Four days until Superbowl Sunday. I still need a ticket, wish me luck.

Here's a fun picture for you:

Local Indy hip hop act Mudkids have written what might be the best song ever. I've put it on my Myspace profile.

Click here to dig.

This day is known in the sports world as Championship Sunday, the day when four football teams play for a chance to go to the Superbowl. The dust has settled and the games have been decided so I'm going to take a minute and blog about SueAnne.

Most of you know SueAnne, but just in case you don't she's a good friend of our family's; a high school friend of my mom's and her neighbor as well. SueAnne was a single mom and raised her son Jimmy on her own. Being a single mom is tough, I have first-hand experience with this. I'm sure their family had their share of hardships like all families do as it can be hard for adolescent boys and their mothers to find common ground (again, first-hand experience). Since 1983, the year then infamous Mr. Irsay moved the Colts franchise from Baltimore to Indianpolis in the middle of the night, SueAnne and her son have had season tickets to the Indianapolis Colts. Why would a single mom spend a good chunk of change on season tickets? Fun way to spend Sundays in the winter? Love of the sport? Quality time with her son? Maybe a little of each. Maybe more of one than the others. I can only speculate.

It wasn't easy to be a Colts fan back then. Save for a division championship during the strike-shortened '86 season (where most of the games were played by scabs), the Colts stunk. Really stunk. SueAnne and her son were there through it all; seeing Jeff George sacked every other play, watching Hall-of-Fame bound players like Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk come and go without success, agonizing through 3-13 seasons, endless coaching changes, watching Jim Harbaugh's last-second 'hail mary' fall to the ground in the 'Comeback Kid's' AFC Championship game in '95, and after the Colts finally got a successful and winning team, witnessing playoff defeat after playoff defeat. Even after Jimmy moved to St. Louis he and his mom kept their season tickets, Jimmy making the drive up to watch the team. I've been lucky enough to catch a few games with SueAnne when they've been generous enough to give me a ticket. I have to say she is as good and as faithful a sports fan as you'll ever meet (and her seats are fantastic!).

After watching the Colts play so terribly at the end of this season, Jimmy talked SueAnne into selling her playoff tickets. The Colts shut down the Chiefs in the Wildcard game and already SueAnne was regretting her decision. After a tough, hard-nosed victory in Baltimore (the very city the Colts matriculated from) the team was headed back to Indy to play for a chance to go to the Superbowl. They were to play the New England Patriots, the team that had been their nemesis in recent history. The Colts have been victim to crushing defeats by the Patriots including two playoff games, each time New England went on to win the Superbowl. It was only right that they had to beat their rival for their chance at a championship. Through some serendipitous luck SueAnne was able to go to the game today.

And she got to see one of the best games in the history of the NFL Playoffs, the greatest come-from-behind win in the history of the Conference Championships, and perhaps the greatest win in the history of pro sports in Indianapolis. All of the demons were excorised, all of the bad teams, all of the bad draft picks, all of the bad playoff performances ... Peyton Manning was redeemed. Tony Dungy finally won the game he could never win.

The Indianapolis Colts are going to the Superbowl.

This is why we love sports people. It's not just an excuse to drink beer and shout at the television. It's not just a means of escape for family men across the country. Personally, I love the artistry of the athlete, the drama of human competition and after witnessing the World Cup finals in Italy I have a greater appreciation for how a sports team can bring a sense of accomplishment and pride to their community. But what really summarizes why sports is special to me is a mother and son falling in love with the hard-luck, hometown team and watching that team finally reach the pinnacle of their sport.

Congratulations SueAnne. Congratulations to all of us Colts fans. We finally did it.

Only one game left to win.

And there's not much more to say about it.

Do you all know who Doc Severinsen is? He is a famous trumpeter and big band leader most popularly known as leader of the Tonight Show Orchestra when Johnny Carson was the host.

I got a call from Doc's tour manager last night. Doc's doing one last big band tour. It's going to be a historic event as Doc will probably retire soon. He asked me if I would play bass for the tour.

You see what's coming, right?

The tour starts squarely the week of Porkchop's due date. I explained the situationh, thanked him for the offer and declined. I don't regret the decision one iota but doing the tour would've been great for me and my career. I'll just chalk it up to bad timing.

In related news Carrie had another ultrasound and doctor's appointment today and Porkchop is doing great. He weighs 5.5 lbs and we're right on track for the Feb. 23rd due date.

I leave tomorrow for another quick tour to Long Island and Connecticut. I'll be back Sunday just in time for the EPIC COLTS GAME!

Last night was our second childbirth class. We were shown a film of women in intense labor and a couple of deliveries.

The nurse teaching the class told us we have an option to put a mirror between Carrie's legs so we can watch the little guy come out.

We both agreed to decline the mirror option.

