Happy new year to ya!! I think people can stand a grace period of about one week, where they’re still in the “happy, happy, new resolutions and good cheer” mode – and then real life sets in and all that goes by the wayside, as bills from Christmas start rolling in and people realize it’s January and spring is still 3 months away.

Well luckily and thankfully, I’m not quite in that mode- I had a 2.5 week break where I did nothing but hang with my family & friends, ski, and go to Nashville for a great new year.

I’m starting 2012 off slow – after a busy first week of shows, I now only have a couple for the rest of the month. Chief among them is another Musicians On Call performance for our recovering troops at Walter Reed Naval Medical Center on January 25. Apart from that, and expanding my Saxes n’ Strings Studio, I’ll be spending my January down time quietly, writing a new Cross Kentucky record that I’ll record later in the spring. There will be many details forthcoming about that, but for now, I’m in writing mode.

I hope you had a great holiday break, and I hope 2012 brings you all that you hope and deserve. See you sometime soon!!

12.15.11

Merry Christmas, Happy holidays, happy shopping, etc. I guess I’m finally into the swing of it all- or will be, after I hold the recital for my lesson studio Saxes n’ Strings this Sunday at Jammin’ Java, one of the best venues in the DC area. It starts at 1:30pm, will feature performances from 16 of my students, and it’s free!! Come on by for a coffee and some great live music from some talented young kids.

Hope you have a great holiday season- after my recital, I’m taking two weeks off for family, skiing, voice-rest, and battery-recharging. See you in 2012!!

11.27.11

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we’re staring the holidays in the face. I have no idea where the last 7 weeks have gone, but I’ll do my best to remember.

I’m writing this from the comfort of my parent’s couch, wrapping up a four-day Thanksgiving in my hometown of Champaign, IL. Played a great acoustic show for some hometown folk at Memphis On Main, and had a great article written about me in the News-Gazette. Thanks so much, Melissa!!

I spent a couple days last week in Nashville, and played saxophone for the first time- at the Full Moon, on Broadway, and at an all-star blues jam last Monday night at the Red Rooster. Good times- really looking forward to playing more often down in music city.

I’m writing songs for the next Cross Kentucky record now- look for a kickstarter campaign in January, so’s I can record this thing right- both in Nashville and in the DC area.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving- see you at a show soon!!

10.6.11

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the inaugural Cross Kentucky show last week at Velvet Lounge!! Our set went great, and benny and Alex Vans killed it. I sat in on tenor saxophone with Alex for a tune- always fun to play with him. Check out my ‘media’ page for a couple videos from the show – and stay tuned for an announcement about our next show.

On the solo front, I’ve got a couple cool shows coming up: the first is Musicians On Call, a program sponsored through BMI, Inc. that allows musicians to play for veterans in hospitals and recovery facilities. I’ll be playing for hospitalized veterans at the new Walter Reed Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD on Friday, October 14 at noon. I’m incredibly honored to be asked to perform for this program, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Another cool show will be the legendary Bitter End in New York on Sunday October 23, 9pm – it’ll be the first time I’ll be performing in NYC in over a year. Just a short 20-minute acoustic set, but I’ll be debuting a couple new songs. Should be cool- if you’re in NYC, come out and say hello! It’s been a minute.

I’m writing new songs, and figuring out the next step in Cross Kentucky’s recording project – stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, check out my show calendar, and come out and say hello. Thanks again for supporting my music!!

9.29.11

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!! Cross Kentucky’s first show as a full band is going down at Velvet Lounge in Washington, DC. We’re sharing the bill with roots-rockers Benny, and with local guitarist Alex Vans and his group. I’m really excited for this show… it’s been a long time coming. Show starts at 9, $10 cover for three bands. Bring it!!!

I’ll update my site here in the next couple days, with some video from the show and some other good stuff. In the meantime- hope to see you out tonite!!

