5.17.2025
A thank you. A trio of live performances. A new-build home. And some Substack recs.
Greetings from Japan!
Whether I can believe it or not, the data says that Let’s Chirp has surpassed 1000 readers! I write this Substack because I truly love it. If you know me in my personal life, I’m never shutting up about music, architecture, interiors, fashion, films, gardening, or any of the other things I touch on here. I do this because I want to, because it truly brings me purpose and joy. And although I’m not at all obsessed with the numbers, it’s incredibly cool and also very touching to me that you all have gleaned something from my writing and have chosen to follow along. I’m beyond appreciative of every single one of you that reads Let’s Chirp.
I’m currently writing to you from my seat on the Shinkansen bullet train on a rainy trip from Osaka to Tokyo, where I’m wrapping up a 12-day trip to Japan. Traveling here has been a dream of mine for years now and I can say, without question, that the journey to get here is well worth it. I’ll be sharing a lot more about my trip in the future, but for now I will just say that I’m very grateful to have spent the last several days here and I can’t wait to come back.
A trio of live performances by jazz drummer Yussef Dayes:
![A close look at Yousef Days' visit to Japan. Unravelling the connections between nature, family, Japanese culture, and music. [Part 1]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hfKK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2373f116-dcb2-4070-b786-521f0dfc4f2f_1480x986.jpeg "A close look at Yousef Days' visit to Japan. Unravelling the connections between nature, family, Japanese culture, and music. [Part 1]")
There are very few people that I have ever witnessed and thought to myself (and out loud for that matter) “This person has mastered their craft.” But when it comes to drumming, I have yet to witness anyone who has a touch, a style, a stage presence (Including an insane fashion sense, I don’t know any other artist putting out a lilac, shell-lined tracksuit1 as a merch option), and a consistently elevated sound like Yussef Dayes. There’s not any other modern artist I can think of who elicits a stank face2 more often than he does. Born in London, Dayes grew up with three older brothers. His mother was a school teacher and yoga instructor while his father was produce salesman who also played bass guitar. He and his brothers all played instruments (all played the piano, one trombone, and one cello), but Yussef got his first drum kit at 4 years old and the rest is history.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of music from the UK as it’s been mentioned plenty of times, and if you are too, then this probably isn’t the first time you’re hearing his name. He’s known for collaborating with other jazz, R&B, and hip-hop musicians. His most recent studio album, Black Classical Music (2023) featured artists like Masego, Leon Thomas, Tom Misch, and Shabaka Hutchings. In 2020 he and Tom Misch collaborated on a joint album titled What Kinda Music that is still one of my favorite albums to this day. And prior to forming his current group, The Yussef Dayes Experience, he partnered with pianist Kamaal Williams forming a duo named Yussef Kamaal for their 2016 album, Black Focus. In December he put out a 1 minute and 4 second tease from a studio session with Mississippi native, and Grammy-Winning Blues guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and I would pay a disgusting amount of money to see the rest of this session.
Dayes has several live performances that he has recorded and published on his YouTube channel that are expertly recorded from various locations around the world. When I’m home I loooove to put these on while I’m doing just about anything. I have a projector in my living room and putting on live performances like these have become a frequent part of my routine, especially when hosting friends. It adds such a fun, lively energy to my house that I don’t always get from just putting music on. If you haven’t seen any of these I cannot recommend them enough.
Live from Japan (2025) - Featuring Minami Kizuki (Sanshin & Vocals), Rocco Palladino (Bass Guitar), Malik Venna (Saxophone), Elijah Fox (Keys and Synthesizers)
The Yussef Dayes Experience - Live From Malibu (2023) - Featuring Rocco Palladino (Bass Guitar), Malik Venna (Saxophone), Elijah Fox (Keys and Synthesizers), Alexander Bourt (Congas & Percussion)
FKJ & Yussef Dayes - Live From The Greenhouse (2025)
Most recently, in what I’d consider one of the more unique recorded performances I can think of, Dayes joined French Multi-instrumentalist Fresh Kiwi Juice (better known as FKJ). The two had an all-day session recorded in a greenhouse and according to an interview with FKJ, the session itself was impromptu: “Live From The Greenhouse was intentionally unplanned. The concept was to make music like we were meeting in the studio for the first time. We even got there there in separate cars so we wouldn’t talk about it beforehand.”
