I’m excited to present new and original arrangements of Herbie Hancock’s music with my trio at Andy’s Jazz Club. I am grateful to Chris Chrisholm, the club owner for this opportunity. We have a 2 month residency and we get to make all the noise we want in the heart of downtown Chicago.

This establishment has been a pillar in the jazz community, consistently providing star studded performances over the past 70 years and I’m thrilled to play here with my group. Joining me on bass is Mike Benning, and on drums, Jonathon Wenzel. who are both exceptionally talented young lions.

Herbie Hancock has been a major influence on me as a jazz pianist and composer. His persona transcends the instrument, and you can hear it in his virtuosity, lyricism, and creative output on and off the stage. In the span of his extraordinary career, he’s contributed to music of all genres, and has been a source of inspiration for many of us students of the music. From producing the first jazz hip-hop song, to playing in Miles Davis’ Band, and recording jazz inflected disco, pop music, Herbie is one of the best players in the history of the piano.

One of my favorite albums he recorded was “Gershwin’s World”, which I was introduced to by my professor Garry Dial, at the Manhattan School of Music. This recording incorporates hard swing, strings, rhythm section and Latin infused rhythms, which he is no stranger to.

Personally, one of the most captivating tracks was Ravel’s “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G Major” which he arranged. On this album, Herbie records with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra a masterful rendition of this concerto. He takes improvisational flight off of the structural harmony into the stratosphere of the unknown. His complete surrender to the divine is breathe taking, and can be felt in every note. This is a great example of third stream jazz.

During my masters at MSM, I had an assignment to transcribe a Herbie solo and I excitingly took on the challenge. One of the things I took from that study was the understanding and appreciation of constructing meaningful ideas in the modern jazz language.

When some people think of jazz music, they believe they need to understand it in order to enjoy it, so they don’t listen to it as much. We also don’t understand the complexities of Einstein’s theories, and we’re touched by these universal laws and principles.

I believe music has the same effect as gravity causing an apple to fall from a tree. Music is simply the transfer of emotions in the form of sound, from one living being to another. This made me contemplate on the origin of Herbie’s ideas and expressions and became curious as to whether I could find the well from which he draws from, I mean, who doesn’t want to sound like a genius?

His creative stream was an enigma to me, absent was the signature of the conscious mind, because it is too slow to deliver such prowess in real time and space continuum. I learned he was operating from a state of flow.

What is flow? Flow is a state where feeling, thinking and acting becomes instinctual. This state could be developed through conscious awareness, feeling through the body, and truly being in the moment. It is a place of acceptance, free of the critical mind. It is timelessness, where everything belongs and trust abides.

Creating from this invisible source makes ideas connect gracefully because it comes from a deeper level of consciousness, thus making what is said secondary to how it is being said. The musician himself becomes a witness to the music, as he unites with the universal mind, God.

Humanity, whether it recognizes it or not, has a deep desire to connect with a higher power. We crave genuineness and sincerity. Life and death are beautiful because its polarity gives meaning to life. They are sincere, as creativity in flow being informed by truth.

There is so much more to say, but I’ll keep this one short. I’m looking forward to playing with my trio and I hope you can attend to one or many of the shows. The dates are listed on my calendar. Thank you for reading, you are amazing, remember that.

This post is about my first piano teacher, Reinaldo Whyte, who is a Panamanian concert pianist living in Alabama. I got a chance to visit him and his family for his 50th birthday last weekend. It was a great reunion, and much over due. Seeing him again made me realize how important it is to show love to people you care about, and let them know how grateful you are for their existence and influence.

My curiosity for the piano began in church, watching Reinaldo skillfully play the piano. We remembered a time I used to mimic him, raising my hands in the air as he played. My mother then asked him to teach me and he agreed after discovering my affinity toward music; and there my musical journey began. I learned the fundamentals of music, watching him play some of the most demanding pieces by Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff. There is nothing better than gifting a young person with the inspiration to learn. Looking back on my youth, I don’t remember a day I didn’t want to practice, playing like Reinaldo was my life mission. He never made mistakes, which was magical to me, he made it look effortless. Playing piano is almost like pulling a rabbit out of a hat when you think of it. Fingers glide across the keyboard, creating soundscapes, filling silence with energy, invoking feelings and emotions - all things intangible, magic.

