mere cat

Jazz Vespers This Sunday

I am participating in a Jazz Vespers performance this Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church of Pitman with the wonderful singer Rosemary Benson. Details here. I feel obligated to mention this because when people find out I play drums, they usually ask where they can come hear me, and since I play in public so seldom, this gig calls for some hoopla (cue, um, the drum roll). Not to mention that the proceeds benefit the Pitman Food Pantry. Note, however, that I will be playing a barely-audible supporting role, so don’t come for me, come to hear Rosemary’s masterful interpretations of some selections from the Great American Songbook.

Philly Photobloggers Doylestown meetup

I recently began working through a backlog of unprocessed film and put up a set shot in early August. The occasion was a Philly Photoblogger meetup organized by Robin Odland to shoot headshots of the actors of Town and Country Players. Robin and his wife Anne provided fabulous gourmet pizza and Belgian beer—and that was just for lunch! I was stunned by the abundance of lighting equipment, high-end cameras and accessories and embarrassed that I only had one measly flash and my little point-and-shoot Leica M4 (Naiffer took a picture of me in action). Needless to say I didn’t take any headshots with that rig. This was my first opportunity, however, to use my brand-new Zeiss 35mm lens, so I took about 50 frames. The pics are mainly of historical interest now, but if you like extremely dark pictures with copious motion blur, then baby, you'll love this set. The beginning starts here.

New York Stories

If New York has a reputation for unfriendliness, it is undeserved. At least, that has been my experience. Sure, driving in Manhattan can be a little competitive at times, and you would think the teeming masses of humanity flowing by couldn’t care less about you and your little problems—until you stop and look like you need help. Usually you are then only a handful of heartbeats away from someone stopping and offering a helping hand. Maybe it’s just me, however, since I look helpless on many occasions. Anyway I was the beneficiary of yet another random, senseless act of kindness last Saturday night.

I was working in the upper Seventies near Fifth Avenue. In this neighborhood, parking garages are rare and while street parking is available, it’s unusual for spaces to open up at that hour. I slid into a gap to unload, blocking a fire hydrant in the process. Between trips I noticed a space opening up, and as I was running back to move my car, I realized that the random stranger I had just passed was standing in the space to save it for me. I thanked him profusely, and he wouldn’t take anything for his trouble even though he had probably just saved me 20 minutes. When I thought about this later, I began to wonder if I am being watched over by a Parking Angel. The night of the Michael Jackson toast, I parked on 2nd Street near the Standard Tap where the street is very wide and cars park at an angle instead of parallel. That night, a Parking Angel advised me to back into the space, because police ticket cars that pull in head first. Right or wrong, I definitely didn’t get a ticket that night. With my parking problems solved, I may just give up on taking the train.