the first face-to-face encounter with friends I met thru myspace---backstage at the Tower of London Fourplay concert. ------Akin, Geetha, Rosabella & Tommy
with Guher & Suher Pekinel, during sessions for Bach: Concerti for 2 & 3 keyboards (Columbia Masterworks)
guesting with the Kay Nakayama & Akira Jimbo group "Intelligent Jazz" @ Motion Blue Yokohama
with the Angels of Shanghai at the Bangkok Jazz Festival Dec. 2005
with Keiko Matsui
ridin' in the Maybach with Earl Klugh at the Broadmoor, Colorado March 2004
with Francois & Louis Moutin at the Milan, Italy Blue Note--October 2004
with Masato Nakamura & Miwa Yoshida of "Dreams Come True" at recording session Feb. 2003 for Miwa's solo project
Jakarta, Indonesia concert w/Michael Colina, Hilary James, James Genus, Fareed Haque & Max Risenhoover
Two unforgettables.....Gary King & Yogi Horton !!!
Sarah Vaughan with the Bob James Trio (Herbie Mickman, bass; Omar Clay drums) performing at the White House for President Lyndon Johnson, LadyBird Johnson, Prime Minister Sato of Japan on Jan. 12, 1965 (note the gold eagle piano leg)
members of the 70th Division US Army Reserve Band, Livonia, MI 1966 (note sergeant stripes)
playing trumpet in Albany, NY with Nick Brignola (my nickname was "Inches")
CTI All Stars performing in Europe 1970's (from left Frankie Crocker(WBLS DJ) Hank Crawford, Grover Washington Jr., Joe Farrell, Jack DeJohnette, BJ, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Hubert Laws, Jackie Cain & Roy Kral (note striped sport coat)
Tom Scott, BJ, Steve Gadd & Ralph MacDonald at rehearsal for All Around the Town-- Carnegie Hall concert 1981
four-hands with Richard Tee
with guess who, at Warner Bros. vacation retreat Acapulco
recording "Since I Fell for You" with Dave Sanborn & Al Jarreau (Double Vision-1985)
one of my touring bands in the 80's ..Mike Lawrence (tpt), Mark Colby (sax), Harvey Mason (drms), Doc Gibbs (perc), Bruce Dunlap (gtr), Gary King (bass)
at the studio with the "Joined at the Hip" band---Jeff Golub, me, Chris Walker, Billy Kilson & my collaborator-Kirk Whalum
with Fourplay in Taipei at the National Concert Hall 8/11/06
chatting with M.J. at a recording session for Frank Sinatra's "L.A. is My Lady" album. (a few years ago!) He told me he had listened to my "One on One" album and liked it!
An amazing talent, with so much more to give the world. At least I got to meet him once!
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On November 13, 2008 I was the recipient of the International Achievement award at the Governor's Awards for Arts & Culture on Nov. 13th at the Detroit Institute of the Arts, Detroit, MI. The award was presented by Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. The joint recipient of the award this year is my long time friend and collaborator Jack O'Brien, best known for having received many Tony awards on Broadway as a director, most recently for directing Hairspray. I've composed music for many of his plays. We are very honored to receive such prestigious recognition by the state of Michigan.
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Highlights from recent gigs:
I composed & performed incidental music for the Michael Jacobs Broadway play "Impressionism", directed by Jack O'Brien, which opened March 24, '09.
with Jeremy Irons
with Joan Allen
with Jack Leitenberg, director Jack O'Brien, & my manager Marion Orr
A conversation with the great Hank Jones -- Tokyo, Feb. '09. We compared memories from the '60s. Him playing with Ella Fitzgerald, me with Sarah Vaughan.
guesting with the Masato Honda band at the Tokyo Blue Note Feb. 25-28, 2009
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from 2008
Fourplay at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. We were invited by Taka & Moko Nanri to a private dinner prepared by Executive chef Joseph Budde, the night before our Tokyo Jazz Festival performance. Nice wines!!!
recording guest vocalist Esperanza Spalding on the song "Prelude for Lovers" for Fourplay's new CD "Energy" in NYC at Sear Sound June 2008
In North Hollywood, CA Entourage Studio Apr. 9, 2008 for Masato Honda recording sessions. Harvey Mason, drums; Mike Miller, guitar; Masato Honda, sax and flute; me, Nathan East, bass.
