Alarm Will Sound is my band.  To know that I’ll have a good musical experience on every gig not only makes me look forward to it, but also inspires me to play the best I possibly can.  Everyone in the group is kick-ass in some way or another, and when everything really comes together, there’s no better feeling in the world.  Although AWS has been the most steady band I’ve been in in the past decade, it’s not the only one that has made me feel this way in my life.

They have been few and far between, though.  One really special band I’ll always be proud to have been a part of was Beyondo, formed by my old roommate Eric Biondo.  Eric took the band to the Banff Workshop in  May of 2000, which was one of the best experiences of my life.  Some of the people I met and worked with during that time have gone on to have really awesome careers.  There were too many awesome times at Java’s in Rochester to mention here, but trust me when I tell you the shows were always packed and always unpredictable.  Eric, if you read this, you gotta get that original band together again someday.

I’m discussing this because I feel this way about the Northern Lights Trio with Mike Jellick and Jesse Kramer.  It’s extremely liberating to play with these guys and I’m honored to be asked to play with them.  I’m hoping it turns into a long-standing collaboration.  We had a great time as usual last night.

My recommendation for those of you studying music, and jazz especially, is to seek out this kind of musical camaraderie.  You’re not really playing music until you’ve felt a special connection with a group.  When the music makes you smile, you’ll know you’re doing something right.

Also, thanks to Mark Johnson for the record!