Hello, Tiny Ant People
Greetings from 30,000 feet. Yes, I’m on a plane, and yes, I sprung for the in-flight WiFi. Truthfully, I don’t like flying, but occasionally I decide it’s worth it. This time, it was a musical project that compelled me to hurtle through the air. I’ll tell you more about this project below, alongside quite a flurry of updates and announcements. It’s been an exciting few months, and I’m glad to have this opportunity to share some of that excitement with you.
Coming Up
Piano Bar Fridays continue at The Bishop in Port Townsend—every Friday, taking requests from 5-7
Saturday May 3rd from 6-8, I’ll be at Finnriver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum with my mostly-instrumental group CASCADIANS
Saturday May 10th I’m at Cellar Cat in Kingston, 6:30-9:30
Thursday May 22nd it’s Jazz Night at the Quilcene Lantern. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details.
On Saturday May 24th, Holy Carp plays the Uptown Pub at 9
More info about these and other gigs on my website calendar
Tarboo 2025
Last year I went to the first ever TARBOO music festival at the Quilcene Lantern, and it was truly a highlight of my year. This year I am thrilled to be part of the festival’s lineup, in the company of some pretty stellar artists. I’ll be playing the fireside set on July 5th, shortly after Blind Pilot headlines on the main stage. I can’t wait! Want to join the fun? Tickets are on sale now!
Doe Bay residency
In other exciting news, I was recently selected as an artist-in-residence at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island. I have wanted to do this residency ever since I first heard about it back in 2021. In my application, I mentioned that I’m a bicycling musician who composes music about bicycle travel. I guess they liked that. Naturally, I‘ll ride my bike to the residency. I’ll be at Doe Bay from May 28 to June 3, composing bicycle-related music, performing in the cafe, and soaking in those famous tubs. Maybe I’ll run into you there.
holy carp returns
Back in January, my new band Holy Carp had our first gig at the Uptown Pub here in Port Townsend. It was a blast. You can check out our cover of “Angel from Montgomery” from that night below. (Thanks to Bergen de Koch for the great video.) I’m happy to announce that we are returning to the Uptown—my favorite pub in the world—on May 24th. We’d love to see you there! We’ll also be at 7 Cedars Casino on July 19th. Want to liven up your party with a Holy Carp performance? Get in touch!
A Recording project
I said I would tell you more about this trip I just took. I went to Brooklyn to record a couple songs with my friend Devon Yesberger. I’ve known Devon, and his music, for many years, though we really became buddies starting in 2021. He’s a truly inspiring pianist, composer, producer, and online musical personality. (Check out his “Micropianist” videos if you have an Instagram account.) Anyway, Devon has been telling me about his recording studio, aptly named Keyboard Heaven, for years now, and whenever he brought it up, I would threaten to come record with him. Last week, I finally made good on my threat. Devon agreed to produce two of my songs: one instrumental and one vocal tune. It was by far our most significant collaboration to date, and I’m happy to say that it went as well as I could have hoped. We spent three days in the studio and emerged with two recordings that I’m truly proud of. Devon is still working on mixing the tracks, so it will be a little while yet before they’re released to the world. But I will share them with you as soon as I can! And I’m already scheming to get back to New York and spend even more time with Devon in his excellent studio.
postponing the bicycle tour
In my last newsletter, I mentioned that I was planning a bicycle tour for the end of May/beginning of June—exactly the time I was offered the residency on Orcas. Since I really couldn’t pass up that opportunity, I decided to postpone my tour for now. I’m looking at mid-September as a possibility. I’ll keep you posted about that—I’d love to see you if I’m passing through your town!
what I’m listening to
As I write these words I’ve got the new album from Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, OUT THERE, coming through my headphones. This album is an adventure! I’ve been a Hiromi fan since high school. She’s not just a staggeringly good pianist; her compositions range from lush, classical-inspired pieces to deep-pocketed grooves to brain-twisting math jazz. Through it all runs a thread of sheer joy. I love the playfulness and virtuosity of this latest album, though my favorite track is the mellow and introspective “Pendulum.”
A friend recently sent me the music of Junior Mesa, and I’ve been listening to his EP, Quit Your Job, Runaway on repeat ever since. It’s a gorgeous, haunting collection of richly textured tunes. It amounts to barely ten minutes of music, but it’s quite a journey nonetheless.
While in New York, I had the opportunity to hear singer-songwriter Lila Bloom. Devon told me I had to see her perform, and I immediately understood why. She’s got it all: a captivating voice, a lyrical fluency on guitar, and a knack for writing powerful and surprising songs. Bloom doesn’t have much of an online presence yet, but keep an eye on her—surely it’s only a matter of time before she takes off!
Lastly, I’ll put in a word for Michael Hurley, who died this month at 83. Known as the “Godfather of Freak Folk,” this enigmatic musician always did things his own way—including painting his own album covers. A hero to many songwriters, though not widely known to the general public, Hurley put out his debut album, First Songs, at 23, and never stopped making music. He released some 32 albums over the course of his six-decade career, and kept performing right up until the last day of his life. He has many great songs; a few of my favorites are “Slurf Song,” “Tea Song,” and “Are You Here for the Festival.”