New Tomorrows CD RELEASE PARTY!

It’s been a long time coming but the “New Tomorrows” CD is finally officially coming out! On Friday, July 20th at the Zinc Bar (82 West 3rd St., NYC, www.zincbar.com) sets at 7pm and 8:30pm I’ll be augmenting the original duo of myself and Adam Rafferty on guitar with Kahlil Kwame Bell on percussion and the string quartet of Alan Gruber (violin), Patrisa Tomassini (violin), Ina Paris (viola), and Sujari Britt (cello). Cover is $20. We’ll be playing selections from the new CD and some surprise fun ones!

As some of you know this recording was intended to be my debut recording but many other (successful) projects came my way and this always ended up on the backburner. Finally I determined this had to happen and I was going to do whatever it takes to see it through. The first recording sessions I did with Adam Rafferty were in my basement in the summer of 2008. When it was clear that what we were doing was quality and my engineering skills were not capturing or doing justice to the music we were playing I decided we had to move the project to a regular studio.

Engineer Halsey Quemere became my right-hand man as we finished all the duo tracks between two different studios over the next few months. Being that I was an active producer producing recordings for other artists I wanted to try some things that I hadn’t dared try on a client’s record. I loved the tracks that Adam and I had recorded but I kept hearing so much more. After doing a short tour as a sideman with Kahlil Kwame Bell’s band, and since he is a dear friend and one of my favorite percussionists, I asked Kahlil if he could step into the studio and add his brilliant playing to side of the tracks that we recorded. What he did was nothing short of amazing as he was able to lay percussion tracks on top of a bass + guitar duo that hadn’t played along with a click, metronome, or any other sort of timekeeper and the natural rhythm between Adam and I in places had moved around quite a bit.

I was still hearing more. Vocalist, Maya Azucena, and I had become friends having worked with Allan Harris’ Cross That River project. I knew she had the right voice to make the outro of “Lugano” just perfect which she absolutely nailed it. But I was still hearing more. I called violinist, Alan Grubner, another Cross That River alum and we talked about what we could do to add some strings on a few of the songs. The string parts that Alan and I started with went through several revisions before finally there were some arrangements that worked out. I asked Earl Rose to arrange the strings on his original “When Do I Think About You” that Adam and I had recorded. And Adam had written a gem of a song in “America” originally written as an ode to 9/11. For that I went to the master, Gil Goldstein. Gil not only did the “America” arrangement but gave additional advice on the arrangements of “Lugano” and “What Are You Doing” about a week before the string quartet (Chala Yancy, Patrisa Tomassini, Beth Meyers, and Rubin Kodheli) went into the studio to lay everything down with the latest drafts. That session went really well. I was still hearing a little bit more. I wrote a new violin 3 part and asked Grubner to come in and lay down some extra parts. Yes, we’re getting there.

Finally at the mixing phase one tune kept bothering me. There was something missing on “I’ll Always Miss You” which I had actually recorded on Eric Lewis’ debut CD. I called in Gary Versace to add some accordion to give it some mystery and depth. It worked.

Between the mixing, editing, and mastering efforts of John Kilgore, Bennett Paster, and Gene Paul we finally got it done. Here it is! And on July 20th at the Zinc Bar we do it live. I hope you can make it! It will have been a journey worth making. Hope to see you there!

 

Honing your Life Energy Focus

Well everybody, I’m going to dive into something I’ve never done before as a blog post on my website. This is a subject so important, if you follow this practice it can focus all of your life’s thoughts, energy, and activity, leading you to the results that you really want.

For six months now I’ve been raving about diet/exercise, optimal health lifestyle guru, Bill Cortright. We met two years ago and since I’ve become a student of his work. I’m going to share one of my all-time favorite techniques of his, the Green Focus Power Hour. I highly recommend visiting his website, www.livingrightwithbillcortright.com, and joining his podcast on thestressmasterypodcast.com for some the best information I’ve ever heard on achieving your life goals and highest energy states through diet, exercise, and a practice he calls Stress Mastery.

I’ve been doing the Green Focus Power Hour almost everyday for the last four months and the results are above and beyond anything I would have imagined. I will include a synopsis here but for a more complete description go to this link www.livingrightwithbillcortright.com/free-e-books, download the free ebook “Real Energy” and proceed to page 9.

