R.I.P. 2013 – it was a fantastic year of music! Looking back on all of the wonderful opportunities in 2013, I am sorry to see it go. Hopefully 2014 will be just as amazing!
Some of the highlights from this past year: Night Of The Cookers with Brian Lynch, a week-long run at Jazz Alley with Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Miles Davis Night with George Colligan and Cuong Vu, the East-West Trumpet Summit w/ Ray Vega at the University of Vermont, an AMAZING evening with Joe Locke, 3 nights with Zony Mash plus horns, 2 great shows with Doug Beavers, a life-changing week at Dizzy’s in NYC with Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band paying tribute to Sun Ra, the 5-Trumpets at Tula’s, recorded my 9th album as a leader for Origin Records, the Woody Herman Centennial show, the premier performance of my first extended work “Urban Folklore” with Orrin Evans, Eric Revis and Donald Edwards, and I became a Yamaha Performing Artist this year.
2013 also saw the flowering of the Triskadeka Band, a slew of great shows with Carlos Cascante y su Tumbao, Flexicon, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Davy Nefos, Cory Weeds and Phil Sparks.
WHEW! That was a fantastic year! Now – on to 2014!