Friends, the sun is out, the light rain cleaned up the air, we’re getting ready to lean into a new year, and life is great! Check this out!

Thanks to all that leant their support into my two broken guitar necks saga. It took a while but we’ve got a happy ending.

The first guitar that ran into trouble was the Pat Metheny Ibanez model en route to NYC. At the baggage claim I noticed the case was crushed near the neck of the guitar and when I opened it up the neck was whimpering with pain. United was totally cool on this one and immediately said they’d replace the guitar. I ended up taking the guitar, my good old friend that I’d played a lot of music on, down to the SD Airport and left it with them. In a week or so after that United sent me the money for a new axe. I searched around and found a great Sadowsky Jim Hall arch top guitar and I actually think this might be a better sounding guitar than the other one. Sometimes bad things lead you to an upgraded story.

The details on the second broken guitar are a little more convoluted. At first United said they wouldn’t pay for the damage because they said that it was “concealed damage” and the guitar case wasn’t noticeably harmed. In a really calm and sweet tone of voice I said this wasn’t going to work from my end. I told them that I had an attorney and had plans to appeal the case, all which was true. They put me on hold for a little while and came back with a decision to pay for the repairs. I had to get estimates and supply them with a bunch of details but all in all, good news! That guitar is a Stevens Fender Custom guitar and only 30 of these were made and its value has risen from $3000 new to around $10,000 in current times. Andy Powers (the fellow that built my twin neck guitar) is doing the repair and he’s had to saw off the neck near the tuners and graft a new section to the old. He said it’ll play perfectly but from the bottom view you’ll be able to see the repair. No worries, it’ll be a happy day to have that old comrade back into the sonic quiver once again.

So it all ended up OK. United Airlines really put their best foot forward to make the situation as fair as it could be. I wonder if the whole “United Breaks Guitars” YouTube revolution forced them to reevaluate their angle on flying guitars in the friendly skies? It kind of felt like they didn’t want me to compose a jazz version of my predicament and launch it into the net, sending more negative spin into their world. Maybe they we’re thinking, “just pay off the fellow and let him get on with the music.” I’m good with that.

Towards the future, I’m not sure how to proceed in getting my guitars to the gigs safely through the wicked world of airline travel. The big Anvil type cases usually work but then the airlines hit you in the pockets for “oversize luggage,” usually around $200 each way. Maybe I’ll only take one guitar from now on and make sure it accompanies me as carry on. One thing I know, it’s good to have this episode behind me and I’m now looking towards the New Year for more music and less time spent in the bureaucratic tornado. Onwards and upwards!

Tomorrow night I’ll be joining Kevyn and Tripp and a cool gang of young musos for a night of music at Humphrey’s in Shelter Island. Kevyn has been working alongside Glen Fisher mentoring students and they’ll be in the loop with us sharing the good vibe of jazz. The concert is free and I hope you can make it out.

I’ve got the gig schedule for January listed below and I thank you all for being part of my life and supporting our music.

2010
the year of Zen
kick out the dues
it’s time to transcend.
It’s the moment,
it is now,
eyes are open,
hello brown cow.
Buckle my shoe,
eatin' cayenne
it’s all in the loop
for 2010.

adios, Peter