I've just put up some new audio, a track from 2001/2002 (I can't remember if it was recorded late in 01 or early in 02), from a suite of songs I did for PBJ dance projects. Laurel James is the featured vocalist, and she sounds great. I would like to officially release this stuff one day.... Anyway, go grab the mp3 and enjoy!

Ok, Canyon Creek has confirmed: we start Wednesday June 16 and for the first few weeks we'll be going 3 sets from 6pm-9pm. Once it warms up, we'll add a 4ths et until 10pm... Hope to see you there, you can get info on the venue from www.chriscawthray.com, just click on Canyon Creek's name in the performances calendar...

I just got some new cymbals, so I'm selling some old ones:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3725513189&ssPageName=ADME:B:LC:CA:1

check 'em out. there's something funky between eBay and the Safari browser, so I couldn't get the photos up, so go to:

http://www.musicformovement.com/602.html

to see them...

not much else to report professionally right now, with the exception of the Trio at Canyon Creek I will essentially be off from June 10 to the beginning of July, in anticipation and preparation for the arrival of new (very small, in need of a lot fo assistance) person in our house.

welcome to Canada.... where your June outdoor gig may be postponed due to cold weather. :)

I got a call from Canyon Creek yesterday, they want to delay the start of the Wednesday jazz nights (we play outdoors on the patio) till the third week of June, as they fear the evenings will be too cold until then. OK. I was looking forward to getting started, but the anticipation will just be building even more now, I guess.

In other news, I've elected to change my role in the upcoming Martha Hicks ballet gigs. I am now going to be essentially a "producer" instead of performing. My dear colleague Romano DiNillo will be taking my place. Some very wonderful personal stuff is occuring around the time of the gigs that will require my entire attention, so I have chosen to limit my working hours during this time. It'll cost me money (lots, actually), but I'll make it back sooner or later.

Elvin Jones died yesterday, he will be very much missed by many drummers and music lovers (myself included). I had the pleasure of seeing him perform a number of times when I was a teenager, and he never ceased to amaze, inspire, and fill me with joy. Elvin had a sense for picking out the drummers in the crowd, and I do think he felt a kinship with them. I remember settling in to a seat right beside his drumkit one night when I was in high school, and before the set started, he came over and sat down at my table and welcomed my friend and I and he was genuinely interested in who we were and how we were doing (and he correctly guessed I was a drummer). Another drummer friend, Paul Fitterer, spontaneously related a similar story today to me. I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands of these stories out there being told today, all of them true. R.I.P. Elvin...

hello, long time no post.... here's the news:

-my Trio (with Mike Pelletier on bass and Eric Boucher on piano) will return for it's summer residency gig at Canyon Creek (a restaurant at the southwestern edge of Toronto, what was formerly called "Etobicoke"), starting Wednesday June 2, 6pm-10pm, and continuing weekly all summer. Eric can't do the first two weeks, so I'm hopeful Michael O. can sub in for him, and I anxiously await his confirmation of that.

-I am slow getting started on the prep for the Martha Hicks gig, but I will make some effort this week, it's a lot of work, and I am procrastinating like crazy. :)

- ABC (Australian Broadcast Company... Australia's national radio station), has shown interest in "winter music" for their "THE PLANET" show. I've sent off a CD (they won't make final decisions based on mp3s) and hopefully they'll dig it enough to play it.

-had lunch yesterday in Guelph, ON with Robert Blonski, the painter whose work I used for the cover of "winter music". great stuff. he has a show in Guelph right now until June 6 at the Bookshelf (a very Guelph-esque bookstore/gallery/restaurant/move theatre), also visit www.robertblonski.com

I've added some stuff to the website: some pictures and an old mp3 of Relax with Trudy; which by some reports, was probably the best power trio onstage anywhere for maybe a few seconds while we were playing. What I mean to say is that we had our moments....
I've been checking out iTunes (the store) too, and while it's not available yet for Canadian customers to shop, we can browse. They have "celebrity playlists", essentially song compilations. It's a simple thing, but the fact that the reader can actually get the songs listed immediately is quite cool... I've been thinking about making some mp3 lists of my previous bands, and then offering them on the website as condensed "best of"s for those who might be interested.