Feeling good taking a brief break from playing out, lots of shows this past year, time to re-center body and mind to make things happen this fall. We've got three bands of outrageous players, beginning in September with the US of A A Love Electric lineup, a quartet run with bassist Adam Linz (Fat Kid Wednesdays, Dave King Trucking Company), Pedro Cervera and Roberto Blanco down in the Baja in October, then a lengthy tour with drummer Hernan Hecht and the south of the border A Love Electric.

For now, practice.

Gonna take July off performing as we get ready for a long run of shows for album releases as fall comes in....so hope to see you out at the few June gigs.

While the music scene in Cabo can be a bit lacking, not in terms of talent, but in terms of opportunities for players to truly display their talents, there's plenty of opportunity there if you're willing to create something from ground up. Unfortunately tourist music has been accepted as the desirable by club owners in town, so if you don't do Brown Eyed Girl, you dont do the gig. It takes a bit of extra pulling, but we managed to get some nice spots to play somewhere in between what pleases us and what a club owner thinks pleases the audience. The club owner is usually wrong, I always believe, when given the chance, people want to hear honesty. A bit of the money has dried up in town, and people are scrambling a bit. The summer always promises meager income, though this coming season of the burning sun looks to be more destitute than others. Hope it all swings back in November, got a couple ideas we're working on for the fall to coincide with an album release.

I'm in the studio this week with Gordy Johnson on bass and Greg Schutte on drums. Been playing with Greg for quite a few years now, so his versatility and overall musicianship are no surprise, but senor Johnson has been the heat. He slams, slides, swings, does it all, and with an honesty about it. We're just a day in, but I'm really excited.

Steven Bernstein comes to join us this coming Tuesday for a gig and day in the studio. You gotta know Steven if you don't. We did a short tour together this past November and he became like an uncle. His playing is ridiculous, though its his character and persona that make him, in my opinion, the finest and most engagingly modern trumpeter around. When we did gigs in November, my entire perspective on note choice changed. Because Steven plays the slide trumpet, he's privy to a multitude of notes in between the notes. He can shake between a couple notes, or make a run through a whole cosmos of sound we're not used to hearing. Its beautiful. I began to think of music not as a series of twelve notes, but as this giant swath of sound we can lie around in. There's this infinite cloud of sound and we can pick and organize it how we'd like. The 12 notes are just the common tones to the ear. Listen to Hendrix, he did the same thing. His bends shook between two common notes, and often just lived there for a while. That stuff has to come from somewhere inside. Its a force, angry passion and love, a desire to be your own. I love being around people like that.

After we wrap up this record, we have a new quartet "A Love Electric" with drummer Hernan Hecht, www.hernanhecht.com, out doing a little tour in Mexico. You gotta check Hernan out, he's got the screaming in him too. More on that soon.....

If you get to this before May 11th, don't short yourself and stay home.... hit up the Clown Lounge, 10 p.m. for our quartet featuring Bernstein.

Thats for your support

much love

Todd

A colorful cast of characters. Music's capability to act as a unifying force never ceases to amaze. Going to be fun, blinding energy. Cant wait to make it happen. 

Its been an encouraging past few months and bookings through the fall are coming. Looking forward to getting out in front of new faces as summer comes. 

Thanks for your support.

I've decided to celbrate my birthday this year by recording a live record of original and unheard songs joined by a group of 8 or so Los Cabos based musicians. Im about half way through the writing. Im thinking of the Mahavishnu Orchestra playing a Tom Waits record. Its a lot to hope for, and we'll fall short on both writing and performance of the two fore-mentioned artists, but its going to feel unique and hum with energy. Trombones, saxophones, violin, screaming guitars, upright, percussion. See you February 17th, details to come.

Back to the pen and paper. Enjoying these few days to get at it. There's lots of material up on You Tube from recent shows, Arts Day Out, etc.

If you're in Los Cabos, check us out every Friday at the Local Eight.

Off to a regular gig tomorrow. Be interesting to see how that all feels after what we were able to experience these past weeks.

Thanks a ton for your support. Every show was packed and unique.

