Hi everyone! Well it’s been a year since I’ve had the opportunity to write you all. I finished the CD in March of this year, 2012. Then it took another couple of months to gather the courage to even contact record companies to put the CD out. The advice I kept getting was that I should put it out myself but I was determined to find a company to support me. I was in my house one Sunday afternoon when I noticed some people in front taking pictures. It was one of those weird days when it rained off and on all day. In any case, I ran outside to see what they were looking at and there was a double rainbow over my house. Well, that was a sure sign that I needed to stop procrastinating and start contacting record companies. I contacted three and got two deals! I ended up having an amazing group of musicians record my project including Wallace Roney, Wycliffe Gordon, Bill O’Connell, Todd Bashore, Yasek Manzano, Chembo Corniel, and of course, my wonderfully faithful brothers; Kim Plainfield, Bob Quaranta, and Andy Eulau. The record will be released in October of this year, 2012 , by ZOHO Records. The funny thing is that I had already updated my website saying that the CD would be out in the fall before I got the contract! That’s visualization at it’s best!
This year has also been dedicated to an immense amount of study for me. I knew that if I wanted to play jazz the way I hear it in my head, I needed to finally start transcribing solos from the masters. So, my friends, that is what I’ve been doing actually for the past four years and my playing has changed so much! I am finally connecting my musical spirit to my earthly body. What a journey! It’s a journey that I have discovered will never end so one must be very careful to not get overwhelmed. This summer I finally got the courage to play at different jazz jam sessions and I have expanded my musical family ten fold. What joy! My teaching at school continues but I am in the autumn of that profession. I will soon be able to retire, God willing, and be able to devote all of my time to music. I have been blessed to have attracted wonderfully supportive people at my school so I am able to travel at any time.
So my friends, I hope you are all doing well and as my spiritual mentor always says, “If you are doing your love work then you can’t help but be happy.” Amen and God bless.