Wow, that was such an amazing roundup post on things happening in NYC! I loooove the fig tree in the photo from the garden :-) Absolutely beautiful!
I missed the post last week because I've got so much going on at the moment with work. The only thing I can manage on top of that is currently my choir, we started after the summer break in September. We sing Renaissance music so it's quite a specific repertoire and I really love it. Lots of polyphony in there and we sing in a church so the sound is beautiful. Very glad to have the regular rehearsals back as it's one of the things that relaxes me! Preparing the Christmas concert now which felt really early end of August and in September but it's a big programme so needs lots of working through. The biggest and most complicated piece in the programme is one by a relatively lesser known English composer, Robert White. Wish us luck :-)
I love how you and your Mum keep important death and birthday dates of loved ones alive. I think it's a great way of remembering what they have given us and how they have affected and changed us. The photo of you and Cairo is especially lovely!
My heart is too filled with gratitude to reply with any style or eloquence. Cairo….Catzandra - cats are guardians of our being and we are so lucky to be chosen by them. Onward. Oh, and even a cat may look at a king.
What a beautifully woven tapestry of events, reflections, and creative energy. Jesse, your post captures the pulse of early autumn in New York with such warmth and generosity. From the fig tree in Elizabeth Street Garden to the poetic remembrance of Cairo, there’s a sense of rootedness and renewal that runs through it all.
The week’s offerings, Climate Week, Pen & Brush’s powerful exhibition, Riku Matsuzaki’s indigo workshops, and the Empire State Rare Book Fair, are not just cultural highlights, but invitations to engage with art, activism, and community in meaningful ways. Your attention to detail and your celebration of others’ work is deeply moving.
And amidst the whirlwind of rehearsals, gift bags, and piano practice, your honesty about overwhelm and the quiet persistence of background thoughts is something many will resonate with. It’s a gentle reminder that creativity often lives alongside chaos, and that both have their place.
Thank you for sharing this rich mosaic of moments. Wishing you strength, joy, and a touch of stillness as the week unfolds.
Thank You,Jesse,for the sweet remembrance of dear Cairo. I always loved it when your mom wrote about her. I always refer to her as the late, great Cairo...love the picture of you and her,that sweetness.Before I go to bed later I will re-read that beautiful Cairo Smith post,and probably cry.My true love and soulcat O.G.was with me for 28 amazing years...I miss him every day.💜
Wow! So much to see and do, and all good things from the sounds of it. It's good to be so happily busy. Me, I must be getting older--I don't know that I would have the energy for so much activity. :^D In any case, I hope it all goes well and everyone enjoys themselves. The new exhibition at Pen+Brush by Pyaari Azaadi looks very interesting (I recall seeing some of her work on the P+B website previously and finding it very intriguing.) as does the work by Riku Matsuzaki.
I also read your piece on Cairo, having received echoes of Cairo's presence through you and your mom's Substacks, but I had not yet joined Substack when you wrote about Cairo's passing. It's beautiful, and having lived with many cats over the course of my life, it made me grateful for the presence of such companions. I happened to be listening to some early Bob Dylan while reading it when "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" came on. It felt a perfect accompaniment.
The last of leaves fell from the trees
And clung to a new love's breast
The branches bare like a banjo moan
To the winds that listen the best
Lay down your weary tune, lay down
Lay down the song you strum
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum
Take care, Jesse, and may all your endeavors be fruitful. The same to everyone!
Oh my stars! I just returned from a wonderful week in NYC and Brooklyn. Sorry to miss the upcoming events. Reminder to self--check Jesse's substack before traveling!!! Thank you Jesse!
Your email is so timely! I’ll be in the city tomorrow through end of month. I will definitely attend one or more of these events. Thank you so much Jesse for keeping us updated! Warmly, Al.
Jesse, my daughter, Heather Wolf, just performed with Tarun. He mentioned he was connected with you and will be performing for your climate fundraiser. I hope you and Heather will finally meet up one day. You're both doing such great work. Heather's been in touch with Rebecca, sharing their new albums. I wrote you, but perhaps you didn't see it. I'm such a proud mom! Here's Heather's new album, I so wanted you to hear it. Love Linda -- PS people still talk about that interview we did so long ago. https://open.spotify.com/track/2D3uzEobvAoRgufjn1hdxs
So much going on:) I am looking forward to stopping by the exhibition opening tomorrow (Thursday). I'll be staying at my friend's place over the weekend, so that will be a short but welcome break. More editing on my book - it's surprising how much I have realised I have failed to mention, so catching up on that.
Sending you more hugs for Cairo. Our animal friends are really extensions of our family. I know how distressed I was when I thought I would lose Rico a couple of months ago!
Beutiful insights! thanks for sharing
Wow, that was such an amazing roundup post on things happening in NYC! I loooove the fig tree in the photo from the garden :-) Absolutely beautiful!
