I had the pleasure of being in residence all semester at Vandercook College, working with their jazz ensemble and it culminated a few days with a performance at their wonderful Gala!
I just wanna give a special shout out to my brother Lucas on his St. Louis Musicians Award he received last night, a very well deserved honor on his part.
Lucas started playing drums at our home church, New Salem MBC, when he’s around 10 years old and even before then he had a love music and a love for gospel music and choirs.
I played guitar when we started playing in church. Then, when we lost our organist, I started trying to learn to play organ and we became the dynamic duo along our saxophonist Wilbert Glasper, who always encouraged us to continue to grow and develop as musicians. As I got a little older and started my journey through college and eventual moving away from home, Lucas begin his journey love studying the organ and the great organist in and around the St Louis Metropolitan area. Lucas was particularly fond of the great Kirk Massey (RIP) and we often listened to Joseph Price at Rhema church on Sundays after the church on the radio. (Just to name a few)
When I left home to go to grad school one of the one of my major worries was leaving my Dad and my church with no one to play organ, but little did I know Lucas was ready. He was there and he stepped up and now he plays one of premier churches in St. Louis.
He is outstanding at the organ. It doesn’t bother me one bit to say he is a better organist than me, that makes me proud!
What I appreciate the most about him is he’s the organist a ones of St Louis’ premiere congregations, he leaves there and often will play at churches that may not have the support and have a full band and he’ll go and support churches who may not a have a organist or musicians at all, sometimes playing 2-3 services on a Sunday.
That speaks to his spirit and heart to serve because he doesn’t have to do that, he willingly does it and I couldn’t say enough about that.
I pray that he continues to serve, and he continues to be blessed as well as be a blessing. Facebook I’d love you to to help me wish my brother Lucas, a congratulations on his award and Lucas, keep going higher!
Happy to announce an upcoming album released that I had the honor of producing for my wonderful bandmates, The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective. This humbly is our best work to date and I’m sure you will love it! April 10 it will be Available on all media outlets #nowind&norain
#chicagosouljazzcollective
#yourfavoritebandsfavoriteband
#Calligramrecords
Yall weren’t playing when you said time goes by fast in raising your kids. Feels like we just left the hospital with him last week and now, I have a 9 year old. FB, please wish my son Langston a very Happy Birthday.
