Day 7: In Ghana - Playing Soccer at Zorkies Home                                      Our Performance at the renown +233 Jazz Bar & Grill                                            Ghana's premier Jazz and LIVE Music Club 

My very dear friend Kim McMann sent me a reply after watching our concert with The Pan-African Orchestra on Saturday evening.  I responded to Kim tonight after we returned from another incredibly full day and as I did I thought, I would like to share this as my post after only being here for 7 days.  Not preaching.  This is simply how I feel.  And what will be at the forefront of my head moving forward.  I am sincerely and deeply grateful to Ghana and her beautiful people for these reminders and these lessons.  Simply take it for what it's worth, or not. 

Thank you for your time in advance if you are reading this.  I will also include photos and a video link to a livestream of Heard's incredible opportunity that we had this Sunday evening to perform at one of Ghana's premier Jazz Clubs: 233 Jazz Club and Bar.  Our first set was Livestreamed.  Hope you like our music.

My reply to Kim:

I truly can not find the words to tell you or anyone for that matter what it honestly felt like for me seeing all of these beautiful souls that I know so well from so many circles of my life all congregated together in one location at the same time from all over the US and abroad watching this remarkable concert and cross cultural event unfold.  And to read and feel those beautiful words in their comments as they were genuinely moved by what they saw, felt, and heard.  It was very emotional for me for sure. 

Most certainly leaving my visit here in Ghana a much better soul, most certainly more humble, filled with so much gratitude and incredibly inspired.  I have always felt blessed to be able to do what I do and with the incredible people that I get to do it with.  I have never for a second taken for granted what I get to do.  For me the opportunity to connect with someone thru my music has always been incredibly powerful.  I was very fortunate to be given that lesson at the very early age of 13 when performing for folks that loved to dance at social gatherings and the many resorts I worked at in the Catskills. To meet them through eyes connecting and experience how they are moving because of what I was playing and how it made them feel, and having those smiles return to me via their faces is an incredibly powerful experience.

This last week I have had the same kind of experiences in a very very similar way by way of meeting complete strangers on the street, in the incredibly dense marketplaces, in their most intimate spaces of their private spaces as you navigate these amazingly narrow walk ways between their dwellings whether it be an actual structure or a simple lean to or simply a drape over their head and what belongings they own under.  They read you in a millisecond in their environment and accept you by offering a kind word or a simple smile.  We All really need to take time with and for each other.  We need not expect things to just materialize because we want them.  We also need to give ourselves a break.  Take the necessary time without loading yourself with such stress.  Literally cut out the excess and treat yourself to live simply.  Man, I can honestly go on and on.  I was given so many beautiful reminders and so many incredible lessons were taught to me over and over and over again just because I plugged myself in and stayed present.  I have always said that art, the arts, and the artists need to continue putting positive energy into the universe.  I have always believed in my heart that this is the only way to create a balance in the world and to most certainly make it harder for the insane behavior that is happening all over the world to continue to instigate constant chaos.  This I really believe is our responsibility.  The Good Lord gifted us these talents and abilities to use them for the greater good.

I have to admit.  I'm tired of the greedy, I'm tired of the pretentiousness, I'm tired of the entitlement and I am really tired of the selfishness.  I know I have only been here for a minute really but the lessons will last me for the rest of my life.  Changed.

Our second concert was at Ghana's premier Jazz and LIVE Music Club the +233 Jazz Bar & Grill it was as dynamic as we had hoped it would be.  Thank you +233 for giving us this incredible opportunity to bring our music to you and to you very kind and welcoming audience.  To have the owner embrace us the way he did absolutely meant the world to us.  We left with them wanting to have us return.  That's all you can ever hope for as a performing artists…