Just a note of thanks to KRTU, the jazz radio station in San Antonio, Texas. Multiple DJs, including Katchie Cartwright and Carl Stewart, have played songs from all three of my full-length albums — and I think I’m forgetting another DJ who played Calling You. Here’s today’s show with Carl Stewart, who opened with All...
It was the second set of our show. The pianist shot me a malevolent glare, then proceeded to butcher the opening chords of the song I was about to sing, obfuscating the key so I couldn’t tell what note to start with. He finished the intro; silence lingered as the band waited for me to...
Si Mes Vers Avaient Des Ailes (“if my verses had wings”) is a poem by Victor Hugo set to music in 1888 by child prodigy Reynaldo Hahn when he was 14 years old. It was published by Le Figaro and was a hit. I recorded this as a first test of my new Zoom H2N...
Be a part of Pacific Mambo Orchestra’s first studio album! Swimming against the technological current, in 2011 pianist Christian Tumalan and trumpeter Steffen Kuehn formed a 19-member acoustic force to be reckoned with. One year later, the San Francisco Bay Area is loco for PMO, which plays premier clubs and festivals and is packed with...
Just got this note. Looks interesting! Hi Alexa, Last week, we launched an exciting new course called Rock History. The course contains the most comprehensive curriculum on the history of rock music ever created. It takes an in-depth look at the highs and lows of rock over the past 60 years—the key heroes and villains,...
Thanks for the run today. You know, I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I appreciate being on a leash. It’s like, when I’m on a leash, I don’t have to fight anyone. Sure, I slaver in a mentally unbalanced way whenever I see another dog, but I don’t have to follow through! I’m...
It’s hard to sing in a trade show booth — that is, without all the trappings. At NAMM, everywhere you walked there was a musician playing in a booth, showing off the wares of his or her corporate sponsor. Some had a better set-up than others: A small wooden circle stage, just 8 inches off...
“I never struggled a day in this business,” said Steve Vai. “I’ve been so blessed. It was always, how can I do this thing on guitar, and you work until you can do that.” Vai was honored at the 27th annual TEC awards, receiving the 2011 Les Paul award for the creative application of music...
Today was actually our day two, as we started yesterday for the press preview. Some of the press we previewed for were legit, some probably formed a publishing concern in order to get a pass to NAMM. But today it started to become clear just how much of an onslaught of music business insiders and...
So I’ve had a really interesting gig these past few months, where I get to mix my three main skills as a professional musician & bandleader, a technology journalist/pundit and a copywriter. I’m actually working with Exadel, the makers of Tiggzi, to shape the perfect tool to help musicians build their own mobile apps to...
Thanks to all the fans who voted for us! I share the award for Latin Jazz Outer Edges Album of the Year with arranger/associate producer Sam Bevan, as well as Colin Douglas, Carlos Caro, Jonathan Alford, Gary Mankin, Steffen Kuehn, Mara Fox and Felix Samuel! Thank you all, and thanks to Chip Boaz of the...
I’ll be interviewed by Afrikahn Jahmal Dayvs at 11 pm tonight on KPFA 94.1 FM in Berkeley. You can listen online at http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/75915!
