Take note: Failure to get things done on time can have serious consequences and no excuse in the world can work every time. I received an email yesterday that someone else had been booked for a gig I though I had already confirmed.  Frantically, I emailed and called the client simultane ... Continue Reading
I kid. I know I should just focus. Focus in life, on this blog. But I can’t do it. One of my many interests is product/marketing design. I absolutely love good design and have deep appreciation for thoughtful juxtaposition of contrasting elements in design. Maybe that’s why ... Continue Reading
Happy birthday, Charles Mingus. [youtube | explicit language] Continue Reading
And Darcy‘s off and running. Infernal Machines is out in 3 weeks and already has a nice little review from James Hale at the Jazz Chronicles. Hale references DJA’s hit at the ultimate IAJE conference with Secret Society North and his (apparently groudbreaking – am ... Continue Reading
House concerts are a concept that started with the jazz of the 1920′s.  They were called rent parties then and allowed neighbors to help neighbors, raising money for the musicians or other poor tenants looking to keep their landlords off their backs. As the bell tolls for the musi ... Continue Reading
Thanks so much to Bille Porche at Image Creations By Billie! Continue Reading
A very special drummer-less version of the Matthew Wengerd Trio will be playing tonight at Keel and Curley Winery in Plant City. It’s a great venue with plenty of great food and drink. We’re playing all night (7-12), so come out before or after you visit the Strawberry Festiv ... Continue Reading
See the guy standing next to the electric bass player with all the hardware on the top of his bass (that’s called an extension)?  His name is Bill Moring and he’ll be playing at the University of South Florida tonight as a part of their Monday Night Jazz Series.   ... Continue Reading
Unclutterer has a great series called Workspace of the Week, where various desks and other workspaces make their way onto this blog about how to simplify and organize.  This week, they highlighted the studio of Brendan Burns, whose guitar-focused space is set up for instrument-musician- ... Continue Reading
You’ve got two great opportunities to hear me play with some of Central Florida’s finest! You can hear the Wengerd|VanVoorst duo at the Tarpon Springs Winn-Dixie from 3-6 pm today It’s at 955 S Pinellas Ave in Tarpon Springs View Larger Map Then, you can drive to Lake ... Continue Reading
A phenomenal comparison: Radiohead’s 15 Step from In Rainbows meets Dave Brubeck’s Take Five.  Ingenious! Continue Reading
From Do the Math, the blog of the inimitable The Bad Plus: For All I Care Our latest is officially released in the US today. — Reviews: Rolling Stone (“…It’s about as badass as highbrow gets”) Boston Globe (“Bringing in an unknown vocalist, Minneapo ... Continue Reading
If you’ve been paying attention to these rants at all, you’ve noticed that I’ve slowly shifted my focus.  I used to write about my studies in the graduate jazz program at the University of South Florida but have shifted to a business-centric take on music (jazz in part ... Continue Reading
I was (almost) wrong.  Barack Obama did enjoy the music of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis as a part of the inaugural festivities.  The Wynton Marsalis Quartet played at the White House for a private party yesterday evening.  Thanks to Luigi at Wynton’s blog for the following phot ... Continue Reading
