Todd is the founder of Arts Day Out, days to celebrate and inspire the youth of Los Cabos. A day long festival, Arts Day Out is free to the public, reaching students of all socioeconomic backgrounds, providing them access to instruction, interactive exhibits headed by professional musicians and artists, and performance opportunities. Arts Day Out is in its 6th installment and has reached thousands of Baja Sur families. Todd continues to donate workshops to a number of Los Cabos organizations, including LIGA MAC, CASA HOGAR, a number of private students lacking financial resources, and Arts Day Out. 

Domingo , 8 de Enero, 16 a 20 hrs... Arts Day Out --- ven a celebrar arte en Los Cabos. Free! Gratis! Quieres participar??? home@toddclouser.com

The finest manner to combat the ego and its cunning attempts to govern our actions and desires is the practice of gratitude for not only what we have to enjoy, but gratitude for the accomplishments of others. Creations of others deserve our gratitude. Simple gratitude, ahhhh

Here are some musical goods I am grateful to have the chance to spend some time with these holidays

Most gorgeous tune... to me... Mingus' - to Lester Young - "Goddbye Pork Pie Hat"

Admittedly, sadly, I only heard Eyedea posthumously, this on air freestyle is modern bebop

Grateful these guys worked it hard. Makes the heart shake, puts the hips on the make.

Performance art meets Bob Dylan's "Love Sick", raw lyrics, brilliant band, passion dance

Remember seeing this on SNL as a kid for the first time.... and my angst had a voice.

This became the band's favorite tune of the tour, a new ballad called "A Tune for Harms Done" ... our favorites dont match the audiences more often than not

Back at it rehearsing with the Beautiful Organ Trio today, totally different approach, playing Monk tunes in odd times, working on phrasing and accuracy, studying. A great way to temper the purging of expression and emotion that A Love Electric brings. Back to practice.

Some tour goods ... Fillet of fish to the I Wet of Garlic ... mmmm

Been having a lot of press inquiries coming in, which feels strange. Its forward movement and supports the idea of getting music out in front of people, and reaching a point where we can get out more, but something feels contrived about it all. I hope the music is interesting, and I suppose a lot of what is in there is a personal story, but its a bit difficult to think about talking about it. The interviews generally go well and I leave feeling like I learned something about what we're trying to do, where music's place is.... just by the questions that get asked. But it really opens things up to be categorized, so on..... and Im not always great with wearing the armor. Maybe dont have to. Live and let live. Sounds nice.

  Check out that C Bates face!

Just getting feet to the ground after a drive across the middle of Mexico, a couple unexpected detours, etc.... but Mexico City gigs and especially the show in Puebla at Jazzatlan have made this the finest week of music in memory. Still cant get my head around the ridiculous players we've had on the shows, its growing to a really creative point. Off to play tonight at Bajo Fondo in Guadalajara, love this city, third time playing here so all feels comfortable.... 

Had the best show I can remember Thursday night in Puebla at Jazzatlan, everything hit, Hernan Hecht on drums and Mark Aanderud on the piano have this hookup going on after years of playing together, Chris Bates is outrageous and a joy for every drummer to play with, and Gil Cervantes and I kind of get to float on top of all thats going on in the rhythm section. Been doing almost all original tunes, some new stuff we tracked at Sala De Audio last week with the quartet, good time to be doing this thing.

We played San Miguel de Allende last night, beautiful spot but too large a change of pace from the people and energy in MX City and the surrounding towns we hit. After two happening shows in a row, the forementioned Jazzatlan gig and a night at the beautful Cultural Center theater in Coyoacan, we knew we were in trouble in San Miguel when they were playing "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba as we took the stage, loud, some folks on the balcony with some sort of choreographed dance to it.... more of a tourist throw down vibe. Regardless, we played and connected with some people, got out and disturbed maybe a few ears. The bar, unbeknownst to us prior to arrival was billed as a "disco room". We didnt give them disco, but it can be a fun experience being thrown to an unexpecting audience and creating something with them.

Backstage at Zinco getting it together...

Not much time to write, will get some more videos and all up after things slow down Sunday. 