8.23.11

Well I’m happy to report that the debut gig last weekend for my 5-piece band Cross Kentucky went great. We played our friend’s birthday party, and had a great response- so look for a club show in September. Check back for details. This band has been a long time coming for me- it’s so great to hear my songs come to life with a full group!! Here’s the group: Daniel Jack Rebiesz on lead guitar, Eric Montgomery on guitar and keys, Ben Tufts on drums, and Ken Hess on bass. All are working pros in the DC area, and are great musicians. So happy to be working with them. Rehearsals continue to go swimmingly:-)

Recording for our debut EP continues apace…

In other news, I’m excited to be playing a BMI industry showcase at Hard Rock Cafe in DC on September 8 with some other talented songwriters. I’m looking forward to playing my songs for publishers- it’s gonna be a good night. If you live in the area, it’d be great to see you at that show!!

Thanks again for supporting my music- check my calendar for my full schedule. See you out soon!!

7.27.11

Say hello to the dog days of summer… um, hey there, oppressive heat wave – don’t let the screen door hit ya on the way out!

Anyway, hello there to the rest of you. Things have been pretty steadily slammed since June. I’ve been, of course, playing lots of shows- mostly local ones, as I’ve been in a writing mode for the last month. Just got back from an amazingly relaxing week at Folly Beach SC, where I played a couple shows and worked on my tan.

Got some great news for ya – I’m currently recording a new 3-song EP tentatively titled “Potomac Skies” which will be a full-band EP, and will be the first effort from my new band, Cross Kentucky! Very excited about this- it’s been a long time coming. Our first show is a private party August 13. Call it a soft opening, if you will.

That’s all for now- check my show schedule, pick a date, and come out and say hi. Oh, and thanks, as always, for supporting my music:-)

6.1.11

Well I don’t know where the hell the last two months have gone, but they’ve gone somewhere, and fast.

Let’s see- after my Southeast tour I bought a car, went to Europe, gave my Saxes ‘n Strings Studios’ Spring recital, had a birthday, booked up the summer, played a ton of local DC-area shows, and generally lost track of all sense of time.

Now that I’ve been able to catch my breath, I’m just about to head out on another southeast swing through Knoxville and Nashville. Friday morning in Knoxville I’ll be playing the 11 o’clock Rock internet show at www.knoxivi.com – a whole hour of live performances!! Should be a great show. Really looking forward to getting back to Knoxville again. Friday night I’m right around the corner at Preservation Pub, playing with my friends Roman Reese and Adrian Hardkor.

Saturday and Sunday I’ll be showcasing at the Nashville Songwriter’s Festival, held on several outdoor stages right on Music Row. Really excited to see what might come out of that:-)

Sunday night, we head east to Folly Beach, SC for 3 days of beaching and day-drinking. So ready for it!!

Last but not least, I head back into the studio in late June/early July for my next (full band this time) EP release.

Stay tuned, check out the new vids on the ‘Media’ page from March’s tour, and as always, thanks for supporting me and my music!!

3/28/11

Monday night, and I’m back from a heavy weekend of local shows and, of course, a great tour with my friends Adrian ‘Hardkor’ Krygowski and Alissa Taylor.

So where do I start? Rowdiness on Friday night at the Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City, TN, followed by another ridiculous night with our friends in Knoxville, exploring every damn bar in old town. Sunday afternoon led us to Nashville songwriting activist Doak Turner’s 8th annual songfest hookup at his house, with catered fried chicken, and a couple hundred songwriters trading songs in circles all throughout his house and backyard. Later came another writer’s night at the Bluebird Cafe, where I debuted two new songs- the narrative “Come Read My Heart”, and the ballad “Coat Of Arms.” Nightcaps on Broadway preceded the drive back to Knoxville for our Monday morning live radio performance on WDVX 89.9 FM.

