Before he was famous

We are one - Michael Ward



The best thing about YouTube is finding great musicians before they were "discovered."

Enjoy this clip

Chilling in San Antonio

Taking it real easy in San Antonio for my birthday weekend.  Downtown on the Riverwalk is a great way to relax and enjoy a beautiful "winter" day.  San Antonio doesn't have any Jazz specific clubs but it  does have some very nice places to listen to jazz.  I always prefer small venue clubs anyway and the laid back vibe of San Antonio doesn't disappoint.  Jim Cullum is jazz in San Antonio and he plays at Bohanan's every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. What is a San Antonio blog post without a few Riverwalk photos.  I took these looking out from my room.

Happy birthday to me.

I just saw the Atlanta Jazz Festival announcement so I wanted to spread the news.  Another Memorial Day event for those seeking something to do.  The website reminds us that Memorial Day is only 91 days away.

Memorial Day Happenings

I hope everyone had a happy and safe President's day.  Three day weekends are something to look forward to and reason to work hard when you get back to that 9 to 5.  Memorial day strikes me as a must do three day weekend.  As a hear about events that come up I will list them.  I plan on being in the Caribbean on a beautiful beach.

Aruba has just announced Soulbeach that starts the Wednesday before Memorial day and ends on Monday.  I prefer events after Monday, Memorial day itself but Aruba is Aruba anytime.  I stayed at Playa Linda over Thanksgiving and the beach is awesome.  I prefer jazz festivals but someone may get value from this information.

I found a couple of nice photos from google images for you viewing enjoyment.

Thanks Hotwire

I'm listening to the news reports in Houston stating that hotel rooms downtown are running close to 1000 tonight due to the NBA all star game.  They quoted that even a Motel 6 was charging 200.  Don't keep the lights on for me at that rate.  Through Hotwire I was able to get a 3 star room for $60 plus taxes.  I won't say what hotel it is as Hotwire doesn't reveal the hotel until after you book the room.  They give you an idea what basic amenities the hotel has, a star rating and the general vicinity of the hotel.  I've a client for years and have always had my expectations met.  My favorite deal was the one I got a years back on South Beach  where I know people paid $350 for the same room I paid $92.

Thanks again Hotwire.

All Star eating at the All Star game

The NBA all star game has come to Houston this weekend.  So in addition to great jazz and the other amenities that Houston has to offer, it is the place to be for anyone associated with the NBA this weekend.  I wanted to highlight a three superior restaurants in the Galleria area that I frequent when I'm down there.

1.Sage 400
While their website is horrible let me tell you the sushi is to die for.
Here I am talking about the NBA all star game and they are still hyping the superbowl.

2.Tango and Malbec
This restaurant is in the same shopping area as Sage 400.  If you like South American cooking you won't be disappointed.  Reservations are strongly suggested.  I found that Sunday afternoon and early evening is the least crowded time.  I was able to get an amazing dinner with great service then.

3Pho Binh
A little further down Westheimer is this Vietnamese restaurant.  Very good pho at a very reasonable price.  I've introduced many people to pho at this restuarant and it has never let me down.

There you have it folks my Houston international food lineup for the All Star game.
Good Luck and good eating.

San Antonio Treat

Last Sunday, Christian Mcbride played in the Jo Long theater in San Antonio Texas.  He promised not to wait another 20 years before he visited again.  I have seen several jazz concerts but 2 things stood out in this grand performance.  First the level of respect these musicians had for each was unparalled and secondly I have never seen musicans smile so much while they were playing.  Obviously all the group were accomplished but vibraphonist Warren Wolfe stood out because it's rare to see someone play that instrument at that level.  Christian put him in the level of Milt Jackson and I can see why.

Thanks for adding value to San Antonio jazz scene and please don't be a stranger.

Final thoughts on Superbowl

I know the Superbowl ended football season last Sunday but I wanted to reminisce for a moment.  Watching the game in Las Vegas with my father is a tradition that we have enjoyed for over 15 years.
We watch at Boulder Station in their theater but there are several good places to watch.

I bet on the quarterbacks and the over so it was definitely a good day.  I miss football already.

A bad day for Carnival

My personal thought is that a bad day cruising beats a good day working anytime.  I may have to revise that after Carnival's latest mishap.  Apparently the Carnival Triumph had an engine fire that injured no one but left the ship adrift.  You can get details on this as well as contact information from this CNN story link.  I'm thinking this ship will be offering tremendous discounts when it starts sailing again. 


I did come across a great cruise resource link when I looked into this story.  I'm certain this will add value to anyone interested in cruising .


It's not a post without a picture.

Photo taken from Google images.

Little Incident

Most domestic travel in the US involves using a rental car.  During my last trip to Houston I had a little incident.  When I arrived at my hotel I noticed that the tire was flat.  It must have happened at or near the hotel as I had been driving several hours to reach the destination without any issues.  The hotel bellboy and I changed the tire and I took the car back to the local rental car place and they told me I would be charged for the flat tire.  Naturally I was in shock but it made me think what should I do if a problem does arrive with a rental car.  So I remind everyone of these steps:

1. Have the problem solved before it happens.  I insure my rental cars through American Express automatically by using the card.  Other options are available to include purchasing insurance through rental agency.
2. Know that the incident will have to be documented.  Any time something happens to a rental paperwork will be involved.  The clerk asked how I wanted to pay for tire when she should have said we have to document this and if our claims department has questions they will contact you.
3. Take good notes.  If the rental agency documents you should as well.
4. Handle all minor issues yourself if possible.  Dealing with this flat cost me a half day out of my 3 day weekend.  Had I known all this drama was involved I would have had a tire shop plug the tire and went on about my business.