Feb 15-18 - Santa Barbara

I lived in S.B. from 1996 to 2000, and it is one of my favorite cities. It's small town charm, perfect climate, and arms-length distance from LA makes me wonder sometimes why I left. While living in S.B., I taught at four Central California colleges and universities, and was constantly performing as a classical and jazz guitarist. I couldn't be more proud to return and perform there with the Quartet. During our four day stay, we play a recital concert, a family concert, as well as two concerts with the Santa Barbara Philharmonic.

Our first concert in S.B. is a recital. Even though this is our 3rd recital concert and 6th concert together over all, my head is still spinning with the newness of the whole LAGQ experience. It's odd to have watched the LAGQ give numerous concerts over the last twenty years, and then suddenly be watching John, Scott, and Bill from on stage.

I remember during a passage in the Bach, where I sit out for several measures, looking over at the guys playing. I lapsed into a kind of daydream, and I felt as though I were again watching them from the audience's perspective, as I had so many times in the past, just enjoying the music. As my entrance grew near, I had to deliberately snap myself back to the wonderful, new reality that I was now playing as part of this fantastic ensemble.

Hours before my first performance of the Concerto Andaluz, I am struck with food poisoning (or something similar - fever, freezing hands, etc.). When I told them about it backstage, the guys turned about as pale as I must have looked. But, as John told me, sometimes adversity forces you to focus even more. And he was right! The concert went well. But I won't eat pork chops again for a while....

**Another highlight of the Santa Barbara experience was getting to meet and spend a little time with John Cleese of Monty Python fame. As it turns out, he has been a LAGQ fan for several years. The other guys had met him before. Cleese came to our recital concert and one of the concerto concerts. But what was extra special was getting to chat with him over dinner after the concert. Bill and Scott, in particular are huge Python fans.