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Premeires Friday 7/16 at 8pm EST/5pm PST

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I asked Melinda to meet me halfway. We improvised in the sunshine in front of a lighthouse in havre de grace. Neither of us had been there before, and we hadn’t seen each other in the flesh since February 2020. Melinda brought cameras (and snacks because she is always prepared for a picnic), and I brought a little microphone. We played for awhile without any preconceived notions (just the motion of the ocean). Then we added more. More violins to harmonize with the dogs, more voices to harmonize with ourselves, more synths to harmonize with the boats, and videos of the dog/ourselves/boats.
If you are free tonight (or in the future since the internet is elusive and apparently timeless) tune in and get a piece of the peace we felt.

The mail has been extremely disappointing lately, gobbling up almost every big check I’ve been waiting for, including an “emergency grant” for over $5K that I still haven’t received, issued in November 2020. Anyway, because I am who I am, I wrote a waltz about it, and you can hear it here, debuting tonight.
(thank you to Matt Dievendorf for engineering and pressing all the buttons on our phones to make them record…)

Happy almost November! Holidays are right around the corner, and I’ve got a treat for you- personalized vinyl records! Each record contains a one-of-a-kind live take, made specifically and individually for each person that orders. All of these records are in effect masters with no other copies made. The records aren’t mass produced, dubbed, copied, etc. and they each contain a different live performance that exists nowhere else in the world.  Think of these records like audio polaroids…each individual from one another and 100% one-of-a-kind. Pick one of three songs, and leave me a note if the record is cut for you, or a gift to someone (or maybe you want me to tell an amazing joke at the end…) A great way to send a little love to someone you care about.

Select your song and order your personal cut here!

 

Warren Shadd, drummer and nephew of Shirley Horn, asked me to perform a few songs for his Christmas FB series. I chose a couple of my original holiday hits, “Give me love at Christmas time”, and “Lonely New Year’s Day”. The first was born of my distaste for Christmas commercialism, and the second is a reflection on a balmy Los Angeles holiday I spent alone. Thanks to the wonderful Nicole Saphos for spending some time with these tunes, and adding lovely harmonies! Happy Holidays!


I came up with this arrangement for “Tracks of My Tears” in 2004. I saw Smokey Robinson in the flesh that year when Prof. Dennis Wilson let me tag along to the BET Walk of Fame rehearsal in NE DC. However, the best part of the whole day was Stevie Wonder and his reggae version of “Tears of a Clown”. It made me CRY it was so funky. It inspired me to take liberties with my version of “Tracks of My Tears”, and I brought it back for a second round with my favorite guitarist.

I had a great time being the featured artist at the Sunday Jazz Lounge this week. With SJL creators Rodney Richardson and Joe Herrera out on tour, Brian Settles was hosting the show. As always, I love to perform with super creative Brian, and it was great to be with Tarus Mateen and Terence Arnett as well. Here is proof we had a good time. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us.

What a fabulous year for the Washington Jazz Arts Institute. The young musicians really rose to the challenge of some new and difficult music. Here’s the final big band number “Jitterbug Waltz”