The last 10 days were no cold beans either, with Keb Mo in town. He sat in with our Bright Life Orchestra band last Saturday and played a solo show Sunday that we closed out as folks meandered after cocktail-ing. Was hot. We had a fun "Powerless Trio" going on with bassist Fernando Vinoly holding down some out-loops and Argentine David Cantoni on sax as well throughout the week. Fernando is set to head back to Uruguay for a couple months, so the trio will have to go duo, meaning even less power, leaving things to just David and I. Whats less power than powerless?  There was one gig I'd like to forget the last set of, well actually that was pretty much taken care of moment of, but weak moments come and all in all the week was a success. Lucky to get to spend some time with Mr. Mo outside of the performances as well and left with a renewed appreciation of the artistic and musical journey. It bites, you bite back. It rewards, you keep biting.

Arts Day Out Dec 13 is worth every minute of your time. 12 interactive art exhibits, youth bands, and Bernstein and our quartet to close it out.

One quick note to fellow musicians and if any students come by to read this. Don't be punks to each other, we're together as artists. I sometimes fall victim to the temptation of judgement as well as that of insecurity towards my art and that of others, but its destructive. Its a dead end, if not a cliff. I've gone out to a couple performances and played recently with some friends to sit-in and been so vibed out by some players self interest and sneer, had to leave. That stuff is not art, its ego, and if you're fortunate enough to have a crowd, they can feel it. They run from it. They want creating and relating, that doesn't just mean relating to yourself. If you think someone sucks, make them a friend and a student if they're willing. If not, go your own way, but don't stomp on them as you head out. I always return to the Bukowski quotes that speak to me in times of self doubt and times of judgement  "do it, do it, do it. Its the only good fight there is. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter...." That fight does not include mockery. Maybe it sounds self righteous, but seriously, play jazz but don't be a "jazzhole", as John Medeski terms it.

Ego is the weak sauce on a scrumptious chili relleno, the drain on a well full of creativity and goodness.  Art is communal, it gives back. Thats where the purity of it lies, in its ability to bring us together. I hope this Arts Day Out serves as an example of this, help out and bring some folks down. There will be no money charged there to any family. I love that part.

Now to the music!

Im going to do my best to update from Guadalajara here and get videos up, etc. Looking forward to performing, learning, and having time to really enjoy the music I like to create. Its fun and Im fortunate to have the opportunity to actually do what I like with organized noise from time to time.

Much Love

Todd

Its no place for creatures of sympathy, but for those of empathy and understanding. The most straight forward people I've met are musicians, as are some of the most shifty. Its manic in every way, but when it hits and its right, its out of body and mind. 

Its transcends music and art into business and all when its real. We're getting there.

Much Love

Rehearsals have been fruitful and much more is to come. Have some fun trio stuff going in November as well at a good and forward-thinking little bar, Syriaccus. Not sure what we'll do yet, but most certain it'll be weird, and may leave you asking "can my boyfriend do that".... as my brother told me Prince pronounced from his Paisley Park show the other night. Never been to one, missed the boat. But that man is a master. I remember seeing him sit in with Santana at Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis around the turn of the century. I knew little of Prince other than his hits and reputation as an enigmatic figure. He came on stage in modest attire by his standards and went ahead and absolutely destroyed the guitar in every positive way imaginable. The man plays, he sings, he writes, and dresses at a level unimaginable to most of us..... I blew it on missing some of his shows growing up. Glad my brother was there to fill me in on his latest happenings. And on another tangent, my brother is also the secret production mind of anything we've ever released.... I mean that in a positive way, not to lay blame. Any blame goes to me.

Well back to the lecture at hand. Sun is setting much earlier here, though we have to wait for you in the states to catch back to us with your daylight savings - not yet saving-ness. We turned the clocks back this past Sunday. The US does this weekend. 

Life is good, November is heavy on quality gigs, and December tour with Bernstein is going to swing. Got no time to write or practice music, but thats what the summer was for. Spring time record releases assuming I can get some time after the holidays to get it all mastered and artwork done right.

Arts Day Out on our fine and grand city plaza stage headlined by Steven and our quartet December 13th is calendar worthy, Id guess. All my students and bands are going to open up for our quartet with Bernstein. Their resumes are taking shape early.

Thanks for reading

Much Love