Hey Goat fans, we have a new website up. Its a blog format so feel free to comment away. You can check out news, gigs, music and more there. Check it out at www.goatisevil.com. We’re working on updating content there frequently so you’ll have a reason to come back again and again, (a little unlike this site!)

You dig?

Frieze of Life may well be playing our last gig ever on Monday night, July 12. Come on down to Cafe Racer and check it out. Chris is   headed to New York soon, but Jay is coming out of retirement (at least for a tune or two). Mark, Geoff, Byron and I will remain in Seattle and play music…

Frieze of Life has been a great project over the years. We’ve made a lot of great music together and I feel like all these guys are my brothers. We have a lot of fun when we get together too.

Check out a free track: Moose Knuckles

See you there. Cafe Racer, 9:00 pm, 5828 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle

Its almost June 09 and I haven’t done any updating to my website/blog/myspace/etc in almost a year.

I’m hoping to change that soon…

The new Goat record, Special Agent, is done! Come join us to celebrate at Lo_Fi Performance Gallery. May 31, 9PM. $7 cover, $12 cover with CD. Lo_Fi is located at 429 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle

The record sounds great! We had a great time making it and are very excited about the results. For those of you who cant make it to the release party don’t fret. You’ll be able to download the record directly from my website as well as purchase a physical CD, on May 31. Keep an eye on the website for more details!

So I hang out occasionally at a local dive that has a rather colorful clientel. Its a good place to watch basketball highlights. No one there knows I’m a musician.

I’m sitting there talking with this guy while watching the latest sonics loss on ESPN. He had been downtown close to Jazz Alley. For those of you not from Seattle Jazz Alley is the “finest” club in town. A place where all the national acts play. Anyway Mr Man used to work for Jazz Alley and was commenting on the people leaving, how hey look rich how much money that place makes. One of the reasons? And I quote “…because, you know, you can pay jazz musicians spit…”. He said it like its common knowledge.

I raised my eyebrows, nodded knowingly and sipped my beer…

Found some great pictures of the wall between Egypt and Palestine coming down. Courtesy of BBC an New York Times. Thats one down and how many to go?

I’m in a new trio called Goat. Actually an old trio I’ve just recently been added. I play tenor and ewi along with Skiff Feldspar on guitar and Denali Williams on percussion. I really enjoy playing with these guys and find its a great outlet to experiment with the ewi. Check out more about us here and our MySpace page here.

Below are a few cuts from a recent session we did for KEXP’s Sonarchy Radio. Sonarchy is run by Doug Haire and is a huge asset to the scene here in Seattle.

Moon Rises

Muted Terrorism

Cool goat picture eh?

Let us know what you think!

A little shameless self-promotion here…

I’ll be presenting my piece for large ensemble, Mobileson October 5th at the Chapel at Good Shepard Center in Wallingford, 8PM (directions). The piece features composed and improvised material, exploring concepts inspired by the art of Alexander Calder, particularly how forms move through space, expressed through core musical elements arranged in different ways throughout the piece. There are large sections of improvisation (conducted by me) as well as scored material. I’m lucky to have the following great musicians playing it:

Jesse Canterbury – clarinet
Beth Fleenor – bass clarinet/clarinet
Mark Taylor – alto sax
Stuart MacDonald – tenor sax
Tom Varner – french horn
Chris Stover – trombone
Greg Campbell – percussion
Bob Rees – vibraphone
Gust Burns – piano
Monica Schley – harp
Janet Utterback-Peck – violin
Geoff Harper – bass

If you’re in the Seattle area drop by and say hello and see what I’ve been working on non-stop the last 2 months!

Mobiles is made possible by a grant from 4culture.

I think the first time I heard Pavarotti was when I was a kid and he appeared on the Muppet Show. I was riveted, drawn simply by the timbre of his voice. I didnt know such a thing was possible. I wanted to know more about him so I asked my father about him. He informed me he was italian…

He was one of my heros for many reasons, but one I respect most was he was his rhythmic fluidity, a trait he took a lot of flack for from the classical world. He has an improviser in many ways. I’ve heard he didnt read music but would have the printed words to read from, and would use his ear to learn the rhythm and notes. Bravo.

What I admire most about him was the intimacy of his voice. Something about his voice forces you to deal with it. You cannot deny it, it must be dealt with. Thats the mark of a great artist.

Kofi Annan and the Italian premiere Romano Prodi were at his funeral. The Pope sent a message. The people of Modena stopped and applauded as his casket was brought to the cathedral. The Italian airforce flew over the cathedral at the end of the service and released red, white and green smoke.

All this for an artist. An artist. It really is important.

Plus he played with Queen…