Last night's gig

Last night’s gig at the Heathman was some good fun. Joining me was Kevin Deitz on the bass, and Luke Soasey on the saxophone.

I haven’t had a gig with my friend Luke in at least 6 years – we couldn’t really remember exactly how long it had been. We both have small children, so maybe the sleepless nights have blurred our memories? He has a daughter, 2 1/2 years old, with his wife Molly. And I’ve got my two little munchkins. I do remember that we both performed at each others’ weddings – at Lukes’s, I sang “At Last” as Molly walked down the aisle, and at mine, he played a Calypso dance tune for the recessional. So some details stick in my head, after all! Good memories.

It was really great to gig and reconnect with an old friend. My favorite tune last night was “Cantaloupe Island” by Herbie Hancock. I only like to do that tune when I have someone like Luke in the band – and he ROCKED it. In case you’ve never heard that tune before, it is a jazz must-hear.

And Kevin was really awesome, of course. His bass solos move so fast sometimes – where do all those notes come from?!? He is truly a seasoned musician and I always love when he can be in the trio.

Thanks to all the fans that came out to hear us. I saw a bunch of old friends and made some new ones! We’ll be back at the Heathman April 9 – hope to see ya.

Surprise Advertising

You gotta love it when some people you’ve never met come to the show, and they say, “We saw a write-up on your band in the newspaper, and thought we’d come check it out!”

Recently, at a Heathman gig, this is what happened. And, it was a surprise – I had NO idea there was anything at all in the paper!

I called my agent, the great Andy Gilbert of Pacific Talent, to ask – What? How? When? He told me he sends out press releases every month of all the acts he books, and the writers just pick a different act month by month. So this month, it was my turn! Or our band by lucky chance? Either way, I’ll take it! Thank you, to the writer, Rob Cullivan – we’ve never met, but apparently you’ve heard us perform. Thanks for coming to the show and writing some nice things about us!

The article – short, but good – here it is:

“Pianist-vocalist Naomi LaViolette is a lyrical musician who knows how to string together the perfect run of notes, just enough to show you she’s got chops, on the keys or in her voice, but not so many that she overwhelms the beauty of a melody. She fronts a sophisticated jazz-acoustic-classical group, which writes its own tunes and also performs jazz standards and classical melodies. If you’re planning to pop the question, this is the band you want playing when you do so.”
The Portland Tribune, December 10, 2009

Welcome

Hello everyone! If you want to find out how the gig was, what’s happening with CD recording, just jump on here, I’ll do my best to post all my musical thoughts, dreams and plans.

2010 is the year, I say, for my first full-length CD to be recorded and available. The ball is officially rolling and I’m ready to get these songs down. At this point, songs to be recorded are as follows:

1. Words or Not

2. Hey Yeah

3. I'll find you there

4. Love on a rainy day

5. Lullaby

6. My superman

7. Fragile

a folk song:

8. Since you've asked

and because I love to do jazz standards, a couple of those as well:

9. Little Girl Blue

10. A beautiful friendship

11. Love is here to stay

I’m working on a new song called “Your Good Girl” – about a good girl who falls in love with a baaaaad boy. I hope it makes it on the disc but I’ve got to find some time to write between gigging, rehearsing, raising the kids, and did I mention yet, I’m a slave to my sourdough starter? It makes the best bread and I love to make it weekly – but it’s a time commitment! ahh, bread or new songs, that is the dilemma…

I'm also trying to figure out all this web marketing stuff – updating facebook, myspace, maybe even Twitter (is it really necessary?), and ILike and Amazon and ITunes and Rhapsody and sheeeeeeesh the bread might need to be bought at the store!!

Found a great quote today: When words fail, music speaks. – H.C. Anderson