Latest Happenings

I just returned from spending the week in Los Angeles at the Taxi Rally. This is an event that I first attended last November and felt was truly worthwhile. This year's schedule included a number of panels with top music industry pros. Most of them mentioned that the major labels are laying off people. They also doubted that they would have jobs by this time next year. The "take home" point from those conversations is that there is a lot of "A List" music industry experience available for consulting. I attended some terrific classes also about CD promotion and other useful topics.

I purchased a book called "Prepare Your Music" by Joanne Ledesma that has a bunch of new media information that could be of real use to musicians who are active now. Lots of typos and misspellings in the book but there is also a lot of solid, difficult to find, information.

After three days of living inside the Westin Hotel I'm ready to walk around in the Portland area rain. Los Angeles is fun to visit for a few days but I'm glad that the Taxi Rally is only once a year! I'm going again in 2009.

Oh, one other truly memorable experience. Recording engineer Rob Chiarelli played digital copies of the individual master tracks to the Beatle's "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On". He wouldn't say how or where he obtained them. Hearing the original tracks from those sessions was magical. Sergeant Pepper was recorded on four tracks! "What's Goin' On" was done on sixteen tracks. Forty eight tracks is pretty much the minimum these days. Marvin's lead vocal part was stunning. You could hear a pin drop in the auditorium when they soloed that track.

Posted: October 12, 2008

We just returned from a week and a half in California. Kathleen and I stayed in the Monterey area for a week and also visited with friends that we haven't seen in years. After that we drove south to San Simeon and spent two days at the Hearst Castle. We had terrific weather and no forest fires during the entire time. We missed the Monterey Jazz Festival by a week but a grand time was had by all. We saw whales in the Monterey harbor area and I was able to keep from getting seasick (barely).

We were also able to visit with Rick and Carol Hansen. They know their way around the Carmel area and we took advantage of their expertise and new car. Seventeen Mile Drive was spectacular and a treat to visit. Rick is a great drummer and teacher. We worked an organ and drums duo for a long time.

I've started taking trumpet lessons from Joe Marcinkiewicz. Joe is a world class teacher, performer, and trumpet manufacturer. He is helping me to reform my embouchure and become a more efficient player. It's like learning to walk again. Not easy, but he is very encouraging and inspirational. I expect it to be a few more months before the new techniques become comfortable.

Next month is the Taxi Rally in Los Angeles. Four days of behind the scenes workshops and panel discussions by very knowledgeable people in the music industry. I also look forward to visiting with Bruce Garnitz during that time. Bruce, Nate Pruitt, and I worked together in the San Jose area many years ago. He has become a very successful performer/composer in Hollywood.

Posted: September 7, 2008

Peter Schwimmer and I played with Reggie Houston again last Sunday at Cannon's Rib Express. It was fun as always. No surprise there, with musicians like Reggie and Peter on the bandstand it's got to be enjoyable.

After a lot of head scratching I've found a way to make a really portable Hammond organ. I just bought the new Hammond XK-1 portable and placed it on top of the older Hammond XK-2 that I've been using for the fast six years or so. Voila!, instant portable B-3. It sounds really good and travels in two pieces that are each less than 40 pounds. For those of us who have moved the 300 pound original items this is a huge improvement. Now I've got to hustle up some more gigs so I can put the new gear to use.

The artwork is finally in progress for the Crescent City Rebirth CD that I've been working on. Angela Gonzales is doing the graphics work. She did the graphics for the Better Late CD and is on her way. Once the artwork and copy are done then it's off to the duplicators. There will be copies on CDBaby.com soon. Musically the project turned out very well, I'm excited about it.

Kathleen and I have been painting the inside of our house lately so that has been consuming a lot of my time. As soon as that's done we are going to replace the carpeting with wood flooring. The job has been a lot of work but things look nicer. Quite a ways to go before we are done.

Posted: July 26, 2008

I had the pleasure of playing two gigs in the past two weeks with New Orleans saxophonist Reggie Houston. Peter Schwimmer was guitarist on both dates. Reggie played many years with Fats Domino and relocated to Portland after hurricane Katrina devastated his home town. New Orleans' loss has been our gain. He is a walking encyclopedia of New Orleans music and a great musician.

Kathleen and I are traveling to Spokane, WA next week to see our granddaughters and friends Steve Maurer and Terri Cooley. It's a last minute trip that is long overdue. We're excited to be returning to the Inland Empire. I'm going to take my flugelhorn with me and hope to get a chance to play it. There are some terrific musicians in the Spokane area.

Tower Of Power is coming to town in two weeks, we've got our tickets. They're great and always put on a very musical show. That'll keep me funkified for another year!

Speaking of funky music, check out Maceo Parker's videos on www.youtube.com. Let's Get It On is a nice example. He's got some wonderful material on that site. The band is great and very tight. Maceo covers a very attractive (to me) niche between jazz and funk. Exciting music indeed.

Posted: June 24, 2008

I signed a non-exclusive contract for the song "Rasta Turtle" with a publisher is Southern California. This was my first song placement in many years. Back in the day (the 1970's) I was writing songs with Gary Krause and we managed to place six or seven songs (as I recall) with various publishers. Nothing developed past that point and it got to be so expensive that we had to eventually cease operations. Several years ago I began composing again and submitting songs through Taxi (www.taxi.com). Rasta Turtle (from the first quintet CD) was the first placement. It took a long time to get that far and I am cautiously optimistic.

I am trying my hand at writing and recording some music for industrial applications. It's a stretch to write music that doesn't have drums and I am enjoying forcing myself into a different direction. I'll post some segments on this site when they are done.

The band played a summer solstice party last week. It was great fun for everybody. There were tons of elementary school aged children there. They had each had too many sodas and went collectively berserk with the caffeine and sugar. If we could just harness that energy and run our cars off of that energy source the nation would be in fine shape.

I've put together master CD's of "Crescent City Rebirth" and "Last Bus To Portland". I'm 99% happy with both projects and am going to start working with Angela Gonzales to do the artwork. With any luck, they will both be on CDBaby.com by the end of summer.

I updated the downloads page to make it easier to hear the music. No more files to download and open. I hope that this works out to be an improvement.

Posted: June 3, 2008

We just found out that the Portland Saturday Market has canceled all of their 2008 musical activities. Sigh... They lost a city traffic permit that was necessary for their new layout and location. Next year they plan to have a permanent location across the street from their present venue. We were disappointed because the Market provides a fresh air, all ages, setting. We look forward to 2009 when they plan to resume live music. Now I have to get busy and book some more dates for the quintet. That's my plan for tomorrow (Wednesday).

