Off to Chicago early Wednesday morning. Thursday there’s an early evening concert in Millenium Park honoring Johnny Pate. Coincidentally, it was a year ago this Thursday that I posted a piece about a Johnny Pate tribute concert that had taken place two years prior (in 2003). This Thursday’s concert starts at 6:30 PM at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and features a big band conducted by Johnny Pate and Henry Johnson’s Organ Express, plus Nancy Wilson as a special guest singing two tunes with Henry’s group and two with the big band. It should be a lot of fun. Then I’m heading straight home on Friday morning, and with the time change should get home mid day, just in time to finish the liner notes for a 2-CD compilation of Jim Hall tracks for Concord Records. What a life!