Then, back in the car for a drive to Decatur, GA to play the famous Eddie’s Attic open mic, which we had to reserve spots for almost three months ago. Great to finally check out the Attic, and meet Eddie- an old warhorse who lives up to his reputation. Tuesday took us back to Nashville, where we played the Grimey’s Basement Emerging Artist series with some other great acts- and wound up having another Friday on a Tuesday with our Nashville friends, of course. Wednesday took us to Athens, GA where we played the new cafe/bar Hendershots, and had the night to ourselves. It was great to play some of my older songs that rarely seem to get played these days… not so great tearing apart my suitcase in desperate pursuit of last season’s allergy meds, trying to stave off the effects of the pollen that bombarded us the moment we opened the car door in Athens. Our purple (Alissa insists it’s blue) car turned green in a matter of minutes, but we were saved by rain around midnight.

Thursday was a day off, a day of brunch, thrift shopping (not much luck) and me flying home that evening for a weekend of five DC area shows.

A great tour- thanks to our friends who so kindly opened up their homes to us- your generosity is much appreciated. Great to meet new people, check out new towns, play new venues, and remind oneself once again why the pursuit of great music is a noble and worthy one.

Check out some videos from the tour on the ‘media page’ – as always, thanks for visiting my page, and supporting original, independent music. See you at a show sometime soon!!

3/20/11

Well it’s been 2 months since I’ve written last… how have you been? My spring has been great- new songs, new fitness, new shows, new tours…

Speaking of tours, I’m on one right now- with Adrian Hardkor and the violinist Alissa Taylor. We’re on day three of an 8-day swing through Johnson City, Knoxville, Nashville, Decatur & Athens, GA.

The tour kicked off Friday the 18th with a show at the Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City, TN- great campfire and general hippiness there. Tonight, we play the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. This will be the fourth time I’ve played the Bluebird… it’s a great listening room. Then, Monday morning, we play Knoxville’s WDVX noon radio broadcast, after which it’s off to Decatur, GA and Eddie’s Attic. Tuesday it’s back to Nashville for the emerging artist series at The Basement. Wednesday we’re in Athens, GA at Hendershots Coffee. Looking forward to that one.

More to come – this has been a hell of a spring so far, and this tour is a-rockin’. Or a-folkin’. Whichever. See you at a show!!

1/18/11

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YA!!!

Um, I realize that that’s a little late, seeing as how it’s already 3 weeks into the new year… but whatev. Better late than never.

So I’ve had a great start to the new year- new songs, new shows, new tours, new musicians to perform with…

First up, songs: I’ve got several new songs almost finished, and two are brand-new, already done, and up on my MP3 player: Ten Sisters (Come Read My Heart), an impression of a powerful book about the separation by the state of Illinois of ten sisters in 1942, and High Water Mark, an alliterative musing on the battle of Gettysburg. Give them a listen, and tell me what you think.

Next, performances. I’ve got some cool shows coming up: on January 21st, I’m opening for my friends Adrian Hardkor & the Bad Decisions at The Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV. I’ve played there several times as both a saxophonist and as a singer-songwriter, and I’m really looking forward to going back. Looking forward to it so much so that I’ll be back there January 28th, playing saxophone with the Justin Trawick Group. I’m also playing sax January 20th with JTG at Whitlow’s On Wilson, which is a new venue for me. It’s right in Clarendon, so come out for a glass.

One show I’m really looking forward to is The Nine – A DC Singer-Songwriter Showcase at Clarendon’s Galaxy Hut. This is part of Justin Trawick’s “The Nine” series of songwriter showcases, and this is the first one in the DC area since late 2009. There will be 9 fabulous DC-based singer-songwriters playing songs, one after another, in rotation. It’s always a fabulous night, full of surprises and impromptu collaborations. I myself will be performing all new material – can’t wait to debut these songs. It’s on Monday, January 24th at 9 PM – don’t miss it!!

As always, check my calendar for the latest show additions, plus my ongoing winery performance schedule. I always enjoy sitting back and playing songs on a weekend afternoon at one of Northern Virginia’s many wineries – so come out for a glass, sit back, and enjoy the countryside.

So that’s a slice of my life for January- I hope your year is starting out well, and I hope to see you out at a show sometime soon!

