Sugar Rum Cherry!

Well, it's that time of year....time to get the clarinet out and play some excellent Duke Ellington music. If you aren't aware of Duke's arrangements of the Nutcracker Suite I recommend you stop reading this post and make arrangements to purchase this wonderful work of art. I have to admit that I like Christmas music and right at the top of my favourite albums is Duke's interpretation of the Nutcracker Suite! This upcoming weekend I will have the opportunity to perform the complete suite with the Craig Brenan Big Band at the National Music Center (Nov.29/30) I believe the concert starts at 7, if you are a fan of Christmas music you will not want to miss this show...seriously!

The following week (Dec. 6/7) I will be performing with the Yardbird Suite all-stars (Craig Brenan t-bone, Jim Brenan-saxophone, Bob Tildsley Trumpet, Sandro Dominelli-Drums, Chris Andrew-Piano and Chris McCann-Bass) in Edmonton at the Yardbird Suite! We will be playing the music of Joe Henderson. I have been working on the arrangements for the past few months and am really looking forward to this gig as well.......what a diverse musical landscape we live in in Alberta. One week it's a burlesque show with Quinn Lemley the next big band the next a modern Jazz sextet, and following that AFRO-Beat (more on that later).
 I love the diversity! There is a lot going on in the province these days.... a few of my friends (Rubim De Toledo, Carsten Rubeling, and Jon McCaslin) are playing the Music of Mingus with the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, definitely worth checking out

Better Get Hit In Your Soul
Dances inspired by the music, life and times of Charles Mingus
November 22 – December 1, 2013
Big Secret Theatre, EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts

...now back to that pesky clarinet!