Euro Asian Premiere of Message From Saturn

I am so happy to share this video of the title song of Message From Saturn from the Euro Asian premiere in Yeketerinburg, Russia in November of ’16. The joy generated in this intergenerational and cross cultural collaboration melted the ice. Here’s to more blues in 2017!  

Why we need the blues NOW by Eli Yamin

When your baby left you, you need the blues. When you can’t get satisfied, you need the blues. When the one you love takes up with someone else, you need the blues. And when you feel you’ve been mistreated, you have got to have the blues. The blues is bad. Playing the blues is good. […]

Message From Saturn is HERE

I really believe the blues can save us, but we all have to take part. This CD is the culmination of a journey that began when I was in high school basking in the glow of artistic fire, resilience and beauty that was in the Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey, near where I grew […]

Guatemala Jazz Tour 2016

Thanks to the United States Department of State and The Jazz Drama Program, this was our third tour to Guatemala. What a privilege it was to visit this beautiful country and play for the amazing Guatemalan People! Joined by longtime friends and associates, LaFrae Sci, drums/compositions, Lakecia Benjamin, alto saxophone and Elias Bailey, bass, the […]

Russia Blues Tour 2015

  Playing the blues for people is a great thrill. It’s like sharing the spark of life-running through you, out your instrument and into the audience and back. Then building to another spark and another-there’s nothing like it.  Through my piano, through my voice-building with band members, tour managers and the audience-always the audience. The […]

First Ever- Jazz Drama Program Summer Jazz Arts Institute

  We did it!  On July 1 and 2, we broke ground on the first ever Jazz Drama Program Summer Jazz Arts Institute.  With my great colleagues LaFrae Sci, Tom Dempsey, Shireen Dickson, and Jeanie LoVetri we launched what we hope will be a vital charging station for imaginative education through jazz for years to […]

Guatemala Jazz Festival 2015 – Final Day

The last day of the tour was my favorite because we visited and gave a workshop at La Alianza, a shelter for girls who are victims of trafficking and sexual violence.  The place is run exceptionally well by a staff of extremely devoted and expert women who give these girls the support and shelter they […]

Guatemala Jazz Festival 2015 – Ambassador’s Residence

Back to Guatemala City now for a reception at the residence of U.S. Ambassador Todd Robinson.  We could not ask for a more welcoming host.  Ambassador Robinson hails from Newark, NJ, a jazz town once and forever.  He truly believes in the power of jazz to uplift and unite everyone.  He is also an idealist […]

Guatemala Jazz Festival 2015 – Concert in Guatemala City

Our first concert of the tour was at the auditorium at Instituto Guatemala Americano in Guatemala City.  It was a pleasure to play the Baldwin grand on stage and interact with the audience who engaged deeply with us.  Our program included songs from our recent CD,  “Louie’s Dream, for our jazz heroes.”  We played the […]

Guatemala Jazz Festival 2015 – workshop Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

It was wonderful to return to Guatemala, this time with quartet and LaFrae Sci on drums (she and I were there in 2011 with the Blues Band), Evan Christopher on clarinet and Paul Beaudry on bass.  The first day we gave a workshop at Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, got to know the wonderful […]