Times are a busy! I have been very fortunate to collaberate with some faboulus musicians and play with some new and exciting groups. One of those groups is South Farwell, recently voted “Best New Band” by entertainment and culture magazine, Volume One, in their “Best of The Chippewa Valley 2009″ poll. You can buy the band’s debut album -Tear Everything Down – at digstation.com. The video below was taken during a special Labor Day event to help promote the new Back Stage Concert Series.

At the Back Stage Concert Series, the bands, the audience, and the bar are all right on the State Theatre stage among the bricks, rigging, and lights — a space theater patrons rarely get to see. The usual auditorium is curtained off to create a unique back-stage environment where music lovers of all ages can gather to see performances from some of the best Chippewa Valley bands. Join us and experience a fresh take on live music.

I’m also part of another great band called Duncan Ninja, which placed third in the “Best New Band” category in the same poll. Duncan Ninja is a recently formed funk group comprised of two suave singers, five hot horns, and a ripe rhythm section. They play music by Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, KC & the Sunshine Band, and more.

I also had the opportunity to play with legendary drummer Butch Miles with the Saint Croix Jazz Orchestra in the Twin Cities. Butch made a name for himself as the drummer for the Count Basie Orchestra from 1975-79 & 1997-2007. His bio also includes big band performances with Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dave Brubeck, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter. By keeping up-to-date with my tweets, you’ll be reminded of upcoming shows and other worth while experiences that deserve micro-blogging.

The Walk/Klenx Jazz Sextet has almost completed the post-production work on our demo, so keep checking back! Downloads will be posted as soon as they are ready! As always, check out my “Upcoming Gigs” roll to the right or click the “Shows” tab above for detailed information on upcoming shows.