Musicians Union in Hollywood!

I played with a big band at the Musicians Union in Hollywood yesterday. Oh, I love energetic music 🎶 I had so much fun

playing the bass as well as dancing while I was playing! 🕺

Musicians Union in Hollywood!

Musicians Union in Hollywood! 🤗

As always, I rocked out the studio and danced whole way through. Oh I had a blast! The band members changes all the time in this band and today the trumpet player who used to live in Japan for 25 years came in! He was sitting in front of me, turned around and said "hey, where are you from in Tokyo?" in Japanese! My jaw was right on the ground.

I'm hoping to collaborate in the near future; him on trumpet and me on shamisen or sanshin!

It's spring! 🤣👍

Spring is here! 😆

How are you, friends? The spring equinox had passed a couple of days ago and the Northern hemisphere is officially in spring now! Well, I am really surprised that it was actually winter all this time. For the first time in my life, I almost got heat stroke in the middle of winter.🤣

I just made the first noise in spring at the Musicians Union in Hollywood! Ah yes, I felt so good to play loud in a big band! I was just too happy playing and dancing and doing both at the same time!

Aaaaa, I so wanna play more….. I need more of the good stuff…. I’m like suffering from withdrawal…..

Musicians Union in Hollywood!!

Hello,

The weather is great as always! LA has been almost 90F lately! Well, I’ve heard the weather in Boston and New York haven't been so bad either so there is no point of being sarcastic about it. Sigh. Not fun. I have to find other topics that I can be sarcastic.

I had fun at the Musicians Union in Hollywood yesterday! The time working with professional musicians putting our heart and soul is priceless!

All Saints Church in Pasadena!

I'm about to play at All Saints Church in Pasadena! Look at the cool robe! 😄👍

Grand Annex in San Pedro!

Hello my brothers and sisters in Boston and New York. I've heard another big storm had hit you guys. Oh well, watch yourselves in there. BTW, I'm enjoying nice iced latte at a Starbucks under lots of sunlight right now. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! 😆 Last night, I played to open the famed bluegrass musician, Wille Watson, as a part of the French group I toured with before🇫🇷

Willie really packed the venue and the show was sold out. I was a bit nervous to play non-bluegrass music in front of full-house of hardcore bluegrass fans. I was bracing myself for a few beer bottles thrown this way. There was only one thing I could do, that was to feel confident of ourselves and decided to have lots of fun on the stage as always! Well, the audience was super nice and they did enjoy our performance! I certainly enjoyed playing in there and also enjoyed the Willie's show very much along with everybody in there! That was awesome! 😄👍

Back in Musicians Union in Hollywood!

This is the first time to come to the musicians union in Hollywood after the tour. Well, I felt totally different tension in there from the stage because I need a different skill. Our job on the stage is to entertain our audiences for whatever it takes. Our job in the studio is to read the charts precisely and play as the composer imagined or even better. I have been almost only playing on stages and I am now trying to change my career to be a studio musician.

I was thinking I had to choose one or the other, but that's not true. I’m going to do both. I can do it. It just takes more time. That's all.

Done with the tour!

There wasn't a snowstorm ❄️ We didn't hit any deer 🦌 Therefore it was a very very good tour! 😄👍

We drove ten hours back to Seattle from Great Falls, Montana last night and I'm about to jet to LA.

It was a short tour but definitely was a productive, connected me to lots of great people and sure is leading me to future. The funny thing is that I kind of decided to retire from this touring business a while ago but I realized on this tour that I'm still in love with touring.

I am going to seek the way to somehow do both touring and recording. I just enjoy standing on the stage in front of audience.

Photo shoot in Seattle!

We just did a photo shoot at beautiful Bellevue Botanical Garden in Seattle! Photos came out pretty good! 🤗 Well, there is a reason for it. Two singers of this group are actually professional models. I learnt some serious modeling today! That was fun!! If you need a short middle-aged Asian guy for modeling, you know who to call! 😆👍

Right-O, now the photo shoot is done ✅ We are going to rehearse a bit then hit the road. It's going to be a 11-hour drive to Great Falls, Montana. Wish us luck!

Heading to Seattle, Washington!

Leaving Eugene and heading to Seattle! Seattlians! (I don't know if it's right demonym) Fierce accordionist and bassist are coming to you!

Oregon!

I reached the biggest city of the State of Oregon, Portland. I'm almost there to Eugene! 😆

Mid-West Tour!

The first tour of the year!

I'm trying to slowly change my career from touring musician to studio musician, and I'm still on the process! This tour is a one-week long short one!

At a clinic.....

Brrrrr 😨😨😨

It's been cold in LA. Well, if LA is this cold, Boston and New York must be like -300 degrees. Hey, friends in over there, are you guys still alive?

Though I'm usually healthy as a horse, I've been going to a clinic for a month now 🏥 It is not until you lose your health that you realize the value of it. Oh well 😔

Friends, take good care of yourselves. 😊 Stay healthy!