12/11/10

Happy ho-ho to ya!! Christmas season is always nuts for me… I feel a childish glee in the festive aspects of the season, and then I temper it with the hassles of increased traffic, shopping pressures, and stressed-out holiday show schedules. Fun, fun.

Here’s some holiday news for you… I’ve installed an mp3 player at the top of my ‘media’ page, above my youtube clips. It’s got a couple songs from my solo acoustic EP “…this is cross kentucky” and several other acoustic songs that I’ve recorded, but don’t play out much. And since I’m kind of a sucker for Christmas music, I’ve recorded a couple of my own versions of xmas classics, and made them available for free download. Hope you’ll take a minute to listen to them – then just click on the ‘playlist’ button at the lower right corner of the player, click the tune, and download it. No fuss, no muss. And there’s also a version of my holiday song, “All My Friends Are Here” – check it out if you get a chance. Can’t wait to record that one with a full band:-)

Among the holiday shows I’m playing, a couple stand out. Wednesday, December 22, I’m playing saxophone at the 8th annual Todd Wright’s Santa Clausterf@%! Spectacular at Jammin’ Java, just outside of DC in Vienna, VA. This will be the third time I’ve played it, and it’s a great show. Several of the DelMarVa area’s top musicians and performers show up for huge evening of christmas music (totally unrehearsed) – and it ALWAYS sells out every year. Get your tickets now at the link above- there won’t be any left at the door.

I’m also super excited to play a set the very next night, Thursday December 23, at the 1st Annual Modern Times Christmas Show at the Rock ‘n Roll Hotel, DC’s best live music venue in the bustling, street-car-constructing H Street corridor district. This is a show that’s near and dear to my heart, as it’s made up of musicians and performers who mostly got their start (as did I) at the Modern Times Cafe’s weekly Friday night unplugged open mic. These folks now perform all over the east coast, and are re-uniting for a night of collaborations, sing-alongs, and general mayhem. Please support this show by purchasing pre-sale tickets at the link above- it’s gonna be a great show!!

I sincerely hope you have a great holiday season. Help yourself to the free downloads at my media page, and come out to one of my holiday shows. You’ll be glad you did. See you there!!

11/18/10

Well this fall has just been flying by… feels like yesterday that I got back from my Halloween mini-tour of Knoxville and Nashville with Adrian “hardkor” Krygowski and Justin Trawick. That was a great trip- many thanks to Roman & Tracy Reese for their warm southern hospitality, and kickin’ halloween party:-) It was great to meet new musicians, people, and fans… I’m definitely looking forward to my next tour down south, in March of 2011. Check the “Media” page above for a clip of “Our Own Empire”, from the WDVX FM Knoxville live radio taping.

Looking forward to going home to Champaign, IL for a week of turkey and family time. I can’t decide if I’m happy that one of my fav songwriters, Rhett Miller, wrote a song called “Champaign IL”- or bitter that he, a texan, wrote it before I did:-) Looking forward to a busy holiday season, with several holiday shows coming up in December. Check the calendar for deets.

The weekly open mic I host every Sunday night at Northside Social Wine Bar & Cafe is really jumping off. Getting a great turnout – the atmosphere is very supportive for performers, and the variety is fantastic. I encourage all musicians to come by and play! If you’re an established performer and you’d like to be considered as a featured act, then please email me at ken@kenwenzelmusic.com.

I’ve got a ton of shows scheduled for December, although I’m not sure where I’m playing for New Years’ Eve yet. Maybe I’ll actually take the night off and just chill… or maybe find an interestingly festive location to ring in 2011, sans gig. What an idea- taking a New Years’ off… um, yeah, we’ll see. Anyway, please check my calendar for my shows- thanks for supporting my music, and I’ll see you out and about sometime soon!!

9/29/10

As usual, I don’t know where the past month has gone… twenty-something shows in the 30 days of September might have something to do with it. I’ve experienced the first pangs of voice fatigue after some particularly busy weekends, so I’m gonna have to cut back a little bit.

