Yoshi's last night, July 11 - Thank you Bay Area!!

Last night was so much fun!  Not only did I share the stage with some great musical friends, but some 200+ people came out and supported my music and expressed their enjoyment of my music.  Yay!

I arrived at 4:30pm and Joi was already set up and ready to whip my hair into shape.  The musicians all arrived early and set up for sound check.  I had invited several musicians to perform with me, so it was a logistical challenge, but we managed.

After sound check, Tiffany worked her makeup magic on my face, even managing to disguise the two (yes 2!!) crazy mosquito bite on my forehead.  I mean, who gets mosquito bites on their face????  Me...before a show...that's who...lol

Finally, Joe from Yoshi's came back stage and gave me the 5 minute warning.  Tiffany finished the makeup, and everyone took their places waiting for the cue.

As I walked onto the stage, my heart filled with joy upon seeing the faces of so many of my family, friends, colleagues and apparently even the Governor! Governor Brown was having dinner at Yoshi's and some of the audience members told me that he stood in the door and listened to my performance.  I have no idea for how long, but I hope he enjoyed what he heard!

Overall, I had a great time sharing my music with everyone.  The band played my music wonderfully, the crowd was enthusiastic.  My only complaint is that I wish that I'd been aware of the positioning of the piano before the show.  I need to be sure that I sit in a way that allows me to see more of the audience.  I love making a connection with the listener, looking people directly in the eye, and that's really hard to do at the angle I was in last night.  Live and learn!

I performed a wide range of music last night: some classical-tinged, some jazz, some pop.  I actually enjoy the diversity, and the feedback I've received has been extremely positive, so I have no reason to assume it's a bad thing to offer a range of musical styles in a single show.  I debuted 2 new compositions last night, Nexus and Paris Rain; vastly different but I love them both!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the band, Daniel Parenti, Tommie Bradford, Cam Perridge, Sundra Manning, Amy Levine, Kevin Wong, Luq Frank, Angelo Tomandl, Kymberly Jackson.  You brought my arrangements to life, and made the stage rock!  Thanks to Joi, Tiffany, Rodney, Nina and Toi for taking care of the behind the scenes work (make up, hair, errands, photos etc.).  Thanks to the staff and management at Yoshi's for providing the venue and food!  I look forward to the next show!

And thank you to the audience members for supporting my music!  A few of the faces I remember seeing: Dad, Lita, Nina, Jermaine, Eric, Roz, Norma, Ricky, Mary Ann, Monica, Mariah, Regina, Mr. Bill Bell!!, Dan, Laura, J.R., Bob, Lenny, Rockhaya, Sade, Milly, Zaza, Jaeda, Janelle, Jane, Daniel, Linda, Mary, Colin, Candace, Savannah, Roland, Wandah, Lujana, Zack, Chelsea, Jennifer, Paul, Clarence, Victor, Aaron, Dale, Kevin, Tommy, Hyim, Cynathia, Paisley, Gerald, Baron, Jen, Cava, Caprice, Alexis, Timothy, Jeffrey, Tyra, Emily, Amy, Stabe, Barbara, Bryan, Jim, Darian, James and many others I can't name at the moment - forgive my memory.  Thank you all!!  I love you!