I will join the Yu Nishiyama big band for their album release of “A Lotus in the Mud” at Culture Lab LIC (5-25 46th Avenue, Long Island City, Queens) on Saturday May 21st at 7pm.

Rock band Choam Nomsky will present a show at Littlefield (635 Sackett Street) in Brooklyn on Sunday June 5th at 7pm. Performing rock music featuring the writings of Noam Chomsky, this show is also a benefit for Oxfam.

Tickets at https://littlefieldnyc.com/event/?wfea_eb_id=304391682717

Kyle Saulnier and I spoke after the release of the Awakening Orchestra’s recording “Volume ii: to call her to a higher plain” on Biophilia Records. The full five minute excerpt from the interview is on Youtube here.

Kyle Saulnier’s Awakening Orchestra has released a new recording on Biophilia Records, “Volume ii: To call her to a higher plain”. I was fortunate to be a part of the trumpet section for this recording, and I think the band sounds great. Kyle’s compositions and arrangements are engaging, interesting, and worth a listen.

You can listen to it on bandcamp: https://awakeningorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/volume-ii-to-call-her-to-a-higher-plain

Kyle Saulnier’s Awakening Orchestra will be going into the studio to record their next project soon. Kyle has created a GoFundMe campaign to help with the expenses of making this recording happen. If you’d like to contribute please check it out here.

Dave Juarez and Jeff Koch will join me for a tour through the Midwest at the end of September, playing both as a trio and with musicians from the area. We kick things off with a night at The Dead Poet on September 24th, where we played our first show together before heading to the Midwest. The full list of performances is below.

• 9.24 The Dead Poet, NYC – 7:30pm, no cover
• 9.25 The Jewell, Omaha NE – 6:30 & 8:30pm sets, $10 at the door. With David Hawkins on drums.
• 9.26 Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford OK – 7:00pm, free concert.
• 9.27 APCO Med, Oklahoma City OK – 2:00pm, free concert in the cafe.
• 9.29 Boiler Brewing Company, Lincoln NE – 7:00pm, $12 at the door or $10 online.
• 9.30 Westport Coffee House Theater, Kansas City MO – 7:00pm, $10 at the door. With Adam Larson on saxophone and John Kizilarmut on drums.
• 10.2 Vangarde Arts, Sioux City IA – 7:00pm, $10 at the door. With Bobby Scharmann on bass and David Hawkins on drums.
• 10.3 R Wine Bar, Sioux Falls SD – 6:00pm, no cover. With Jonah Bennett on bass and David Hawkins on drums.

My trio will return to the Dead Poet in Manhattan, at 450 Amsterdam Avenue, on Tuesday September 18th from 7:30 to 9:30pm. Joining me for the night will be Dave Juarez on guitar and Marty Isenberg on bass.

I will join Kyle Saulnier and his Awakening Orchestra for a concert on Thursday August 30th at Shapeshifter Lab in Gowanus, Brooklyn, from 7 to 10pm. This show will be shared with the Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra.

My quintet will be a part of the Jazz Forum Arts Summer Concert Series on Friday July 27th. We will perform two sets of my music, from 6:30 to 8pm, at Pierson Park in Tarrytown, NY. Joining me for the evening will be Adam Larson on saxophone, Dave Juarez on guitar, Gary Wang on bass, and Eric Reeves on drums.

My monthly newsletter for July is available here!

My June plans will take me to the Midwest states of Montana, Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa. I was last in the Midwest in 2016 to perform at South Dakota State University and it’s been too long!

My first stop on my summer travels will be Billings, Montana. I’m looking forward to playing four shows with some amazing local musicians.

On Saturday, June 16th, I will be at Thirsty Street Brewing Company from 7-9pm. I’ll be joining the Big Sky Trio, with Erik Olson on piano, Parker Brown on bass, and Keller Paulson on drums for the night. I’ve known these guys for several years, and I’m so glad to join them for this evening of collaboration. They recently released their debut album, “Short Stories“. There’s no cover charge for this show.

On Sunday, June 17th, Father’s Day, I will be playing at Walker’s Grill from 7-10pm. I’ve played Walker’s Sunday evening Jazz series several times over the years, and I’m so happy to be back in their space. I will be joined by Craig Hall on guitar, Parker Brown on bass, and Keller Paulson on drums for the evening. There’s no cover charge for this show.

On Tuesday, June 19th, I will be the featured musical act at a fundraising event for the nonprofit organization Angela’s Piazza. I’m looking forward to raising funds for this amazing organization that provides educational services and support groups to women in the Billings area. The fundraiser will be held at Craft Local from 6:30-9pm. Tickets are $10. Joining me for the evening will be Alex Nauman on guitar, Parker Brown on bass, and Keller Paulson on drums.

On Wednesday, June 20th, I will be a part of the Parker Brown Trio for a private event.

After a week in Billings I’ll head south to Denver Colorado to spend some time with my family and play a duo show with singer-songwriter Tobi D’Amore at the Crooked Stave Taproom on Monday, June 25th. Tobi and I have been performing together since 2013, when I started playing with his indie rock band The Bone Chimes. We’ll play a night of original songs and jazz standards.

Starting on June 26th my travels will take me to Nebraska, where I’ll spend three nights playing in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska.

On Wednesday, June 27th, I will be playing at Jambo Cat in Omaha, Nebraska from 7:30-10:30pm. Jambo Cat has live jazz five nights a week and has revitalized the live jazz scene in Omaha. Shawn Bell will join me for the evening on trombone. I met Shawn when I attended the Betty Carter residency at the Kennedy Center back in 2007! Mitch Towne, who was the pianist on my first recording, “Half Past”, will be on organ, and Mike Roe will be on the drums for the night. There is a $5 cover charge for this show.

On Thursday, June 28th, I will head west to Lincoln, Nebraska to perform at the Boiler Brewing Company from 8-10pm. I will be joined by Andrew Janak on saxophone, Mitch Towne on organ, and Mike Roe on drums. There is a $15 cover charge for this show.

On Friday, June 29th, I will head back to Omaha for the night and perform at collaborative art space OutrSpaces from 8-10pm. For this show I will be joined by Cubby Phillips on guitar, Bobby Scharmann on bass, and John Evans, who was a part of my last Midwest tour in 2015 on drums. This show has a $15 cover. The percussion ensemble “Flat Water Trio” will perform an opening set.

After this week in Nebraska, I’ll head north on Saturday, June 30th to play my final show of this tour at Vangarde Arts in Sioux City, Iowa from 8-11pm. Vangarde Arts is an energetic nonprofit organization that has been a major promoter of the arts within the Sioux City area. I last performed there in 2015 with Marcus Lewis and his quartet. They recently moved into a new performing arts space in downtown Sioux City, and it promises to be an incredible night of music. I will be joined by Pete Fucinaro on saxophone, Mitch Towne on organ, and Dana Murray on drums, who also was the drummer on my first recording “Half Past”. There is a $10 cover for this show.

If you’re in the Midwest come out to see a show!