The Green Focus Power Hour (GFPH for short) is made up of six 10-minute steps that are designed to re-energize, re-program, and re-focus your subconscious mind on what you are really trying to do in your life. Set your timer for 10 minutes and when the timer goes off it’s important to stop (maybe finish the last thought) and quickly move to the next step. The steps must be done in order, there is a logical succession for this sequence. 

Green Focus Power Hour (10 minutes each segment):

1) Read: Read a personal development or spiritual-related book. Use the same book until you finish. This step opens up your mind to allow for new possibilities and likely an improved direction.

2) Journal / Write: It’s essential that you write with pencil or pen and paper and not use a computer or type. You can write anything you want, you are releasing thoughts in your mind, many of which are searching for a safe outlet. You’re also keeping a record of the evolution of your inner thoughts over time.

3) Affirmations / Speak: Every word you speak is a direct order to your subconscious. Your subconscious orders determine the actions we take. Personally I like to write them and say these out loud. Start with “I am whole, perfect, powerful, and strong. I am loving, harmonious, and happy. I am peace”. Use this to open your affirmation section at minimum for the first 30 days. Another personal favorite touch of mine is, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.” This reminds you that today is a clean slate, what happened yesterday is in the past. Next I like to say/write Bill’s Law of Mind: “What I think, I create; what I feel, I attract; what I imagine, I become.” This is a very powerful law which works both ways so we must be careful what we think, feel, and imagine because that is what our reality will become. Next I like a goal-setting method I learned from Brian Tracy (“The Miracle of Self-Discipline” free PDF, page 4). Write ten goals in the present, positive and personal tense. Begin each goal with the word “I” followed by an action verb (i.e. “I earn $xx,xxx by December 31, 20xx”). My personal final touch is ending this section with the statement “I feel gratitude for all of my life’s experiences”. I find this statement catapults me away from blaming others for my circumstances, helps me take responsibility for what I do and feel, and helps me to embrace everything that’s ever happened to me – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and celebrates the whole thing as one continuous life experience.

4) Visualization / See: Create (I like to write as well as visualize this part) a movie of a day in your life five years from now. Include the Five Life Categories of: Career, Finance, Health, Relationships, and Spiritual/Personal Development. Start from when you wake up, throughout your entire day, all the way to when you go to bed. Be as detailed as possible imagining what all five senses are experiencing and your feelings, as if you are actually 100% there and present.

5) Meditate / Relax: By the time you get to this section you will be very relaxed. Sit with a straight back (not leaning against a chair, as if the top of your head all the way down your spine were hanging from a string above your head – not rigid but straight for an optimal open air passage). Do not lay down as an open air passage for optimal air flow is an important key to meditation, plus you do not want to feel fatigue. Throughout this process you are totally aware and awake. There are many meditation techniques but a good beginner technique is to breathe through your nose keeping your mouth closed and just observe and notice the air slowly flowing in and out of your body. Take deep diaphragm breaths and focusing on the air movement will take your mind off of your everyday life and also help you feel more connected to everything around you.

6) Exercise / Move: No rules here. Just do some movement for 10 minutes or more. Take a walk, jog, in place or go outside, do push-ups, yoga, stretch, jumping jacks, jump up and down. Some people head to the gym or start a longer exercise routine. Just do something for at minimum 10 minutes to move around.

When I first started doing this I thought it was crazy for someone as busy as I am to find an hour a day to engage in something that wouldn’t even take an item off of my to-do list. Admittingly I started by doing two a month. Then two a week. Then four a week. Then daily. If things were really bad I’d do 5 minute sections instead of 10 minutes. Worst case scenario is to do 5 minutes on the first 3-4 sections (everybody can find at least 15-20 minutes). Doing something keeps the continuity on the busy days where an hour is just not going to happen. I found that I’d quickly get back to the full hour at the first available opportunity because I was missing too much when I cut it short.

I wanted to share this with all of you as this has been maybe the best “success technique” I’ve ever tried. I found over time I became less busy yet more effective because I was more focused. Also I encourage you to follow and listen to Bill Cortright as his mission is to create an upward energy shift in the planet through teaching health on all levels of being. He has many other teachings and “life hacks” that are of great value. I do hope you give this an honest try. Bill requires all of his personal students to do this as a condition of studying with him. I thought that sounded harsh until I tried it and now I know why. This is like “practice time” if you are a musician or athlete but it covers all the areas of your life, not just one. Let me know and hit me back if this works for you. I will be practicing this everyday myself until further notice. Enjoy!!

