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20 20 24 Hours to Go…

We have arrived at “the night before”. In a few minutes I’ll be heading to the studio to load in my equipment, along with Angel Michael Lau (percussionist) and Todd Isler (drums and percussion). We’ll be setting up the ‘foundation’ of equipment – the pieces that need stands and wires – plus setting a few microphones and checking levels, all in the interest of expediting things “day-of-show”.

Rehearsals have gone very well considering there aren’t enough of them, and it’s only through the talent time and energies of the amazing musicians I have the good fortune to work with that the work will come off at all. i’m tremendously excited, but with an undertaking of this size (for me, that is) I’m also considerably nervous. (Some Dutch Courage might be in order, hmmm…)

And with that I’m out the door to the studio. See you “on stage” – in your homes – tomorrow evening. Cheers!

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Solve for “X”

Greetings from the beautiful Hudson Valley, in not-quite-so upstate New York. There is much history here, and beyond the revolutionary war themed everything, there is a great history of Art here. The Hudson River School of painting started here; Washington Irving wrote his famous novels set in this area, and the Symphony for the New World of Dvorak sings of the grand vistas, lush green mountains and pristine waters.

Into this mix I humbly offer my voice. I have for many years created music here, in a tremendous variety of styles and purpose. But now at age 58 I wish to bring all the styles, sounds, textures and ideas that have thrilled me across my professional life under one “umbrella”, if you will. In a new, flexible context, one which will enable myself and other composers to reach for something a little different. And so I present to you, and to the world: The X Ensemble.?Using elements of Jazz, Ambient Music, Minimalism, Traditional Classical and much more, the X Ensemble finds new ways to bring commonalty to the diverse language of music.

Our premiere concert took place on October 16th 2016 in Newburgh NY, to a sold out crowd. The program featured original compositions in various styles, plus reworked music of Beethoven and Gershwin.