This month...a new free piece, two new singles, a podcast interview, and some recommendations.

Free Piece

This month's free piece has a laid back mixolydian vibe. It feels like a Grateful Dead inspired waltz to me. Watch the changing time signatures!

I hope you enjoy playing it.

Slow Go - Notation - TABs

Slow Go - Video

Two New Singles

The first of two new singles was released on March 1st. "Sun on the West River" began as an improvisation for my dear friend and mentor Will Ackerman. 

It was mixed and mastered by the impeccable Tom Eaton at Sounds & Substance.

Sun on the West River - Spotify

Sun on the West River - Apple Music

"As August Fades", the second single that will be released this month, comes out on March 15th. I will be posting Spotify and Apple pre-save info as the date gets closer. This was also mixed and mastered by Tom.

All the singles I release this year will be available for download on Bandcamp. Downloads and TABs will be available on my website.

Tones & Drones Podcast

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with ambient musician Jason Miller for his Tones & Drones podcast. We discussed writing for guitar, tunings, the creative process, teaching, the influence of Will Ackerman & Tom Eaton, and my friendship with David Crosby. 

The podcast is on NPR, but you can also find it on Apple Music and Spotify.

Be sure to check out all the episodes of this wonderful podcast. Jason puts together a fantastic show.

Recommendations

I went to see Greg Koch and his Koch/Marshall Trio at Iridium in NYC this past week. It was a face melting experience. I dare you to find a more fluent blues/rock guitarist on the planet. Greg, his son Dylan on drums, and Toby Marshall on organ are a force of nature when they are playing together. Highly recommended.

Check out the trio's Up'nuh record. 

I was lucky to have Mike Keneally send me a download of his newest album The Thing That Knowledge Can't Eat before it's release. I have been stuck on it ever since. Keneally is one of my favorite musicians on the planet. He is know for his work with Frank Zappa, but more importantly for his large body of original work. He seems to have an endless flow of unique creativity. Also check out his records with The Mike Keneally Band and Beer for Dolphins. 

Wayne Shorter passed away yesterday at the age of 89. A legend who created art right to the very end of his life. On the official Wayne Shorter Instagram, he is quoted as saying, "It's time to go get a new body and come back to continue the mission." That says it all right there.

I discovered his Night Dreamer album early on in college. It has never left me. It changed the way I hear music. One of my all time favorite records. 

After finishing and loving John Williams' Stoner, a friend recommended his western novel, Butcher's Crossing. It is the story of a young Harvard drop out, who is inspired by the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson to connect with nature. He heads west and winds up in the fictional Butcher's Crossing in Kansas, where he joins a buffalo hunting expedition headed to the Rockies in Colorado. 

I really love Williams' writing. Butcher's Crossing and Stoner are both wonderful novels. 

That's all for this month. Thanks for reading these newsletters. I appreciate your continued support. See you in the spring...

Cheers,

Vin