Photos and interviews...

I am a terrible traveler in as much as: I have a wonderful digital Kodak camera.

I purchased it years ago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is a, DX4530 5.0 mega pixels... it still takes great photos. ONLY PROBLEM?

I FORGET TO USE THE DAMN THING! Why?

Years ago when I was touring Viet Nam, people begged me to take photos. My arrogant reply was, "Nah! I have a mind that photographs everything. I can't be bothered with the snap, snap, snap of the camers!"

Stupid me! I experienced 'priceless' moments during performances, amazing people I met, some near fatal moments... well, in my scrap books I have a handful of small photos I took in Viet Nam!

Thank God, the "Stars and Stripes" took photos of shows and of course other performers shared some pictures with me. Three Christmas Tours to Viet Nam and I have about 10 photos to prove it!

I have hiked all over the South Island of New Zealand. I do have pictures and some amazing moments with nature that I have captured on film. I am a devout keeper of journals. I write in long hand on the paper within the arms of those journals every day.

I cannot imagine life without my Mac Book or my I PAD... yet photos evade me!

Everyone tells me I must Skype. Well, I did it once. I did not like the picture I was seeing of someone that I honestly adore and happen to think is very attractive.

Every freckle, splotch on the skin, droopy eyes... sagging flesh! YIKES!

I said NOT TO THIS

TECHNOLOGY. I will use the telephone, write letters, e mail but not have the live person with no make up, no knowledge about what we are speaking endure such an ordeal, which includes myself.

I am NOT a telephone person. Years ago I learned a very difficult lesson: NEVER, EVER DRINK AND DIAL.

I am not good with interviews.

Years ago I made my New Zealand debut as a pianist in the city of Christchurch.

The local television station featured me live on a noon time talk show. I was to be interviewed, then play piano at the end of the program as the show ended... I was full of confidence, and I looked great.

I was wearing a black mock turtle neck sweater, gray slacks and sun tanned, fit and full of energy. The set designers had placed a gorgeous French Press Coffee Plunger on the table in front of me in the attempt to make the scene very 'cozy' and comfortable. I had two TV hosts on either side of me. A piano was off to stage right of where I was seated.

It was sort of like one of those Reggis and Kathy type shows. Everyone is hyper and so glitzy.

When the director counted down to air time I could not take my eyes away from the coffee plunger! The hosts of the show asked me mundane questions and I answered but kept staring at the coffee plunger!

I finally asked, "Where did you find such an ornate and beautiful plunger?" both hosts gasped as if the toilet had been clogged or something terrible had happened... needless to say I had a great audience at the concert.

I played Rhapsody in Blue, Chopin's Ballade in G minor, Granados's Laments of the Maiden and the Nightingale...

Had RAVE REVIEWS, from one of NZ's most bashing critics. The review was printed in the morning paper, THE PRESS. I have it framed and it hangs on a wall inside my restaurant beside photos of famous people I have met or worked with!

I am honestly not so good when I have to express myself by the spoken word. One of my dearest Pianist friends and coaches told me I suffer from dyslexia of speech! WTF?

(that means: where are the flowers!)

Years ago I performed a concert in Boise Idaho. One of my dear friends Shirley Taylor had every detail in perfect order. I was to do a radio show/ interview, early on a Sunday Morning before the concert.

We arrived at the radio broadcast house and the doors were locked! One more time: where are the flowers????

Well, a huge man, I mean a giant walked around the building as we were pounding on the door and said: "What is the problem?" we explained our situation. He said, "I have a talk show about sports and your welcome to be my guest!"

I said, "Great! We are on the air no matter what!" (BTW: Playing piano is most athletic!)

It was a wonderful studio. Everything was wonderful.

The big Football Player asked me when I actually started playing piano. I said "in the womb!"

Well... we got into star seed children, reincarnation but the problem for this wonderful guy was: HOW IN HELL DID I GET OUT OF THE WOMB WITHOUT A PIANO! Many people listened to that interview. We packed the place. If you ever need an agent call Shirley T. She simply knows how to put things together in the most interesting way! I love her.

After that radio show I stopped all live interviews. They are very dangerous. I never know what may blow out of my mouth. I keep a blog instead.

some photos of my stay in the Golden Bay

Golden Bay Trip

Had a magical time in one of my favorite places on the planet earth. Long, very long trip to Nelson, then a bus trip to Takaka. Gorgeous drives through endless verdent shades of green, hills and vales, then when FINALLY the bus stopped in Takaka, my dear friend Rutha was waiting for me with open arms. It had been a full on day of travel. We drove to Sans Souci Inn. I relaxed with a glass of RED.