Last Sunday we played an outdoor block party and had a great time, except for the unexpected rain. The organ got slightly wet but everything else was ok. Portland has a tradition of rain until the 5th of July.

Trombonist Dave Bones recorded his parts for the Crescent City Rebirth CD and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Larry Nobori added some great clarinet parts recently. It really added that New Orleans flavor to the project. It's almost done. Almost.

The Better Late CD continues to log airplay locally on KMHD and KJAZZ in Los Angeles. It's about time to start writing tunes for the third quintet CD.

Posted: May 12, 2008

It seems like things are slowing down around Portland these days. Maybe with the weather finally warming up (at least a little bit) we'll see more activity. I know that I've got to get out and talk to some more nightclub owners and keep rolling that rock up the hill. I've set aside time on Wednesday for that task.

Work is progressing on the suite of tunes that I've been working on called "Crescent City Re-Birth". It's evolved into seven original songs plus segues. Dave Bones will be recording the trombone parts later this week and I hope to have a clarinet player scheduled soon. I had originally planned to use Soprano Sax but realized that the clarinet is intrinsically tied to the New Orleans sound and that would be more appropriate for this group of songs. No offense meant to the legacy of Sidney Bechet!

That should finish the music portion of the project. After some head scratching I think that I'll release it as an EP (my son Dylan's suggestion). That way I can keep the recording focused and not get side-tracked creating other material for the CD that isn't relevant to the main theme. It will be about 25 minutes long. I'll post some mp3 clips on this site when it's complete.

Posted: Apr. 21, 2008

We had a strong night at Produce Row this past Saturday. It was one of the biggest crowds that we've drawn at that venue. A special thanks to DJ Tim "Java Man" Taylor (KMHD-FM) for announcing the gig and playing Mambo Nuevo. We played some of the new tunes that we've been woodshedding. We did Seven Steps To Heaven (Miles Davis) and Nardis (also written by Miles Davis).

I'm getting close to completing a five part suite of songs about New Orleans, post Katrina. It's tentatively title Crescent City Re-Birth. Nancy Goldberg is recording a flute and piccolo part (one each) tomorrow. I intend to add Cal Hudson's soprano sax to two of the songs soon. At that point the suite should be completed. Cal played some great soprano solos at the Produce Row gig. It's been a lot of fun to compose and record the parts, I believe that it's one of the best works that I've done to date. I'll probably have a few hundred CDs printed and put some mp3 files on the web site. Stay tuned.

Posted: Mar. 24, 2008

It's been quiet around Portland lately, although the rain is finally easing up it's still colder than normal. People are just now venturing out of their homes to see what's changed while they were hibernating.

The band has been working on new (to us) material. We've been practicing and studying Wayne Shorter's "Pinocchio". It's quite a bit different from the other songs in our book and requires a different thought process to play. It'll be a while before we feel confident enough to play it live but I'm sure that we'll perform it at Produce Row in April.

In the meantime I've resumed attending the Monday night jam sessions at Produce Row under Ron Steen's supervision. Ron can be a tough taskmaster but it's always a great learning situation on his bandstand. His session attracts very good musicians and you have to bring your "A" game. That's when you learn the most. As drummer Gary Hobbs told me one night, "You haven't arrived until you've left the bandstand in tears at least once."

Posted: Mar. 9, 2008
We just received a very nice review of the Better Late CD from Larry Taylor of jazzreview.com. I've put a quote from it on the Reviews page. Here's a link to the entire article.

The Portland Saturday Market started its 2008 season last Saturday and we had a great time performing there. It was a little cold but still fun.

I'm getting closer to finally finishing the Last Bus To Portland CD project. Trombonist Dave Bones recorded some tracks yesterday. His contributions really put a solid bottom on the existing brass parts. As a composer, it's a thrill to hear your music come to life. This recording was supposed to have been released months ago but I want to make certain that it's as good as I can make it before putting it out into the marketplace.

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour today.

Posted: Feb. 18, 2008
We had another strong night at Jax Bar this past Saturday. There was a good crowd and the band was inspired. Everybody's performances were at the A level. We've put the Wayne Shorter song Witch Hunt (from our first CD) back in the set list and it's really been working.

It was fun to be part of the Portland Jazz Festival with the gig at Jax. That's been the highest level of the totem pole that we've reached to date.

We are booked back into Produce Row Cafe for a Saturday night in April. I hope to hear from the Portland Saturday Market soon. We should be back in their lineup when they re-open in March. Before too long I'll have to start writing some material for the quintet's third CD.

Here's a link to a recent song I've written called No Show. It's an mp3 on my Taxi website.

While I'm at it, here's another new tune called Turn Left At Tomorrow. This is also on the my Taxi website.

Both songs are in more of a pop music vein that what the quintet has been doing.

I'll be back here soon. Take care.

Posted: Jan. 21, 2008
Jax Bar had standing room only this past Saturday night! We had a great time playing for the enthusiastic audience. I was expecting a slow evening because the weather was starting to get really cold and the NFL conference playoff games were scheduled for the next day. As we started to set up for the gig there were only two people in the room. Fortunately that changed very quickly and the room filled up nicely.

We are soon to enter that period of high personal productivity that occurs after the football season ends. Every year it seems like I have this enormous burst of energy and lots of extra time after the dust from the Super Bowl settles. Time to work on more new songs!

Take care and stay warm.

Posted: Jan. 2, 2008
Happy New Year 2008! I hope that you had an enjoyable New Year's Eve and didn't get into too much trouble. It was quiet in Portland, the band stayed home (again) and we avoided the parties outside. After many years of playing clubs, restaurants, and hotels it has been great to stay home on New Year's eve.

It's time to make resolutions and work towards those goals. One of my highest priorities will be to get more music placed with publishers during this coming year. There's always a significant amount of lead time when dealing with the folks in the industry so I am working on loading up the pipeline early in the year when it's quiet. I've completed seven songs during the past two + months, a personal best for me. I don't know whether I can keep a steady output but I'm enjoying the songwriting process so I want to continue as best I can.

I hope that 2008 is a great year for everyone, especially you. Take care.

Posted: Dec. 25, 2007
We finished off the 2007 Portland Saturday Market season this past Sunday. There was a serious amount of rain coming down during the show (including some that was on the bandstand). People stayed around to listen to the music, applaud, and buy CDs. Bless their hearts! Not perfect conditions for an outdoor show but we all survived and had a great time. It was a rewarding feeling (again) to be presenting live jazz to people who might not ever hear it. I expect to resume performing there again when the season restarts around March 2008. We should be dried out by that time!

