Some highlights of a great year of music
Looking back at 2012 I am remembering all of the great music I had the opportunity to be involved in last year. Ray Vega and I performed at the Jazz Education Network Conference in Louisville, followed by a great night with Cory Christiansen at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis. I got to play on the premier of a new work by Tom Varner (and the record too!), a tribute to Charles Mingus with Sonando, and some great gigs with Chris Stover’s AIN Ensemble, Alan Jones Sextet, Frieze of Life, Carlos Cascante Y Su Tumbao, Rob Schepps Big Band, Ryan Shea Smith, Suffering Fuckheads and all the great Friday nights at the New Orleans Cafe with my band Flexicon.
I also had the opportunity to tour with my fellow band-mates Mark Taylor and Matt Jorgensen as Human Spirit, celebrating the release of our new album with Orrin Evans and Essiet Essiet. I had a composition featured on the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra’s “North By Northwest Concert” and got to play with Branford Marsalis in the SRJO as well. I also was lucky enough to experience an amazing night of music with Orrin Evan’s Captain Black Big Band at Smoke in New York, following the Human Spirit gig at Small’s.
I had the great fortune to play with songwriter Johnny Mandel at the Port Townsend Jazz Festival and Michael Fienstein at Benaroya Hall in the same weekend! 2012 also saw the birth of my brother David Marriott’s 13 piece Triskadeka Band. We had a ball doing another sold-out 5-Trumpet gig with Jim Rotondi, Jay Thomas, Jim Sisko and Ray Vega at Tula’s. And 2012 was the year I became a Yamaha Performing Artist. A DAMN GOOD YEAR! Thanks everyone for all of your support!
