I've been subbing in for The Washboard Union while their drummer is on holiday - we're playing tonight at the 12 Bands of Christmas fundraiser for the Vancouver food bank.
Anyway, they've got some cool music - this is one of their latest songs:



It's a lot of fun to play with these guys, so go check them out!

Back in August I had the amazing opportunity to attend the 6th annual Amazonas Jazz Festival in Manaus, Brazil. The trip was extremely eye opening to me, most notably due to the high caliber of local music talent. This video (one of many that I shot) shows Airton Silva, drummer for the Amazonas Jazz Band (certainly among others), demonstrating the application of the Moeller technique to Brazilian rhythms. The only drummer I've seen playing near this level is Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, and his talent is legendary; Airton is truly in a league with the greats. Needless to say, I've got some practicing to do! More photos and videos of my summer travels to come when I get the time.
Enjoy:

Yet another amazing film from Sweetgrass Productions: Solitaire. An amazing backcountry ski, snowboard, and telemark film shot in the high deserts of Argentina, Chile, and Peru, with a narration adapted from Heart of Darkness. The cinematography is spectacular, and best yet - 100% human powered! These guys really raised the bar for the genre.

SOLITAIRE: A Backcountry Skiing, Snowboarding, and Telemark Film from Sweetgrass Productions on Vimeo.