Happy Friday,

It’s been a lovely week of newly-broken Spring here in NYC, and while musically inspired (I go into the studio on 5/12 to record a new album!), oenologically it’s been a little challenging, with no fewer than three corked bottles inside of a week (it happens!).

Luckily, Wednesday, a visit downtown to Elvis delivered an inspirational bottle just in the nick of time, and this week’s pairing came together in a snap. I know you’ll enjoy it.

Juice

When I sat with a dear friend ‘al sidewalk’ at the wine bar, I was hoping for inspiration when my first glass of white arrived.

“Wait, this tastes like white Burgundy!” I exclaimed. The redolent golden color, the hint of vanilla bean from French oak, the weight on the palate and fresh golden delicious apple fruit all made me think of wines I usually only pine after due to their ever steepening price tag.

And while the Colvert R/C Blanc 2023 reminded me of chardonnay from rarefied soils, it was something more interesting than an echo of another region’s style. This wine is made from vermentino (or rolle, as they call it) from Aix-en-Provence, one of the rare whites in a zone awash in pink rosé. It's a wine with its own fresh, easy-breezy expression that speaks to the seaside terroir, while nodding to the gravity of tradition from Burgundy – without ever getting weighed down by it.

(I found it on the shelf in NYC at DIscovery Wines.)

Jazz

The young singer Tyreek McDole receives both the greatest compliment and what also might be something of a burden – everyone agrees he sounds just like Johnny Hartman. And, in fact, I met him first singing a Hartman/Coltrane tribute concert with Ted, and well, he’s the only guy for that gig. His depth of sound is so impressive and warm, and his sense of the music so attuned to that of the master to whom he is compared, that he could just follow in those giant footsteps and be celebrated; well-deservedly so.

Yet, while he vibrates on Hartman’s wavelength , he’s his own artist – which is why I chose his original tune (and new single) “Precious Energy/The Sun Song”(Artworks Records, out in June) to feature. His tone is effortless and breezy, as are the lyrics and ensemble. For an artist who’s calling card is low notes and a voice that lends itself to gravitas, it’s pretty cool that this relaxed groove in his mid range has won him big numbers of listeners.

I can’t think of a track to more gently embrace Spring, sunshine, and perhaps even oneself.