This is Important!

I anticipate making the tigh tright hand turn off of 79^th Street at Sangamon into the tight cul de sac pavement that aprons the Leo High School staff and Alumni parking lot. I anticipate up a storm. I can see the chimney of Leo High School before I even get to Damen Ave. and it dominates the eastern skies of the Gresham neighborhood, suggesting welcome, safety, brotherhood and opportunity.  To arrive at that Holy Have requires grit, fore-thought and eyes on the mirrors.

I try to keep my eyes in rear view mirrors, especially to my immediate right. 79^th Street is a truck path between the Dan Ryan Expressway and the freight and rail yards that begin west of Western Ave. and continue to trucking and warehouse village of Hopkins in Archer Ave – Rt 171. 

Not only is there a legion of cars, SUVs, vans and hillbilly Cadillacs of all shapes, sizes and wheel fixture, but forty-foot tractor trailers and utility vehicles of monstrous size and intimidation insinuating their collective will upon my lightly armored vehicle and filo pastry thin heart.

The turn, as I said is tight, tighter than the pockets on a fat man’s pants, because 79^th Street is a wholly theoretical two lane street with bus and turning lane –east bound and west bound.   I longer take Vincennes to Halsted to 79th Street, avoiding a disasterous left hand turn at Sangamon altogether.

Like the theoretical crossing lanes at each intersection, two lane traffic, with right lane observances to ordinance and good manners, have become an urban venial sin – noted, but largely ignored. Most citizen-workers modestly follow the lane and speed limit; nevertheless, there are Byronic types for whom no law or ordinance stays they need for speed and avoiding the sight of tail-lights –universal.

Since 1995, I have been singularly fortunate to avoid collision on this thorough-fare. At Morgan I merge at at peril - courage helps an undoomed man. Others not so fortunate.  I have witnesses duels between motorists with the lane sober driver speeding up with the corsair driving with no plates. Several times, to my delight, the existentialist got crushed into a parked City vehicle. There are no bicycle enthusiast peddling 79^th Street – odd that. Why enter a lion's cage wearing a pork-chop suit?

In response to all of this haste-makes-delays driving and drivers, I have but two words –

“Trombone Shorty!”

Peter Bernstein -Traffic Sunk by Jazz Guitarist -"Bobblehead!" - Peter Bernstein - The Musical F.L.Olmstead!

Peter Bernstein and Eminent Dr. Lonnie Smith ( wizard of the Hammond) at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase (Click my post title for traffic sinking sounds)


My work for Leo High School takes me on the Dan Ryan -often. It also puts me on Illinois 290, 294, 355, 90,94, and 57.

My attendant motor pool duties as Leo Development Guy and Hickey Dad routes me on tag runs East and West on 111th, 95th, 87th, 79th and 63rd streets as well as up and down Vincennes, Halsted, Morgan, Racine, Loomis, Ashland, Western, Kedzie, Pulaski, and Cicero.

Trafffic is tiresome. You get all Bobblehead. The great American landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmstead understood the tiresome nature of all traffic when creating the last of the great American public spaces -Jackson Park in Chicago and the community of Riverside, here on the Des Plaines River. F.L. Olmstead sunk traffic from view with berms and forest. Olmstead eased the soul.

Traffic dominates our lives. It is a hazard to our physical well-being, to be sure, but. as importantly, to our spirits and souls. We experience traffic -physically, mentally and spiritually and the Tolls do take a Toll.

The blight on the eyes where all that is beautiful is the odd Hooters Signage.

The auditory car-wrecks are as unpleasant -Chest-caving Bass Bumps from Morons; Horn Addicted Honkies; double-clutching Rental Truck neophytes and the odd screamers.

Sink me, if traffic noise don't. It do.

Hence, sink traffic, American Bobbleheads, with the silky strings of Jazz Guitarist Peter Bernstein*. Peter Bernstein, to my experience, is best Jazz Guitarist since late Wes Montgomery. No Guitar Hero poser, Bernstein lets the strings sing.

Secretary of State Jesse White should mandate a tape or disc in every vehicle.

I pop in Peter Bernstein's Signs of Life ( 1995), whenever my duties as a driver take me to Elmhurst at 9 A.M. and back to 21 S. Wacker for a 1 P.M. appointment and I drive safely, soberly and sweetly. Honor bright.

Arrive Alive and with your Whole Soul!

*

Born September 3rd, 1967 in New York City, guitarist Peter Bernstein has been a part of the jazz scene in New York and abroad since 1989. During that time he has participated in over 60 recordings and numerous festival, concert and club performances with musicians from all generations. As a leader, Peter has made five recordings for the Criss Cross Jazz label. The latest, Heart’s Content, features the all-star rhythm section of Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, and Bill Stewart.

While a student at The New School, Peter met the legendary guitarist Jim Hall, who asked him to participate in his Invitational Concert as part of the 1990 JVC Jazz Festival. The event featured such guitarists as John Scofield and Pat Metheny and was released as a CD by Music Masters. Hall once noted that Peter “…has paid attention to the past as well as the future. He is the most impressive young guitarists I’ve heard. He plays the best of them all for swing, logic, feel and taste.”

That same year, Peter was discovered by alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson and took part in the first of four recordings with him. He was a regular member of his group throughout the 1990s. “Some people just have it.” Donaldson said. “…most of the time you have to teach someone what to do, but Peter knows it all.”

Peter has also played with legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb (Cobb’s Mob), organist Larry Goldings, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Melvin Rhyne, drummer Bill Stewart, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, Nicholas Payton, Lee Konitz, Tom Harrell, and Eric Alexander and performed in North America, Europe and Asia and making numerous television appearances.

Peter has taught at the Julliard School, Berklee College of Music, North Texas State University, the New School Jazz Program and the Jazz Conservatory in Amsterdam.

Peter has been fortunate to gain the respect of his peers and mentors. He has been recognized in both the readers’ and critics’ polls in Downbeat Magazine for the past three years. He continues to hone his style through writing and performing and has developed a distinctive and unforgettable guitar voice that is all his own.