Pretty cool huh? We had a contest on Facebook and these two won as final pieces to use for artwork. The cover is by very talented Bmore artist Mandy Stafford and the back is by Tomas Drgon (a regular at our weekly Monday gypsy jazz jam session). The entire layout was done by Saxman and graphic designer on the side, Matt Rippetoe at Sideman Creative. I highly recommend Matt for your CD or LP design needs.
Oh yeah, did I mention we are releasing VINYL!!!!!!!!! So excited. I have been wanting to release a record since I listened to Zeppelin and AC/DC on vinyl back in my frustrated days as an adolescent. The fine folks at GottaGroove Records are doing the duplication. They are a small operation in Cleveland and everything is done in-house which is rare in that business. Most places outsource to other countries. Definitely check these guys out if you want to make vinyl. They even do a shorter run of 100 which was great for us because we wanted to make it a very special limited edition for our fans.
I think I am most excited about doing a big CD release party here in Baltimore on June 5 at a place that is near and dear to us, Bertha's Mussels. They have been hosting jazz shows for over 30 years in Baltimore and they have a sweet upstairs room for private shows that we hope to pack it with family, fans, and friends. Best part is we get to listen to Jeff Reed Trio afterwards downstairs. Its like our own after party with one of our favorite musicians performing!
Can I say enough about our new bassist Eddie Hrybyk!! Wow. I never thought in a million years that anyone could fill Jake Leckie's shoes. HUGE thanks to Irene Gonzalez for introducing me to Eddie.
Speaking of Irene, she and her daughter Monica will be appearing in our upcoming video along with some select folks who donated extra generous amounts to our kick starter campaign and various fun friends plus a few dancers. Yes our secret music video will be shot at our not-so-secret favorite hang out by Baltimore's own world-traveling cinematographer John Benam!! I am officially freaked out about this thing in a good way. CANNOT WAIT!
Also excited about playing in NYC for the amazing Gypsy Jazz lovers there. We are working on a few different spots throughout the year. And of course Django In June Festival in Massachusetts. That will be an absolute blast and great opportunity to hone my skills rubbing shoulders with the best of the best in the world. It will all culminate one of my favorite groups Le Doigts de l'Homme performing the final big show. This will be an ecstatic experience for sure, and one that I will carry with me as inspiration in shows to come!
Bon voyage - Michael
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