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right place, right time

I returned to ct from NYC at the beginning of the week after a great weekend building and tracking at the Bunker Studio in Williamsburg, ready to get back to work without the stress of grad school (which doesn’t start up for a couple more weeks).

Then Tuesday around 10:30, I received a call from my friend John, co-owner of the Bunker: “what is your B3 doing this weekend, and can John Medeski rent it for a gig and session at the Bunker?”

Me: “what?!? Of course!”

I spent Wednesday rearranging my schedule, and Thursday morning I was off! I stopped in to see Dave at Goff Professional to fix an issue with my Leslie. Not only did he fix a rattling driver, he tweaked the percussion, repaired a busted tone wheel, and cranked it up to about 13! He is the best!

I was back on the road by 11:30. I had to stop at the Bunker to grab some gear I had forgotten, and then it was off to the club for sound check. Medeski is a great guy and seemed to dig the organ and my collection of effects. It’s really great to get to sit back and hear someone of his caliber play my gear. We actually made the organ sound dirtier! Now I get a second to relax, enjoy some coffee from Grumpy, and head to BKLN for dinner with Evan before I need to head back for the gig. It isn’t until 12am, so I have some time.

If anyone reads this and is around, you should head down to Le Poisson Rouge tonight!

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building

I finish my cappuccino with the knowledge that my vacation is coming to an end (in fact, it ends precisely at the 7:30pm faculty meeting). I spent the day mailing packages, returning receipts, and other general end-of-break things. I will cook one last home-cooked meal for myself and then it is over. However, it has been quite the vacation!

Building applies to what I have done in many ways, literally and figuratively. I’ve built actual fences (in the 50º weather) and walls (in the Bunker 2.0 in Williamsburg). I’ve rekindled old friendships and made a few new ones. I’ve built up my résumé too with recording work as a sideman. Clearly, I don’t like to sit idle, though there were a couple of days of that as well!

I was so psyched to help at the Bunker! The studio is looking amazing…and SOUNDING amazing as well! I spent about six hours up a ladder putting up the finishing touches on a section of the A live room. It is amazing how far the space has come since I was there in the early summer framing up some basic walls. Finally the finish work is beginning to go up. The following day I was in the B room tracking B3 for my good friend Dan Griffith’s upcoming solo record. Hopefully I’ll be able to go in this summer and track a project…maybe an EP.

My next big project is to finalize the program for my graduate recital which will be some time in late spring. Two years have flown by, and though it will take me five semesters overall, I am that much closer to getting my masters degree. Professionally that has been great. I’ve been able to study and play with a bunch of great players on the Boston scene. However, it has reinforced for me how much better the NYC scene resonates with me. If I can get to New York this summer and make some more connections I think I’ll be well positioned. Also, I’m still writing so another album is in the near future as well! I also have a ton of new ideas for my work at Pomfret, so I am excited to finish my degree and throw myself back into working full-time and getting some things accomplished. Overall, it has been an excellent three days of 2012 so far, and I an excited for what’s next…

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Wrapping up 2011

Fresh baguette dough is rising in the kitchen as I sit here listening to Bill Evans Trio Sunday at the Village Vanguard and organize charts for my last gig with The Peck Bros of 2011. It has been a busy and productive year! This weekend I get to track B3 and clav on a friend’s record at the newly improved Bunker Studios 2.0 in Brooklyn before heading off to New Years Eve Parties. Not to shabby if I do say so myself! Maybe I’ll post some pics from the studio this weekend, but if not, Happy New Years everyone!