I lost most of last week to a nasty case of the flu. I hope that nobody else has had it recently. It swept through our house like a tornado.

I was saddened to hear of Oscar Peterson's passing. He was truly one of the all time giants. I have very fond memories of hearing him live at the Blackhawk in San Francisco with Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums. Many, many years ago in the early '60's. The world will miss him.

We hope that you all have a great Christmas holiday season and that 2008 comes through with good things for you all. Peace

Posted: Dec. 10, 2007
There hasn't been too much to report lately. The band continues it's Monday night rehearsals and we are adding new material to the book. Lately, we have been working on Dexter Gordon's "Cheesecake", a great LTD (Long Tall Dexter) tune. The band really likes to dig into those kinds of songs and gets restless if we play too much laid back material. It's great to work with such energetic folks.

When I was a teenager and would perform with people who wanted to do songs like Misty and Satin Doll I had a nagging feeling that they were missing the excitement that was to be had from the jazz experience. The older I get the more I still believe that to be true. I hope that I didn't offend anybody with that last comment but...

We had our first airplay on the local jazz station KMHD last week. D.J. Tim "The Java Man" Taylor played "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" from the Better Late CD.

I have been spending much more time lately writing and recording songs for submission to the screening staff at Taxi. During 2007 I've had seven songs forwarded by them to various projects. That's not the same as winning a Grammy or getting a gold record but it's a definate feeling of validation. If there were just an additional twelve hours available in each day I could really make some progress!

Posted: Nov. 25, 2007
Our gig at Portland Saturday Market yesterday was memorable. Playing outdoors when it's in the low 40's (farenheit) is a real challenge for everybody, especially horn players. The metal horns contract when they get cold and then warm up and expand as you play them. This changes the intonation over the course of just a few seconds. When you play in those conditions you just have to set your expectations appropriately. Patrick Nearing (trumpet) was out of town and Wade Kirtley (alto sax) stepped up to cover the trumpet parts. Everybody was dressed for the cold and together we looked like the Abomnible Snowmen. I'm surprised that we didn't scare the children who were attending.

We received a very nice email from the Danish Radio Network. They received the new CD and have put it on the air. I'm still working on getting the CD played on the local jazz station (KMHD). They are mostly volunteers and have a tendency to move slowly.

Posted: Nov. 13, 2007
The Taxi Road Rally in Los Angeles was quite an experience. It was held at the Westin Hotel by the airport. There were about 2300 people attending. Many from overseas, Australia and Scotland seemed to be well represented. There were some "colorful" characters to be seen. Quite a show.

In addition to many seminars and very informative sessions I had a chance to hang with Bruce and Ginger Garnitz. They were gracious hosts and we had a lot of fun catching up on old times, trading war stories. We also did a lot of playing and talking music production techniques. There was even a visit to Venice beach. Very inspiring times!

I'm ready to go to next year's Road Rally. In a business where you have to generate your own enthusiam, it's great to be around so many positive, talented people who are going the same direction as you are.

When we returned there were a couple of new dates at the Saturday Market for the quintet. I've posted them on the main page of the web site.

Posted: Nov. 7, 2007
Kathleen and I are heading to Los Angeles this weekend for the annual Taxi Road Rally. This is a songwriter/composer meeting that gives Taxi members an opportunity to network and meet music industry folks. I've never been to one of these events and it promises to be fun and informative. I'm going to take a bunch of the quintet's CD's and business cards. I'm a terrible shmoozer but I expect to come away with some new contacts. I'll let you know what happens at the Road Rally in the next update.

This tThe trip will give us a chance to visit with Bruce Garnitz, a friend from the 1970's. Bruce played guitar in the P-H Factor, a trio that played in the San Jose, CA area with Nate Pruitt and me. Bruce went on to get a degree from Berklee and taught there for several years after graduating. He and his wife Ginger then moved to Los Angeles where they remain to this day. He has been working his way up the food chain in Los Angeles and has had some real success as a composer/performer. We haven't seen them in about 30 years so we're excited about the upcoming events.

By the way, I found a bunch of Wes Montgomery videos recently on youtube.com. They were apparently filmed during a mid '60's tour of Europe. Harold Mayburn is on piano and the bass player and drummer are also both great. If you like jazz guitar, Wes was "the man". I heartily recommend watching these videos.

Posted: Oct. 24, 2007
We are booked into Jax Bar during January and February of 2008. We've performed there before and had an enjoyable time. Jax is a friendly restaurant/bar on 2nd street in downtown Portland. The February gig will be as part of the Portland Jazz Festival. We are all very happy to be included in the festival. The headliner for 2008 is Ornette Coleman.

WPKN in Bridgeport, CT and KLCC in Eugene, OR are playing the CD.

Posted: Oct. 5, 2007
KSDS in San Diego, CA and WPKN 89.5 in Bridgeport, CT are playing the Better Late CD.

Posted: Oct. 1, 2007
The performance at Portland Saturday Market was a lot of fun despite the cool weather. Summer is history and we were lucky to avoid any rain. Kenny Morse took the weekend off and Alan Tarpinian filled in on drums. Alan did a great job and read all of the drum charts confidently. There was a slight hitch with an accidental double booking of bands. After some easy-going negotiations we played the 2 - 3:30 slot and the other band came on after we finished. Everybody was professional about the potentially ticklish situation and we all came through with flying colors.

Right now there's nothing on our calendar, I'm talking to some clubs and should have something to report soon.

Posted: Sept 25, 2007
Saturday's CD release party at Produce Row Cafe went very well. The crowd was very supportive, energetic, and they bought a lot of CD's! One can't ask for more than that.

Last night was our last night at the Pirate's Tavern, at least for awhile. They have been changing things around and are now going with music much later in the night. Since several of us have to get up very early in the morning it won't be feasible to continue our Monday nights. We'll be performing this Saturday at Portland Saturday Market from 2 - 3:30. The PSM gig is a lot of fun because it's outdoors and draws a crowd that is a real cross-section of Portland folks. So far it hasn't rained, let's hope that our streak continues.

Posted: Sept 18, 2007
Brian Toscano, a writer researching an article on saxophonist Jack Shroer, sent me a copy of this ancient band picture. It's Randy And The Soul Survivors from 1964 or 1965. We were a bar band playing in Boston's infamous Combat Zone. Randy was a great vocalist and very effective band leader. I learned a lot from being with this group.

That's a very young me in the lower left hand corner with my Guild guitar. From left to right, Jack Shroer (tenor sax), Randy Madison (vocals), John Klingberg (trumpet), Steve Hall (guitar), Tom Hall (no relation) (drums), Al Leto (bass guitar).

