Get Your Copy of “Do It Live”

The new album is officially out and available for purchase right here on our website. We’ll be working to get the music to as many music outlets as possible, but in the mean time you can pick up both digital and physical copies through us. Check out the options below and thanks for your support!

Physical & Digital Copy – $10
We’ll send you a link to high-quality 320kbps MP3′s and mail you a disc.

Digital Copy Only – $5
Download the same high-quality MP3′s playable on any computer or digital audio player.

Experiments in Vibe

The album is officially out and available all over the web. We’re happy to report that Experiments in Vibe was nominated Mixed Genre Album of the Year at the 2010 Lucid I/O Awards. You can use the player on the left to hear some samples from the record. Follow the links below to get the music and support our group!

Digital Downloads:
- iTunes ($8.91 – mp3)
- Amazon ($8.91 – mp3)
- CD Baby ($7.99 – mp3)

Audio Disc:
- CD Baby ($11.99)
- Amazon ($14.99)

Streaming:
- Napster
- Spotify

New Year’s Resolutions

My New Year’s Resolutions. They’re fairly general, and although I make them and quickly break them every year, this time around feels different; I think they will stick, at least for a little longer than normal!

1. Take it easy – sleep more, drink less.

2. Practice – every day, if possible.

3. Get out more – see more music (especially that one), go to the museum, aquarium, movies, etc.

4. Lay off the computer – except for email, calendar, and website. Lay off the social networking and make the effort to reach out to people more rather than just peek at their profile and see what they’re doing.

5. Bring my horn to sessions – I’ve gone back and forth on jam sessions/sit-ins for a long time, and now I’ve switched again. Yes, they always have the potential to spiral out of control, and the music suffers in those cases, but they can also help solidify connections with other musicians, and (sometimes) be really fun!

Even if I don’t end up strictly adhering to these, I think January is always a good time to reevaluate things and take a look at some self-improvement; it’s better than fooling yourself into thinking that everything is going how you want it to and you don’t have to change anything about yourself.

Wish me luck!

- Art

Jobs vs. Gigs

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRPyddRW0o4]

I remember the first time Birch Pereira told me about this scene. I had never seen Flight of the Conchords before, and this was the scene he described to me to convince me to watch the show; not because it was hilarious (it is), but because it really illustrates all the problems you have to deal with as a musician. It seems funny to me now to look at Flight of the Conchords as a deep and profound take on the plight of the modern-day musician, but this scene still sticks with me.

I’m getting closer to trying to play and teach music full time. Mid-January is when I’m aiming to make the jump, and I know it will be here more quickly than I expect. That’s probably why I’m taking on as much as I am now; I’m trying to get some momentum so that I can hit the ground running when the time comes. Will I still have to find other non-musical work to get by? Possibly, but as long as I have to time to write and play, I believe I’ll be happy, and hopefully I can make the necessary financial and lifestyle adjustments when the time comes.

It’s still months away, but I think about it all the time…

- Art

Sideman Adventures Continued

Last week was one the busiest playing weeks I’ve had in a long time. It’s not often that I have many weekday/midweek performances, so it was kind of a new experience for me. This is also on the heels of a couple of sub gigs I’ve recently done, so I’ve been thinking a bit about playing music and playing with different people.

- So many great musicians! There’s always that amazing player in town that you haven’t met, or that person you’ve seen around but haven’t listened to and then they blow you away.

- Interacting with a lot of different musician friends makes me a better saxophonist. Sometimes when playing in a band, you get really comfortable just doing what you’re already good at, so it was great to be challenged to play in a different way to fit whatever setting I was in.

- I can see now the huge difference time can make on a band and the way musicians play together. The level of music-making that comes from people that play together all the time and have done so for a while is super high.

- On the other hand, there were many moments where I really felt like there was some awesome music going on with people I had either just met or didn’t know very well, so I guess it just depends.

I made many of these same points in my previous sideman post, but recent events brought them back to the forefront so I thought I would share them again. That’s what a blog is for, right?

- Art