Anyone hanging around the site has seen all the changes and the growth of the site! It's really incredible what's happening. Probably the most exciting thing for us is Gary Burton joining the site and sharing with us thoughts on playing, his career and life. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that that would happen. This is a wonderful gift.

Things like this start taking the site into new directions. In a way he's started an archive of the history of the instrument. He's played such an important part as we all know.

This is a group I play in. What's interesting is it's Guitar (Steve Giordano), EWI (John Swana, and myself. It's fun to play without a bass player! All the roles of the instrument change.

This is Footprints, the last I'll post from the gig. I really respect Steve and John, they're musicians of the highest order and I think there's a lot to get from there playing.

This is a group I play in. What's interesting is it's Guitar (Steve Giordano), EVI (John Swana, and myself. It's fun to play without a bass player! All the roles of the instrument change.

This I thought might be interesting to check out. It's a more contrapuntal take on 'All the Things Your Are'. Both Steve and John and phenomenal musicians, I think.

This is a group I play in. What's interesting is it's Guitar (Steve Giordano), EWI (John Swana, and myself. It's fun to play without a bass player! All the roles of the instrument change a little.

Steve Giordano was and I think is my mentor. I've mentioned this before and probably many times. I learned more about the vibes from him than any teacher I studied with.

Whether I'm successful at it or not, this is how I hear the vibes as a solo instrument.

I learned a ton from Steve and was at his house every week from the 80's to the mid 90's. There was a few of us and we would just play and play.

He's a real passionate player and I love that in him.

I don't know if this is such a big topic, but it's one I always find interesting when the situation occurs. I think no matter how long you have been performing, there are still moments when you can get psyched out by seeing someone you know sitting in the front row. Tonight Jonathan and I are going to Miami to see Chick and John McLaughlin and their current touring group. It promises to be a great night of music and we have tickets right up front. This is one of the few times I will be in the audience to hear Chick play.

Tifoo posted a YouTube of pianist Makoto Ozone playing Rhapsody In Blue, and I was delighted to see it. Makoto has bcome quite active as a classical pianist in the past decade, and I have never seen him playing with an orchestra till now. Coming from a jazz background, it's natural that two of his primary performance works are Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue, and Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F major. Both feature piano cadenzas written out by Gershwin, and of course played by thousands of pianists through the years.

hey all .. i think ive gone crazy ...whew... here is the first take of me trying to be a guitar player via reason 4...

Todd Isler is a great drummer and percussionist. A real expert in the world music genre.