I received some good news the other day about being awarded the Chamber Music of America’s New Jazz Works Grant. I applied 2 years ago, didn’t get it then but this time around it all worked out. The grant will fund a new large composition by myself plus some performances of the new work by our String Consort group. I’ll start working on the piece in the fall and it’ll take me a couple of months to put it together. I’m so thrilled! Nothing beats sitting in the music room, inventing new directions in music, all the while getting paid for it and keeping the bill collectors fed. Life is good!

On Friday night I’m happy to be included in pianist James Gordon Williams’ program honoring Wes Montgomery at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. We have a quartet and we’ll be playing some songs written by Wes as well as some of James’ original compositions. Wes was one of my all time heroes and I’m enjoying revisiting some of his classic tunes and re-listening to his amazing solos. Big fun!