Got some new toys and brought them to Seamonster for a show with McTuff (Joe Doria – organ, Andy Coe – guitar). I have no idea what we’re playing in this clip. Got a Ludwig Black Beauty snare that plays beautifully with my DW maple drums, and a pile of new cymbals from the great folks at Sabian. On the stands are:
14″ HHX Evolution HH
19″ HHX Fierce Crash
22″ HH King Ride
16″ HHX Evolution O-Zone Crash
A few weeks ago McTuff visited the KPLU studios in Seattle for a live broadcast ahead of our Bellevue Jazz Festival appearance. The guys played like a dream and luckily a film crew was on hand to capture it all in HD! The video above is of one of my favorite McTuff tunes “Smack,” and you can find two more tracks on KPLU’s YouTube page.
I also just got word that I’ve received an Arts Project Grant from 4Culture! The funds from the grant will allow me to write for, rehearse, and record Happy Orchestra over the next year AND compensate everyone in the band for their time and talent. Keep an eye on the Happy page of this site for updates.
Thanks to KPLU, 4Culture, and all of you for the support! Great things to come…
Some great shows are happening in the next few months that I wanted to highlight! Here’s what’s coming up:
– trio with Andy Coe and Delvon Lamarr on Wed, May 20
– an in-studio set with McTuff on KPLU Thurs, May 21
– a duo show with Earshot Jazz Hall of Famer Amy Denio at Olympia’s Washington Hall on Friday, May 21
– McTuff plays the Bellevue Jazz Festival on Wed, May 27
– Thomas Marriott’s Miles Tribute w/Skerik at Tula’s on Sat, May 30
– trio with Skerik and Joe Doria on Wed, June 10
– Happy Orchestra at Olympia’s Rhythm & Rye on Fri, June 19
– McTuff w/Skerik at the Fremont Fair on Sat, June 20
– McTuff plays with Living Daylights at Nectar on Fri, June 26
– McTuff opens for Allen Stone at Chinook Fest Summit on Sat, July 11
This is just a sampling of the incredible musicians I get to perform with. Thank you all for the support, check out the Performances page to see more, and I’ll see you at the shows!
The past few months have been full of incredible shows with equally incredible musicians, including performances in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, and New York. McTuff toured the west and played to packed houses at The Crocodile and Neumo’s, the second incarnation of Happy Orchestra performed to a sold out room at Nectar along with special guests Skerik (Critter’s Buggin) and Barrett Martin (Tuatara), and The Tiptons made their way up and down the west coast and to NYC to audition for the State Department’s American Voices Abroad program.
As for what’s next, I’ll be flying to Japan for a week of wandering and music making, the Happy small group shows featuring incredible Seattle players continue, McTuff will visit MT and CA again in April, and I’ve applied for 4Culture’s 2015 Arts Projects grant to fund writing and recording a full-length Happy Orchestra record.
Good things are happening, thank you all for the support!
I’m happy to report that I’m now a Sabian endorsed artist! I’m proud to have joined the ranks of some of my biggest influences and favorite drummers including Billy Kilson, Mark Guilana, and Terreon Gully, and I’m excited to put some new cymbals to the test this fall. I’ve been using Sabian’s 22″ Artisan as my main ride for years now with great results (you can hear it on Hardcoretet’s last two records and on McTuff Vol. 3 here) and recently picked up a pair of 13″ HHX Groove Hats, a 21″ HHX Fierce Ride, and 19″ HHX Fierce Crash. All of these cymbals have rich body and just the right amounts of attack and decay, the perfect qualities for the type of playing I do with McTuff and the many other groups I get to play with. Thanks to the folks at Sabian for making great cymbals and giving me the opportunity to represent them.
Happily, with the endorsement comes plenty of chances to put those cymbals to good use. Tomorrow McTuff embarks on a two-week, 12-city west coast tour along with the extremely talented players of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. The band is celebrating its 20th year of making music with a new record and national tour, and McTuff is honored to join on dates from San Diego to Seattle. Check the Performances page to see when we’re in your city, spread the word, and come see a show!
Finally, with the members Hardcoretet so busy with their respective projects (Polyrhythmics, Heatwarmer, McTuff, etc) the band is on a bit of a sabbatical. Aside from missing out on making music with those guys, I’m also left without an outlet for writing music of my own. To that end, I’ve started a project called Happy Orchestra that will feature a rotating cast of my favorite musicians and will play a few big shows a year. The inaugural performance will be at Tiborfest at Nectar Lounge on Friday, November 7th and features members of McTuff, Polyrhythmics, and Funky2Death. The bill also includes Richie Aldente, another one of my favorite Seattle groups, and promises to be a ridiculously good time.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement! I’ll see you out there…
~Tarik