Music, music, music, music, music!!!

My plate is full and lots of stuff on the horizon, almost all of it musical. Tania and I are trying to sort out her booking for Le Poisson Rouge in early May, the show where she'll be premiering my piano sketch and performing my piece for dance, piano and electronics from last year, Collapsing Elbows. The jazz choir is performing in a little over a month and I've been asked to trasncribe a trio that will be sung by myself, a soprano from the group and my friend Rick, who is also a member of the group. Rick will be playing ukulele and I, guitar. I'm also finally starting to get a grip on the structure of the choral piece I'm writing and should have that mostly done within the week. As for when it'll be performed, hopefully before the summertime. Lacy and I are also getting ready to start taking on the NYC open mic scene in a few weeks as well. We had the one rehearsal and I'm starting now to learn the songs we didn't go over as well as practicing the ones we did.

I'm exceedingly happy right now because I finally purchased a Mac Book Pro, the device that is going to set me free, literally. I will now be untethered with my music. Meaning in a few weeks to months when Lacy and I start performing out, I can bring all of my effects and not just my guitar. Plus, it means that I can really start working out and programming all of my songs, too. I'm quite excited about it all. Ideas for the electronic music project are flying around left and right and it's all I can do to get them written down in some form, whether it's just notes about how to implement and innovate, or actually putting together new beats and learning the ins and outs of my synths and software.

What else?! Well, I got to see some more music Saturday night as well. I was bouncing back and forth between The Living Room and White Rabbit where a friend was having her birthday party. And it was really cold to be doing so but I managed. My friend Rick organizes a ukulele salon once a month at The Googies Lounge above The Living Room on Ludlow St. His group, The Suaverinos, is the headliner for the evening and each time it's an eclectic mix of anything from hip hop ukulele (which I'm sure I blogged about last time) to straight up Polynesian music to professional comedians like the one I saw Saturday night. Esther Ku was absolutely hilarious. I never saw her on Last Comic Standing but I heard that's one of her many claims to fame...one of them being rewriting oldies with lyrics about masturbation, a feat I witnessed first hand amongst some embarrassed patrons of that particular bar. It was pretty damned funny.

I split after her set to make an appearance at the White Rabbit with the intention of stopping back by to hear Rick's set at 10pm. The Suaverinos played a great set with a couple of standards, the highlight for me being "'Round Midnight." They had a sultry alto singing with them that wasn't there the last time I saw them and she just blew me away.

After the Suaverinos I dodged back over to White Rabbit to rejoin the party already in progress. The scene had changed from a few scattered groups of people, hanging out at the tables, watching the video installations and chatting to being semi-packed with much louder music playing...much louder. I had conversations that I had no idea what they were about with people whose names I never heard. But that's how you know you're having fun, right? See all the photos I was tagged in on facebook this past weekend.

Friday night was a fun one too, matter of fact. A co-worker was having a going away party so I actually got to hang out with people I work with and meet people that I only ever talk to on the phone. Again, loud bar, though. This time Meatpacking District. Place called Brass Monkey. Regrettably, it was too packed to enjoy the rooftop area in this four level bar. The weather was incredible. It would have been nice.

But here we are, 20 degree weather and another snowfall (this time pretty weak, only 2-4 inches that melted right away). Soon, this winter will be over. I can feel it. And it's going to be a great summer.