BS UPDATE: MJF on Tour // New Release "Villain Vanguard"
Hi Everybody!
Hope you are well, happy and healthy. 2019 got off to a roaring start with plenty of projects and it just now feels like everything is grooving right. My band broke some new ground these last few weeks playing for the first time in Utah, Oklahoma, Kansas and VIVAAAAAA Las Vegas! The group sounded great - Darrian Douglas on drums, Mathis Picard on piano, Devin Starks on bass and we were blessed with Evan Arntzen and Patrick Bartley on reeds on separate gigs. We spend a lot of time traveling together and I really appreciate them as people as much as players. My band was unaware of this song before the trip and now it will pleasantly haunt their dreams :D Anyway, it was a lot of fun to meet new people and play our increasing book of signature tunes and arrangements. Thanks for coming out!
I'm about to embark on a truly unique adventure with the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour: 26 concerts in 31 days, oh my! The full list is below - We hit 16 different states and will be in Calgary (O CANADA!) for one whirlwind night. I'm thrilled to be collaborating with the artistry of Cécile McLorin Salvant, vocals; Melissa Aldana, tenor saxophone; Christian Sands, piano and musical director; Yasushi Nakamura, bass, and Jamison Ross on drums and vocals.
*SURPRISE* I released a brand new track in January called "Villain Vanguard" which was inspired by the Women's Marches. You can find it on all the streaming platforms, and check out a live version of it below.
What else... I've been keeping up my educational activities with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Armstrong House. This weekend I'll be heading to Indiana to teach clinics and perform with ensembles at Purdue University and Ball State University (BSU!) Following the MJF tour I'll be right back into the 4th edition of the New York Hot Jazz Camp. With over 50 campers (7 on Scholarship!) this is our most full year yet and surely the final concerts at the Gotham Jazz Festival Sunday April 28th will be top notch. We have an amazing line-up this year and tickets go on sale March 12th.. more info to come on that!
Well, I better get back to practicing and plotting. Thank you always for listening and I hope to see you before too long!
Bria
FEBRUARY 2019 February 27: New York, NY / Birdland w/ David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band February 28: West Lafayette, IN / Purdue University, Clinician, Lafayette IN MARCH 2019 March 2: Muncie, IN / Ball State University March 6: New York, NY / Birdland w/ David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band
MJF ON TOUR March 15: New York, N.Y. / The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall (2 sets) March 16: New York, N. Y. / The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall (2 sets) March 17: Boston, Mass. / Berklee Performance Center March 19: Troy, N.Y. / Troy Savings Bank Music Hall March 21: Bethesda, Md. / Music Center at Strathmore March 22: University Park, Pa. / Penn State University, Eisenhower Auditorium March 23: Philadelphia, Pa. / Kimmel Center, Verizon Hall March 24: East Lansing, Mich. / Michigan State University, Wharton Center for Performing Arts, Cobb Great Hall March 26: Omaha, Neb. / Holland Performing Arts Center, Kiewit Concert Hall March 28: Baton Rouge, La. / Manship Theatre at the Shaw Center for the Arts March 29: Meridian, Miss. / Mississippi State University, Riley Center March 30: Memphis, Tenn. / Germantown Performing Arts Center March 31: Fayetteville, Ark. / Walton Arts Center, Baum Walker Hall
APRIL 2019
April 2: Portland, Ore. / Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall April 3: Berkeley, Calif. / University of California Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall April 4: Rohnert Park, Calif. / Sonoma State University, Weill Hall at Green Music Center April 5: Los Angeles, Calif. / Walt Disney Concert Hall April 7: Seattle, Wash. / Moore Theatre April 8: Santa Barbara, Calif. / University of California Santa Barbara, Campbell Hall April 9: Mesa, Ariz. / Mesa Arts Center, Ikeda Theater April 11: Calgary, Alberta, Canada / Jack Singer Concert Hall April 12: Chicago, Ill. / Chicago Symphony Center April 13: Notre Dame, Ind. / University of Notre Dame, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center April 14: Ann Arbor, Mich. / University of Michigan, Michigan Theater April 22-28th: New York Hot Jazz Camp April 28: Gotham Jazz Festival
Flash back! World class trumpeter and leader of the Stan Kenton Legacy Band Mike Vax came to see us in Prescott, Arizona! I met Mike several a while ago when I was a youth apprentice with his group at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, sitting in a few times over the weekend. He and his group were so kind and supportive. He joined my group this time on the encore and blew the roof off! Afterwards he shared this picture of my long-haired teenage self singing with his group. Good memories :)