Florida was nice. We played Friday night in Miami and Saturday night in Key Largo. For whatever reason I'm not a huge fan of Florida. Young people seem a bit superficial there to me (this coming from the guy who lives in L.A., oh the irony!). But I was ready to come home. Between the last looong tour, my CD release show, then this past weekend, I feel like I haven't had very much time off at all, if any. But I'm breathing easier now. Time to get back in to a routine at home. Granted I leave again on Thursday for a quick trip to the east coast, but I'll be back on Sunday. Carrie and I saw 'Children of Men' last night. It is a fantastic movie, highly recommended.

And HOW 'BOUT THOSE MUDDAF**KIN' COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!?

What a run they are having right now. I'm glad that the Patriots are in the AFC Championship against them, it's only right. I could've gone to the game if they had come to San Diego, but its better they play their long-time nemesis at home.

And check this out--I'm going to be in Miami for another gig with Steve the weekend of the Super Bowl ...

GO HORSE!

What drug is Paula Abdul is on in this clip? Booze? Pot? Valium? Ludes? Methodone?

Let us know what your guess is!?

I'm sitting in the bossman's condo in Miami at the moment. There wasn't much time to decompress and reflect (and party) after last night's show. This morning I was up early to drive Jeff (my funky drummer from Michigan) and myself to the airport, Jeff to catch a plane home, me off to another gig.

The gig was great. It really was. So many of my friends showed up to support me (and many did not, but that's to be expected), the band played their asses off, everything ran smoothly, and most importantly everyone dug the show. At the end of the night I was happy and relieved and glad I'd been through the experience. Hopefully it is the first of many successful shows in SoCal. I hope to have pics up soon.

Thanks to everyone who wished me well from afar who couldn't be there especially the Grishams and Aunt Kathy who sent me well-wishes in the mail.

I'm currently hoping to book a tour of the midwest this fall including Indy, Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit. But I'm going to let myself relax for a while before worrying about that.

The rehearsal could not have gone better. Stress relieved.

The big CD Release Show is fast approaching. My drummer Jeff flies in tomorrow and we'll rehearse immediately after his flight lands, I'm making phone calls getting the band together, trying to get my office ready for the rehearsal, scheduling a recording session for Tuesday and worrying how I'm going to get a bunch of people out for my show. I also have a lot of practicing to do. Plenty of stress at the moment.

God bless the Colts for winning today! Their D played off of their asses, best performance of the season.

One victory down, three to go.

... Porkchop (more pics on the baby blog)

Born: August 31, 1975
Height: 5'5"
Weight: undisclosed
College: Ball State University
Years Pro: 7

Drafted in the first round out of Ball State University in '98 Carrie spent one year at AAA-Kalamazoo before getting her first big league assignment in Los Angeles for Team Medeiros. Since her rookie season her offensive and defensive output have steadily increased. '06 was a career year for Carrie as she had to take over scoring duties from co-captain Lyman Medeiros who was absent for most home games and second-year veteran Murphy Medeiros whose stats diminished as he spent most of the season asleep. Carrie started every game and was never put on the IR despite her recent impregnation. Carrie was a starter for the '06 All-Star team and received 98% of the first-place MVP votes. Look for a contract extension for Carrie as Team Medeiros have a big rookie signing in winter of '07.

1. Chris Potter Underground
2. Murs Murray's Revenge
3. Jason Moran Artist in Residence
4. Christian McBride Band Live at Tonic
5. TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain
6. Arrah and the Ferns Evan is a Vegan
7. Regina Spektor Begin to Hope
8. John Mayer Continuum
9. The Roots Game Theory
10. Brazilian Girls Talk to La Bomb
11. Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
12. Medeski, Scofield, Martin, and Wood Out Louder
13. Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere
14. Clipse Hell Hath No Fury
15. RH Factor Distractions
16. Jackie Allen Tangled

If you didn't know, I love art museums. I'm a big fan of 20th Century art and I try to make it a point to visit art museums in each new city I go to. In the past week I've visited two of my favorite NYC museums, the Met and the Whitney.

The Met is always great. I sometimes feel bad because all I do is head directly to the modern wing. But this time they had not one but two exhibits I was interested in. One was a collection of paintings that had passed through the hands of legendary French art dealer Vollard, mostly Cezanne, Van Gogh, Rodin, and Picasso. Good stuff for sure. The second exhibit was German expressionist portraits from the 30s. Fascinating stuff. And then there's the modern part of the permanent collection which I really love. The Met's collection is concise but thorough (well, maybe not that thorough, would it kill them to hang one Basquiat?). I've been there so much I know exactly where my favorites of their collection are including a great Pollack, two amazing Chuck Close portraits, and a beautiful Modigliani nude. I must've been at the museum for three hours. It's one of my favorites in the world.