We played this small room run by the coolest group of people called Film Club Cafe, got claustrophobic in there but the response was incredible.... all ages show which is really fun

Thanks so much for your support

Hey! Here at the hotel in Mexico City with Chris Bates watching some American football en Espanol and talking through some charts. This tour has been killin. We did Zinco Jazz Club on Friday and had an incredible turnout, given the cover price and lack of print promo, place was full, lots of energy. A really beautiful spot to play, its what used to be a national bank Im told and there's safes, cells, giant metal doors throughout the green room and back. Has the historied vibe going on that we can sometimes lack in the states as rents .... the strip mall chain store gentrification becoming commonplace pricing out many of the really unique jazz,music joints around the country. Played the Film Club Cafe last night, an all ages spot, which I love.... everyone comes to listen, people really ready for whatever is coming out as long as we keep it honest, felt great. Got a ride home from the Club owner in his 1964 Plymouth, thing is an absolute relic. Sofa seats, sky blue color, no power steering, shared seatbelt across the front three seats. Incredible people, inspiring time.

  But to the good, the band is hooking up and taking all the songs we're doing to new places and we've been throwing in some free pieces as well. Tomorrow we're at this studio here called Sala de Audio to record as a quartet. We havent been performing the tunes to track live yet but will add them once we get back to the shows on Tuesday. If you havent checked out Hernan Hecht yet, you need to.... incredible drummer, musician, plays a ton. We've got all sort of plans, things are hitting, Europe talk, good stuff. Incredibly grateful.

     Out to hit the modern art museum and see what kind of festivities are swinging through the streets today.... yesterday there was a youth taekwondo parade, groups stopping to take some swings at their compatriots' pads as directed by the whistle of their leader. Loved it, then tacos dorados.

Thanks for all your support

 Forgot to mention Bernstein week tour was another total success. He is such a great player, personality, and teacher. Learned a ton, got in front of a bunch of new friends. Have some videos up here soon. Apparently the record label Ropeadope, is gonna do some sort of live video tune-in with the A Love Electric Bernstein show.

We had multiple car break downs, no soundcheck gigs, late arriving gear, etc... that Ive seen drive some celebrated players up the wall, never happened on last year's run. There's not that sense of entitlement that seems to creep in with age for some. By the end of the tour we were running out of a 198something VW golf, one of the seats ripped out, a couple windows missing, that maxed out at about 40 miles an hour. We got Bernstein to the airport in that. A couple long nights had the three of us dragging from bed late to find papaya slices Bernstein had cut for us on the kitchen counter and Steven doing tai chi on the beach. In Guadalajara the two of us would take to the streets aimlessly and Id absorb some of what he'd been up to musically and a little philosophy about playing, the business, and so on. Maybe Im crossing bounds into adoration, but playing and hanging with Bernstein is such a gift. He maintains a happening career while supporting a family and making the music he wants to, that is tough. Im thrilled to have the opportunity again and looking forward to making music, think Ive grown a bit in the last year and it'll allow us to further explore what can happen musically.

Ive got this week to get charts together and shed some tunes, then when we hit, its all creativity, an honest experience. Love it.

Then its on to the A Love Electric tour, the first gig of which will feature Bernstein with some monsters that live down here... Hernan Hecht (hernanhecht.com), Mark Aanderud (markaanderud.com), and Chris Bates. Enjoying it while its good.

  We did a show in La Paz Saturday that had some really profound moments, its coming pretty naturally digging with like minded players. 

  So its been a fine time growing with this trio. Really looking forward to having Steven Bernstein come down and join us on trumpet for a couple shows, been transcribing some of his Diaspora records stuff that would fit this group. Play some more rock jazz sort of material, got some out Zeppelin arrangements, some Hendrix, and drop into some Charlie Parker. Everyone pushes the music to extend beyond the complacency of the comfortable place we often settle for..... and keeping playful. Without humor we'd take all our faults and mistakes to a place we could never recover from...... it happens.

   So thats whats going on, playing a lot, learning, growing. 

Monk --- working this tune out with The Beautiul Organ Trio ---  "Bye ya" w/ Coltrane --- Monk's solo is all kinds of playful

In tangential news, A Love Electric signed a record deal with Ropeadope Records. Ive been into a number of Ropeadope artists over the years, so its especially exciting to be on that label. Lots of work going into planning that release, publicity, tours, so on... Its nice to be detached a bit by being down here in Mexico and doing our thing while the race begins up north. 

 Check this video out from the Philadelphia Experiment, a favorite Ropeadope Release of mine, from 2001... Pat Martino on guitar