Bobby Shew, fantastic and motivational

I saw Bobby Shew perform this summer at The Fox Note in Princeton, Wisconsin. I would guess there were about 100 people at the concert, which took place in a fabulous little hall and was incredibly intimate.

The music was fantastic; it was fun to see and hear Shew play with the John Harmon trio, which he doesn't normally play with. They obviously enjoyed working with each other, and the jazz seemed more like a story than a series of songs.

Best of all, though, was when Shew told us about a talk he gives to his students. At some point, he explains to each student that as a musician, you can either impress someone with your playing, or you can touch someone with your music. And then he went on to tell the audience the he hoped we weren't impressed with his playing. He hoped, instead, that he had manage to touch us.

Congratulations, Bobby Shew. Not only did you make wonderful music and perform a riveting concert; you were so moving I can't stop thinking about it four months afterward.