Slept like a dead man. I awoke 'round 8 AM made a French Press of Coffee, filled my cup and walked onto the beach. The winds had swept the beach clean during the silent hours of night, filled the air with the invisible perfume of sea breeze and the musical movement of the waves.

My bare feet kissing the cool wet sandy beach. I made foot prints in the sand and watched them disapear behind me as the waters sucked my imprints back into the bay!

Such a healing a splendid morning. A couple of nights and days at SSI and I had to move to a new accomodation. I FELL IN LOVE WITH BEING A HERMIT.

Rutha, had reserved me a very nice house, (cottage), at a place called: SAND CASTLE... I have posted some photos, or will soon. A wonderful house. Full kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms, deck with table and chairs! The ambiance was pure magic.

The owner, Steve is a musician. He allowed me to play his restored piano out of England. Ah! The first time my fingers have touched an acoutic piano in ages. I fell in love with the place.

I could cook my own food, nap when my blood suger hit the basement, I would walk anywhere my feet desired... simply bliss on earth.

My entire time with friends was blessed.

The entire Golden Bay is very laid back and seriously hippie 1960's, except there are so many very young people from all over the world living and traveling through the area. Bright colors, lots of LONG HAIR, markets, and get this: a restaurant that I possibly should attempt to copy?

"SPACE OF LOVE": Vegetarian takeaways. Summer hours, Mon-Sat 12-6pm

Organic Community Gardens. (go to www.spaceoflove.co.nz) GET THIS: SPACE OF LOVE IS A UNIQUE CAFE RUN BY VOLUNTEERS WHERE THE CUSTOMERS SET THE PRICE!

ARE YOU READY??????

The food is lovingly prepared daily according to AYURVEDIC PRINCIPLES from ORGANIC PRODUCE.

Sample Menues:

Italian Calzone with Pumpkin Coconut soup.

Rosemary Yougart baked potatoes with green succhini in Cashew Tomato Sauce with Cheese.

Pita bread with Hummus, Falafel and Salad.

Vegetables auGratin with Basmati Rice and Tamarind Chutney.

Lasagna with Spinach, Aubergine, Tomato and Cpsicum.

Vegetarian Sheaperd's Pie with Garden salad and Balsamic Dressing...

OMG, they even offer cooking classes.

LOVED IT.

Had my miraculaus massage from Yana, spent hours meditating, loved my reading... making music without always a keyboard... being with a dear friend, BUT:

The trip home!

We had to get out of bed by 5:30 AM so that Brentie could catch a bus into Takaka then into Nelson Airport. Everything went as planned until I arrived into CHCH. (Earthquake City of the World)... All flights are abolutely booked in NZ at the present. I had to wait 3 hours for my flight. That is OKAY! Enjoyed a lunch, reading, relaxing. Then when I am to board the plane:

"ALL FLIGHTS INTO QT ARE CANELLED DUE TO WEATHER IN QT!" Everything began falling into all kinds of bits and pieces. Air NZ chartered a bus for all passengers because the flight in the AM was sold out and there was NO GAURENTEE that flight would be able to land safely.

At 6:30 PM a bus arrived. We drove 6 hours in the dark without a restroom on the bus, no food stops or water as everything was closed in route to QT.

I read my book on my I PAD, watched a movie on my MacBook... all battery energy was going down, down, down... arrived in QT at 2:00 AM. THERE WERE ALOT OF AMERICANS ON THE BUS SAYING: "IN GOD WE TRUST!" I was never so embaressed! These were people older than me, and God only knows sometimes I think there are no people older than me! How insane! It was a problem with the weather? NOTHING TO DO WITH A GOD! I have a mouth bitten shut with trying to keep my mouth from screaming: SHUT THE FUCK UP AND BE HAPPY YOU ARE NOT IN DANGER OF CRASHING INTO A MOUNTAIN!

Caught a cab in the center and walked into the doors of my beloved house at 2:30 AM.

Will write about all the good times in a few hours. Must make dinner. Had a great holiday.

My afternoon sourie

I I Worked hard in the hope of creating something different for snacks with wines, tea and coffee... because we had invited some dear friends in for an afternoon of 'catching up' on each other's past few weeks... I wanted something that could pass for a 'light meal' yet have the essence of a simple not sitting down to a full blown dining experience.

Something I could pull off on the patio in the sunshine and not have people sitting at the dining room table...

I baked a vegetable/beef steak pie, homemade breads with virgin olive oil, real butter and different spreads, fresh tomatoes,cucumbers with red onions in a home made french dressing, vintage aged cheese and of course brie cheese.