Got some good news… first, I’ve started hosting an open mic every Sunday nite at Northside Social, Arlington’s newest, most popular wine bar and cafe. It’s open to musicans, poets, and comedians; sign-up starts at 6:30, and performances run from 7-10pm. Come by, have a glass of wine in a relaxed, nurturing evirionment, and share your art with us.

October 8, 9, & 10th I’ll be performing once again with Guitar Blues Legend Bobby Parker at the 2010 Arkansas King Biscuit Blues and Heritage Festival. We play around 2pm on Saturday afternoon… B.B. King, Dr. John, Charlie Musselwhite, and Taj Mahal are also performing, so I’m really looking forward to checking out this festival. Backstage concert-viewing should be stellar:-)

On the songwriting and guitar front, I’ll be spending Halloween in Nashville this year – not partying it up or gigging in some crazy costume (the usual) but playing another showcase at the legendary Bluebird Cafe. I’ll be performing new material I’ve been writing for my next EP, which will be a full-band release, under my new Cross Kentucky moniker. The next morning, November 1, I’ll be doing a live radio broadcast in Knoxville, TN at WDVX FM’s Blue Plate Special. I’m really looking forward to this- WDVX and the city of Knoxville are super dedicated to independent music, and I’m happy to get a chance to showcase my own music there. The show airs at noon on Monday, November 1st, and you can stream it live from their website.

Lastly, this weekend I’ll be attending the annual Future Of Music Coalition 3-day summit here in DC. This is a fanstastic conference, addressing a range of issues concerning the present and future state of the music “industry” (whatever’s left of it) with keynotes by T-Bone Burnett, Hank Shocklee, Damien Kulash, Tom Silverman, and many others. I’ll be a sponge – so much info to take in, so many contacts to be made…

As always, thanks for your support in this musical journey of mine – hope to see you out at a show sometime soon!!

8/12/10

Hi there!! Hope your summer’s going well- It’s been a long, hot, sweltering one for me so far. We just had yet another huge thunderstorm that knocked out power for most of DC, and sent trees toppling everywhere. Natural disasters and 100-degree heat are becoming the norm around here, it seems. So how has that affected my music? Well, July and early August have been mostly devoted to writing new songs, playing local solo shows, and playing saxophone with Blues guitar legend Bobby Parker. That band just got back from playing the Kitchener Blues Festival in Kitchener, Ontario. Had a great couple of sets, and really enjoyed Canadian blues heavyweights Shaun Kellerman and Steve Strongman sitting in with us… really made the Sunday show memorable!!

In other news, noted Annapolis guitarist Tony Fazio and I have started playing some duo acoustic sets in area clubs, working up material for my upcoming 5-piece band, cross kentucky. Check my calendar for updates on those shows. Next week I head out for three days on a mini-tour to NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall, Asbury Park’s Stone Pony, and Baltimore’s 8 x 10 with my friend, DC area singer/songwriter Justin Trawick, supporting his new EP “After All Is Said And Done”, on which I contributed saxophone on a couple tracks. Looking forward to those shows.

I’ll be sending out a newsletter soon, so if you’re not on my list yet, please add yourself at the link above. As always, thanks for supporting original, independent music- see you at a show sometime soon!!

6/25/10

Just got back a couple days ago from a two-week tour/vacation that, in addition to the Bluebird Cafe show, saw me performing with the Bobby Parker Group at blues clubs in Michigan and at the Chicago Blues Festival in Grant Park. That was a good one- even though it rained for the first part of our set, there were still upwards of 5,000 people partying down… quite a day that was.