I’ve been immersed in music most of my life and I am convinced of its power to heal. As sound is simply the movement of energy through waves, it emits a frequency equal to the state of being of the person who is transmitting it. I believe it is informed by God, and the power of its impact is dependent on the depth of connection a musician has to God, the universal consciousness, or higher power, if you will. So, if God is reflected through the music, and we believe there is a force of good in the universe, then the only rational explanation for the purpose of music is to heal humanity. Music is a very spiritual experience and I have Reinaldo to thank because my life would’ve taken a different path, had he not take me on as a student when I had the desire to learn. Now, as an artist and educator, I have the opportunity to influence people from all walks of life, exploring together the benefits of a musical experience blissfully. I have realized one of the greatest gifts we can give one another is music, so thank you maestro Reinaldo for the gift and healing.

The new year is here, and I’m excited of the possibilities it has in store for all of us. I couldn’t be any more grateful to all my friends, family and colleagues for the experiences I’ve had the privilege of having in the past decade.

Some of the highlights have been being part of a multi-Grammy Award band, and recording a nominated album for the first time, with the Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big band. I also performed a “Charlie Parker with Strings” concert, where I played the piano and conducted the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra for the maestro Orbert Davis in his absence. I got to recorded and perform with 13 time Grammy Award winner, Paquito D’Rivera. I toured Cuba for the first time with the great Tomasito Cruz.

I got to substitute regularly for maestro Arturo O’Farrill, with his Grammy winning Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and toured the US with Malpaso Ballet, from Cuba. A dream of recording with the legend Giovanni Hidalgo came to fruition. I had my Carnegie Hall debut. I also made music with a lot of my heroes, such as Miguel Zenon, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jon Faddis, Candido Camero, Randy Brecker, among others. In my personal life, my son was born in 2014, and he lit up my world.

2020 is a year I’m dedicating to bringing my musical vision to focus, by practicing and writing new music as well as pursuing a healthy life style all around. I have been planning on releasing singles for some time now, and the time has come. I look forward to sharing this new music with you this year. As an artist, reflecting what I see, think and feel through music is one of the greatest of gifts God has given me. Thank you all, I’m looking forward to the future with great optimism.

Okay, I’ll start by saying, it’s the curiosity to discover true human potential that has led me to take on a new endeavor. I don’t know what’s on the other side of this, but after much contemplation, on October 4th I resolved to doing it! Here it is.

The goal is to complete the following within 31 days:

* Take only cold showers

* Apply effective eating habits 

* Climb 3,100 floors/stairmaster

* 3,100 Push ups

* 1,500 Dips

* 465 Pull ups

* 1,395 Sit ups 

* 15.5 Hours/Running

* 8 Hours/Swimming 

* Write 6 new trio arrangements 

This is a quick update to what I’ve been up to lately. I’ve been the studio finishing up my new single. We recorded in New York at my friend Adan Perez Allertone Studios and finishing tracking at Vijay Tellis Nayak studio in Chicago. It’s an original composition, but I can’t give you the title just yet. I know the title, I’m just not gonna disclose that information at this particular time.

Monday was dope, I played at the Whistler in Logan sq with drummer Quin Kirchner, and bassist Matt Ullery. We got into some hard grooves, from UMMG, to Speak No Evil, and the gorgeous Falling Grace. We had a full house, elbow room only crowd on a Monday night. It reminded me of the uptown jam at Smoke Jazz Club in NYC. Good vibes.

On Tuesday. I played with Carolyn Fitzhugh Quartet. We performed at the Museum of Contemporary Arts’ Music Series. I was excited to see so many people there. The last time I attended this series was before moving to NY, in 2008-09. And this is a full blown operation, with food, drinks and ample space to sit. Some were right by the stage and others doing their picnic thing on the grass. It was nice. I’m grateful to be working with Carolyn, we are closing out the month at the Chicago Jazz Fest.

Tonight is Friday, and I had a private concert with my quartet for my son’s school annual picnic. Later, I closed out the night playing one of my favorite games, pool. We were on a winning streak ladies and gentlemen. My eyes locked in to hers, with an incredible energy between us, and I was truly intrigued by her, and her circumference. I took my shot and scratched on the 8 ball. Here’s my philosophy on winning and losing a game of pool. Some You win and some you don’t. Why? I don’t know, it just is.