Lots of various crackers and two Reds, one White wine. Fresh ground coffee beans and PG black Tea. Sat out the wine bottles, wine glasses, napkins... forks, knives. Had all the platters with food on the serving table when out of the blue a wind blasted my entire showcase. Dear GOD! I flew like a spinning Dervish Dancer... I saved every thing including the napkins.

Well, everything took on a different look. Food was set on the kitchen counter, friends filled their plates with yummy bits and pieces and sat around the dining room table.

Over the many, many years I have catered and hosted my own dinner parties I always muse how no matter who the person, they Cleve unto the kitchen and the kitchen table.

In my home in WY I can have a gorgeous fire blazing in the main room of the house, fresh chilled shrimp, cheeses and all kind of drinks in the main room so that people can sit and enjoy the fire as they drink and eat appetizers before the meal...

My hell, they will come into the kitchen and chat away with me as I am prepping the main meal. They will cluster around a very small dining room table in the kitchen... talk with me, walk into the living room fill a plate with goodies and return to the kitchen!

In my restaurant, people will drop in to say hello. Yes, I am in the kitchen working, but some of my dearest friends will sit at the end of kitchen drinking wine, eat a meal and never leave the environment of all kinds of orders being cooked... dish washers working... salads being made as well as dessert orders... Is IT a human instinct? We love to be where the food is being made and the joy of a kitchen table? Or is it a comfort zone? I like it no matter what.

I always bake bread with certain music. You cannot make a gorgeous loaf of bread without certain elements of Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, BRAHMS, Shubert... the list is endless.

I love making bread to the music of David Lanz, Jon Serrie... The vibrations influence my hands and the fashion I kneed the dough... Once, I was kneading bread while the Prokofiev 1st piano concerto was being played by Martha Agerich... MY GOD THE BREAD WAS ENORMOUSLY FULL BLOWN... It was delicious...

When I fly to NYC every year I spend a day and night with one of my great mentors, Carol Montparker Taub.

We spend most of the time in her kitchen which is heaven on earth for me.

The perfume in the room is made of the lower tones from certain herbs, the high notes top off everything... she makes one hell ova lamb stew. Her salads always "tingle" with excitement.

She is a natural cook. She can toss things into a pan, talk to you at the same time and at the same moment release an aroma of bliss into the room that sets ones taste buds into insanity.

She cannot help it. She is a "MOTHER" a caring woman that instinctively knows how to comfort and give support to one's needs. Be it music, pain, sorrow, or the need for delicious food and comfort. I hope into the firmament I have the same gift.

I am always amazed how food, wine, tables, gardens give us beings of nature solace.

My new drying machine...

Clothes lines were a very essential part of any house hold utilities when I was a little boy.

Washing day was a big day. Then after everything went through the wringer it was hung on the line to dry in the fresh air.

In NZ the air is clean and full of sunshine.

Last week I decided to hang all the sheets out on the line after a serious machine wash and not use the dryer. They came out wonderful!

Now most days after the laundry has been washed I hang them out on the line to dry, then top them off in the dryer. Saves one hell of a lot energy and the clothing is CLEAN! Kissed by the sun, massaged by the breeze and everything smells NATURAL! NONE OF THE LITTLE PERFUME THINGS WE PUT IN DRYERS TO MAKE THINGS SMELL FRESH? Sunshine is magic.

When I was performing in Europe years ago the house keeping would hang comforters, quilts, sheets, pillows over the banisters of the balcony and let them breathe in the fresh air. A most brilliant idea. I always loved returning to my room late at night, have a cup of hot tea and then nestle into a bed full of fresh linens. Nature still rules. My clothes are clean!

Baking Bread

We all have our private methods of dealing with stress... depression, anxiety, pain... My own methods are: Meditation, music, reading, work outs, long walks, but it always comes back to a most basic art. MAKING AND BAKING BREAD!

A couple of photos of the bread I just took out of the oven. Been on the phone LD with friends in WY and suddenly I looked at the alarm on my cell! YIKES... Said a quick "I love you" hung up the phone and ran up the stairs to save the bread... It turned out perfect.

Tonight's dins will be cold sliced ham, green salad, potato salad and BREAD AND BUTTER. Temps are a little over 90 degrees F. FINALLY SUMMER RETURNED. I am NOT complaining.

You are welcome for a light meal in the garden. So, come on... everything is in balance. And the bread will make you most balanced.

2 more photos

Early mornings in this garden are most spiritual for me... I feel like those famous impressonistic painters... at times the balance between earth and the firmament makes my head spin... early morning and twilight are the best times... inbetween light and darkness.

Forgot two more photos... most important photos.

photos of the gardens at 11 Panorama Place, QT...