Known largely for their sidecar-centric models, the Ural ST represents one of the first solo rider bikes from the 70-year old Russian manufacturer. There’s a fascinating story behind the company and the bikes they manufactured for the Russian army in WW2, which you can read about on their website. Of course, my preferences always lean towards flat black but the Sahara colorway is quite compelling as well. You can read an in-depth review of the bike at Hell for Leather.

With appearances on over 2,500 albums, Ron Carter is easily one of jazz music’s most-recorded upright bassists. I began to grow a deep appreciation for his trademark playing style from the work he did with Miles Davis’ second great quintet – the expression and tone he coaxes out of his upright is unmatched. Below is a track off a 1970′s Japan-exclusive recording of the Herbie Hancock Trio… he, Hancock and Tony Williams played a stripped down set that allowed each musician to shine.

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My love for jazz music is reverse-engineered. I grew up on hip hop and alternative rock, but didn’t begin to listen to jazz until my college years. It was only through curiosity of the samples that various producers used that I was able to begin discovering the music that inspired so much of the east coast golden-era hip hop sound.  A few years ago, I realized that I had heard Ron Carter’s playing in middle school before I even knew who he was. It was no secret that Ali Shaheed Muhammed and Q-Tip leaned heavily on jazz samples for the group’s beats, so it was entirely fitting that they invited Ron Carter to play the bassline on “Verses from the Abstract” from Tribe’s legendary album The Low End Theory. That’s where it all came full circle for me: I was a fan of jazz before I was a fan of jazz.

My buddy Nick Schonberger‘s Sugar Cane Hawaiis – worn every day for about two years. I love the streaky vertical fading they yielded over time.

Omega Speedmaster Chronograph, c. 1966.

I am rough on eyeglasses. Four years ago, Johan and I were leaving a Roots concert in LA when a fight broke out in the crowd. Being the foolish inquisitive guy that I am, I leaned in to get a better look. I was struck by a stray right and my brand new glasses flew into a fast moving crowd that trampled them badly. I had them fixed but they were never the same. The Dior Homme frames pictured below were my next pair; they served me well for two years until I was putting on a crewneck last November and was too lazy to take them off first. The leg promptly snapped off.

I went sans eyeglasses for the last four months – I’ve always owned contact lenses, but they’ve been traditionally relegated to basketball/active duty, mostly because I found them to be uncomfortable. I got used to wearing them every day and so when I finally decided to spring for glasses again, I wondered whether I would even want to go back. The lure of being able to wake up and go without shoving contacts into my eyes was too strong, though. Let’s not forget the stylistic motivation either: glasses have been a part of my outfit (for better or worse) the past 20+ years. I had to get another pair, and so the search began. I ended up settling on a pair of Shuron frames, and am quite happy with them so far.

Shuron’s been manufacturing frames in the US for over 100 years, which I like. After contacting them, they sent over a few frames for me to try on… I liked the Freeway the best. While I wish the legs sported spring hinges, the frames only cost me $60 – I’ll deal.