I got some free tickets dropped off at Supersonic Music to see Chiara String Quartet at the University of Kansas and yes I wore my Van Halen shirt.  I took my 5 year old June with me.  She has been playing violin for almost 3 years.  By the way on the way out I told her she could be Rebecca Fischer (one of the violinist) and she said "I'm not going to be a violinist.  I wanna be a guitar player".  Ahhhh.....sigh....tear or two.  Anyway, we get to our seats and they were filled.  The people seemed slightly uptight after I deferred any seating decisions to June (a 5 year old).  So this lady says " I don't care, all I have to do is stand up".   I thought she was talking about just standing up and moving over a seat so we could sit down.  The quartet played String Quartet in A minor by Franz Schubert.  It was wonderful! big place no mics!  The quartet had incredible dynamics and watching them move together was very organic.  During the piece I heard the guy sitting next to us say "I can't wait to hear your piece".   The quartet introduced the next selection as "Milagros"  and by the way the composer is here!  Gabriela Lena Frank was sitting next to us!  (Frank's music has been commissioned and performed by the Kronos Quartet, pipa virtuoso Wu Man, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, Chanticleer Ensemble, the Chiara String Quartet, the Brentano Quartet, Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project, Carnegie Hall, the Marilyn Horne Foundation, guitarist Manuel Barrueco with the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, the King's Singers, directors of the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center Wu Han and David Finckel (also cellist with the Emerson Quartet), soprano Dawn Upshaw and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and others. Past performances include those by the Boston Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella series) She was sitting in our seats! 

Her composition "Milagros"  Starts with solo violin moving thru Whole tone sounds into major pentatonic melody.  Her piece has an incredible attention to sound. It's like she thought "What are the sonic possibilities of the string quartet"?  I'm talking about harmonics on the instruments, lots of pizzicato and almost loop like drones of dissonant violin.  I really enjoyed her composition and the performance of it.  I congratulated her and told her it was fantastic (with my Van Halen shirt on of course). 

Ok so i love Van Halen so much that i am wearing VH shirts everyday until the new record "A different Kind of Truth" drops on Feb. 7 2012. I started playing guitar after I heard 5150 in 1986.  Before that I also had Jump on 45 with House of Pain on the B side.    The first single for the new album hit last week and it's called "tattoo" .  How could I not like this song?  It's been so long since edward has recorded.  I give the track 4 out of 5 stars.  I think the lyrics are clever, the guitar solo kills and that big Van Halen sound remains intact from that killer Alex Van Halen snare sound to the larger than life guitar tone that Eddie brings.  I have a feeling the rest of the record will be heavier.  Tattoo definately has a pop vibe going on and I am OK with that.  I am so glad to see this band back in public again.  I feel like the world needs Van Halen.   Check out Tattoo here:

2012 started off with a great New Years eve OJT gig with Bukeka Shoals at the Makers Mark at Kansas City Power and Light.  They were very friendly to the band and our entourage.  Good food and drink as well!

Before that my family escaped to Florida for the holidays and I was inspired by the sounds of the ocean and a beeping fire alarm at the condo where we stayed.  I decided when I got back home to spend some time in the studio without the guitar.  Instead I experimented with the possiblities of sound as music.  The result was an album I call "iPlay the iMac - 2012 week one" .  Everything is synced to the imac thru midi.  My goal was to make one song a day. Towards the end of the week I was doing two or three.  This project is nine tracks long and will most likely be a free download shortly.  Than again I may decide to use it as a background for a new guitar based record.  We'll see. 

So then by pure luck I ended up at Southwind Health Collective for a FREE one hour massage!  I was so inspired by the experince that I did an ambient project called the Sounds of Southwind.  It features four meditations and runs one hour long.  These sounds move very slowly and are designed for meditation, acupuncture, massage or any other mind quieting adventures.  Please don't drive and listen.  Peace!

My first blog entry!

Well 2011 was a productive year for me as I settled into my new job as  guitar professor at ottawa university.  The jazz program is expanding rapidly and I am proud to be a part of it.  I continue to play a steady amount of gigs in the midwest and teach privately as well. 

2011 saw the completion of my long awaited guitar method book "Keys to Unlocking the Fretboard".  It is a comprehensive method for jazz improvisation on guitar covering technique, chord scale relationships, common progressions, tune anaylisis and much more.  I have teamed up with Many hats Creative marketing to shop the book to publishers and it should make it's way to the public in 2012. 

I also finished a fine jazz trio record with Bill McKemy and Josh Adams.  It is all jazz standards and is dedicated to my favorite players including Jim Hall, Bill Evans, Bill Frisell, Keith Jarrett and Kurt Rosenwinkel.  I spent as fair amount of time on the arrangments and overall sound of the record.  We finished this record two days before Josh Adams moved to LA to join Jake Blanton.  Working again with Many hats Creative I am hoping to release the record by spring of 2012.