Phil Perry | tega227

My wife and I just returned from the 2018 (6th annual) Jazz Legacy Foundation gala at The Main in Norfolk, Virginia. As usual, it was great and, yes, seniors do get out and enjoy themselves (not all were seniors, but most were). Really had a good time for the last three days out of four. Now, let me explain why we attended three days out of four. We wanted good seating and wanted to insure to get tickets to the event, hotel room and tickets are bought a week after the last gala. Regular tickets go on sale the first day of March and will normally be sold out by June or July. We were living in Richmond at the time the ticket sales started, two hours by interstate away, but we live only twenty minutes away, give or take five minutes, now.
The venue holds thousands (two or three thousand maybe) and there is fun, fun, and more fun. Imagine that many people, all dressed nicely, with Saturday reserved for dinner in suits and gowns, 50/50 raffles, drinks for sale, vendors of almost everything and, most of all, not one argument or fight anywhere. Why did I mention that? One would hear about fights, shootings and arguments at other shows all the time. I just read about an argument and fight at a symphonic concert in Sweden.
Let me dive in even further about how congenial our older Black people are. Saturday afternoon we cruised on the Spirit of Norfolk for lunch and music. A couple of the performers were with us (comedian Jay Lamont and singer Phil Perry). They performed, greeted people, took pictures with people and ate lunch with us. As we were seated, a person did not know who they are seated with but, through good conversation, soon found out. The good party atmosphere all too soon came to an end which left just enough time to go to the hotel to change clothes for the day’s performance.
I guess you are wondering who was there this year. Well, hold on to your hat. Pieces of A Dream, Damien Escobar, Marion Meadows, Jonathan Fritzen, Incognito w/Maysa, Kim Waters w/Phil Perry, Mindi Abair & The Bone Shakers, Mike Phillips, Nick Colionne, Gregory Porter, Najee, Alex Bugnon, Gina Payne, Stephanie Mills, Eric Benet, Candy Dulfer, Athea Renee & Elan Trotman.
We were told who will perform next year (Wow, what a line up) and early bird tickets can be gotten next week for forty-eight hours. After that, tickets can be gotten starting in March 2019. I’m biting at the bit to get my tickets and hotel room. Why get a hotel room? Two reasons. First, there is drinking at the shows and I don’t want to drive after having a drink. Second, since the gala is moving back to The Hampton Convention Center, it would mean I would go through the Hampton Bay Bridge Tunnel and there is always a back-up. To get your tickets, etc. go to their web site: http://www.jazzlegacyfoundation.org
Still biting at the bit, we will be in attendance unless something happens that prevent our attendance. I always look forward to this gala and the Hampton Jazz Fest (I occasionally miss this one and it is across the street from the Convention Center). If you also want to attend this one, get your tickets almost a year in advance. The Hampton Coliseum gets sold out also but sometimes there are a few tickets available. And, the longer you wait to get a hotel room the further away from the venue you will be. The biggest difference between the two is Hampton Jazz Festival is in the spring and the Jazz Legacy Foundation gala is in the fall. Both are great. Come join us and let’s have some fun.
I’ve put a couple pictures here from almost five hundred. If anyone want more pictures, let me know and I will send it to you: http://www.tega227@yahoo.com or (most reliable) http://www.tornmail1@yahoo.com I also have the pictures I took last year. I usually sit near the middle (cheaper than near the front) and take zoom shots or from one of the two large screens. Lastly, if you like the article, tell me by hitting like, and if you have a suggestion on what you want me to write about, let me know in comments or e-mail. I’ll do my best to honor your request. See ya…Go have some fun.

Sorry about not posting last weekend but, as I have said in the past, my wife and I are retired and we do what retired people are supposed to do. We have as much fun as our feeble bodies allow and then try to push a little more. We went to the jazz concert in Hampton, Va. at the convention center. Four days of having fun and listening to jazz. Who could ask for more except for more jazz.

I can’t recall all the artists off the top of my head because there was over a dozen, maybe more. However I took over a hundred pictures (good close ups with my zoom lens) and bought some nice cd’s to boot. We’re already thinking about next year because Stanley Clark and War a couple of the performers. Walter Beasley, Phil Perry, Sheila E and more headed up this year’s lineup. This was not at the Hampton Coliseum but the Hampton Convention Center. There are two jazz programs. One in the spring and one in the fall. Let me move on…

Old Man Winter is finally here and now we can go through it and hope of a warm spring. However, this time of year bring all sorts of colds and flues but I rarely get any of what is going around. As I thought about it and researched it, one thing stuck out. My immune system is still strong as ever and, contrary to popular belief, I know why. At the slightest hint something is about to happen, everyone take this or that and begin trying to get rid of whatever. I don’t, even during those rare cases when I do get something or get ready to get something.

I quit taking the flu shot in nineteen eighty six and can recall having the flu three of four times since then. Before that I had it every year and I truly believe it was because I took the flu shot. The common cold is another rare thing. I may get one a year, sometimes every other year, and it will last only four to five days at the most I haven’t had a sore throat in many, many years (I was a radio DJ and that was not a good thing to have). And now I will tell you why, knowing most will say they disagree.

I let my body fight the ailment and build up a tolerance to it and anything similar to it. Shortly before retiring from the military, it became mandatory to take the flu shot with the assurance you will not get the flu. I got it at least once, sometimes twice, a year anyway. I took the shot for two years after retirement. I got the flu. I missed a year and did not get the flu. The second year I asked myself why take it if I was going to get the flu. I didn’t take the shot and didn’t get the flu. I still don’t take the shot and, like I said, it has come upon me three or four times. I don’t take cold medication and rarely get a cold. If I do, I let my body fight through the ailment and I just suffer through it. It is only about four days and I will be fine until next year. My wife will be all over me and I still don’t get her cold.

I am not telling you how to medicate your body. I am not a doctor. I am talking about me. This is the cold and flu season and there will be a lot of people walking around giving it to others. What I am saying is that your body can fight almost anything if it is given a chance. Then you couple that with being able to, every now and then, suffer through the ailment for a short time. Each time you suffer through it will become shorter and shorter.

Here is another short burp…How many saw me in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on November eleven? An article was about me and two other veterans on page one and continued on page six (with pictures). I was at the jazz concert when the paper was printed but I saved the paper and others saved it for me also. Oh, well…at least it wasn’t a mug shot but it came close. Take care, stay warm and be careful in your travels.

tega227

Retirement

Tag Archives: Phil Perry

The Jazz Legacy Gala

Remedy

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: