Hey folks-

I just finally found a moment to sit down and update the website and here goes my attempt at any kind of informational harbinger for all of you to enjoy… because I know you all have been waiting to hear what I’ve been up to.

The newest news! I have yet another album out. This time its by one of my many side projects with Jeff Cedrone and Mike Rasimas called the Zero Dollar Trio. We recorded a live performance at The Outer Space, Hamden’s and perhaps Greater New Haven’s best and only legit jazz club.

The trio plays completely free and full of every genre and style you can think of. Jeff is a gizmo guy who often times also shreds your face off with his riff, Marc Ribot style guitar playing. On the album he also doubled on synthesizer which was absolutely killer to improvise over. Mike Rasimas is one of the best drummers I’ve ever worked with. He’s one of those few drummers who listens to everything you spill out and knows how to support you and give the occasion push off the cliff into musical bitchin’-ness.

The three of us don’t get to play together too often due to our pursuits so its a very exciting feeling to release a record together. Having it from a live gig also makes it enjoyable because any musician can attest to the energy you feel from a crowd.

You can check out the record at http://www.the-zero-dollar-trio.bandcamp.com

So the snow ruined a lot. Haha, in fact my life is over. Ok, not really.

So in February, we had a record setting blizzard. 30 inches of snow in less than 24 hours. Needless to say it was pretty nuts. It took me three days to shovel out. The snow cancelled 4 gigs in a row including the Winter Jazz Festival we were on the line up for at The Outer Space. The show had us with 4 other groups and all the profits were going to be donated to Jimmy Greene and his family in memory of his daughter. I was so pumped to play the new quartet album for potentially a huge audience. Luckily though, the snow did not cancel the CD Release party the following weekend.

The response to the new album, The Beatnik, is really positive. Modestly I’ll admit people have been saying they not only like the over all sound but the compositions and the playing. Doesn’t get any better than that!

We have gigs every saturday this month so I’m looking forward to playing the material and getting more copies to more, and especially new, sets of ears!

Lastly in terms of new albums, I’m planning another live record for this summer. I’m hoping to do a sextet date with an added tenor saxophone and trombone and play some new originals and lesser known jazz classics. I’ve been obsessed with Herbie Hancock’s Speak Like A Child and am in the process of arranging it so it can be played with the band in the same style we play Toys. In the same vein I’ve been writing new compositions in the style of Mwandishi, and early electric Miles. I really don’t mind it that my influences are so obvious in my sound. They made me who I am and how I play right? Let my voice evolve from that.

I’ve been on a quest to get the band or at least myself in other cities. My ultimate dream is to gig in Portland, Seattle and Frisco with a local rhythm section and hopefully one day my own. In the mean time I’ve been networking for gigs in Philadelphia, Providence and Boston. Being an unknown jazz musician makes it tougher than ever. We’ll see but the more I network and sit in with other bands the better chances.

Well that’s good for now. See you in the funnies.