I took a trip down to Seattle yesterday to see my good friend Ian Hendrickson-Smith play with a great Funk/Soul band called Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings. What a killing band. I left early in the day because whenever I go to Seattle I like to peruse Tower Records as well as some used book stores. I have really been in to vinyl lately and to be honest with you I haven't been listening to CD's much. The sound of vinyl is unexplainable other than to say it is simply better. I also have to admit I get caught up in the notalgia of picking up that big colourful album cover. Its also very funny to see the turntable coming back. I was golfing with a friend the other day and his 17 year old daughter asked him for a turnbable for her birthday. Hilarious. Please tell me the 8 - track isn't going to come back!!! Anyways, my time at Tower Records was awesome. So superior to anything that we have up here and its sad that the record stores in this city continue to slowly phase out their jazz section. It seems at A&B Sound they have the same stuff they had last year. Virgin has a much better selection but their way of racking CD's suck and its an understatement to say they're over-priced. Some of the smaller shops offer that cool ambience of a record store but their selection is often limited and you have to special order. For those of you who don't know me I'm not a patient man so ordering isn't good for me. Unless of course I'm ordering vinyl on ebay (I'm addicted).

There is an incredible book store down there as well call The Elliot Bay Book company just up the street from Bud's Jazz Records (an instituion in Seattle). What a great store. I never really buy much from there but to hang out there is so much fun.

I finally purchased Joe Henderson "Live in Tokyo." I had heard snipets of it here and there but finally found a copy at Tower. Holy Crap!!! What an amazing display of saxophone work and group work all around. The Japanese rhythm section virtually made up of unknown were obviously thrilled to be playing with the tenor man. They were so enthusiastic, rushing heavily at times and almost exploding and losing it all together but Joe just when with them and played his ass off. The band swung hard but as I said it was a little scattered at times. If you're a Joe Henderson fan or high energy jazz fan, you have to check it out.

My recording experience isn't extensive but I have generally never ever been happy recording anything in the studio that I have liked. The studio for me is very confining and I don't find it a very creative space or atmosphere. I have realized that there is nothing like a live record. Bill Evans at the Vanguard, Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall, Trane at the Vanguard, Wes Montgomery at Tsubo, the recent Chris Potter record at the Vanguard, Trane at The Vanguard...so many great recordings of masters playing music live and unencumbered by the confines of a studio.

Thats it for now.