December Appearance

Yeah, so far it’s just one, but there might be a few others.

This one is with City Swing on Demember 13th in conjunction with the Dance Along Nutcracker production.  We’ll play for an hour starting around 7pm.  You can visit the DAN web page for more info.  It’s $50 for the cocktail hour and show – we’ll be featuring singer Joyce Grant who is outstanding.

Fa la la.  La la la. La. La. La.

Mini-Rockstar Update

Not much happening right now, as you can see, I’ve been putting together a little movie of my 30 Days of Creativity road trip from 2005.  I’ve also been adjusting to my new work schedule and raising a little kitten.

Had a gig a couple weeks ago, it went pretty well.  I had a good solo or two, the band played well, the guy who choked on his dinner survived and I had a chick tell me I was her “favorite” band member at the end of the night.  I love making new fans. 

I may have a little gig lined up for Dec, but we’ll have to see how I can fit it in with the new work schedule.  And soon I’ll be hitting a session on Wed night and another on Sun nights after work – I just need to settle in for another week or so.  More on that in future posts.

Gigalicious…

Thanks to my pals at City Swing I’ve landed one last gig with them before my hours change at my day job – unfortunately it’s a private wedding gig in mid-October, so it’s not open to the public, but it does pay really well .

I’m having a great time here in the Bay Area – the last couple of weekends I’ve been hanging out a little with the GoGetYourGirlOn crew – great buncha chicks!!!  This past Friday I hit a benefit karaoke fundraiser at Stray Bar in the city and knocked ‘em dead with my rendition of  Fly Me To the Moon (ala Sinatra at the Sands…).  I jumped in on a few other tunes and for those of you who don’t think that a trombone player can be a RockStar – well, think again.   Seriously, if any of you heard me Friday night, thanks so much for the love and appreciation!!!

Oh, and BTW – whoever the “other” white girl is who is new in town and is a kick ass trombone player?  We need to meet sometime – I keep getting mistaken for you.  I really want to check your playing out!!  We can jam ala JJ and Kai!

Back in the East Bay…

After a little trip to where I grew up at – Vincennes Indiana.  I sat in with my old high school band for a special centennial celebration of instrumental music in Vincennes.  I saw an old band director (who also sat in on the gig) along with a local area music educator who instructed me one year in marching band.  A few of the guys who were in my trombone section in high school were there and it was great to see them and catch up a little.  We did a Hazo piece, In Flight.  This Samuel Hazo composer is the big trend in DCA right now – 3 or 4 corps are doing some of his music this year.  I wasn’t really familar with him because I’m not much of a concert band/wind ensemble type player, so it was nice to check out and perform one of his pieces.

This weekend I have a big band gig with City Swing, a 18 piece group that I’ve been subbing with since I moved out here.  Unfortunately it may be my last chance to play with them for a while since my work schedule will change in the Fall and I’ll no longer be able to make the rehearsals if they need me.

And then at the end of this month I get to jam out with my pals Zoe Lewis and Kate Wolf.  Woo hoo!!!!  It will be a year since I last played with Zoe which means I’ll be able to get some good feedback from her on my progress since she last heard me.  I’ve been playing with Zoe for 10 years now, I met her at a jam session in Provincetown in 1998.  She’s heard me play more than anyone else these past 10 years, so I value her input on how she thinks I am sounding.  Plus you never know who will show up to sit in.

I have been playing with a big band at the Jazz School also, but unfortunately they were not able to get a performance in before Renegade season kicked into full gear so I’m not really sure what is going to happen with that.  I’ve got weekends booked up through most of the summer rehearsing and performing in the Renegade’s pit, so it looks like my involvement with that group my be coming to an end.  If any trombone players out there are looking for an opportunity to play, there are a couple of players in the section already, so it’s a good opportunity to get some big band playing time in.

And that’s the update!

Peace out.

Your Title Here.

Life has gotten a little busy with the day job in the mix. I’m still managing to get some playing in, mostly with the big band at the Jazz School and this last week I sat in with Trombonga, a trombone performance group that my friend Pat Mullan is involved with. It was nice to read some stuff in that sort of setting, but the cold sore on my lip made it somewhat uncomfortable. I didn’t try to fit in much practice this past week because of the chops and because I had a job interview that I wanted to get my head into.

