The Great John Clayton

What a treat to meet the great bassist John Clayton yesterday at Berklee where he spent the week performing and teaching. When I told him who I was, he gave me the biggest smile and told me how much he loved Jake Hanna. Then he promptly told me a Jake story.

Jake's and Ana's birthdays

Jake was born on April 4, 1931. Today would have been his 82nd birthday. Hope you're still making some beautiful music up there Jake.

 Ana Marquez Greene was born on April 4, 2006. Today would have been her 7th birthday. She was killed in the Sandy Hook school shootings in Newtown, CT last December. Hope you're still hearing some beautiful music up there Ana.

Jake is an E-book!

Jake has just been released as an E-book. What would he think. What would he think?!? 

I think I'll do my next reading from my IPad :-)

It's available in Kindle and Nook formats. Take him with you!

Roberta Gambarini, Eric Jackson and Fred Taylor at Scullers

It was lovely to hear Roberta Gambarini sing at Scullers last night. Jake really liked her voice--said she reminded him of Rosemary Clooney. He traveled and recorded with her from 2006 to 2009. Her 2009 album, So in Love, was nominated for a Grammy.

Roberta holds the book I wrote and wears the
swirly scarf I knit her.
My hands sure do stay busy!

Eric Jackson broadcast live from Scullers
last night.  He was kind enough to write a
 "cover blurb"for the book

 Fred Taylor has been booking talent into

Boston clubs for  ... a long, long time!

 

NWU Reading

Mugging with Elaine Gottlieb

Had a great time at the National Writers Union Book Gala. People loved the Jake stories and Bill Littlefield was a great keynote speaker. If you don't listen to him on It's Only a Game on WBUR, please check it out. He is so thoughtful.

It's Never "Only a Game" to Jake

I'm excited to be chosen as one of the readers at today's National Writer's Union Annual Book Gala. And as if that weren't enough, the keynote speaker is Bill Littlefield, host of NPR's "It's Only a Game," full of intelligent, thoughtful commentaries on sports, which Jake, the ultimate sports fan would have enjoyed very much.

 

Jake's in the middle of the back row of this picture with his baseball team. He was a very good athlete--runner and baseball player--and at one point considered giving up music for sports. His wise older brother Billy counseled him against that, thankfully!

 

Bucky and Howard come to town

Always great to see Howard Alden and the ever-dapper Bucky Pizzarelli who come to town last night to play some fabulous music with Jon Weatley at the Jazz Guitar Jubilee in Lexington. As you can see, they're very excited about the book!

 

Jon, Howard and Bucky made some amazing sounds together