Hello, I will be performing solo to help celebrate the summer solstice on Thursday, June 21, at 2 p.m. at All People's Garden, 293-295 E. 3rd St. in the East Village of Manhattan. The event is part of this year's Make Music New York program.

So if your schedule means that you have liberty in the afternoon, come to this lovely little garden in the East Village and help usher in the new season. I plan to do some more improvisation than usual (is that a contradiction?), and I'll be going further than usual into the unknown. I will do my best to send a positive vibe into the neighborhood.

Please join Mitra Sumara, New York's premier Farsi psychedelic, funky pop band, as we celebrate the release of our first album, "Tahdig." (The title refers to the much-wanted rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot.)

We will be taking the stage at the new NuBlu, 151 Ave. C in the East Village of Manhattan, on Thursday, June 7, at 9 p.m. Cover charge $15.

Our new record has been previewed on KCRW-FM, Santa Monica, Calif., on the "Rhythm Planet" show. To hear us on that show, click here.

On Saturday, April 21, from 6 to 8 p.m., I will be playing solo piano during happy hour at Jules Bistro, 65 St. Marks Place, between First and Second avenues in the East Village, Manhattan.

This is an unusual gig for me - I don't do this kind of thing often. Jules is a longtime destination in the East Village - a French-style bistro that has been serving quality jazz and good food for 25 years. It will be an honor to play there, and I hope you can make it.