Kickstarter Success and "Hello Pops!"

My goodness, what a time this is!

First of all, thank you so very much to the 94 of you who pledged to bring my Kickstarter project to more than 150% funded!!  This will enable me to record my CD, pay the musicians, engineers, duplication fees, graphic design and many other incidental costs.  I am currently spending a week of intensive study, practice, arranging and composing for the CD and it feels great.

October 25-30th I had the incredible pleasure of performing with Wycliffe Gordon at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center.  All week we were celebrating the release of Wycliffe's new Louis Armstrong tribute album "Hello Pops!" Shows were sold out every night and it is not hard to understand why; Wycliffe emanates so much joy and his love of Louis Armstrong is infectious.  It was thrilling to share the stage with the rest of the band as well.  Aaron Diehl on Piano, Corcoran Holt on Bass and Marion Felder on Drums swung hard all week long.  Nancy Harms on vocals, Jumaane Smith on trumpet, Anat Cohen and Adrian Cunningham splitting the week on Reeds, Michael Dease on Trumpet, Trombone, Alto and Bari Sax(!)  There were more cameos throughout the week from many different players and it was a true celebration every night.  The album is wonderful and worth buying!  Go to Wycliffe's website  or  Hello Pops on CDBaby.


Here is what Jazz Critic Will Friedwald wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Oct 28, 2011:

Celebrating a new album in Louis Armstrong's honor ("Hello Pops"), Wycliffe Gordon's show is, like the pinecone-shaped Mr. Gordon himself, one of the most delightfully overstuffed productions I've experienced in a while. On Wednesday, Mr. Gordon sang and played four horns, trombone, tuba and both valve and slide trumpets, and he featured an additional trombonist (the emergent Emily Asher) and trumpeter (the surprising Jumaane Smith), plus special guest Anat Cohen playing sensual clarinet and mischievous tenor. In addition, there's Nancy Harms, a smooth-voiced, understated vocalist, who functions as Keely Smith to Mr. Gordon's Louis Prima, even as they sing the Louis-Ella Fitzgerald duet "Dream a Little Dream of Me"; and precocious pianist Aaron Diehl, who also leads
the after-hours set. Wednesday's late show lasted almost two hours, but the crowd would have gladly red beans-and-riced until dawn.