About this project

40 years ago, I remember first walking into the 7 Ave South club in New York City  and hearing the Art Taylor Quartet with Clark Terry, Ron Carter and Branford Marsalis.  It was the first live jazz I had ever heard in my life.  The following Monday, I went to hear the Gil Evans Orchestra and met both Gil and David Sandborn.  I was 16 years old at the time.  

To this day, whether I'm teaching at the Univ. of Manitoba in Winnipeg, back in NYC, or on the road around the world, I still draw inspiration from the amazing musicians I saw and heard there, the mentoring and support I received, and the sense of community that I still see and experience there and with jazz musicians and students around the world. 

With the 7th Ave South project I hope to capture some of these moments to share with you. The project includes a new large ensemble recording featuring a combination of new compositions, re-imagined versions of my music and some of my favorites by other composers. The project will also include a series of interviews with the players on this project, some who also experienced time growing up musically in the NYC jazz scene.

The project will feature a new piece for large ensemble, aptly named 7 Ave South that captures sense of connecedness, energy and community one would feel when they went there.  

I hope you will join me on this exciting and unique musicial expedition.