Unless you have lived under a rock for the past week you have heard about the terrible earthquake in Haiti and how it killed more than 200′000 people. The numbers are staggering and hard to comprehend. The poorest island of the Carribean sea, flattened beyond what I’m afriad we can’t even begins to comprehend.

The easiest and most immediate way for you to help is to text the word HAITI to the phone number 90999 and let’s hope that the Red Cross bureocracy won’t delay the arrival of this money to the people who need it the most!

My friend Bridget O’Neill has always been a comedian but as far as I know this was the first time she took the stage (the Moth at the Bitter End in NYC) for more people to appreciate her hilariousness… This is the PG rated version and it’s funny already, but I hear she’s got a rated R version that she performs privately for friends… I’ll have to ask her next time I see her.

P.S.: She’s funny and nutty alright, but did I mention she is single? I guess if you look like a firefighter and you think like an artsy person you stand a good chance with her ;-)

Smile Kid :)

“Smile Kid :)”, the second full length album by youg Florida-native band WE the Kings just came out in December. I did some engineering work on it at EastSide Sound and could tell these guys were really talented and had their shit together. The tracks sounded great and their playing was right on. I just heard the record and it’s as powerful, catchy, melodic and good sounding as you’d expect… If you are into radio-friendly power-pop definitely give this a listen, they are great!

Look out for the new Manorexia record by Foetus mastermind Jim Thirlwell, out sometimes this year on the amazing Tzadik label. We’re mixing it these days and it sounds really great!

Just got back to the beautiful skyline of NYC after an amazing trip that took me to three countries and seven cities in a little over 10 days. I did so much in 10 days that I feel like I need a vacation to recover from this vacation ;-)
The best of all is that I did it with miles accrued from flying around on tours and other trips. Sweet!

South East Asia is a truly incredible place, full of excitment, nice people, culture, traditions, heritage, music… Of course I couldn’t resist coming back with some new instruments and field recordings of local musicians performing traditional tunes. If I could attach one from my iPhone for you all I would but I’ll just attach some pictures of Thailad, Cambodia and New Year’s Eve in Japan.

Speaking of, I would like to wish all of you ALL the best for a successfull, painless, healthy, recession-free new year, sincerely. I hope it brings you all what you need and deserve!

Just saw this beautiful van parked on Mott St. Very original, very beautiful, covered in B/W portraits… I had to go or I’d be looking at it a while longer to se if I recognize anyone.

6.30am. I’m sitting in a car service that’s taking me home from JFK airport, where I just landed after a long flight from Brazil. This was my first time there and the experience was equal part hell and paradise!
Paradise for the places I saw, the lagoon I kitesurfed in, SOME of the people I met.
Hell because on top of delayed flights with resulting missing connections, within 10 minutes (no joke!!!) of landing at the Brazilian airport I was surrounded by a large crowd (felt like mosh pit at CBGB’s!) who emptied my pockets, leaving me with no wallet (ie no money and no credit cards) and, worse, no IDs and no passport! The subsequent nightmare of consular agencies and embassies is too long to describe but I spent countless hours on phone and email (the iPhone saved my life!), countless money (which my travelling buddies lent me) on cab rides, car rentals, consulate fees, papers and other stuff and about 7 days waiting for an approval from the US consulate (which I was told was gonna take 2 days) and 5 hours in line at the US consulate.
Lesson I learned: always have ALL your IDs and documents scanned and available online for retrival and printing; always have money, IDs and travel documets in differet parts of your body and where you can feel them; never trust a cheering crowd in Brazil; never get robbed in a country where everything is slow and takes forever to happen; …and last but not least get yourself an amazing girlfriend like I have who can get on the horn, make things happen, scan documents, be internet savvy and do things for you (I’d probably still be stuck there if it wasn’t for her help)!

P.S.: oh, did I mention that I have a recording session in 4 hours at the studio?

Roberto Rodriguez is one of those eclectic NY musicians that excell at many things. Whether he does his electronic-philippino world music show with wife Susie Ibarra or he lets his cuban blood take over on traps, cajon and congas or he plays tribute to his acquired klezmer roots and traditions like a real NY Jew, Roberto always does an excellet job and gives his 200%. Tonight, right now, at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein atrium he is doing exactly the same to a packed room and a long line outside!

Listening to a Conversation with Manfred Eicher, Producer and Founder of ECM Records, interviewed/moderated by critic and author Gary Giddins.
It’s at CUNY on 5th Av and 34ty and it’s about to start.
I am here to learn more about this historical jazz label and to hear a jazz veteran’s take on the state of the industry. I hope that he’s not in denial like many other record label execs… That would be sad.

Seriously, not much musically interesting comes out (or has come out for a long time) from Italy… Zu is one of my favorite newly discovered green/white/red bands but aside from them recently this is the only other band I found that was worth listening to.