For some reason that I cannot yet fathom, all of my laptop’s network connections have failed on me — the wired Ethernet jack, the wireless PCMCIA card and the wired PCMCIA — so I have been unable to get online to blog from New York. We’re still here in the Big Apple, flying home tomorrow, and I’m posting a quick note to you from Studio D in the Sony Recording Studios on West 54th Street in New York. It’s been a whirlwind week plus here, all very exciting and exhilarating. After a busy week of John doing interviews, signing autographs and becoming a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master (along with Ray Baretto, Tony Bennett, Bob Brookmeyer, Chick Corea, Buddy DeFranco, and Freddie Hubbard), we spent yesterday and today with Nancy Wilson and our friends from MCG Jazz as they finish up Nancy’s new recording. The CD, which will be titled Turn To Blue, features a number of guest soloists and today there are four Jazz Masters in the room at one time: Nancy, Jimmy Heath, Dr. Billy Taylor, and John (no, John is not playing). Regina Carter, who is down the hall mixing her latest recording, stopped by just in time for a sip of celebratory champagne. Looks like a wrap. I’ll be back online no later than Wednesday with a full report of our trip.