Patois Artist Showcase

Last night Wayne Wallace, Alexa Weber Morales and I all performed in the Patois Artist Showcase. This was kind of a coming out party for Wayne's new record label in which all three of us are signed and a part of. We all used the same core group of musicians: Murray Low: piano, Masaru Koga: flute/soprano sax, David Belove: bass, Michael Spiro: percussion and Paul van Wageningen: drums. Okay, so just that is smokin' in and of itself. But then to have this group of musicians all playing on one stage and then to be a part of that line-up is pretty phenomenal and thrilling. Alexa went first and did a great job presenting her material. She has a beautiful and clarion voice that is both captivating and sensual. And then I did my set and it felt good!! The band was smoking hot and I felt in really good voice. I had so much fun performing the songs off of both Birds in Flight and my upcoming CD, Azucar de Amor. And if that wasn't enough, Wayne did his set and it was of course stellar. He's got such a raw and powerful command of his trombone that one can't help but be drawn deep into the soul of the music he presents. And Masaru played a solo on his soprano sax that had the audience going completely wild. It was as if he gathered all the spirits into his body and then let them all speak their mind!! It was truly amazing and had me on the edge of my seat! What a fun and inspiring night. I always feel so honored to have the opportunity to perform with these guys. They definitely lift me to higher levels each time I get on stage with them. It's so nice to be able to trust the musicians so much that you can feel comfortable trying new things, knowing that they will be there to support you every step of the way.

So not only are the tickets booked for the trip to Brazil, but I just found out that I am booked for a gig in Chicago in February. I'm so excited to get to go to Chicago. I've never been before and to get to perform in such an amazing jazz hub is truly a thrill. Murray will be traveling with me on both of these trips. Now I've got to find a bass player and a drummer for the Chicago gig(s). This is the kind of "problem" I don't mind having!! The other cool thing is that Kate Smith, my radio promoter, is in Chicago and so we'll have a place to stay when we go there.

Life is good. I think I'm still on a high from last night--and I hope it continues throughout the day!