New York City, Sear Sound, March 31, 2008 recording session for a new Christmas album.
with Hilary James, Ava Marie DiSimone, James Genus, Kevin DiSimone, Billy Kilson & Chuck Loeb
an inspiring conversation with Ravi Shankar at his music Institute in New Delhi, India 1/29/2008
The Thelonius Monk Institute all-star ensemble that toured India January 22-29, 2008--with Al Hampton-bass, Earl Klugh-guitar, Helen Sung-piano, Otis Browne-drums, Bobby Watson-alto sax, and Patti Austin-vocals
in Barbados 01/14/08 with the Urban Flamingo band...Perry Hughes, Dave McMurray, Al Turner & Ron Otis
with Jeremy Cohen & Kayo Miki-violins, Louis Levitt-bass, composer Michael Colina, Emily Onderdonk, viola & Joel Cohen-cello at rehearsal for the Nov. 21 performance of Colina's "The Shadow of Urbano"
performing at Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA --11/10/2007 with Dave McMurray & Al Turner (photo by Bob Stehouwer)
backstage at Jazz Alley with Max Risenhoover (co-composer of 'Far From Turtle') & his wife Kate, & John 'thumbs up' Mantel)
backstage at WLOQ 30th Anniversary concert, Winter Park, FL with Ryan Shaw, Gerald Albright, Nestor Torres, Mindi Abair, & Chuck Loeb
backstage at the Tokyo Blue Note with Joe Sample
backstage at the Tokyo Jazz Festival 2007 with Keiko Matsui
waiting for the bullet train...Japan tour...Nagoya
backstage after a performance on EBS TV in Seoul, Korea Sept 12, 2007, with Tetsuo Sakurai, Younee, Jack Lee & Lewis Pragasam
with Doc Gibbs, Al Turner, Ron Otis & Earl Klugh at Liberty Jazz Festival, NYC Sept. 09, 2007
backstage with Joshua Redman & Earl
with Branford Marsalis & Earl
sitting in for some four-hand piano blues with the great Marcus Roberts & his trio at the Sutton's Bay Jazz Festival 7/28/07
thanks to Kathy Kelly Kelton for these photos
with Frederic Chiu after our four-hand piano performance of Beethoven's 6th Symphony in Westport, CT, July 13, 2007
backstage with Dave Sanborn & Earl Klugh @ the Capitol Jazz Fest, June 2, 2007
Angels of Shanghai troupe at the IMAC theater, Huntington L.I. the last night of the U.S. tour.
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The cover of the latest issue of Keyboard Magazine:
go to this website to see the article:
http://www.keyboardmag.com/story.asp?secti..29&storycode=18752
sitting in with the Howard Paul Quartet at The Jazz Corner, Hilton Head Island, SC 3/5/07
>>>>>>>>>>> Below is a new MUSIC PLAYER that I've loaded up with some of my favorites for you to check out. (be sure to pause the Myspace Standalone music player--unless you want to hear 2 tunes at once!!) (and let me know if there's something you don't see that you'd especially like to hear)
Thanks for adding me...it's a great honor for me to connect with you:) I consider you a legendary performer of Jazz....with guys like Oscar Peterson... that have shaped our music world so much!
Thanks ever SO VERY MUCH for this incredible concert last night! You were more than awesome! You were GEORGIOUS! All four of you!!! How to express our full gratitude for having come here, and how to explain what it means to us? I don't know ... - but maybe you will have an idea when I tell you that from this evening on we now will listen with new ears to any jazz music. Such a huge difference it is to experience you once live or 'only' by recordings! We always knew that you are a brilliant musician, but now that we have enjoyed you live we also know that you are such a handsome, nice and genuinely modest person. The personal way of the head of a band always comes shining through their performances on stage. And the audience here this evening could easily realize that you are more than simple companions, you are friends which like and respect each others immensely. It has been a pure delight and huge joy to us to participate on that for one evening. Thank you so much again!
Well - we just can hope that you may return here one day again! We won't miss it for no reason! And (I hope you don't mind my frankness now!): If you ever would need a well harmonica player for a gig, then I just would love to recommend WIL GALISON to you. He's not only a terrific musician, but his character seems to fit perfectly to a band like yours. I had the vision that the two of you would enjoy each others tremendously ...
With all our love and admirations Yours always Petra & Bernd
Oh ...! And a special note to Ken Scott (As he has no profile here on myspace):
We have hardly heard one drummer playing in such a 'melodic' way like you! What a feeling and harmonizing to your buddies! Our deepest respect and admiration, Ken!
Thanks for the add. Your album, BJ4 was the first album that I ever heard. Coincidently, it was recorded the around the time of my birth. After 30+ years, it still remains in heavy rotation on my box. You are a true jazz pioneer. Thank you.
Still we can only hardly believe that we will have the big chance and unique opportunity to enjoy you LIVE this Saturday in Minden! Sometimes life has its moments of bliss ... This will be ONE of it!
Thanks to all for staging here & have a safe travel!
with Masato Nakamura & Miwa Yoshida of "Dreams Come True" at recording session Feb. 2003 for Miwa's solo project
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