Shoo bah dee boo bop

So the husband and I went to hear the Chris Potter Quartet last night, and it was an excellent show. The husband is much more of a music aficionado than I, especially when it comes to jazz, but we both really enjoyed the set, which featured a great mix of original tunes and interesting covers.

Before we got to Chris Potter, though, there was an opening act featuring a local duo, jazz vocals and guitar. And it. Was. PAINFUL. Most frustrating was the fact that both performers clearly had talent and skill, but they used it to do this cheesy, scat-filled, hokey-guitar-solo set that was just ridiculous. After it ended, I turned to the husband and said, "These two are to jazz as Miller Genuine Draft is to beer - people experience them, and think that they know what the larger category is all about, and conclude that they must not like jazz - or beer - when, in reality, there's so much out there that's better!"

He replied, "I thought you were going to say that people experience them and end up feeling unsatisfied and slightly sleepy."

I Guess Winter is Really Here

Walking across the LaSalle Street Bridge the other day, I came across the sight of all the newly formed ice breaking up again, all higgledy- piggledy due to the fluctuations in temperature we've been experiencing. It was cool, so I whipped out the camera phone.