My journey through the passageways of the jazz experience has been, and continues to be one of joy and discovery. In the course of following my heart, I have played hundreds of gigs ranging from the sublime to the absurd, and have spent countless hours practicing, studying, listening, transcribing, reading, and haunting the dark cellars of the New York City Jazz experience. It all leads to you, the valued listener, and to this opportunity to share my experiences with you via our treasured art form. Please avail yourself of the offerings contained in this site, and don't hesitate to e-mail me with comments and suggestions.
Autumn in New York seems to have arrived, & with it the heightened urgency to prepare for what follows…I always feel a resurgence of energy at this time of year – that is once I cease to mourn the passing of summer. Perhaps it is the crisp air & the scent & sight of the turning leaves…
2009 has thus far proven to be a year of roiling surprises, seemingly in every facet of life. Without descending into political speak, I will simply say that I have great hope, tempered with a healthy dose of realistic expectation, for our future as a people. What emboldens me is the notion that I can think of us all as we – because we are all truly links in a chain that holds this society together.
On the live performance front, I continue to play at Havana Central at their West End and Union Square locations here in Manhattan. Check the Gigs page on this site for specifics. YouTube has become a wonderful outlet for my music, and there are currently 120+ jazz performance videos on my channel: www.youtube.com/joegig . My four CDs are in print and available in both material and digital formats, from this site, and from www.cdbaby.com ; www.emusic.com ; www.itunes.com ; and from many other locations. The titles are: Inside Out; 3 Spirits; Clairvoyant Avenue; and Sound Scape. Soon to be available as a download will be Flashback Premonition.
A new CD from a 2004 performance by the great Joe Diorio & me, is on it’s way to the pressing plant & should be available in November. It is an honor to know & make music with Joe Diorio – he has been an inspiration to me since I started to play jazz & his influence is more profound with each passing day.
I continue to write for Just Jazz Guitar magazine. The Novembery 2009 issue will be out shortly. Look for my compositional contribution ‘Thin Ice’.
My collaboration with poet/hinge theorist Heller Levinson, began with a partnering of my music, along with that of saxophonist Jimmy Halperin, with Heller’s brilliant writings. An offshoot of this interaction has been my return to poetry after decades of not exploring that aspect of my creative force. I am proud to published on a wonderful poetry/essay site: The Jivin’ Ladybug http://tinyurl.com/Jivin-Lady-Bug . Just click on my name in the main menu, where it appears in a few different contexts.
I have also been doing some ink drawings, watercolor and acrylic paintings, note the addition of pages devoted to my two latest passions on this site.
On the guitar/amp front, I happily continue to play Forshage Custom guitars, equipped with La Bella strings, with sound translated by DiMarzio pickups, and amplification by JazzKat amplifiers.
I look forward to your feedback and to seeing you in the clubs and theaters.
