OffBeat's special Satchmo Summerfest issue

OffBeat's August issue is dedicated to Louis Armstrong, whose birthday will be celebrated in New Orleans this weekend at the free-to-all Satchmo Summerfest, my favorite local music featival. I'm serving as the interim editor at OffBeat while we search for a permanent editorial steward for the magazine, and this issue is one of the proudest achievements of my career. In addition to my cover story about Armstrong there are several other stories about the trumpet genius, an essay about one of his greatest albums, the legendary Chicago Concert, written be Stereophile music editor Robert Baird, and a top ten list of Armstrong's greatest post-World War II recordings.

From Gemini Ink to Lincoln Center

Great week. Just returned from Texas where I gave a writing class at Gemini Ink that included a wonderful group interview with jazz singer and storyteller Bett Butler. Tomorrow I'm reading from New Atlantis on a program that includes my hero William Kennedy as part of Joe Hurley's OurLand Festival at Lincoln Center. And the special Satchmo Summerfest issue of OffBeat dedicated to Louis Armstrong, which I edited and wrote the cover story for, is just out. Check it out at www.offbeat.com.