Jack Shroer went on to become famous for his contributions to Van Morrison's very successful albums during the 1960's and 1970's. John Klingberg, who was my roommate for two years at Berklee, also played bass on Morrison's big hits. Both John and Jack died way too young.

Posted: Sept 15, 2007
Radio stations KJAZZ in Los Angeles, CA and KRFC in Fort Collins, CO have started to play Better Late. WUCF in Orlando, FL has also played the CD.

Posted: Sept 11, 2007
Radio ARA, Luxembourg has told me that they are now playing Better Late.

iTunes has added the songs from Better Late to their catalog. There is a link to them on the main page of the website.

On a more mundane note, Kathleen and I have been painting the trim on our house these past few days. It's been really hot here in the Portland area. I am eager to finish the project as it takes away from practicing. Also, I'm not very fond of working on ladders.

Posted: Sept 1, 2007
We learned today that radio stations WBOI in Fort Wayne, Indiana and WRRG in River Grove, Illinois are adding Better Late to their playlists! These are the first stations to start playing the CD. Thank goodness for FM jazz stations.

Our gig this afternoon at the Portland Saturday Market was fun. We had great weather, lots of people, and a receptive audience. The band sounded strong and we "got over". You can't ask for more than that.

Posted: August 21, 2007
John Gilbert's review of Better Late was published yesterday on ejazznews.com and it is very flattering! I've posted it on the Reviews page of this site. Thank you John. Positive feedback from people that you respect can keep you hanging in there when common sense makes you question your activities.

Posted: August 19, 2007
I've been changing the formatting of the website. I hope that it's a little easier (and more attractive!) to read. If things don't look correct you might need to refresh the page that you're looking at (press the F5 key on a Windows computer).

I received an email from noted jazz critic John Gilbert that he really liked the new CD and had written a favorable review to be published soon. I will be glad to let everyone know when that occurs.

Posted: August 13, 2007
Our first performance at Portland Saturday Market went very well. It was a great day for playing outdoors, sunny but not too hot. We really got lucky on that one. With such a wide-ranging population in attendance I didn't know what to expect but the folks came through. I guess if you come prepared they will at least respect what you're doing, even if it's not their first choice of music (jazz is roughly 4% of the music marketplace).

I've started circulating the CDs for reviews. As soon as a few reviews come in I'll start mailing them out to radio stations. That's when the money really goes flying out the door! In a perfect world the radio stations would call the artists and ask for promo copies but that rarely happens. I put a link to our CDBaby site for the Better Late CD on the first page of the website.

I heard Tower Of Power last night at the Oregon Zoo. They were, once again, amazing. That was the eighth time that I've heard them live. They are consistantly excellent. Like Duke Ellington's orchestra, that is a real tribute to their leadership. Emilio and Doc are doing something right. This month is the 39th anniversary of the band. If they come through your town turn off the TV and take the time to check them out. They are one of the great American treasures.

Posted: August 6, 2007
The Better Late CDs have arrived and are now being sent out for review and being placed in the music pipeline. The CD should soon be available at CDBaby.com. I'll post a link to that site as soon as it's ready.

Our wedding gig went well this past Saturday. It's always nice to appear outside of a bar/restaurant and see a different group of folks, especially the children. Most American children get no real exposure to live jazz so it's important to let them hear it whenever possible. Last Monday at the Pirate's Tavern we had several youngsters dancing to Wes Montgomery's "Full House". They went crazy and so did the band, it was great to be playing while watching them having such a great time with the music. There's hope for the future of our American classical music.

I've got to go now and get to work sending CDs out to the world.

Posted: July 29, 2007
I received the CD proofs for the Better Late project this past Monday. They sounded fine to me so we are now about two weeks away from having finished CDs. At that time the real grunt work will begin. Mailings, phone calls, all of the tasks that I am not particularly good at performing. It should be a little easier this time but that kind of work is not natural to most musicians.

Monday nights continue at the Pirate's Tavern, in fact, we even performed there this past Saturday night. Moving up in the world! We will soon play a Saturday afternoon slot at the legendary Portland Saturday Market on Saturday August 11 from 2 - 3:30. We will also be back at Produce Row in late September. The band is playing a wedding this coming Saturday and we're so busy that it seems unusual. I've got to learn two new tunes and sing them for the reception. That will be the first "pop" music that I've performed in over ten years. It's sometimes hard to believe that "back in the day" I used to work 250 - 300 nights a year.

Posted: July 10, 2007

Posted: July 8, 2007
We got the proofs back from Dungeon (the CD replication company) and found a few things that needed to be changed. Angela Gonzales, the artist, made the tweaks and the files are on their way back to Dungeon as we speak. Angela also did a very nice looking poster for the band (our first professional one). We should be getting those back at the same time as the CDs. It's beginning to get exciting again.

I spent time listening to the next project and decided to add two more songs to it. That should go quickly and I expect to have that CD (Last Bus To Portland) completed by the end of August.

Kathleen and I are going to Seattle next weekend for the NARAS picnic on the 14th. I expect it to be fun, last summer's event was very enjoyable and we met some great folks from the Seattle music scene.

Posted: June 27, 2007
The Better Late CD project (the quintet's second recording) is now in the capable hands of Dungeon Replication. I took the files and my credit card to their office yesterday and got the project started. Of course I took the wrong artwork files but Angela Gonzales, the graphics artist who did the artwork, contacted Dungeon and straightened out my foul up. Thank you Angela! Apparently, the .pdf files that are used for "proofs" are not the finished product that the printers need. Live and learn. Dungeon is quoting the end of July for finished CD's. What a relief to have that part of the effort complete!!!!!

Monday night's at the Pirate's Tavern continues. We were having some problems with the volume but Johnny (the owner) talked with the band and worked to create some livable compromises. He's happy because we are not as loud as before (it's a very "live" room) and we're happy because we still have a Monday night job. I must say that in all my years of playing nightclubs I have never worked with as understanding a club as the Pirate's Tavern.

We are playing another block party this Saturday night. We performed last Saturday outdoors with many elementary school age children running around. Perhaps hearing live jazz for the first time in their lives. It was fun and we are going to do it one more time this Saturday.

With the quintet CD project moving on to the next stage I can work on completing my songwriting project, Last Bus To Portland. Most of the songs are complete but I want to add two more to the collection. With any luck it will be ready by the end of summer.