Unfortunately I didn't have a great experience at the Whitney. The Whitney is a museum of American art so there's usually plenty of modern stuff which is why I dig it so much. And like the Guggenheim there's no real permanent collection on display, it's all exhibitions. The first exhibit was fine, it featured works from two German artists (Moholy-Nagy and Albers) who relocated to the USA after Hitler closed the Bauhaus where they both taught. The second exhibit might've been the finest I've seen in both museums; Kiki Smith: A Gathering. I really loved it. Her work is hard to explain so I won't try save to say it is thoroughly modern and adventurous but direct and less confusing than most 20th Century artists.

So I was really excited to see the next exhibit which has been getting a lot of hype, it's called Picasso and American Art. It features different Picasso's hung next to American works they inspired. Sounds interesting right? Wrong. I hated it. As a jazz musicians I know that it's important to understand influences, where artists have "come from" aesthetically, etc. But this exhibition implies that artists are nothing more than their influences, specifically Picasso. De Koonig, Graham, Gorky, and Weber, names that are not very well known among the occasional museum-visitor, are made to look like they are nothing more than Picasso imitators and that is just not the case. Seeing similar paintings in the same room really numbs your eyes and you find yourself searching for the similarities (no matter how subtle) instead of really checking out the painting. The best is a room in the exhibit where works by Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol are hung. Many of these pieces bear the name (or the subtitle) After Picasso. It's like the exhibitors couldn't even make the distinction between 'influence' and 'homage'!

When I heard a lady turn to her husband and say "they all copied Picasso didn't they?" and he replied "they still do!" I knew it was time to go as I feared this exhibit was doing a real disservice.

I should say that they had a room of early Pollack's that I really loved (his figurative pre-paint-splashing phase). But at the end of the day it seemed like the exhibit was just an excuse to hang some Picasso's and get some more bodies into the Whitney.

Pretentious rant concluded.

The booty:
Sony Vaio Notebook
Cast Iron Skillet
Sauce' Pan
Paula Deen Cookbooks
101 Things Every Father Should Know
Scrabble

The food:
Honeybaked Ham
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sausage/Apple Stuffing
Mashed Potatos
Rolls
Brussell Sprouts
Cranberry Sauce

A good time was had with my in-laws and my wonderful wife. I didn't want to come back to NYC, but here I am. Only one week of the tour left.

I'm off everybody. I hope you all have a wonderful and happy Christmas. I'm getting the best present I could imagine, time with my beautiful wife and soon-to-be baby boy.

Merry, merry!

But it doesn't feel like Christmas. I don't know why. Maybe because the weather isn't cold and there's been no snow. Maybe it's because last year I lived a block away from Rockefeller Center and this year I live in a quieter neighborhood.

Or maybe it's a testament to how much your family means to you during the holidays. I'm ready to go home. For the first time in a long time I'm road weary and would like nothing better but to be on my couch with my dog at the moment.

But the Christmas party was a smashing success as it was last year. I made some food that was a real hit (bruschetta with goat cheese and caramelized onion, roasted nuts with herb butter, mulled wine, etc.). Unfortunately I didn't eat much of it but drank on an empty stomach. From what I hear I called Jason a few times at three in the morning. He was unlucky enough to be one of the last people I talked to on my phone. HA! Sorry 'bout that one bro. In spite of that the party was a lot of fun.

Last night I saw what I can only describe as a jazz dream band-Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Dave Kikoski, Marcus Strickland, and the one and only Christian McBride. If you know who these guys are then you know how thoroughly killing it was. Christian has a blog on his website, he told me he's posting today about the James Brown concert and he talks about me a bit. Can't wait to read that.

Alright, I have some Christmas shopping to do. I'm still not sure on what I should get my wife ... maybe I'll just shop when I get back to L.A. ...

Well it was only a matter of time. I mean really, how long can you live your life in this cold, dingy city riding with hundreds if not thousands of commuters on the subway ever day without catching a cold? It hasn't been terrible and I think I'm at the end of it, but being sick is never fun. My month-long gym membership ran out this week and without the energy or gumption to take my bass home I feel like I've accomplished very little over the past few days. No biggie I guess, recouping is important.

Tomorrow night is our second annual NYC Christmas Party. We had a hella-good time last year (Paul Schaeffer even showed up). And this year with a bigger pad and three roomates it should be better.

Have we all seen the article about Time Magazine's Person of the Year? It's YOU. That's right, you. I know it seems like a big cop-out and in many ways it is. But when you consider the amount of information John Q. Public is offering and digesting through websites like Wikipedia, Myspace, YouTube, and various blogs (and when you consider most of our world leaders are shit) it makes sense. The article could've been a bit clearer though.

And if you haven't seen the postcard for my big CD Release Show, check it out (big, HUGE ups to Jeff who printed up 500 cards for me pro bono):

Than ks 'Nana' Karen. WOOT!