Movin' On Up! (to the West Side)

9/21, 10:48pm: The lovely lady and I are embarking on our first plane ride together! We’re on a flight to the Big Apple as I write this. On top of the excitement of traveling together is the joy of being in business class. Beth used some of her accumulated miles to upgrade us and, to my eyes, I can see very little difference between where we’re sitting and first class. Way to go Beth! I have a feeling that inside of mommy’s belly Natalia is happy too.

The last few weeks have brought changes both personally and professionally. On the personal side, Beth & I have finally gotten into our dream pad. It’s a 3 bedroom apartment that we were waiting to become available for some time. Without getting into details as to the nature of the delay, suffice to say, it was well worth the wait. Aside from the sheer pleasure I get from waking each morning next to Beth, I would say the best feature of the apartment is the downstairs basement (now officially called “The Bassment”). It’s a rather large room that was converted by the previous occupants into a kind of family room, replete with wet-bar, bathroom, central air, and plenty of storage space. It’s my dream music room! By this time next month, I hope to have most things in place to have it look & feel like the perfect jamming/practice space I imagine it to be.

Of course the place wouldn’t truly be a home without a room for little Natalia. Natalia, who we’ve now determined will greet the world on December 19th, has a room of her own with lots of space for toys and clothes and all her stuff. Beth and myself will be frantically hitting the stores to get it ready come mid-November. Right now, I truly don’t know where to begin.

On the professional side of things, I’m taking steps to get my album project completed. I recently finished the second of two photo shoots, both of which proved to be fruitful in providing the images and moods I wanted to convey. Billy Hulting, my good friend and associate producer, has been lovingly poring over the recorded material in the quest for the ultimate mix. I couldn’t ask for more caring or discerning ears. Once that hurdle is jumped, it’s off to my friend Paul Tavenner’s (yes, another buddy) studio for mastering. Finally, the graphics, packaging, and manufacturing, and yours truly will have crossed the finish line with this thing! My first album, recorded in 1994, took two days to record and was in my hand ready to be heard by all a month later. Between Billy’s and my touring schedule, my latest  (and only 2nd) album has been in the making for over two years! I don’t think I’m being overly confidant when I say that I think it will be worth the wait.

Also, on the musical front (particularly the E-Hump front), there are once again new faces in the band. I won’t dwell on the issues -- good or bad -- surrounding such frequent and sometimes unexpected changes, and just say how glad I am to still be part of what has been for me a wonderful experience both musically & personally.

On a final note, I spotted Quincy Jones sitting a few rows up in first class. Dammit, where’s my new CD when I need it!?

Your friendly neighborhood bassist,
--Adam