Posted: June 19, 2007
After a respite of several weeks I have done yet one more mix of the CD project. The band members are listening to it and will (hopefully!) ok it soon. I burned out on remixing and tweaking the songs and decided to put it all on hold until my perspective improved. I need to wrap up the Better Late CD before finishing up the next recording in the pipeline (a songwriting project).

I believe that this coming Monday night at the Pirate's Tavern will be our last Monday until we return to play a Saturday night in late July. It's been a great run but everything slows down during the summer and our rambuncious band is a little much for a room that isn't full of people. The owner, Johnny, has been great to work with and we've enjoyed ourselves a lot. We will return to rehearsing on Monday nights at Cal's house.

For those who might be interested, I am in the process of updating some of the arrangements that we used during the recording of the first CD and converting them to .pdf files for download from this site. There will be no charge for the charts, just the usual legal stuff about not reselling them, etc. Common sense.

The band will be playing at a couple of informal parties during the next few weeks. That will be fun as there will be children in the crowd, hearing music that they will probably never hear on their radio stations. Kenny, Cal, and I played outdoors several weeks ago for Kenny's sons elementary school. A good time was had by all until we were rained out. It's good to get out of the bars...

Posted: May 13, 2007
I spent last week in Santa Clara, CA attending a training class related to my day (actually night) job.

While I was down south I received email that two musical friends of mine had passed away. The first, Juel Rowden, was a terrific bass player/vocalist and person from the Spokane, WA area. We worked many gigs together in the Outside/In blues band. Juel was always fun to be around and was an inspirational person. Everyone who knew him will miss him.

During the same week a well known jazz drummer in the Portland area, Akbar DePriest also passed. He was the father of the great local singer, Mario DePriest. I have sessioned and played a gig or two with Mario and can vouch for the fact that he is as good as any singer alive. Akbar played with Roland Kirk, Eddie Harris, and a ton of other greats including John Coltrane. He made a huge contribution to the local jazz education community. He will also be greatly missed.

Hopefully, I won't have to leave the Portland area again soon. The CD is still "almost" finished (I think that I've said that before!).

Posted: April 30, 2007
After two weeks at the Pirate's Tavern the Monday night audience is increasing and it looks like we may have a steady gig! The Pirate's Tavern is actually a very nice vegan restaurant in an improbable location (in the industrial area of NW Portland). With a cheerful, supportive staff we feel that this is a pleasant alternative to our regular Monday night rehearsals in Cal's basement. Unfortunately, I have to travel out of town next week and we will miss next Monday's, May 7 gig.

I believe that the CD is finally ready to go to the replicators this week!!! It's been a longer time than I had planned but this part of the process will soon be ending. I'll keep you posted.

Posted: April 10, 2007
I just returned from previewing the artwork for the next CD, Better Late, and am very happy with the results. Angela Gonzales did a terrific job of laying out the text and making everything look professional. I believe that you'll be impressed when the CD is released.

The recording is about done now (finally), I just have to visit the Harry Fox Agency web site and arrange to pay the mechanical royalties for the songs that were covered in this recording. There are six originals and five cover tunes on the CD. On the second most-recent test pressing I forgot to include one of the songs, fortunately Peter Schwimmer caught the oversight and brought it to my attention before it became a major mistake. Thank you Peter. If everyone in the band signs off on the most recent version then I should be taking the materials over to Dungeon Replications later this week. Let the games begin...

Kathleen and I returned from Ireland and Scotland last week. Tons of castles to see. Way more than you'll see in the USA. We trekked through those countries and had a great time. Almost no rain during the entire two weeks! Amazing. Since I didn't want to try driving on the left hand side of the road we wound up taking the bus, light rail, the train, a ferry boat, cabs, and passed through six airports each way. It was a lot of hustling but we made it and really enjoyed ourselves. We also did a lot of walking. I was amazed at how much it helped my trumpet playing when we returned to home. After not practicing for two weeks (normally a recipe for disaster on a brass instrument) everything felt great when I sat in at the Monday night Ron Steen jam session at the Produce Row Cafe. I had a trumpet teacher (John Quist) who once told me that playing trumpet was like digging ditches. I guess that he was right!

Posted: March 17, 2007
I am finally finishing up the post-production work on the quintet's second CD, Better Late. It's been a lot of work and time, I've been applying some new techniques that I've learned lately and feel that the sound quality is moving up a notch from earlier efforts. As soon as I get back from a two week vacation I'll be burning a last round of test CDs for the band. If everybody feels ok with that, and the artwork is finished, it will be off to the replicators for copies. When I have the finished product I'll be posting some mp3s to this website. The CD will also be available on CD Baby.

Posted: February 27, 2007
The band played Saturday (2/24) at Produce Row. Peter Schwimmer (guitar) was not available that night so we played without a guitar. It was easier than trying to get somebody new in to read the arrangements. All things considered, it went quite well and there were no "train wrecks" from rude surprises. It's comforting to know that we can adapt as a group and survive the absence of someone who's been with the band since day one.

Posted: January 28, 2007
The quintet returned to Walter Midi Studio yesterday afternoon to re-record three songs for the new CD. After listening to the results from the previous sessions we decided that we should redo several of the songs. The results justified the efforts and the takes that we got were better than what we had done before. I think we'll have a better product as a result.

I am also finishing up the mastering process on a new CD of original material. The project has been bubbling in the background for a couple of years and it's gratifying to see it finally near conclusion. I should have it posted on CD Baby soon and have a few clips available for download on this web site. I'll keep you posted.

Posted: December 27, 2006
Last Saturday's gig at Produce Row Cafe went very well. Considering that we were playing two days before Christmas, I was amazed that anybody showed up! In the past I've played dates right before Christmas where the bartender didn't bother to show up!

We introduced a couple of new tunes at that time, Patrick Nearing now has a feature song with Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford". Listening to Lee Morgan play it in the video clip (referenced below) got me excited about doing that song. The audience was very responsive and I think that it will be a staple in the band's song book.

I am setting a goal for the coming year to add at least two more nightclubs to our "circuit". I'll keep you posted as I talk to more folks and we broaden our horizons.

I hope that everybody has a great New Year and 2007 exceeds 2006 in accomplishments.

Posted: December 5, 2006
I just found these links on youtube.com for Lee Morgan playing "I Remember Clifford" with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (Benny Golson on tenor sax). It's an amazingly musical performance by one of the greatest jazz trumpet players who ever lived. Also, another favorite of mine, Miles Davis playing "So What" with John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb.

Both of these performances are timeless and deserve to be seen by the world. It's a shame that US television never provided much, if any, coverage of these giants.

