The month of August started off by a trip to Flint, Michigan with the Scott Tixier Quintet, which included some wonderful musicians based out of Brooklyn, NY. The crowd at the 30th annual Flint Jazz Festival was amazing, and I really enjoyed playing with Scott, a fantastic jazz violinist from France. He's making waves in the jazz world, so definitely keep your eyes and ears open for him :-)
Mid-month, I had the pleasure of flying to Vermont to record with a fellow William Paterson alum and great saxophonist/composer named Brian McCarthy. We spent the weekend playing around town and preparing his music for the studio. The music was definitely happening, and the atmosphere in Vermont was just beautiful! I wouldn't mind spending more time up there :-)
And, last but not least, I concluded the summer with a blast from the past. While in high school, I was chosen to participate in a highly selective jazz camp in Vail, Colorado. I learned a great deal and met a lot of wonderful musicians. Fast forward to this summer: I receive a call from Howard Stone, the man in charge of the Vail Jazz Festival, as well as creator of this career-making program for high school musicians. He invited me to perform, this time as a professional, alongside 2 other Vail Jazz Foundation alumni, Corey Fonville, a prodigy drummer from my hometown, Virginia Beach, as well as Joe Sanders, an unbelievable bassist out of New York. We had the honor of playing with incredible musicians such as Houston Person, Terrell Stafford, Warren Wolf, Byron Stripling, Wyclef Gordon, and many others. I couldn't be more grateful for the experience!