-in caregivers to help out, so we are really fortunate that she has the finances to do that. We, as a society are criminal in how we treat the elderly. So many languish alone, with no visitors, waiting out the end of their time. So I have made a commitment to visit an elder care facility at least once a month with my son and our two dogs, to try and bring something to those poor lonely souls. I am doing it for my father and for my son...and for me.
Be good and if you can, fall by one of the gigs coming up. It would be great to see you. I look forward to reconnecting with you face to face, since it has been a while! Peace and love (consider the alternative), MZ
Mac continues to thrive. He is now taller than I am, with a lower voice, is a basketball stud, has skipped a grade and is about as cool and decent as I could hope for in a 14 year old. I am blessed and will work hard to maintain a strong connection with him. When I see how well he is turning out, centered and wise and levelheaded, I am very glad I made the choice to move from New York and basically prioritize being his father. It has paid big dividends...
As for me, I continue to do some cool things. Playing Berkeley Jazz Festival on Thursday August 24th (returning that day), then the following weekend play the Bach on Sunday and Yoshi's on Monday with Balajo, the Latin big band I co-lead, and have a tour of the Northwest in beginning of December with the amazing guitarist John Stowell. He is a subtle, harmonically beautiful and musically sensitive player, and he comes from the Ralph Towner, Abercrombie, Mick Goodrick world, so that is a nice direction for me to explore - quieter and more spacious textures. Lastly, have hooked up with a fun drummer down here named Michael Barsimanto, who is Lieb's favorite drummer in LA - very organic, modern and loose, so not surprising Dave likes him. Beautiful cat, too. So I will be coming down to LA to occasionally play with him and others here, as well as help Carla out on various things.
The saddest and toughest thing has been with my father. He has Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and also got a blood infection which went to his brain. We thought we were going to lose him. I was up in Vancouver to help out, immediately after the 9 week run of Carla's show ended, and had the distinct pleasure of being there when he returned home from the hospital. We had a few very wrenching days, but he is better now, and my mother has hired full-time live-in caregivers to help out, so we are really fortunate that she has the finances to do that. We, as a society are criminal in how we treat the elderly. So many languish alone, with no visitors, waiting out the end of their time. So I have made a commitment to visit an elder care facility at least once a month with my son and our two dogs, to try and bring something to those poor lonely souls. I am doing it for my father and for my son...and for me.
Be good and if you can, fall by one of the gigs coming up. It would be great to see you. I look forward to reconnecting with you face to face, since it has been a while! Peace and love (consider the alternative), MZ
posted by Michael Zilber at 12:41 PM
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