Orkestar MÉZÉ at Club Good Hurt

Did you miss us at Rusty's? Did you see us at Rusty's and realize you needed MORE MÉZÉ? This band is getting better and better, tighter and funkier, every show, and the fun we all have playing definitely rubs off on the audience. Come out to Club Good Hurt in Santa Monica this Saturday, September 4th at 8:30pm to catch Orkestar MÉZÉ featuring a very special guest, Todor Kirov on the traditional Bulgarian gadulka. Todor Kirov is the father of Milen Kirov, MÉZÉ's own keyboardist/singer/lead peasant, and this is sure to be a night to remember. I used to play at Good Hurt a lot with Jazz Thunder, it's a really fun club with a great staff, free parking everywhere! Gig details below, I hope to see you there!

Orkestar MÉZÉ @ Club Good Hurt
Saturday, 9/4/10
8:30pm
$10
www.goodhurt.net

New Tune

Happy Thursday...

Started writing a new tune for my trio yesterday and actually finished it today. It's a happy, grooving, and slightly quirky tune with a lot of interesting rhythmic points. I am calling it "Rompus In The Pampas" for my dog Booner (who lives with my parents in Los Osos, CA), who loves to scratch his back by running around, over, and often through the pampas grass on his walks. The trio is resuming rehearsals tomorrow afternoon, so I'll have the opportunity to hear it right away.

Otherwise, I've been enjoying listening to some "Mingus Moves" this afternoon. I came across an amazing video of the Charles Mingus quintet in the studio with Eric Dolphy (flute and bass clarinet), Clifford Jordan (tenor sax), Jaki Byard (piano), and Dannie Richmond (drums) performing "Meditations On Integration". This piece is a superb example of Mingus' resourcefulness as a composer/orchestrator. With a pretty standard quintet line up (two horns and a rhythm section), Mingus acheives an enormous range of textures within this masterfully crafted piece. Not to mention Eric Dolphy is on fire...

The piece spans two videos:
Charles Mingus - Meditations On Integration (Part 1)
Charles Mingus - Meditations On Integration (Part 2)

Enjoy!

Back in action

Getting back in the swing of things after a fantastic tour with the Fatum Brothers Jazz Orchestra. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to see us play, who bought a CD, who hosted us, who helped in any way at all. We had appreciative crowds at every stop, and not one show could be called anything but a success. I was even lucky enough to hear Bob Mintzer play my arrangement of "On Green Dolphin Street". My hat is off to the Fatums; that a big band tour happened at all is impressive, much less an organized and successful one! I had a such a great time meeting and playing with such fun and accomplished young musicians, I'm really rooting for them to do it again next year.

Feeling antsy? Gotta vent some frustrations? Or are you just happy tomorrow is Friday? Come out to Rusty's Surf Ranch right on the pier in Santa Monica this Friday night to check out Orkestar MEZE, LA's Balkan funk band. We're headlining with some brand new tunes to groove on, and it's gonna be one big peasant party! There are a few bands before us, but if you get there early, make sure and tell them you're here to see MEZE.

Orkestar MEZE at Rusty's Surf Ranch
256 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA 90401-3126
11:00pm
$7 gets you in ($12 if under 21, sorry)

Fatum Brothers Jazz Orchestra Tour Dates

Here's a rough tour date list for the tour I embark on in a matter of days. It will be with the Fatum Brothers Jazz Orchestra from Chicago, and I'm very excited to play with these great young players and hit some cool venues I've never played. If you are in town and ready for some big-band (or if you're not ready, whatever), come see us on tour!

Aug. 5th: Dizzy's Jazz Club (San Diego) --- 8pm, $15 ($10 students)
Aug. 6th: Day off
Aug. 7th: Travel and rehearsal in LA
Aug. 8th: Thousand Oaks Gardens of the World Summer Concert Series with guest artist Ira Nepus (Thousand Oaks) 5pm-8pm
Aug. 9th: Catalina's Jazz Club (LA) with BOB MINTZER (Grammy Award Winning Saxophonist & Composer) 8pm
Aug. 10th: SOHO Music Club (Santa Barbara)
Aug. 11th: Travel Day
Aug. 12th: NPR Radio Interview & In Studio Performance (Sacramento)
Aug. 13th: 24th Street Theatre CD Release Party (Sacramento)
Aug. 14th: San Jose Jazz Festival

I'll update the schedule as I get more specific details, and if you're on facebook, follow the tour here.