this year has gone by real fast. I feel like I haven’t done anything. What do I remember ?

new Antibalas management transition

the Anti Ball and Women’s March in Washington DC

Denver with Antibalas and Galactic and getting to visit Tia Susi and Tío Paco for the first time in 15 or so years

the Aretha Franklin tribute at Carnegie Hall with Antibalas

a working vacation to LA, visiting friends and recording with Jeff Bhasker for the Angelique Kidjo Remain in Light album

playing two shows with Antibalas in Seattle on my birthday

performing in Asheville at the LEaf festival, seeing Plena Libre and Lee Fields and visiting an old friend and eating enchiladas

the Billie Holiday tribute at the Apollo Theater

performing Remain in Light at Carnegie Hall with Angelique Kidjo

a friends wedding in Fort Lauderdale

having a pretty good tomato and pepper harvest and lots of wildflowers

playing in Salt Lake City with Antibalas and Kamasi Washington and eating some good mole

a writing retreat at my studio / home with the entire Antibalas band

seeing a bunch of family at my cousins wedding in Philadelphia

Visiting Bend Oregon and catching up with my uncle and swimming in the Deschutes River and then playing a rough and harrowing show at the Oregon Eclipse Festival

performing at a Hollywood wedding in Ibiza

Playing four shows in Tokyo, waking up at 5 am to go to a fish market

recording some new music in Austin with Adrian Quesada and the Ocote Soul Sounds squad

driving all over North America with Antibalas performing songs from our new album Where The Gods Are in Peace

driving to Utopia Festival and swimming and jumping off a rope swing with the band in a creek outside the house we stayed in

being stuck in traffic outside Austin in a van with the band when we got the news of Charles Bradley’s death

seeing some old friends and mentors in Oakland and performing two shows at the Parish

perfoming a duo doing improvised music and TVOTR songs with Tunde Adebimpe at a beautiful home overlooking the Los Angeles skyline

an artist retreat with the Come to Life collective on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia

spending Thanksgiving with good friends and hanging big acoustic curtains in the studio

a trip to Houston to perform at the Menil Collection with Angelique and Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, DJing at the Flat with DJ Sun, visiting old friends

another trip to Salt Spring to record a record with Arouna Diarra and Biko Casini

a trip to Costa Rica to visit family and friends and do an impromptu salon show with Masauko Chipembere and Roberto Roque in San Jose

spending Christmas Eve and day with my Dad, stepmom, brothers sisters nieces nephews aunts uncles and cousins in Philadelphia and watching the little kids overdose on sugar, fun and gifts while the grown ups catch up and turn up

this is was a very full, fast year with a lot of blessings and a lot of tribulations which I’ll spare you. when I look, back it is the visits with family, friends and good meals (mostly involving tortillas)  and making good music that I most treasure. I am grateful for all the kind, charming, hilarious, talented and visionary people in my life. 2018 - more of all that!