From Rock To Jazz

I’ve been walking the line between rock and jazz for a long time, from my early days as a musician in New York City to my touring years in Europe. Both worlds have been so highly influential to me and the more experience I’ve had in each, the more I’ve felt that both forms of music come from the same place – a place of rebellion.

This is the basis for my new touring show, “From Rock To Jazz” making its debut in Russia this April with dates in Europe to follow. Featuring jazz rearrangements of classic rock songs by Queen, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Scorpions, and more, I hope to shed new light on the origins of rock music while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of modern jazz.

Check back soon for tour dates and details and check out my version of ‘Wind of Change’ by Scorpions below!

New Release From LITTLE NEON!

lnrsfadvert1

Last Spring, my friend and former touring comrade Justin Pursey and I got to work on what has now become our band Little Neon’s soon-to-be-released first album.Somewhere along the line, we established this method of working wherein Justin would stay up pretty much all night recording song ideas on guitar, sending them to me early in the morning at which point I would wake up and take over, writing and recording vocals and playing bass usually all before 10am. As a result, this song emerged very quickly – almost without us even realizing it had happened. As we’ve had time to digest it, it’s become one of the most important songs on the album to us and a true example of what we each bring to the table in this band.
 
I truly hope this single finds a home in your heart as it has in mine. If it does, please take a moment to like it, stream it, download it, and share it!

LISTEN NOW: iTunes, Spotify, GooglePlay, Youtube

Upcoming Shows in The NL!

hyelection2Haagse Vrienden! I’m thrilled to finally have the chance to share my latest developments in jazz with you right here at home, sharing the stage with some fantastic musicians for a free show this Saturday night, 29 Oktober at Murphy’s Law in Den Haag. I’ll be trying out some brand new material I’ve been working on for my next Russian tour as well as bringing back some old favorites from my New York repertoire. Featuring: Albert Casan Milla (Guitar), Bill Scott Mookhoek (Bass) and Rob Vriens (Drums). I’ll also be hosting a special “Election Day Jam Session” with the same lineup on 8 November (US Election Day) at Jazzcafe Dizzy in Rotterdam. EVENT DETAILS HERE

Track Of The Week: Wind of Change

When my manager asked me to make a music video for my new arrangement of the Scorpions classic ‘Wind of Change,’ I turned immediately to what inspired me to record this version in the first place – Russia and its people. The original Scorpions version was a beacon of hope for the Russian people when it came out in the early nineties and became an important anthem for them which remains in their hearts today.

At this particular moment in time, I hope and pray for our walls to once again break down so that we may let a unified vision of the world into our hearts once again, just as this song provoked so many to do so long ago.

The video contains photos I’ve taken over the past three years as I’ve traveled through Russia and Ukraine including images from Vladivostok, Yaroslavl, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Ulyanovsk, Kiev, Chernihiv and more. I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to see all these places first hand and hope to offer a unique perspective on the incredible and diverse beauty this part of the world possesses.

I also feel very lucky to be able to bridge the gap between nations and cultures via music and look forward to returning to both Russia and Ukraine in 2017 with a very special tour. Details to come.

Track Of The Week: LANDSLIDE

Here’s a demo recording of a jazz version of the Fleetwood Mac classic ‘Landslide’ that I recorded yesterday. This arrangement came into my head a few weeks ago and completely haunted me until I recorded it. The vocals, trombone, piano, and bass were all recorded within a few hours and mixed soon after. Sometimes it just happens that way. I hope you enjoy it.