The real reason for coming up to Boston was to see some very special people to me. The first people were Peter Jonatan and his family. I will be talking more about Peter soon, but he wrote a tune that will be on my upcoming recording project which is again a tribute to Talia. It is entitled "Until I See You" The experience is filled with many God moments and can't wait to go into detail soon. Peter has been amazing to work with and I am so blessed to have this opportunity to present what has been a pretty emotional song for me to you all. Stay tuned.... It was so nice to meet Peter and his wife and children and they all couldn't have been nicer! 

Then I got to meet up with friends Yinka & Patrice. They are truly amazing individuals who constantly inspire me. They could not be more kind and giving and we had wonderful fellowship and mainly discussed our love for Kenny G! LOL We have many mutual friends and shared our many blessings God has given us. They were so kind to also make time to meet up with little o'l me! 

These again are just two families that God has so richly blessed my life with! 

Thank you all for making time for me this weekend! Much love to you all! 

I took Amtrak for the first time from NYC to Boston. It took 4 hours. Upon the advice of my friend Marc Townley he advised me to a few things I was considering. I was in a race against time and weather on the first day. I got a lot in and I feel it! LOL I did the Freedom Trail, JFK Museum, Fenway, Berkley, NEC, stopped at an exhibit on women jazz artists and saw a lot of friends represented, and went over to Quincy to see the burial sites of John and John Quincy Adams. I was here back in the summer of 1987 with the McDonalds Band. It was nice to explore this historic city to our nation. 

The main purpose of the trip out was to celebrate my mentor and hero Mr. Jon Faddis turning 70. Jon sounded amazing as always along with his group. He once again played the Gillespiana Suite which is one of my favorites and I never get tired of hearing him play it. As he always does, he invited me up to play West End Blues, Although, I never get it perfect, I normally do ok. Not this time. I don't know what happened, maybe too tired, but I really messed it up. Making mistakes I never make. Of course in any setting it's embarrassing but with your hero and amazing band it was even more humbling. I'm still honored for the invite and felt bad I didn't represent his investment in me better but hopefully there will be another time. It was also nice to visit quick with Laurelyn on my way out. Walking back to my hotel who do I see sitting outside at this club but former MSU student Joel Perez. So I listened to a set with the amazing band he played with and all of them couldn't have been nicer and the owner was so kind also! 

I got up at 2am drove to Detroit, flew to NYC, and went straight to the new Louis Armstrong Center. Just like Louis's time was perfect so was Ricky Riccardi's time. As I got out of my Lyft, Ricky was arriving. I had such an amazing day and Ricky was the most gracious host once again, seeing the archives which include letting me play Louis's trumpets. Ricky is the foremost expert on Louis Armstrong and has a heart of gold. The center also had a concert that day which I got to attend the rehearsals. Everyone at the Center and House are amazing and I will always continue to come no matter how many times I've been there. I saw some old friends and met some new ones. Please if you are going to NYC and specifically Queens, please go to the house and center. You won't regret it! https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org
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I went and visited my hospice family today. Mind you, I only knew these people for a month. These are a few of the staff at Stoneleigh Hospice in Lansing. I didn't know how I'd feel going back to where I spent my last moments with Talia. I've been back a couple of times I think, but as you can see, despite on the one hand what that place represents for me, it also represents some of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life. Yes, this is their job, to care for those in their last days and it's the reality of their jobs, which right then and there should tell you how special these people are. But I really feel they go so far beyond that and they showed such love and compassion to not only Talia but me. I was there 23 hours a day for a month. That's a pretty concentrated time to spend with people. I wish I could have gotten a group photo of everyone that I spent time with there, but as I look at each individual here, in this photo, I can tell you very specific and special moments I had with each one as I can the rest not pictured, and for that, they will be my family forever. I'm sad that they couldn't see the real Talia (except for a few days as described below) . By the time we entered their residence, the tumor had spread to a part of Talia's brain that effected her personality. ( I didn't know this until about 5 minutes after checking in, then everything over the past two days made sense) Even the way that was presented to me was in such love. In a month there spending 23 hours every day, I only had 2 really bad hours which were dealt with immediately with such kindness, swiftness, and integrity. I would say, if that was all, I call that a miracle. These strangers at the time, were a group of individuals placed by God, to help guide me through what would be the most trying time of my life. Nothing can prepare you for the pain I went through. What I learned was these people were not just there for Talia, but they were there for me. I know Talia was thankful for all of them both in a short stay she had when I had to go to NYC for a few days and before the tumor had moved in her brain, and in our final month. I remember calling her from NYC and she was having so much fun. She said it was like she would imagine on a cruise ship, she had a personal chef that asked her what her favorites were, she had someone that was going to help with piano and liked sci-fi, there were Godly women who she could talk to, someone who gave massages, someone who was from AZ, that would sit with her when I was gone for an hour or two, someone who upon entering the room, would grab her hand and massage it while I was talking to the doctors, our home nurse before we entered the facility was such a blessing to Talia and Mia! LOL I could go on and on. These people are truly some of the most beautiful people I've ever met. Even today, the compassion and respect I received was beyond! They met Talia and I where we were at in life and loved us through! I'm sorry I had to meet these people and yet I'm forever grateful I did and consider them all family. Love you all so much and thank you for loving me through the hardest month of my life and showing Talia such love in her final days on this earth! May God truly bless all of you! 

