Food Ethics | A Jam in March

Like everyone else right now, I’ve been partially stuck inside practicing social distancing as part of our society’s duty to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. I say “partially” because luckily one can also socially distance while spending time outdoors, and Ithaca is the perfect place. After all, why not use this opportunity to explore the beautiful area surrounding Cornell and hike some new trails? On quite a few trails during my recent hikes in various nature preserves, I’ve noticed square or rectangular indentations in the ground nearby, sometimes lined with stone. Over a hundred years ago, these earthen depressions were the cellars of houses that are now long gone.

No Time to Waste: Conversations with Bassists Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer

For the inaugural Cornell Concert Series performance of 2017, Grammy-winning bassists Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer will take to the stage at Bailey Hall on February 3. Although both musicians helm their respective vessels in nominally different streams, together they have created something as fresh as their foundations are solid. Where McBride is something of a musical chameleon, rooted in the backyard of the blues yet stretching his branches over into every willing neighbor’s property, Meyer has turned his classical wheelhouse into a kaleidoscope of interpretive possibilities. I had the opportunity to speak with both bassists — first to Mr. McBride on the phone, followed by Mr. Meyer via e-mail — as an overture to what promises to be an engaging night from this rare combination of instruments. The Sun: One of my all-time favorites from your discography is Live at Tonic.