Posted: November 22, 2006
Last Saturday's gig at Produce Row Cafe was a lot of fun. The band continues to improve and the audiences continue to grow. Two very nice trends! We're even beginning to make light work of moving the Hammond organ.

During our early engagements I was using a portable Hammond XK-2 organ and it was really easy to move into and out of nightclubs. Lately I've been playing my Hammond A-100 (a B-3 in a different cabinet). It's a joy to play it but a challenge to move.

The CD project is moving along, the editing is almost complete and the mixing of the tracks is progressing. The cover art is the next big project. Hopefully that will be done soon.

One more step is the securing of mechanical licenses for the cover tunes that we recorded. This involves paying the song publishers royalty fees. That task can be surprisingly difficult, even in the age of the internet. On the last CD that proved to be a challenge with some of the songs. At the rate that this is moving we may actually complete this part of the project ahead of schedule.

I'll let you know what's happening as we reach our milestones. In the meantime, I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving. Kathleen and I became grandparents again several days ago. A beautiful granddaughter named Emma. We welcome her to the family. I hope that she likes music!

Posted: November 11, 2006
We (the quintet) spent all of last weekend in the studio recording tracks for our next CD. The tentative title will be "Better Late". The title is the name of one of the original songs and a reference to the fact that I got a late start with my recording "career".

All the band members, Patrick, Cal, Peter, Kenny, and I rose to the occasion and braved a "live" recording session with no possibility of overdubs to create "perfect" solos. I feel that we got a classic east-coast Blue Note records sound and vibe. I hope that the public likes it. We sure put a lot of work and heart into it.

I expect to have the CD completely finished, replicated, and distributed for review by the end of the first quarter of 2007. That's a worst case estimate because I've never been very good at guessing how long a project should take to complete.

It's my birthday today and I'm a veteran so I'm going to take the day off. I'll update the site here as to progress with the CD. Have a nice day.

Posted: October 18, 2006
It's definitely not summertime anymore in the Portland, OR area! When the days get shorter and darker it seems to take more effort to get things done. I can understand why bears like to hibernate.

Since hibernation is not a viable option I am choosing to keep moving forward with the band's second recording project. We are closer to the first weekend in November when we will be in the studio. Everything is feeling solid and we are all feeling confident about the outcome of the project. At this time it looks like it will be ready for release in Q1 of 2007. Soon after that I will be putting another project out on the Moovealong label, unreleased songs from a few years ago. Take care.

Posted: October 8, 2006
I've been spending a lot of time lately composing some orchestral pieces. Now that I've got a tool for actually hearing what I've written (Finale 2007) it's been hard to not write! Between that and the upcoming recording sessions for the quintet's upcoming second CD it's been busy. We have decided on the tunes that we are going to record and have been spending our rehearsal time on tightening everything up.

I survived the layoffs at the large technology company that I work for, during the past twenty plus years that I've spent in high tech I have been through 22 layoffs, three times where I lost my job. As my grandmother used to say, "It's a great life if you don't weaken". She was right.

Posted: September 19, 2006
Saturday night's gig at Produce Row was a lot of fun! The band sounded very good and, aside from a communal hiccup or two, played well together. For a Portland engagement in mid-September it was well attended. I talked with the manager and we will be returning in October.

Posted: September 10, 2006
I found a terrific new product for composers called Finale 2007. It's a music notation program that can play back what you write as actual musical sounds. While this will never replace an orchestra of real musicians it is an exciting tool. It's a musician's ultimate instant gratification toy.

Posted: August 17, 2006
Last week's gig at Jax (our first at that venue) was well received. We were told to expect to be returning soon and often. Jax is a friendly place in downtown Portland, not far from the Saturday Market.

Last weekend Kathleen and I ventured up to Seattle again. We attended a NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) picnic. We met some very interesting music industry folks and had a great time. I traded CDs with producer Richard Werth, from the Seattle area, and spoke at length with him and singer/songwriter Gretchen Christopher ("Come Softly To Me", and "Sweet Sixteen", both gold records). Gretchen is finishing up a new CD, her first in quite awhile. Richard and his group are about to release another CD of mediation music. It's fascinating listening material under the title of the World Meditation Ensemble. I really enjoyed it. The three of us had a great time trading ideas and experiences and I believe that we all walked away more knowledgeable than before.

If you are interested in the music industry then I would recommend looking into NARAS. They provide a lot of industry information and networking opportunities.

Posted: August 6, 2006
Last night's performance at Produce Row was very well received. The band sounded stronger than ever. Band members are really stepping up to the plate! We added six new songs to the set list and that made everything else sound fresher and kept everyone's attention focused.

After playing a portable Hammond (XK-2 to be specific) I decided to bite the bullet and bring my full-sized A-100 to the gig. That's it on the main page of this website. I even rented a trailer to move it. After loading and unloading the beast I was beginning to have second thoughts about the wisdom of my move. However, once the dust settled and the band started playing it became immediately apparent why Hammond organs are still in demand, 30 years after the last of the breed rolled off the assembly line. It was a ball to play and the other folks in the group immediately noticed the difference in the sound. The audience was much more attentive also. I guess that I'm back in the furniture moving business.

We will be returning to the recording studio within the next two months and will be recording our second CD. We've got a lot of strong new material ready to go. I'll keep you posted on the project.

Posted: August 5, 2006
For the first time in several years I dragged the guitar out and played in public. The Aloha/Hillsboro Sunrise Rotary group (of which my wife is a member) was putting on an art show to raise money for the local boy's home (juvenile hall). It's certainly a worthy cause as they have a much lower recidivism rate than other facilities. I volunteered to provide background music. It was fun to play guitar again. In my attempts to keep up on the Hammond and the flugelhorn the guitar often gets left behind. I am planning to do more work on the guitar later this year. Now that the quintet is starting to work I'll have more time and energy for the guitar.

Posted: July 9, 2006
I just returned from my show at the Temeculah Valley International Jazz Festival on Saturday (7/8). Temeculah is in the California desert southeast of Los Angeles. I had a great time performing with Blake White on guitar and Mike Bennett on drums. Check out Mike's very hip web site!

The big name drummer who was supposed to play the set never showed up and Blake White's friend Mike Bennett was kind enough to fill in with no rehearsal and no time to spare! They both did a terrific job of playing my original songs (which they had never heard) and two obscure jazz standards. The show was well received.

Everybody that I met was very nice and laid back. My kind of folks. I'd like to thank Dick Guthery, a volunteer with the festival. He did a lot of driving getting me to and from the airport and was a very gracious host. It has become obvious to me lately that jazz is surviving because of the musicians and all of the wonderful people who donate their time to keep the music alive.