I missed the post last week because I've got so much going on at the moment with work. The only thing I can manage on top of that is currently my choir, we started after the summer break in September. We sing Renaissance music so it's quite a specific repertoire and I really love it. Lots of polyphony in there and we sing in a church so the sound is beautiful. Very glad to have the regular rehearsals back as it's one of the things that relaxes me! Preparing the Christmas concert now which felt really early end of August and in September but it's a big programme so needs lots of working through. The biggest and most complicated piece in the programme is one by a relatively lesser known English composer, Robert White. Wish us luck :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUJJCol2HZY if anyone is interested!
I love how you and your Mum keep important death and birthday dates of loved ones alive. I think it's a great way of remembering what they have given us and how they have affected and changed us. The photo of you and Cairo is especially lovely!
My heart is too filled with gratitude to reply with any style or eloquence. Cairo….Catzandra - cats are guardians of our being and we are so lucky to be chosen by them. Onward. Oh, and even a cat may look at a king.
What a beautifully woven tapestry of events, reflections, and creative energy. Jesse, your post captures the pulse of early autumn in New York with such warmth and generosity. From the fig tree in Elizabeth Street Garden to the poetic remembrance of Cairo, there’s a sense of rootedness and renewal that runs through it all.
The week’s offerings, Climate Week, Pen & Brush’s powerful exhibition, Riku Matsuzaki’s indigo workshops, and the Empire State Rare Book Fair, are not just cultural highlights, but invitations to engage with art, activism, and community in meaningful ways. Your attention to detail and your celebration of others’ work is deeply moving.
And amidst the whirlwind of rehearsals, gift bags, and piano practice, your honesty about overwhelm and the quiet persistence of background thoughts is something many will resonate with. It’s a gentle reminder that creativity often lives alongside chaos, and that both have their place.
Thank you for sharing this rich mosaic of moments. Wishing you strength, joy, and a touch of stillness as the week unfolds.
Thank You,Jesse,for the sweet remembrance of dear Cairo. I always loved it when your mom wrote about her. I always refer to her as the late, great Cairo...love the picture of you and her,that sweetness.Before I go to bed later I will re-read that beautiful Cairo Smith post,and probably cry.My true love and soulcat O.G.was with me for 28 amazing years...I miss him every day.💜
The garden must be beautiful. I can’t believe it has been that long since Cairo passed. Time is moving so quickly. She was such a pretty little cat.
Correction: Elizabeth Street Garden.
Congratulations on your successful hard work in keeping St Elizabeth Garden open!
Wow! So much to see and do, and all good things from the sounds of it. It's good to be so happily busy. Me, I must be getting older--I don't know that I would have the energy for so much activity. :^D In any case, I hope it all goes well and everyone enjoys themselves. The new exhibition at Pen+Brush by Pyaari Azaadi looks very interesting (I recall seeing some of her work on the P+B website previously and finding it very intriguing.) as does the work by Riku Matsuzaki.
I also read your piece on Cairo, having received echoes of Cairo's presence through you and your mom's Substacks, but I had not yet joined Substack when you wrote about Cairo's passing. It's beautiful, and having lived with many cats over the course of my life, it made me grateful for the presence of such companions. I happened to be listening to some early Bob Dylan while reading it when "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" came on. It felt a perfect accompaniment.
The last of leaves fell from the trees
And clung to a new love's breast
The branches bare like a banjo moan
To the winds that listen the best
Lay down your weary tune, lay down
Lay down the song you strum
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum
Take care, Jesse, and may all your endeavors be fruitful. The same to everyone!
Are you going to be at Grand Central, Jesse, and what day & time?? Paul.
Can’t wait!!!
Oh my stars! I just returned from a wonderful week in NYC and Brooklyn. Sorry to miss the upcoming events. Reminder to self--check Jesse's substack before traveling!!! Thank you Jesse!
Your email is so timely! I’ll be in the city tomorrow through end of month. I will definitely attend one or more of these events. Thank you so much Jesse for keeping us updated! Warmly, Al.
Jesse, my daughter, Heather Wolf, just performed with Tarun. He mentioned he was connected with you and will be performing for your climate fundraiser. I hope you and Heather will finally meet up one day. You're both doing such great work. Heather's been in touch with Rebecca, sharing their new albums. I wrote you, but perhaps you didn't see it. I'm such a proud mom! Here's Heather's new album, I so wanted you to hear it. Love Linda -- PS people still talk about that interview we did so long ago. https://open.spotify.com/track/2D3uzEobvAoRgufjn1hdxs
Hi Linda! It was a treat to play with Heather, she’s such a dear friend 💚
Hi Tarun, can't wait to meet you - Heather has talked to me about you so often. Have a great time. I wish I could be there myself!
PS Here's one of my favorites. It is with Cosmo and Merlin Sheldrake. https://open.spotify.com/track/6jczBD6YsJVerz2svlY2J5
So much going on:) I am looking forward to stopping by the exhibition opening tomorrow (Thursday). I'll be staying at my friend's place over the weekend, so that will be a short but welcome break. More editing on my book - it's surprising how much I have realised I have failed to mention, so catching up on that.
Sending you more hugs for Cairo. Our animal friends are really extensions of our family. I know how distressed I was when I thought I would lose Rico a couple of months ago!