It gives me great pleasure to announce that after a 5 year hiatus, the big band went back into the studio in late August to record a brand new project! I arranged 8 songs for big band (music by Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Withers, The Beatles, and others) and one song (by Joni Mitchell) for jazz quartet, strings, alto flutes, and french horn. We are currently in the process of mixing, and hope to have it out in early 2019. Soloists include Mike Rodriguez, Marshall Gilkes, Marvin Stamm, Greg Gisbert, Jason Rigby, and many others.

The schools are back, and (more than ever) I’m really enjoying woking with my students at the Manhattan School of Music, Montclair State University, and now Purchase College. I seem to learn as much from them as they do from me.

Other fun things are going on as well: getting to play “Symphonic Dances from West Side Story” with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall and Carnegie Hall was a thrill. Pete Townshend’s “Quadrophenia” at the Metropolitan Opera was an amazing few nights of music. At Manhattan Brass began our residency at Marble Church with an exciting evening of brass quintet/organ music.

I look forward to seeing what the remainder of the fall brings!

I’m excited to announce two new affiliations:

1) After years of playing my trusty Yamaha 6335 trumpet, I’m now officially a Yamaha artist. I really do feel that they are making some of the finest musical equipment. Coupled with my GR mouthpieces and Hub Van Laar flugelhorn, I feel that my musical arsenal is complete!

2) I’m very excited to be joining the brass team at Purchase College starting in the fall. This school combines a tremendous faculty, close proximity to NYC, and great value to give aspiring musicians everything they will need to be successful. I will also continue on at the Manhattan School of Music and Montclair State University as before. I’ve developed a strong love for teaching over the years, and look forward to working with all of these students from these schools!