I'm looking forward to playing on Michael Prentky's CD release party on Saturday, October 18 @ the Foundry in Cambridge. His music is powerful and moving. And Dave and I are both playing.
Such a special evening - 30 minutes of JCA Strings and 30 minutes of JCA Orchestra Mini. Got to play with my favorite people! Check it out here. https://vimeo.com/1125206943
I had the great honor of speaking to a room full of medical professionals who are trying to improve the patient experience. The theme of the the symposium was "Improvising to Orchestrate Better Results". I shared my perspective as a violinist who learned outside the classical music silo so that I could learn to improvise and provide a better experience for myself and my clients. Many thanks to Dr. Laura Cooley for the opportunity and to my cousin, Barbra, for making the connection.
So excited to be playing with my heroes tonight at the David Friend Recital Hall - Rebecca Shrimpton, Abby Zocher, Casey Scheuerell and the master mind behind it all - Norm Zocher!!
Here we go - another fantastic semester of working with some of the most creative string players in the world! I can't wait to get started. I've got a fantastic group ready to go in the Funkestra and I'll be teaching the Music Ed students how to play and teach string instruments. There will definitely be some James Brown coming out of those classrooms! BREO - Berklee's Rearlly Eclectic Orchestra - starts on September 12. It's free and open to all who can get there. Here we go!!
Wowza! There are some amazing string players at Five Week!! And they are all willing to step outside the classical box and try some new ideas. We are playing the themes from Mission Impossible, I Dream of Jeannie, and Soul Bossa (from Austin Powers). We've also got some Sly Stone, Eddie Harris and the inimitable Tank by Yoko Kanno!! Great music coming your way this week: Wednesday, August 6 @ 6 and Thursday, August 7 @ 6 right here
Five Week Aspire is underway and we have a fantastic group this summer! They are all here to learn and experience music outside the classical box and they are doing so well. Some are experienced improvisors and many are improvising for the first time and they are doing so well. I can't wait to hear how they sound at the end of our time together!!
Wow! I had a marvelous time working with a group of brilliant young string players. We tried out a few new tunes BREO-style. In homage to Sly Stone we did Thank You Falettinme Be Myself Again, the I Dream of Jeannie Theme Song, Cold Duck Time and Soul Bossa. So fun!! I'm getting ready to do it all over again with the crew at Five Week.
Lilypad, Friday June 20, 8:00
Rehearsals are going beautifully for this event. So much amazing music - lots of tunes about cats!!
Prepping for the Jazz Composers Alliance Strings night at the Lilypad on Friday, June 20. It's the trio's first time out without the big band! We've got new music and old favorites. Rehearsals start next week!! Can't wait!
I'm so excited to be hearing musical groups from the Madison High School Performing Arts Department. I'll be joining my husband Dave Harris (band expert) and my colleague Jeannie Gagne (vocal expert) in listening to and coaching this wonderful young musicians.
I had the great pleasure of meeting and working with Darcie Pickering - music teacher an orchestra director at Pearl River High School - in January. She took on the idea of teaching music by ear and presented this amazing example at her spring concert. Please enjoy "A Flat" by Black Violin played by the PRHS Orchestra. It starts at 1:24:10.
I'm honored be be playing with the amazing Klezmer fusion band - Klezperanto at the Boston Synagogue on Wednesday, April 26. I'll be taking the rhythm guitar/banjo chair. Playing with this band is a fun and fantastic way to flex my comping muscles. Hope to see you there.
The Jazz Composers Alliance newest release - is out
Live at the BPC
The recording features two of my pieces, Romanople and Super I's/Private Heroes.
Romanople was inspired by the time during the Roman Empire when there were two capitals - one in Constantinople and one in Rome.
Super I's/Private Heroes is an homage to the genre.
Here's what the critics are saying:
"...music that bursts with complex ideas...one of the finest jazz ensembles in the country." - All About Jazz
"...a soundtrack-worthy nod to spy thrillers and superhero flicks, brimming with excitement and suspense." - Downbeat
"...music that sets out to offer challenge without alienation." - Jazz Journal
From our fans:
Mimi Rabson said; “Put the Stratocaster, Gibson and Rickenbacker back in their cases. Pack-up the DW Drum-Kit. Tell the Horn Section to take 5. A Keyboard? Not today! Enlighten the singers that silence is golden. Okay! Now, get me those Violins and Cellos…we’ve got some Rock & Roll to play!!”
“There is so much joy in the room!"
I'm delighted to announce that
Berklee's Really Eclectic Orchestra is going live again in the fall!! (2022)
Please click on the link below for dates.
BREO did a phenomenal job getting through the pandemic. One benefit of BREO online was the ability to have players from all over the country. I'm hopeful that the BREO model will sprout up in other places.
Here is some publicity about BREO and a link to our rendition of Miserlou.
Five Week will be live again in the summer of 2022.
Here's some of what happened at Five Week in 2019. What a pleasure to work with such wonderful, responsive and creative musicians.