Why Daylight Savings Time?

I wish we didn't have to change our clocks back and forth every year. Instead of falling back and springing forward, wouldn't it be better to have a natural transition to darkness? Perhaps the short dark days wouldn't seem so strange if we just left our watches and clocks alone.

I love the fall, but I find the one-hour jump to be a bit jarring and disorienting. Anyone else feel this way?

Swing Night at Top of the Mark

Hey y'all, it's Thursday again and that means a night of stunning panoramic views and live swingin' music provided by real human beings playing instruments. Bring your leather-soled shoes and your favorite dance partner, 'cause they have a nice little dance floor in the middle of the room. For all of you non-dancers, grab one of the prime seats along the window and enjoy the view.

The Top of the Mark also makes some fine drinks. Sure, you pay a few dollars more than your average trendy San Francisco bar, but at least at the Inter-Continental they make the drinks right. It's one of the few places where I'll actually order a Mojito or a French 75 because they know how to make them correctly. The service is great, too!

Perhaps I'll see some of you tonight at the Top!

American Food Is Dangerous: Part One

I am sorry, my American Friends, that the vast majority of foods available to you are so deadly. Yes, I know there are those of you out there that take the extra step to eat healthy fruits, grains, meats, and vegetables from safe and reputable sources. This message is not directed at those of you already in the know.

I've lost about forty pounds in the last several months eating the most delicious French cuisine this side of the Atlantic. For example: French fries every day, dipped in gobs of real mayonnaise, moules mariniere, steak tartare, pain au chocolat, creme brulee, moelleux au chocolat, and I've been cooking with lots and lots of butter, and eating plenty of fresh baguettes. I love pomme frites and rice too much to ever adopt the low-carb fad diets. After all those fries, and my last physical, my doctor gave me a clean bill of health.

How is this possible?

It's actually quite simple.

I've been eating Parisian-sized portions, and doing a lot of what the petite French girls do. Walk. A lot. They eat whatever they want, including large stacks of pomme frites accompanied by the normal daily infusions of mayonnaise. My friend Sophie described it this way: Eat whatever you want, but do enough walking to burn it all off. Simple math, she said. Addition, and subtraction.

I love it!

I've also cut out corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup from my diet completely. No American sodas. No American Heinz ketchup. And most importantly, no American Salad Dressings. Even low-fat salad dressings are chock full of corn syrup.

I used to rail against the evils of corn syrup, especially when I gained weight working a desk job and consuming at least one American soft drink a day. Now I can actually rationalize eliminating it from my diet.

In France, sugar is used in place of corn syrup because it's cheaper. The big scam is that the American Government has been subsidizing the corn industry for years, and many businesses that used to use sugar have switched over completely to corn syrup. There are two simple reasons why:

1) Corn syrup, in the United States of America, is cheaper than sugar.
2) Less can sweeten more

It's just business, folks...

You however, the American food consumer, suffer the consequences of these business decisions. High rates of adult-onset diabetes, childhood and adult obesity, and a laundry list of serious, debilitating health problems have a direct correlation to rises in the daily intake of corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.

Take care of yourselves, and always check the labels on your packaged food.

There's a silent killer out there.

Use caution, my friends.

Link to Janet Helm's article, "Studies point to high fructose corn syrup as a culprit in obesity", on Active.com:
www.active.com/story.cfm

Bon Voyage Party Ideas

So, where should we have this soiree? Lucid? Tunnel Top? Vesuvio? All three? I'm going to keep the acceptable territory to Nob Hill, Tenderloin, and North Beachia. What do y'all think?

Time frame is end of October, probably before or after Halloween on a weekday night.

Late Monday or Tuesday night work for me.

In other news, I've been able to retain some musicians from the original Gadjo Project (Paris) band:

Check it out:
gadjoproject.com/france/index.html

Mitch Marcus Quintet + Erik Jekabson Quintet @ Rockit Room

LIVE JAZZ TONIGHT!!! SUNDAY OCTOBER 8th
8:30 PM

TWO AMAZING BAY AREA JAZZ BANDS!!!

Mitch Marcus Quintet
www.mitchmarcusmusic.com

** and **

Erik Jekabson Quintet
www.erikjekabson.com

Live at:

The Rockit Room
406 Clement Street (between 5th and 6th Avenue)
San Francisco, CA
www.rock-it-room.com/location/index.html

$5 cover

Gadjo Project Sextet at Catalyst Cocktails, Friday 10/06

Back by popular demand, the Gadjo Project Sextet will perform another set of uptempo swing and bebop at the First Friday of the Month Jazz Happy Hour at Catalyst Cocktails, located conveniently at 312 Harriet Street (@ Bryant, across from the SF Hall of Justice).

gadjoproject.com/index.html

The lineup will feature Erik Jekabson (trumpet), Dan Heffez (tenor saxophone), Kate Pittard (vocals & alto saxophone), Eric Vogler (upright bass), Ulf Bjorkbom (drums), and me on guitar. Groups like this don't come along often, and we hope to capture the magic and chemistry of the various Gadjo Project concerts that you've all come to know over the years.

See you at the Catalyst, and like they say at La Chope des Puces: "N'Oubliez Pas Les Musiciens"

Marcus Shelby Trio at Cafe Claude

So last night I was eating dinner at my favorite hangout Cafe Claude and in walk Howard Wiley and Marcus Shelby. After quickly setting up their equipment, they go on to play the most outstanding set of well-improvised, superbly-performed jazz I have heard in a long time. Let's just say that the music was undeniably incredible. I can only imagine what those lucky people felt back in the day as they watched and listened to Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Charles Mingus play small bars.

A big thanks to the Marcus Shelby Trio for the great music last night at Claude. It was a night of brilliant improvisations that I will never forget.

Formidable!

Tuesday Nights at Club Deluxe

I've been going to The Word Party at Club Deluxe the past couple of weeks and I gotta say, it's a lot of fun. Take some jazz musicians, some poets, and mix the two groups together to create some unbelievable art.

Dan Heffez, who plays tenor saxophone with the Gadjo Project Sextet, plays at Deluxe every Tuesday night with his group NOVA Jazz. In between the jazz sets, there's poetry readings that often include free improvisations by the musicians in attendance.

I haven't played jazz piano in 3 years, but since they already have a guitar player (who kicks ass), I decided to hop on the keys a few times these past two Tuesdays.

Check it out for yourself. I plan on showing up next Tuesday night. I hope to see y'all there.

Here's the official website for The Word Party:
thewordparty.com/

Merci, Zizou!

I was doing a google search on Marco Materazzi and came up with some links you might be interested in checking out:

www.deadspin.com/sports/so...186498.php

www.thesun.co.uk/article/0...71,00.html

What ever happened to "Say No To Racism"? Did Marco stand by that huge anti-racism banner before the game?

Gadjo Project USA: Final Public Performance

The day has finally arrived. Gadjo Project, a group which has crossed vast oceans and undergone drastic changes in style and instrumentation, will play it's final public performance in the United States of America. Born-again Parisian and guitarist/manager Justin Cheung, who brought Le Projet Gadjo to the American mainland in 2003, is returning to his adopted homeland and taking the show on the road, so to speak.

Join us for one final blowout show at Catalyst Cocktails on September 1st (6:30-8:30pm). We will be joined by three exciting guest performers: Kate Pittard on vocals and alto saxophone, Jack Fields on rhythm guitar, and Dan Heffez on tenor sax. We may also be joined by Gadjo Project alumnus Theo Paige on bebop violin.

www.catalystcocktails.com