The local jazz radio station, KMHD has only a few paid staffers, no one else is paid. Because of this support they are able to broadcast jazz on a 24/7 basis. Thank you to all of the volunteers! Everywhere.

Posted: June 16, 2006
The CD is now on 78 radio stations across the country. I just received a nice email from Jack Simpson in Florida. He is a jazz d.j. who has been in the industry for over 30 years. He likes the CD and is playing it on his shows in Melbourne, FL and Orlando, FL.

We seem to have picked up a club gig in July and I'm hot on the trail of several more. The band keeps getting better and better. We rehearse almost every Monday night because we love the music. The group creates the feeling of joy each time we get together. I feel very fortunate to have connected with such a terrific group of musicians.

During the past couple of weeks I finally figured out how to set this website up to work with the www.stevehallmusic.com address that I have always wanted. At this time both the www.stevehallmusic.net and www.stevehallmusic.com addresses work correctly (they bring you to this site).

Posted: June 11, 2006
Kathleen and I traveled to Spokane, WA over the Memorial Day weekend to visit family and friends. During our visit I wound up sitting in with my friends Steve Maurer and Terri Cooley who were playing at a new restaurant in the Hillyard area. It's called "Ma Barker's" (as I recall) and they had a guest sitting in on the bass clarinet. He was playing the bass lines on the bass clarinet, a very nice sound. The establishment had its own electric piano and I was able to use that. You didn't think that I would drag my Hammond A-100 and Leslie speaker to Spokane did you?

Anyway, Steve was playing guitar and he has really improved since the last time that I heard him! I used to trade guitar lessons to Steve for trumpet lessons for me. It was a win/win deal for us. Terri was playing alto sax and singing. She does both magnificently. Both are major league talents hidden away in the Inland Northwest.

The CD was added to the playlists at KRCC-Colorado Springs, CO and KCAW-Sitka, AK. Both are reporting it in their top ten.

As you may guess, this is a picture of Steve Maurer and Terri Cooley taken during our Memorial Day trip to Spokane, WA.

Posted: May 14, 2006
The performance at Produce Row on Friday night was well attended. Many of Kenny Morse and Cal Hudson's friends turned out and a good time was had by all. Here's a picture of the band. From left to right is Peter Schwimmer (guitar), Patrick Nearing (trumpet), Kenny Morse (drums), Cal Hudson (saxophones), and Steve Hall (organ).

It turns out that I was premature in assuming that radio activity was diminishing for the CD. The recording was added to five more stations playlists during the past week. We are now being played on 71 stations. Mostly PBS and college stations with a lot of activity in the southeast and midwest.

Posted: April 25, 2006
I spent the past week in Austin, TX. Austin bills itself as "The live music capital of the world". They may be right.
I was able to hear Cyril Neville's Project 13 band play four songs (outdoors at Threadgill's) before a torrential downpour ended the festivities! They were just getting funkified. On my way back, I heard a good group at the Austin airport. The city is sponsoring live music in the waiting area. What a great idea.

The CD is now on 66 radio stations nationwide. This will probably be the peak of activity. It's been quite an experience.

Posted: April 3, 2006
Everything is blooming here in the Portland area and we are sneezing and sniffling like crazy! I love spring but it can certainly come at a cost. Despite the speedbumps I have been writing more songs as the band continues its Monday night rehearsal schedule. Everybody's attitude is terrific and the desire to improve and challenge ourselves continues. We have more that enough material for another CD but I'd like to be able to pick and choose from a big inventory of songs. I am traveling to Austin, TX later this month and look forward to hearing some of their great local musicians.

The CD has been added to the playlist at CJAM-Windsor, ON Canada.

Posted: March 22, 2006
After two great weeks in England we're back in sunny Portland, OR. London was a little cold but a very enjoyable place to visit. The people were friendly and it was easy to get around without a car. I was afraid to try driving on the left-hand side of the road.

We also spent two days in Syracuse, NY. It was chilly but a nice city.

While we were gone the CD was added to the playlists at CFBX, Camloops, BC, Canada, KKFI-Kansas City, WNMU-FM, Marquette, MI, KMHD-Portland , OR, KKCR, Princeville, HI, WUMR-Memphis, TN, KANU-Kansas Public Radio, WRMR-Cleveland, and WGMC-Syracuse, NY

That totals 57 stations playing the CD now!

Posted: March 4, 2006
I will be out of town (London, England) for two weeks and will next be updating the web site after I return. The CD is expected to appear on the JazzWeek chart (for US airplay) within the next week or two.

The Quintet CD has been added to the playlists at the following radio stations: KLCC-Eugene, OR, WGVU-Grand Rapids, MI, KXCV-Maryville, MO, WUSF-Tampa, FL, WUCF-Orlando, FL, WMOT-Murfreesboro (Nashville), TN, KCHO-Chico, CA,

Posted: February 23, 2006
The Quintet CD has been added to the playlists at more radio stations including: KRFC-Fort Collins, CO, WRTI-Philadelphia, PA, Georgia Public Radio, KUNC-Greeley, CO, WICR-Indianapolis, WSHA-Raleigh, WSNC-Winston-Salem/Greensboro, WMUB-Oxford, OH, WWVU-Morgantown, WV, WBUL-Tampa, FL, KNTU-Denton, TX, WXTS-Toledo, OH, KTSU-Houston, TX, WAER-Syracuse, NY, and KIPO-Honolulu, HI.

Posted: February 17, 2006
The Quintet CD has been added to the playlists at more radio stations including: Radio Adelaide - Australia, KEWU-Spokane, WA, KUAZ-Tucson, KIOS-Omaha, NE, WUWF-Pensacola, FL, Jazz & Blues Tour Radio The Netherlands, WDNA- Miami, FL, KBEM- Minneapolis, MN, KUSD-South Dakota Public Radio, WESM-Princess Anne, MD, KUNV-Las Vegas, NV, WWSP-Stevens Pt, WI, KSJS-San Jose, CA, WRTC-Hartford, CT, KASU-Arkansas State University, WLVE-Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, FL, KVPR-Fresno, CA, KABF-Little Rock, AR, KSDS-San Diego, CA, WLRN-Miami, FL.

Posted: February 10, 2006
The Quintet CD has been added to the playlists at radio stations WFCR in Amhearst, MA; WYPR in Baltimore, MD; WBLU in Grand Rapids, MI; KSFR in Santa Fe, NM; KSVY in Sonoma, CA; and KCME in Colorado Springs, CO. We're making some progress. The gig at Produce Row went very well and they have invited us to return in April. The date is yet to be determined. Also, I have finally updated the Downloads page with three mp3 samples from the Quintet CD. This is something that I meant to do a long time ago...

