It’s been a turbulent last few months with trying to work toward a work and home-life balance; now that the kids are getting older, there are kids’ activities to think about for which I want to be present. And it can be taxing for my husband to watch the kids as many nights as I’m out gigging. So this fall will be a little quieter than my busy summer. Don’t get me wrong; I loved performing at Beach Street both solo and with Doorway, at Gershwin’s, and even performed with a few live jazz trios, the highlight of which was playing at the Triangle in Williamsburg. It’s a new small plates, live music venue, and John Calisto joined me on guitar and Terry Burrell on bass. Terry is an amazing, experienced player - he regularly plays with the Jae Sinnett trio, so it was a huge treat to have him on the gig. And having musicians like that who encourage and inspire one another to greatness is truly a treasure. One of my favorite things is to vamp and scat at the end of a song and just let my musical expression loose. That’s where I feel the most free and most myself, doing exactly what I was created to do. I hope to do it again! We are booked at the Triangle again on October 29th.

 

So this fall I will buckle down with practicing - my youngest starts 2 mornings a week in preschool, which means PRACTICE TIME! I am really excited about this. Time to focus on harmony and arpeggios and scales, beefing up my repertoire, and my teacher now has me learning some bop tunes. Joy Spring I feel like I have down and have been performing it this summer. Confirmation and Donna Lee are new ones that he’s given me - Confirmation I almost have memorized, but I groaned when he gave me Donna Lee - it has lots of really fast notes. But, he says you have to learn the language of bop because it helps with your phrasing, and the modern jazz musician can’t function without it.

 

Probably the biggest news of the year is the release of my album “Echoes”! It’s a 5-song album with 2 songs that are light and ethereal, and three worship choruses that feature harp, flutes, and jazz pianist Justin Kauflin. I’m really proud of it and had the opportunity to record with Rob Ulsh, one of the top recording engineers in Virginia, if not in the country. (He recorded exclusively with Pharrell as producer for 7 years.) You can read more about it here, and watch the video below to hear me talk about it! 

 

 

Please pick up a copy - it’s available on CDbaby and iTunes. I’m also looking to book some churches to play and promote the album. 

 

Thanks so much for being a part of my musical journey. Your prayers are appreciated as I look to the future!