November 13, 2015

1 Year Update

It’s been a little while since I updated this blog. I have been told that not keeping my blog up to date will result in people not coming to the site anymore. I like the idea of people coming here once a month for an update as opposed to going to my Facebook profile where I mostly talk about sports. Anyway, here goes my informal and humbling attempt for an update.

It has been about year since my wife and I sold our house and left New Orleans for Nashville. Nashville has been the change I was looking for. It is not New Orleans which is both a good and a bad thing. There is a laundry list of reasons why I left New Orleans but the biggest reason is to expose myself to a bigger spotlight. In an ideal world I would have a residence in about a dozen cities and spend a month of my life in each one. Obviously I’ve chosen some wrong genres of music to make that dream come true. This will be my 5th city I have taken up residence in (Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and Nashville) and I have grown quiet accustom to how the DMVs work and the correct paperwork to show for changing plates.

Since moving here I’ve had some great opportunities to record and/or perform with the likes of BJ Thomas, Pat Coil, and Steelism at some great venues such as Music City Roots and The Jazz Workshop. I wish I could make a longer list of the other great musicians I’ve made music with here but that list will unknowingly leave off some great people. Living here has given me an insight into the music industry that has been very educational. This city has helped me redefine what it means to be a successful musician. To see more on that topic please visit my previous blog post here. I see some of the greatest musicians here in Nashville that make their living through a day job while I’ve heard other musicians that play high profile gig$ refer to themselves as “stage actors who learn the notes on the records”. A few years ago both of these scenarios would have  confused me but it somehow makes sense now. The music industry is a lot smaller than what I imagined it would be. It is still hard for me to detail my opinions and experiences without a bit of rambling. I’m not one to reminisce about the good old days and pray that the old music industry will come back. I’m more of a “living in the present and accept reality” sort of guy. Nashville is a southern Los Angeles. It is a small town with a southern charm fading ever so slightly. 

I’m looking forward to 2016: Both Bionica and The Wee Trio will be releasing new albums. Look out for this news in a future blog post!

I will leave you with a few highlights of my 1 year anniversary in Nashville.

w/ BJ Thomas after the show in MO

w/ BJ Thomas after the show in MO

w/ Jon Estes and Jon Radford at The 5 Spot

w/ Jon Estes and Jon Radford at The 5 Spot

The Wee Trio at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

The Wee Trio at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

w/ Riley Anglen CD Release

w/ Riley Anglen CD Release

Recording w/ The Wee Trio in NY

Recording w/ The Wee Trio in NY

Hangin' w/ Bruce Matthews

Hangin’ w/ Bruce Matthews

at SIR w/ Jenna Torres

at SIR w/ Jenna Torres

October 17, 2013

James Westfall Quartet at the Ellis Marsalis Center this Tuesday

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