The title of this post says it all: I’m off to New York City. Tomorrow morning I’m leaving at about 4:30 AM to catch a morning flight on Virgin Airlines with my family to New York City with two main goals in mind: (a) tour colleges and (b) check out the NYC jazz scene. But perhaps what I’m looking the most forward to is wandering aimlessly along its busy sidewalks, mesmerized by the bright lights and the masses of diverse people — I have a certain fondness for big cities. I love how quickly anyone can switch from being an integral part of the city — like a jazz musician, for instance — to being an individual in complete solitude — another face drifting in an ever-moving sea of people.
Nevertheless, it is still my first time ever visiting NYC. As many of you know, I’m starting my senior year of high school this fall — which means that the next step for me is college. I’ll be touring several universities this week, including Columbia, NYU, and Juilliard — I’ll keep you updated on my college tours via this blog and thejazzpost’s Twitter feed.
I’ll also be attending (at the least) two jazz shows: the Fred Hersch trio (with John Hebert and Billy Hart) at the Village Vanguard and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars at the Blue Note. The Village Vanguard was the first place I expressed extreme interest in visiting upon the first notions of this family trip to NYC in its early stages — after all, it’s the venue where my favorite Bill Evans album was recorded. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t have minded much taking a cheesy tourist-y photo outside its old doors — so I’m absolutely ecstatic about this Hersch show. And I definitely can’t miss out on the opportunity to see a Blue Note show — especially a Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars show.
I’m trying my hardest to refrain from using the words “sick,” “awesome,” “amazing,” “fantastic,” and “excited” in these short paragraphs, and I’ve got to tell you — it’s extremely difficult. Just thinking about where I’m headed tomorrow is making me squirm with excitement. So since I don’t want to miss my flight, I’m going to end this post here for now — but trust me: it’s going to be an exciting week for me and TheJazzPost starting tomorrow.
Here’s a lovely good night with a lovely Sunday At the Village Vanguard track:
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Dr. Beauchef, Penguin Dentist/Kneebody/Low Electrical Worker
PHOTO CREDIT (top): Josh Liba @ Flickr
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You picked a good time to come out to hear jazz — especially if your parents are paying for it. Make sure to get the schedule for the Carefusion Jazz Festival, lots of great acts in town the next couple of weeks. Perhaps I’ll see you at a show.
It’s been nice to read your first impressions of New York and all that jazz. Good luck in your endeavors.
jj