Musical Fusion In A Perfect Setting

Much as I adore music, days as musically rich as today are still unusual.

First was an exquisite set by the TS Monk Sextet. Few experiences can match the exhilaration I feel listening to jazz musicians of this caliber. What gives you this kind of rush?

Then, a few hours later, I listened to the NJ All State High School Choir and Orchestra and got pulled into a different musical spell. The well rehearsed pieces performed by these young folks were far removed from the improvised magic of the TS Monk Sextet. But imagining all those talented youngsters growing into ambassadors for music energized and inspired me. As the orchestra concluded a stunning twenty-five minute piece - music from Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story" score - I wept. The musical past fusing with musicians of the future.

And both shows took place at arguably the finest venue on the East Coast - the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ. If you're a music fan and New Jersey resident and have never seen a show at NJPAC, you owe it to yourself to get there soon. You will not be disappointed.