Balancing Work and Relaxation

April 29, 2008

Where do you work these days? Half my friends have changed their jobs at least once
in the last 5 years. A few hundred years ago, most people spent their lives carrying on
exactly the same work their families did for generations. Now who of us makes a living
the way our parents did? Grandparents?

Today we’re flexible and adaptable. We can travel anywhere in the world and network
with cell phones and text messages wherever we go. We can find wireless internet nearly
everywhere, and our opportunities for work and play are growing every day.

Though we live in the heart of this whirlwind, we can barely glimpse what’s at stake with
each change. I think the more things change around us, the more essential balancing work
and play becomes for living well.

Americans believe hard work pays off, and for years I’ve said “The harder I work, the
harder I must relax.” Recently I began saying, “Less time with the mouse, more time
with the spouse”, so my wife and I just left town for a refreshing break in the routine.

What an eye-opener! Driving across the country, checking out the local sights and
listening to local talk radio, we rediscovered what a diverse and innovative area we
call home. People in most of the regions we visited seem to live closer to their roots
— both geographical and cultural. It seems to me that here in the Bay Area we are more
ready to overpromise, overwork, and tolerate a broader range of acceptable ideas.

All of us strive to preserve cherished notions and improve outmoded ones. And it’s not
just about the popular “conservative” or “liberal” ideas. In our changing world, we
continually rebalance our attitudes about work and play. Whatever we consider most
important always merits most of our attention, and, lest we paint ourselves into a corner,
we often need to get out for some fresh air.

Don’t get me wrong -- I love my job, and I'm definitely not about to quit. But even in the
busiest times I always need to be relaxed, fresh, and ready to do my best. For years I’ve
worked as many days as possible, and today I believe more than ever that working hard
means you’re earning your time off.

We’re so lucky that Silicon Valley is blessed with so many opportunities to work and to
play. How are you doing? Is a milestone event coming up in your life? Pause a few moments
to consider your good fortune and celebrate. Maybe have a party and hire a band.

I'm talking with people planning parties for Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and 4th of July.
If you'll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now's a good time to
plan the details, including the music. You can preview us soon at Mother's Day brunch on
Sun, May 11, or an exciting awards party on Tues, May 13. Click here for details.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You'll love what we do. We're veteran party-goers, easy to work
with, and we know what it'll take to make your party a success. We've entertained people
since 1975, so let our experience help your next celebration.

San Francisco Giants opening day & 50th anniversary

April 16, 2008

We've entertained for the SF Giants at AT&T Park twice in the last 2 weeks. First, on April 7,
at a special party to celebrate the season's Opening Day, and yesterday to help commemorate
the very first game the Giants played in San Francisco, on April 15, 1958. They beat the
Dodgers 8-0. Here's a photo (click to enlarge) from a fan -- thanks Ilene. Left to right:
Steve Hanson, me, Andy Norblin, and Gary Milliken.

Traditional Jazz for Dancing, Weddings, Parties, even Funerals

April 3, 2008

Do you have friends planning a wedding or a party? Please recommend us.
They can preview us at the SF Giants season opener on Mon, April 7, or a benefit
cocktail party on Fri, April 11. Click here for details.

But first, a story. A friend recently asked me to play for an event she said
might be "kind of a downer". Turns out, it was a memorial service, and not
gloomy at all. Sadness brought everyone together, but they met with music
to say "life goes on". It reminded me of the first jazz tradition, "playing music
to serve the people".

Thirty years ago, I became friends with a few of the original musicians who
played at Preservation Hall, in New Orleans. From the start, that city boasted
a huge calendar of social celebrations, and these old-timers spent a lifetime
providing uplifting music for all sorts of occasions. Whether at a fish-fry, a
banquet, a neighborhood dance hall, or a funeral, their music always set the
right mood and made it "an event".

That was the purpose of their art. It's what they taught me in the 1970s, and
it's how I make a living today. Now I'm talking with people planning parties
for Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and 4th of July. If you're having a party on
one of these days, or on any day in between, now's a good time to plan the
details, including the music.

Call us. You'll love what we do. We're veteran party-goers, easy to work with,
and we know what it'll take to make your party a success. We've entertained
people since 1975, so let our experience help your next celebration.