Young Lions in Philly

Last night I played a jazz jam session at La Rose Club in Germantown, with my friend and drummer Rob Henderson. He has created a recurring seesion at La Rose that's been going on for several months now, blending the new and upcoming players, with us oldheads! I had the pleasure of playing with, and listening to some of the finest playing I've ever heard from several young pups (as my dad would call them), several under the age of 20, all of whom I'm old enough to be their father, maybe even grandfather! These young men were on fire and kicked my ass, in a good way, meaning they pushed me to play better. Alex Claffy, an 18 year-old bassist was amazing and played with a maturity belying his years, as did Han Tran(guitar!), Gabe Globus and Jordan Howell(drums), Nate Bellott(alto sax), and James Santangelo(piano). It does my heart good to see such commitment and professionalism amongst these young men and that even a decrepit cuss such as I, can learn from these highly talented and skilled young virtuosi.