Yesterday I played a casual at the Del Paso Country Club for a party for Stanford alumni. It happened I came back to the neighborhood for a tuning today. Although I've been practically everywhere in the county over the last twenty years, I'd never been to the street bordering the club. What mansions! These must have belonged to original members of the club. 

There was a hailstorm of Biblical proportions today, here seen from the front of Espresso Metro. But it only lasted about ten minutes. 

This toy car is in Taylor's Market above the produce section. Taylor's is a tiny grocery store but it is our favorite place to buy food, especially meat.

Yesterday we were shopping at Taylor's market and we ran into Jan, who we hadn't seen since our Christmas party. Her husband, Tom, is a guitarist and longtime friend. He is going to be playing Lion King for six weeks. Besides playing guitar, he has to learn the kalimba for the show.

I went to University Art today and got a frame for this lovely photo of my brother Jon, my mother, and me (age about 5?) What a babe she was! On the right you see my action figure of Captain Jack Flange, the mutant piano tuner from outer space. Download his theme song!

When you look out from the music building at Sacramento City College, you see this building being gutted. This has taken out a lot of parking, which leads to problems in front of Espresso Metro. 

The Little Theater at Sacramento City College where I was tuning today. I finished about five minutes before a film class started. Before, I talked to Rob Knable, the head of the music department, for the first time since coming back from the Peter Pan tour. He wants to interview me for the department newsletter.

When an early Roman was going down an early Roman road, and he didn't have a radio or cell phone, what did he do to pass the time? Or had boredom not been invented yet?  

This is not an ad for the show. It's the real thing. Rachel photographed Evita's tomb during her visit to Argentina. She was surprised that the tomb was smaller than most of the others in the cemetary for rich people.

This is a picture Rachel took during her week in Argentina.

In rural Sacramento County this time of year the pastures are turning green with a dusting of purple wildflowers. Soon the tract homes will be sprouting. 

This is common now: a church sanctuary that looks like a recording studio. The computer on the right foreground is for projecting lyrics to the songs on a pull-down screen behind the band. To the left you can see a banner that has motivational-speaker slogans on it: "Getting it Done", "I'm In."

Last night I went to Sacramento's only remaining jazz venue (and it's only on Sunday night) to see my friend Doug Pauly (on guitar, left). The singer, Maleva, has a great cabaret-type persona and in fact has done musical theater with people I know. Before that, she was the head dresser at Music Circus! So of course I sent a picture of her to my favorite dresser, Rachel. 

This is the isolation booth next to the editing room. In the lower left-hand corner is an udu. 

This is Wendell Yuponce in his studio (in an undisclosed location). I'm helping him with ten pieces he is writing for a recording session we will be doing in Seattle on April 25. He makes MIDI files and I turn them into scores and parts.  

Another view of Espresso Metro, with my trusty Toyota wagon (#5 in my life) on the right. Sacramento City College is renovating one of its buildings a block away, taking away a lot of staff parking. Parking around the coffeehouse, therefore, has gotten a lot tighter.

I have two cartoon ideas, one of which I'll do this weekend:
1. Two mothers having coffee. One points to her young child and says, "She's only three and she can talk on the phone. ...Before, she could only instant-message."
2. Couple: "Now that our kids are gone, we can concentrate on how unhappy we are."

I'm back (on the right) ordering a latte at my favorite coffeehouse, Espresso Metro, which has thankfully changed not at all while I've been away.

I went to an ATM today and couldn't remember the PIN for either of my cards. Scary, with all of the machines I depend on, to lose my connection to one of them. I'm going to have to go to the bank to have new numbers keyed in.
Two nights ago I played my first job since coming back: a trio job contracted by John Skinner. He also mentioned that he wanted me to play at his daughter's wedding. The groom is a third-generation Air Force pilot, and of course Katherine is second-generation. But this wedding almost didn't happen: a few months back, Katherine sang with John's band at the wedding of her fiance to another woman. A few days later, he called off the marriage (how exactly does that work?) and decided that Katherine was the one for him.
Is that clear? If you think so, please email me and explain it to me.

On the day of our flight home from Philadelphia, it rained heavily and we missed our connection in Las Vegas. While sitting around in the airport, we met James, a student at Orlando's Full Sail school of music technology. He had his laptop and keyboard out and was recording some music. We had a good talk about the music business. When Jennifer volunteered that I had been on the Peter Pan tour, he said, "It's a job."

This note is on a piano at the YMCA in Lower Merion, PA. 

I went to high school with Jon Dichter, a PTG member piano technician who also plays fine jazz guitar in the Django Reinhart manner. He is planning to rebuild this miniature piano with his seven-year-old son. 

This Steinway is in the rehearsal hall of the Academy of Music, where we had our orchestra run-through for Peter Pan. "It's got three strings missing," said Dave Williams, the prop head.

I assume this is where the Philadelphia Orchestra used to rehearse (and maybe still does). It's one of the best-sounding rooms I've ever been in. You could make great recordings in there.

A square grand by J. Stewart at the Art Institute. 

A closer view of the Broadwood upright. 

A Broadwood upright at the Chicago Art Institute. 

Historical piano

This Collarde grand is in the Big Shoulders Cafe at the Chicago Historical Society. To see the woman who plays it click here.

A Chickering square grand and harp at the Chicago Historical Society.

This piano showroom is in the basement of the famous department store Marshall Field's. The main brands are Bergmann and Young Chang.