2015 was a fun year for me. It was a good amount of teaching, as well as performing. In May I was the guest artist for the Spring Jazz Festival at Klein Collins High School, where I did some masterclasses and a performance with the band. Over the summer, I played at a music festival in Austin called NMASS (New Music Art and Sound Summit) with Damon Smith, Sandy Ewen, and Steve Parker. I also played duo with Sandy Ewen at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin that was a lot of fun. In August, I went down to Pearland High School and did some summer clinics/masterclasses with the saxophones in the band. In September I expanded my teaching to 30 students, and started as the saxophone teacher at Cypress Woods High School. I worked heavily with my students on music for the Region/Allstate band competitions, as well as UIL Solo and Ensemble. Overall, it was a diverse collection of musical activities that made me stronger as both a teacher and musician.

The Danny Kamins festival is happening tonight at the AvantGarden in Houston. Big thanks to Damon Smith and Sandy Ewen for putting this on. I’ll be playing a duo with pianist Robert Pearson, and a trio with Sandy on guitar and Rebecca Novak on trumpet. Starts at 7:30, $5 cover.

I’m moving back to Houston from Chicago this Xmas, so I’ll be playing a farewell gig at Myopic Books in Wicker Park on December 22nd, 7:30 pm. With Samuel Mosching on guitar and Pete Manheim on drums. For more info: http://www.myopicbooks.com/music.html

I’m happy to announce that I’ll be playing at the Avant Garden in Houston, TX on 11/24/14. I’ll be playing with Abel Cisneros on drums, Teofilo Bijarro on bass, and Damon Choice on vibes. Stay tuned for more details…

I’m happy to announce that my band Organ Yank just finished tracking a new record with awesome recording engineer Caleb Willitz, known in the Chicago area for his work with Greg Ward II, Jeff Parker, and many others. We’ll be mixing and releasing it soon, so stay tuned for more details!