In between Chicago and Nashville, I stopped off in my hometown of Champaign, IL to see my parents and relax for a bit. It’s always good to get back to the land of the Fighting Illini, even if the football and basketball teams weren’t doing crap back when I lived there. It’s been a great couple of weeks, and I’ll fill in with more stories later. In the meantime, check out more videos (I finally figured out how to upload, embed, etc.) over on the media page, and on my youtube channel… christ, this social networking stuff takes up some time:-)

As always, check out my calendar for shows, keep an eye out for my newsletter, and keep supporting original, independent music- I can’t thank you enough!! I’ve got a lot of new songs on deck, and I’m looking forward to giving them their sea legs- hope to see you out at a show sometime soon.

6/3/10

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been almost two months since I last wrote. So much for my “regular” updates… guess I need some literary metamucil or something. So- at least there’s been lots happening since I haven’t been writing. First and foremost, my debut solo acoustic EP “…this is cross kentucky” is now available for your downloading pleasure on itunes, amazon, and about 40 other online retailers. Or, you can come to one of my shows and pick one up in person. I just had a CD release show on May 27 (also my birthday) that featured a full band, including popular local blues guitarist Tony Fazio. The show was a great success, and this group will form the core of my new 5-piece band, cross kentucky. Stay tuned for more announcements about the group, as we tighten up our sets and get ready for a proper debut later this summer.

In other news, I’ve been traveling a lot. Mid-April saw me on a 5-day mini-tour with 3 other DC songwriters- Adrian Hardkor, Molly Hagen, & Rene Moffatt. After stops in Philadelphia and Shippensburg University, I made my debut at the much-storied Bitter End in New York. The show went great, and I’ll be back there later this summer. Early May saw a tour through Nashville and Charleston, SC. This was right after Nashville flooded- it was amazing how everyone in that town banded together to help one another. So much heart in that community. A cool town filled with amazing, interesting, and talented people.

After a Mid-May recital by my Saxes ‘n Strings music studio, and a quick trip to San Diego for some needed R&R at a beach house with friends, I came back to play saxophone at a couple of great festivals with Bobby Parker, DC’s resident living blues legend. Chesapeake Bay Blues Fest was great- hung out with Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Louis Walker, Chuck Berry, and others. The following week at the Congressional Blues Festival, we opened for Robert Randolph & the Family Band. Great night in a huge gala room in downtown DC- and in keeping with the headliner’s name, I brought my family in to watch.

I’ve got some great shows coming up in June… The Tinner Hall Blues Festival will be a blast, with Bobby Parker and Go-Go godfather Chuck Brown co-headlining. I did this show last year, and it was a huge DC moment to be on stage with both Bobby and Chuck. I’ll leave directly after that show for a midwestern tour swing with Bobby, the highlight of which will be our performance at the Chicago Blues Festival on June 12. The following weekend I’ll be in Nashville for a solo acoustic appearance Sunday June 20th at the Bluebird Cafe. This will be the second time I’ve played there- the audiences are wonderful, and I’m looking forward to playing it.

So that’s a slice of my life for the last couple months… thanks, as always, for stopping by my website and checking me out. I’ve started a monthly newsletter to keep people well informed of my comings, goings, and general chaos- you can sign up for it at the mailing list button above. Ok, my fingers are done with this keyboard. See you at a show!!

4/9/10

CDs ARE IN!!! “this is cross kentucky”, my first solo acoustic EP just arrived on my doorstep today. I’ll be debuting it tonight at the Modern Times Cafe open mic. That’s where I first started playing guitar in public- so it’ll be nice to return, with CD in hand. It’s been a good while since I’ve performed there, and tonight I’ll be the featured performer- I’ll do a 1/2 hour set or so. I’ll be sending off copies of the CD to CDbaby.com, and they should be available there and at amazon.com, itunes, etc. by late April/Early May. I’ll be announcing a proper CD release show soon- probably in late May. Check back for details.

Hope to see you out tonite or at another show sometime soon!!

4/2/10

Hey there- happy spring. It’s 75 degrees in DC, and getting warmer by the day. It seems we may have skipped spring, and moved directly from winter to summer. Not that I’m complaining… Lots of news- My solo acoustic EP “this is cross kentucky” arrives, at long last, on April 9. That night, I’ll be playing songs off it and making it available with a featured artist performanceat the Modern Times Cafe Open Mic, in northwest DC. This is where I first started playing guitar in public, so it’ll be great to get back to basics and debut the CD there.