Posted: February 4, 2006
I received an email this week telling me that the CD will be reviewed and featured on Listen Here the nationally syndicated radio program featuring Neil Tesser and Mark Ruffin. They said that they weren't certain when the show will air and, alas, it isn't available in the Portland area. I'll be checking out their website for the show. I hope that you can hear it where you live.

Posted: January 27, 2006
The CD now has distribution for retail outlets through NorthCountry Distributors in Redwood, NY!
We also have an upcoming performance at Produce Row in Portland on Saturday, February 4. I think that the hours are 9 to midnight.
The radio promotion campaign will start next week. It seems like things are starting to come together.

Posted: January 22, 2006
The performance at Borders, Books, and Music went very well. I had no idea what to expect (I've never played an in-store event before). The audience was very appreciative and even stayed for both sets. We were all pleased with the show. I'm sending off press kits for more appearances and we should soon have some more bookings to report. We also just received a nice review from All Music Guide that has been added to the Reviews page.

Posted: January 1, 2006
I'm getting ready to distribute the CD nationally and solicit radio airplay. So far, the CD has had local airplay and has been well received. We should have distribution arranged within the next few weeks. It's a big step and a great way to start the new year.

Posted: December 8, 2005
I traveled to Seattle, WA last week to attend the year end meeting of The Academy (NARAS), the organization that puts on the Grammy awards every year. The meeting was uplifting and gave me a chance to meet some Seattle jazz community people. I also placed some CDs with record stores in that area.

We also have an in-store appearance booked for Jan. 21 at Borders, Books, and Music in Gresham, OR.

Posted: November 15, 2005
More reviews have come in lately. In fact, I decided to add a reviews page to the site and put the latest reviews on that page. Please note that there is now a "Reviews" tab at the top of the page. We have a great new trumpet player in the band. Patrick Nearing has taken over the trumpet position with the quintet. Richard Watson left the band to return to college and finish work on his Bachelor's degree. He will be missed and we all wish him well.

Posted: October 30, 2005
In a process that seems to always take more time than expected, CD's have been sent out for review. It's still early but we have received three reviews so far. It will be at least another month before we start to get a more substantial amount of feedback from the jazz community.Reviews

Posted: August 9, 2005
After several unexpected delays, the Steve Hall Quintet CDs are done! I will be making them available shortly on cdbaby.com and through this web site. We put a lot of work into making it happen and hope that you enjoy it. Downloadable mp3 samples of some of the songs will also be available soon.

Now that the CD is in finished form I'm pounding the pavement looking for gigs for the group. It feels challenging to move from one stage (rehearsal and recording) to another (performance). It's always an uphill swim being the new guys on the block but I believe very strongly in the group.

Although the quintet hasn't been working lately it has been busy. I've been studying organ with George Mitchell for the past several months. George has been with Dianna Ross for more than twenty years and is a terrific teacher. I've been working on the jazz repertoire and basics such as fingerings and practice techniques and feel more confident about the technical side of the Hammond organ."

Posted: May 5, 2005
We're moving along with the CD project. The songs have been mastered (Freq Mastering and Super Digital) and the artwork (Tracy Klas) is complete. I met with the CD manufacturer, Dungeon Replicating, and we should be receiving our CDs at the end of May. In the meantime I'll be looking at proofs on Monday, May 9.

Ryan Foster at Freq Mastering did a great job at finishing off the sound of the songs. He then put them in the correct order and made sure that the sound was consistent from track to track. This is specialized work that takes specialized ears and equipment. He was very complimentary about our work and has done projects for major artists (including Gino Vanelli and Dr. Lonnie Smith) so I was really encouraged.

While that was being done, Tracy Klas was working on the CD artwork. She is a very talented vocalist and graphics designer. Tracy has designed CD covers for many Portland area projects. We will soon be posting examples of the art on the site and I'm sure that you'll agree that it looks great.

Now that the project is in the capable hands of Mike at Dungeon Replicating we just have to sit back and wait. I'll be able to get back to several hours a day of organ practice and song writing. We've got enough new material cued up for another CD but that will have to wait for awhile. There's also a lot of paperwork to complete in the meantime.

The next step will be to send out copies of the CD for review and get ready to take the good with the not-so-good. That should be an experience in itself.

Stay tuned.

Posted: April 5, 2005
We've been busily assembling the parts needed to complete the band's first CD. After recording the music there were a few little parts to touch up. While we were in the studio we recorded seven original songs and five cover tunes in a period of three evenings. The band members felt good about the songs and their solos.

Now that the music is (pretty much) done the next step is to have a graphics artist design and lay out the artwork for the CD cover and insert pages. I met with Tracy Klas, a Portland area artist (and singer) who has designed many CD covers in the past few years. Tracy came up with a preliminary design that looks terrific and effectively captures the mood of the music. I'd put it on the website but I don't want to spoil the surprise. Stay tuned!

Once the order of the songs has been determined, and the songwriter royalties paid, I have to write a few words to put in the artwork and make sure that everybody's name is spelled correctly.

In the next few weeks I'll be taking the finished mixes to Freq, a terrific local mastering facility. Freq will polish off the sound of the final mixed songs and be the last step before the CD replication process begins. I worked with Freq last year on a project that turned out very well.

If everything goes as planned, we will have a finished product (actually lots of them) by the end of May. In the meantime, thanks for your patience.

Posted: March 15, 2005
All went smoothly at the recording studio (Dave's Attic) where owner/engineer Dave Fleschner did a very good job of recording the band over a period of three nights.

Posted: December 9, 2004
A suite in three movements (plus a brief overture) is nearing completion. The three movements and overture are recorded and have a few overdubs left before being ready to mix. The work utilizes a woodwind quartet (two flutes, clarinet and bass clarinet) as well as Hammond organ, solo flugelhorn, guitar, drums, and a small brass section. The suite is a tribute to the legendary trumpet player Freddie Webster. The extended work is part of a CD of my compositions that will be released in mid 2006. The other songs range from some Hammond organ-based blues to several gospel-flavored songs, a bossa nova, and a slow latin piece. The songs alternately feature organ, guitar, and flugelhorn. They cover a lot of stylistic ground.

Posted: November 7, 2004
Richard Watson has filled the trumpet vacancy left by the departure of Hakim Allowana. Richard is a Texas transplant and brings a lot of strengths to the band. He is a welcome addition. With the trumpet chair filled the quintet is back to working on its first CD. Expect a release in spring of 2005.

Posted: November 1, 2004