Well, I’m finally back from an amazingly productive time as a resident at the 18th Street Arts Center. I had a blast, skipped the brutal NYC winter, got to know LA a little, and wrote as much as I could. Keep an eye out for lots of new music coming your way. In the meantime, I’m thrilled to be back and gearing up for the release of MOBRO. This has been a long time coming. We debuted this piece in April of 2011 at The Jazz Gallery and recorded that December. I’ve been anxious to share it with everyone ever since. We’re releasing it on my new label, Parade Light Records, on May 13th. Pre-order coming soon!

Greg put together an incredible band for this weekend – April 11th and 12th. Come thru! Gerald Clayton – piano, Joe Sanders – bass, and Ron Blake – saxophones (Friday only)

Double-Wide will be playing at The Blue Whale this Friday, March 7th. It’s my first time bringing this group to Los Angeles, and I’m really excited about it. Since I’m in the middle of my residency at 18th Street Arts Center there will be lots of new music for the band, as well. Spread the word!

*sets are at 9pm and 10:30pm
**this incarnation of Double-Wide features Matt Perrine – sousaphone (the one and only), Joe Dyson – drums (New Orleans drum sensation), Joe Bagg – organ (LA’s own!), and Eric Miller (young trombone phenom from the Monk Institute band)

For those of you in the Los Angeles area, I’m doing a master class at UCLA on February 19th. More info here

I’m happy to share with you that Edward Simon’s Venezuelan Suite is now available. I feel very lucky to have been a part of this one. Edward Simon is one of the most sensitive accompanists around, his writing is deeply emotional, and he leads a band with grace and poise. Watch a short video about the project here.

Buy your copy here.

featuring:
Edward Simon -piano
Adam Cruz – drums
Mark Turner -tenor sax
Roberto Koch – bass
Marco Granados -flute
John Ellis -bass clarinet
Jorge Glem – cuatro
Leonardo Granados -maracas
Luis Quintero -percussion
Edmar Castaneda -harp

February 7th: Tonight is the first of several concerts featuring brand new music composed during my residency at the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica. I’ve enlisted the help of two friends from the east coast to help bring the music to life, guitarist Mike Moreno and drummer Joe Dyson. Also joining us will be bassist Dave Robaire and vibraphonist Diego Urbano who are currently participants in the Thelonious Monk Institute‘s two-year program at UCLA. Blue Whale, 9pm and 10:30pm

It’s truly hard to believe the amount of music that comes out each year. I’ve been trying my best to resist the urge to channel surf through everything; many of my favorite records have a subtle quality that demands the listener’s undivided attention in order to be discovered. So I say to you and to myself, don’t forget the value of stopping everything else in your life, closing your eyes, and listening to an album all the way through. It’s a radical thing to do these days, but it still feels as good as ever.

Although I didn’t release anything as a leader this year, I was featured on quite a few 2013 releases. Here’s the list. Enjoy!

Kendrick Scott Oracle – “Conviction”
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society – “Brooklyn Babylon”
The Big Bright – “I Slept Through The 80s”
Camila Meza – “Prisma”
Alan Ferber – “March Sublime”
Bruno Santos – “caixa de música”
Les Grant – “Way Forward, Way Back”
Will Bernard – “Dime Store Thriller”
Dr. Lonnie Smith – “In The Beginning Vols. 1 & 2”
Beto Paciello – “Eleven Moons”
Jason Stewart – “Cyclicality”
Michael Blanco – “No Time Like The Present”

Miguel is one of my favorite musicians, and I’m honored to be working in his big band. Don’t miss this beautiful and ambitious multi-media work entitled “Identities are Changeable: Tales from the Diaspora”. 9:30pm, more info here.

Get ready! MOBRO, my through-composed narrative collaboration with playwright Andy Bragen, will be released on April 22nd. Can’t tell you how excited I am. More to come…
photo by emra islek

I’m very happy to be heading back to New Orleans this week to play at one of my favorite clubs in the whole world, Snug Harbor. It is almost exactly 20 years ago that I moved to New Orleans to attend UNO and to study with Ellis Marsalis and Harold Battiste. I was sitting in with Ellis at Snug Harbor as often as I could, and I will always be grateful to him for the opportunity and to the club for giving us the space to grow on the bandstand. There are very few opportunities for that kind of apprenticeship learning these days, which only increases my feeling of gratitude. Joining me will be me another mentor of mine from that time, guitar legend Steve Masakowski, as well as old friends Jason Stewart, James Westfall and Kendrick Scott. Our sets are at 8pm and 10pm. We’ll be playing music from my latest Criss Cross release, “It’s You I Like” as well as tunes from “By A Thread” and others. Come by and tell your friends!