I had the pleasure of visiting Sightglass during my last trip to San Francisco. Kiya was kind enough to bring some of their freshly roasted beans to me last week (at the expense of making all his clothes smell like coffee, which is not a bad thing in my mind).

I’ve only made two pots of the coffee thus far, but I’m really enjoying it. I taste some light fruity notes (though not as strong as an African bean) with a chocolatey finish.

Yesterday, we threw a Rockabilly Hob Nob at Self Edge New York – the highlight of the afternoon was definitely the set Omar and the Stringpoppers played right outside the store. The energy they brought to their live show was infectious… it’s refreshing to see a band performing that’s genuinely having a good time.

Tom Harrell’s new album, “Roman Nights,” was just released this past April. A month ago, I had never heard of the accomplished trumpeter – never mind the fact that he’s been playing and recording for over 40 years and has backed artists like Horace Silver, Bill Evans and Dizzy Gillespie. I credit 88.3 WBGO for finally introducing me to his work; they played a track off the new album in between songs by Lee Morgan and Miles Davis and it fit right in. With my heavy leanings towards hard bop jazz from the ’60s, it’s sometimes hard to find modern artists who are composing new music that still appeals to me stylistically. This album reinforced the truth that you can reference the past while forging new ground.

The Tom Harrell Quintet will be playing at the Village Vanguard this November. I’ll be in attendance.

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