Saxophone adventures
Yes, I play the saxophone (tenor and soprano)…sometimes seriously…in college I was the only horn player in a latin jazz quintet. I replaced the original sax player who got a gig on a cruise ship after finishing music school. We were interviewed on two radio stations, made a studio demo, and gigged weekly. Our bassist was from France and sounded a lot like Jaco Pastorius. We played originals written by our drummer, the leader of the band. You had to be a good reader in this band — we would often show up to gigs to find new originals in the set.
I started playing again in 2016. Two years later, I started sitting in with bands (jam sessions) at various jazz clubs around the country. After scouting out the local jazz clubs, I would sneak out at night during conferences. Nothing is planned at these — you just show up with your instrument, unannounced, and get called up to play. I’ve had a fantastic time doing this, and ended up playing 3-4 hours straight several times. Usually a few friends from the conference come to cheer me on, which is a riot (for me at least!). Below are some recordings/photos. I admit that many of these tunes I’m playing for the first time on stage — I just read/transpose/play whatever tune is called — unless I happen to call it.
These are exactly like the flute scene in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell).
Restoring Old Houses
I restore old houses. Not on purpose — it just ends up that way! I’m on my fourth now, starting with a two bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side in Manhattan (70th and Columbus, a block from Central Park), then after moving to the Boston area, a 1930 Colonial, now an 1863 French Mansard Victorian, and the house next door, a 1935 Cape/Colonial. I hire subcontractors, but I also do it all — design, carpentry, exterior/interior trim and fine finish, make my own reproduction mouldings, roof work including slate, masonry — rebuilt chimneys, copper flashing, steam piping, antique wood floor refinishing, you name it. I try to do everything better than a “pro” would do it. I love thinking through the challenges. I’m lucky to have a painter who has worked with me for 14 years — we have developed some special techniques.
Auto Repair
I seem to spend a lot of time repairing cars (and have restored one). This includes body work, many brake jobs, engine diagnosis and minor engine work, suspension parts, exhaust systems, detailing, painting, engine electrical, whatever it takes. I never take a car to the shop. I’ve tried it a couple of times, and it wasn’t pretty. I had to tow one car back and fix it myself — they couldn’t do it!
Audio
I have been involved with audio since I was five. During high school and college, I ran my own business designing/building loudspeakers and amplifiers (using mostly Scandinavian drivers). While in high school, I also worked as a speaker designer for the company Audio Concepts, which sold loudspeakers worldwide. I would design crossovers and make measurements to tune them. I also built test equipment, including a swept function generator. My interest now has drifted more toward recording, tying in with playing saxophone, though this is something I always did, often with homemade equipment.