I spent a weekend with the Renegades and came to the conclusion that my back is not up for another season of marching so I checked out the pit. I came home with a set of orchestra bells and a killer character idea. So it looks like I will be pit station 5 for the season. Which means that you won’t see me with the cymbal section at the SF Chinese New Year parade, but you will see me carrying the banner.

Next week I want to try to fit more practice in when I get home from work and next weekend I’m heading to SoCal to visit some friends, including Lee Rudnicki and Lara Schuler.

Back in the groove…

New year, slowly getting some new gigs coming in.

This weekend the Jazz School big band is starting up.  Always looking for more bone players.

I’m also rehearsing with City Swing next week and have a tentative gig set up with them for the end of May.

I’m starting a new day job next week, which will cut into my practice time, but sometimes that is good for me, having to structure my playing time.  I’m in really good shape from having a lot of free time to practice the past 6 weeks.  I’m also playing cymbals with the San Francisco Renegades Drum and Bugle corps which I expect will improve my sense of time in a big way.  I’ve played baritone with them for two years, but it is wrecking my back and eats up my trombone practice time.  The switch to the drum line should be a win/win situation for us all.

Peace.

Weekend Performances

Tonight at the Jazz School in Berkeley at 7:30 you can hear me with the Adult Big Band.  I’ll be featured on Tall Cotton.

Saturday Dec 15th:

Want a little holiday cheer?  Want to really experience the Christmas spirit?  Then come and join us as we bring back a San Francisco Renegades Drum & Bugle Corps tradition.

In the midst of an amazingly decorated neighborhood, the Renegades will perform 2 brief concerts of Christmas carols just like they did when they first started 10 years ago.  Members of old and new will be playing.

Here’s the scoop:

Event:  Renegades Holiday Corps Concert

Date:  Saturday, December 15, 2007

Place:  Al Chan’s house, 504 Woodside Court (off of Chestnut Ave near Grand Ave.), South San Francisco

Time:  6:00 – 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Dress warm and experience the holidays like they were meant to be – with friends and family and Renegades holiday music all around.

And We’re Off!

Saturday and Sunday you can catch me at the Dance-Along Nutcracker – Ratified! with the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Band. There are two shows Saturday and Sunday. Event information is over there to your right.

I’ll also be performing with City Swing Saturday at 7:00 at the special Gala $50 reception – you’ll get to hear me blow a little on “Don’t Tell Momma” towards the end of the set. And at the Nutcracker, that’s me you’ll hear doodling around on Witchcraft.

Next weekend I’ll have a couple other performances. I’ll post more about those next week!

‘Tis the Season

It’s a virtual whirlwind of rehearsals as a number of performances approach.  I have 5, maybe 6 in the next week and a half, then two weekends of various performances before a well deserved 4 day holiday break.

I think we will have a full section of trombones for the  Jazz School show and I finally had all three parts covered at the Freedom Band rehearsal last week for the Nutcracker show coming up real soon.

The Dance-Along Nutcracker is apparently the pick of the month in one of the local art papers and should be a grand affair.  The $50 Gala Saturday December 8th featuring City Swing is a do not miss.

More information about the season festivities after I make it through all these rehearsals!

Rehearsal week in review

It’s been a busy week starting last Saturday at the rehearsal for the Renegade Holiday Corps. We had enough horns to have one on a part and me on trombone…except that I ended up filling as conductor.  I’m still planning on crashing the party with my killer Christmas Song solo, rest assured

I found a couple trombone players for the Jazz School band where I wrap up my busiest week of trombone rehearsals in a while on Saturday.   Tuesday I got more familiar with the music for the Nutcracker gig and Wednesday was City Swing – the full section that will be doing the gig was present and we had some nice stuff happening during the night.

Next week I’m scheduled for some holiday down time before things pick up again.

Gotta give a shout out to the tune on the iPod shuffle – Bebop Rollercoaster by the Mitch Marcus Quintet.  Another Indiana connection based out here on the West Coast.