A very happy 70th birthday to my Mentor and Hero Mr. Jon Faddis. I already wrote a blog on Jon which I've included the link here. I've included some photos from the last time I saw him in Washington D.C. at the Blues Alley. Looking forward to celebrating with him on Friday at Dizzys! 

https://www.maxcolley3.com/blog/jon-faddis

Also here is an interview I did with Jon a few years back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdSmLVuIaJM
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Well, today Talia would have turned 45! Seeing as she is with God now, I wanted to be in God's creation today even though I know Talia has much better views. Talia was pretty much a homebody but lived through me so I would always FaceTime her from places and then she said she didn't need to go there because she saw it with me on FaceTime. LOL Miss her dearly and I loved celebrating and still do, the day God gave her life on earth and blessing me with her as my wife. I am looking forward to sharing with you all my tribute recording project to her. I'm excited this week to meet the composer of one of the many special tunes on this project in Boston. There is always a two sided coin to days like today. It's fun to remember good times and great memories and just be thankful for the time God gave me with Talia, but of course makes you miss her even more because you just want it to continue. God is good and Happy Heavenly 45th birthday Talia! 

I get to go to some pretty cool places being a musician. Fun gigs this weekend and a beautiful spot in Traverse City. First video is from a party and a close up of the one known as Pace! LOL 

Life well lived! The video was when I saw him in Indiana. Filled up the whole place with no mic for end of Fly Me To The Moon!

First picture is of my lavender I picked, followed by one of my hanging plants , made a visit to my sisters new shop, and of a little arrangement I bought there and all the critters. Then it was so nice to meet up with my long time friend Bridgette for dinner, then went to my friend Mark Byerly and dropped off all the files to start the mixing process for the cd, then went to my HS friend and his family Ken Laberteaux to see Paul Keller and friends, clouds and sunsets, and making some sun tea! 

Today would have been our 6 year anniversary. We got married in Cave Creek, AZ It was 112 degrees that day. I was good of course but felt bad for Talia. I've been working on my tribute cd for Talia and hope to have it all completed in a few months. Some pretty exciting things on it, one I'll do a separate post on soon, but I'm honored to once again have my dear friend Randy Napoleon on it and he provided the soundtrack I played to for Talia to come down the aisle, The Way You Look Tonight. It was perfect for us just having part of her family there as neither of us like to be the center of attention. Typically, to celebrate I'd bring Red Lobster home and get her some flowers, although on our 1st anniversary we went down to Ann Arbor to see none other than Randy Napoleon play. Thought that would be a good way to celebrate but didn't quite end up that way. Anyways, so thankful that God gave me Talia for a short time to bring so much joy to my life. Hope this upcoming project will honor her and bring glory to God. I wrote a lot on what would have been our 5th anniversary so here is the link if you want to read that one complete with video. ​https://www.maxcolley3.com/blog/almost-5-year-anniversary

Just getting through a really busy couple of weeks! Almost every weekend is with the Blue Water Kings playing weddings. The one had a drone show. Then played with my friend Lisa Sung and I was an adopted Asian for the day! LOL Had lunch with Alain Sullivan who I think is just a great person and musician. Been dealing with wildfire smoke like everyone else. Spent a night in the hospital with Dad but he's doing well now! And Mia holding the fort down!