If you’re interested in seeing Dayes live, he is currently starting up a tour through Asia from late May through early June, but he’ll also be headlining his Summer Dayes concert in Central park in NYC on July 31st.
A new build in Colorado that doesn’t lack one bit of character:
Creating a new space that looks, and feels like it’s been standing for decades (or maybe a century) is no small feat. But that’s what was asked of Seattle-Based Interior Designer Heidi Caillier, when a family wanted to rebuild on their ranch home in Southwest Colorado. The plan was initially to renovate the 1970s farmhouse that already stood on the property, but the limitations of the structure quickly became too big of a challenge to achieve what the family was after, so ultimately it was decided to go new. In the end, Caillier and team designed what is this stunning (and giant) 7,000 square foot home.
When looking around the home you would never know it’s a new build. It lacks the beige-walled, granite counter-topped, alarmingly-small/poorly-placed windows, and waiting room feel that plagues so many new builds. Although I’m sure the budget for this project was far beyond what most of us are/will be able to spend, there are lessons to be learned from a project like this, in that, if you are a good student of the past, you can design a new space thoughtfully to understand what will age well and what will last, while also building a home that adds useful modern advancements. I’ll rant more about this one day, but the new build crisis (at least in America) is repeatedly responsible for creating homes that people don’t want to live in. There’s a need for constant renovation, which in the end, is environmentally harmful and also financially burdening to homeowners. I think of many new builds and new developments like fast fashion for homes, and if we have learned anything from fast fashion, it’s not a mistake we should be so willing to repeat. Our homes are crucial to our mental and physical health and we, especially as families, need homes that allow us to live well and as a planet, that we want to stay in and not tear down.
While I love the color and the overall style of the home’s design, I especially love the design of each of these bathrooms. Details like the differing sink hardwares, light fixtures, tiles, wallpapers and counters adds character on a level that competes with the best homes of the British countryside or elsewhere. Where a typical new build might bulk-purchase the same materials for cost savings, decisions like this tell me a much more meaningful story, and I’m sure, give the homeowner a much more meaningful experience day to day.
There are reclaimed materials throughout the house that also immediately inject a sense of history. Reclaimed limestone in the entryway, reclaimed wood beams on the ceiling, antique hardware, and custom cabinetry made with joinery methods that mimic older processes. The home even has doors of varying heights from room to room, which, if you live in an older home like I do, you know all too well. But altogether, there has been so much intention put into this space and it shows. And while I understand that this level of detail can’t be placed into every new construction home, the lessons are here for the taking. We of course need places to live, and sometimes building makes sense, but it should always be done in a manner that results in something that lasts and that people want to care for for a lifetime.
Some of my favorite Substack finds lately:
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I’ve been subscribed to Kind of Cool for months now and if you are interested at all in fashion or personal style (yes those are different), then it is a must follow. I particularly love her witty, but very valuable, series of writings on menswear:
Boys Need Bags, Stuff I Think My Brother Should Wear, Layers Look Good On You
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I recently discovered Sara’s work after her post 10 Essays on Food & Life popped up on my home page. If you’re interested in food and wine, I highly recommend subscribing! I’ve especially enjoyed her In Good Taste series.
Other posts to check out: In Good Taste #003: Kitchen Essentials, How to Read A Wine List
This lovely mural work by Dublin-based artist
. I just want to sit in this room all day!
As always, tell me what you think, and thanks for being here!
Talk soon.
-Zach
"Stank face" in music refers to a facial expression, often accompanied by physical reactions like head-nodding or body-grooving, that reflects a deep appreciation and enjoyment of a particularly "funky" or "hot" beat, riff, or solo. It's a form of visceral and involuntary response to music that's so satisfying it triggers a kind of "pleasurable pain" or "ecstatic" feeling.
Thanks so much for the mention! And for being a continued reader of Kind of Cool, it means a lot :)
Thanks Zach for the mention of my mural 🙏🌿❤️