Alon Yavnai Trio with The NDR Big Band.
December 19, 2005.

This is Alon Yavnai directing the NDR Big Band (National Deutch Radio Big Band). They commissioned him to arrange some of his music for this great band and he chose to bring his onw trio (me and Take Toriyama) to play with them instead of their regular rhythm section. These guys were great! They read all those arrangments like they wrote them. It was a great experience and with a little luck hopefully and not to far in the future we might be able to enjoy this music in CD format since it was all professionally recorded.

Alon Yavnai Trio in Mexico.
November 27, 2005.

The first time for me in Mexico. I spent a few wonderful days in Villahermosa in the sate of Tabasco with my friends and band mates Alon Yavnai and Take Toriyama. We did some workshops and played at the local 4th International Festival of Jazz. Hope to back there soon.

Gilfema.
November 4, 2005.

Gilfema is Lionel Loueke on guitar and voice, Massimo Biolcati on bass and Ferenc Nemeth on drums and percussion.
As of today the selftitled CD ‘Gilfema’ is available in stores world wide.
The CD was produced by Michele Locatelli for the German-American Label ObliqSound and it can be purchased directly from the label’s online store.
The CD can also be purchased from online music stores like Amazon.com or through direct download from the iTunes Music Store for those of you who need that instant gratification!

La Scala.
August 25, 2005.

I’m very excited to introduce you to my new baby!
This is my new La Scala bass (Serial No. 186) from the New Standard Bass Co. made by Arnold Schnitzer and Wil de Sola. It’s an incredible instrument and day after day, the more I play it, the more I love it.
Here below is a piture of me with Arnold Schnitzer the day I picked up the bass.

Gilfema in Hungary.
April 19, 2005.

The past two weeks I was in Europe playing with Gilfema (Lionel Loueke, Ferenc Nemeth and me). We had a great tour mostly in Hungary. We were met by fantastic audiences and ejoyed large quantities of goulash with a particular highlight on the one made by Ferenc’s mother (mama Eva).
Ferenc’s father (also called Ferenc) took us to hear the local Gypsy Band that was incredible. After a number of Palinkas (Hungarian aquavite) they even had me playing with them.

Alon Yavnai Trio in Uruguay.
January 20, 2005.

Back in NYC after quite some traveling. Holidays at home in Torino, Italy this year. Last week i spent it in Uruguay with the Alon Yavnai Trio for the spectacular Lapataia Jazz Festival. We had a blast playing two concerts there, one featuring Tom Harrell as a guest and the other one with Paquito D’Rivera as a guest. The festival is on a farm so during the more intimate and soft moments (a bass solo for example), you can enjoy cows and goats accompanying the music. It was very shocking to come back to snow and winter after being in the hot summer sun for a week. Also the locals where incredibly warm and welcoming. A memorable experience.