It’s been quiet around here lately, much as it has in my musical world in general. I had a terrific trip to Austria back in late October/early November for the Gansch & Roses CD Presentation Tour, as has already been mentioned. It’s always a great pleasure to be in the company of Thomas Gansch, and the rest of the guys in the group, both on and off the bandstand. The new CD, Resal, is now out and receiving good reviews. It is available, so far, from Schagerl or Hoanzl in Austria; as yet it’s not showing up on Amazon or iTunes – I’ll post those links when they’re available. For folks in the USA, I do have a few copies left in my online store – you will find the price to be a bit more reasonable there. If you’re in Europe, it will work out cheaper to buy from the Austrian stores.

Included on the Resal CD is the studio version of “Der Rock des Trompeters – A Tribute to Bill Chase”. If you’re looking for the live video, with Thomas Gansch and Adam Rapa, which has been frequently posted on my homepage, you can find it here.

Since my return from Austria, life has continued apace in New York. Most of my musical activities have been in the educational realm; not only teaching trumpet lessons but also doing some “substitute band directing” at NYU. I’m pleased to say that the Online Skype Trumpet Lessons have become increasingly popular, with students on both sides of the pond. During 2010, I’ve worked with students from Austria, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, in addition to the USA. The Skype technology has improved noticeably over the past couple of years I’ve been teaching through it – it really is worth considering!

Looking forward to 2011, it seems likely that I will be visiting Europe again in June. There are a couple of likely projects in Austria at the beginning of the month and I’m already starting to schedule some gigs and lessons in the UK afterwards. Aside from musical endeavours it will, of course, be good to get back and visit my family. More details will be forthcoming as they are firmed up, but please keep it in mind if you are interested in booking a lesson, or could use me for any kind of gig!

In the meantime, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and all the very best for the New Year!