Fantastic Weekend!

What a fantastic weekend! I had so much fun performing three days in a row and with such amazing talents with me on stage and all around me at the San Jose Jazz Festival. I am blessed and honored to have been a part of such an inspiring weekend. Yesterday's performance definitely topped all the others for me. Mainly because I was able to work with a fuller band and we were able to better represent the new music with a horn section (Wayne Wallace and Masaru Koga). The crowd was energetic and attentive and seemed to really enjoy what we were presenting to them. My voice was in great form and my energy level fed off of the audience's energy. In other words: it was FUN, FUN, FUN!! And what a great turnout of people! There were some folks that came who I haven't seen in years. What a treat that was. I even got to meet the inspiration behind "Quitate La Queta"--a new song I wrote that will be going on the next CD. Queta was in the audience when we presented the song's world premiere! I think she was pleased. :)

Another highlight for me this weekend was doing some serious hanging with Ray Vega. Although we never really got a chance to perform together on stage (he did, however, come and sit in with us during Wayne's big band show), we had some good quality time to talk about life and music. He is becoming a good frined to me and a great source of inspiration and encouragement. He brings a lot of positive energy to the table and won't tolerate bullshit; I think that's what I appreciate most about him--he cuts right through the crap in order to get to the heart of things. He motivates me to stay on my path and not look back.

Another thing that was a great message to me this weekend was how the Sephardic music was received by the audiences. People seem to really love what we are doing with the music and that makes me feel really good. I know what we are developing is special and I am glad that people are responding so positively to it. It's also good to know that the path I have chosen for my music is the right path for me. I realize that, although long in arriving, I have been given this vision and I need to see it through. It doesn't hurt, however, that I am having a blast in the process! I am so happy I had the guts to leave Cisco in order to follow this dream. I don't remember a time when I have felt so centered and happy.