The weekend after that, I’ll be going out on a 5-day mini-tour with 3 other DC singer-songwriters: Adrian Krygowski, Molly Hagen, and Rene Moffatt. We’ll be playing shows at Milkboy in Philadelphia, at Shippensburg University, and in New York City- at the Bitter End and Angels & Kings. I’ll be staying in NYC after that, to play saxophone with my friend Justin Trawick at a Tuesday night show at the Living Room.

Check my calendar for complete updates- I hope to see you out at a show sometime soon!!

3/18/10

Mostly recovered from a fairly loud St. Pat’s show, opening for Tom McBride & the Whig Party at DC’s Asylum… Adams Morgan was jammed like a Saturday night, on Wednesday. Good times. In other news… Had a fantastic time down in Nashville last week- played a great show at the Commodore Grill writers’ night, and will be back there again May 6th. Looking forward to it. Hung out with my old friend Robert Crawford, a drummer from my broadway tour days- he now plays with the Viktor Krauss quartet- they killed it at 12 South Taproom last Thursday. I’m really digging on Nashville… I look forward to playing saxophone there next time in May.

Last but not least, My CD, now titled “this is cross kentucky” has been shipped off to be manufactured. Really looking forward to recieving it in a couple weeks!! The artwork, with original photographs by DC artists, looks spectacular.

3/08/10

Writing from my hometown of Champaign, IL… I’m visiting my parents for a few days of R & R, in between shows in Columbus and Lima, OH. On Wednesday I head to Nashville to play the songwriter night at Commodore Grill. It’s a great room, and being that it’s Nashville and filled with professional songwriters, usually hosts a very attentive and discerning audience. On Saturday I’ll be back in the DC area for solo shows at Loudoun Valley Vineyards, and a writers’ round at Frederick Cellars on Sunday March 14th. Come out for a glass:-)

Waiting on for the final edits on the artwork to come back, and then my EP is off to be manufactured & uploaded to itunes, amazon.com, etc. I’m really excited to finally get my first release out- it’s been a long time coming. Check back soon for updates.

2/04/10

Hello from the world of Saxes and Strings!! I’m proud to say I just gave my second studio recital this past Sunday night, and everyone played wonderfully. I have a great set of students, and it’s great to watch them progress. Amazing indian food from Bombay Tandoor Restauraunt, as well.

I’m currently booking a short tour through the midwest in early March. I’ll be stopping through Lima, OH for a show with Bobby Parker, and then will be playing acoustic shows in Columbus, Champaign, IL, and possibly Nashville. Check the calendar for updates. Gearing up for the mother of all snowstorms here in the DC area- they’re saying 20+ ” on Friday and Saturday. There go the weekend’s shows… and here come the marshmallows and fireplaces:-)

1/21/10

Hey there. Well, I’m back from my first trip to Nashville, and it turned out to be a great trip. I met some great people, and really got turned on to the Nashville scene. It really couldn’t have gone much better. The Bluebird Cafe Show went great- great enough to get me booked back on June 20th. So I’ll be back there in the early summer, but in the meantime, I’ll be booking shows there in late March/early April, as well as a west coast/SoCal tour in mid-late May. Stay tuned for dates.

Mixing continues on my upcoming acoustic EP “Screaming In Stereo”… Jason and I are working to get just the right acoustic sound to bring out the best in each song. I can’t wait to put it out.

In other news, I’m going into the studio next week to record a 7-song EP with one of the two bands I play saxophone with- the Justin Trawick Group. I’m really looking forward to this recording, because our live shows are killing these days- it’ll be great to capture that in the studio. In the meantime, catch my solo acoustic show all around the DC and NoVA area, or catch me playing saxophone with the Justin Trawick Group or with blues legend Bobby Parker. See you out soon!!

1/04/10