Dee Daniels at Smoke!

Dee Daniels is featuring a stellar, all-star band at Smoke Friday, Feb 14th and Saturday, Feb 15th, 2014. The weekend at Smoke is celebrating a CD Release Party for “State Of The Art”, her debut on Criss Cross Jazz Records. “State Of The Art” is also the first vocalist-led album for the famous Criss Cross Jazz Records label, who have been releasing recordings for over three decades. The band features vocalist, Dee Daniels, with Antonio Hart on saxophone, Paul Beaudry on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums, and Cyrus Chestnut on piano for Friday night (Feb. 14th) and Helen Sung on piano for Saturday night (Feb. 15th).

Dee Daniels is world-renown for telling stories with her songs along with her amazing voice and vocal range. The new release “State Of The Art” features her ensemble’s interpretation and arrangements of 12 jazz standards. This weekend’s performance will feature mostly songs from the new CD but will also highlight a few others from previous releases.

Sets are 7pm, 9pm and 10:30pm at Smoke, 2751 Broadway (at 106th St), New York, NY 10025. Reservations highly recommended 212-864-6662. See you there!

Pathways at The Kitano Feb 7th!

Paul Beaudry and Pathways will be returning to The Kitano on Feb 7th, 2013 with some new music and arrangements of jazz inspired by popular and folk songs of the Americas and South and Central Asia. As “your jazz passport to the world” Pathways will play their version of songs they’ve experienced on the road as U.S. State Dept cultural ambassadors or songs of internationally acclaimed composers not well known in the U.S. Featuring music from Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Suriname, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and many others it will be a unique, unforgettable and global musical journey.

Paul Beaudry & Pathways is Paul Beaudry – bass; Tim Armacost – tenor sax, soprano sax, alto flute; Bennett Paster – piano; and Tony Jefferson – drums and vocals.

Sets are 8pm and 10pm at The Kitano, 66 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. Reservations recommended 212-885-7119. $10 cover, $15 food/drink minimum. See you there!

Free concert July 11th!

We’re doing a free concert at 6:30pm at Waterfront Park, Dobbs Ferry, NY this Wednesday night as a part of Jazz Forum Arts’ 13th Annual Dobbs Ferry Summer Music Series. We’ll be featuring music from our latest CD “Americas” as well as a few from our self-titled debut “Paul Beaudry & Pathways”. We had a successful tour in Venezuela recently and added a new song from there “Alma Llanera” to our repertoire.

Here’s a recent review that just came in of “Americas” from the Critical Jazz blog.

Jacques Schwarz-Bart will be joining us again on tenor sax along with myself, Tony Jefferson on drums and vocal, and Bennett Paster on piano.

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012
Waterfront Park, Dobby Ferry, NY
6:30-8:00pm
Free parking at Metro North train station during concerts
(Indoors at Embassy Community Center, 60 Palisade St. if rain)

40th Birthday Party at Smoke

Well what do you know I’m turning 40 this week. It’s been a long up and down road but I can’t think of a better way of celebrating than to play some of the greatest music in the world, with some of the greatest musicians in the world, at one of the greatest places in the world, celebrating with some of the greatest people and my favorite friends in the world. May the Creator bless everyone and let’s continue working toward and hoping for a brighter future for all. In the meantime we can stop and celebrate the journey.

Come by even if it’s just for a moment and be a part of the celebration (and bring a camera). Here’s the info:

Dee Daniels Quartet:
Dee Daniels – vocals
Bob Kindred – tenor sax
Carlton Holmes – piano
Paul Beaudry – bass
Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax – drums

Smoke
Thursday, July 5th sets at 7pm, 9pm, 10:30pm
2751 Broadway (and 106th St.)
New York, NY 10025
7pm & 9pm: no cover, two-course dinner prix-fixe available for $29.95
10:30pm: no cover, $20 minimum (dinner optional)
212-864-6662
www.smokejazz.com

Hope you can make it!
Paul

CD Release party at the Kitano!

Paul Beaudry & Pathways will be releasing their second CD Americas on May 17th at the Kitano. Released by the Soundkeeper Recordings label the music features some of the songs we heard and played on our 2010 Rhythm Road tour to Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Nicaragua and Honduras as well as songs from four other countries in the Caribbean and South America. Songs included are: “Every Time Ah Pass” (Trinidad), “Maria” (Suriname), “Nicaragua Nicaraguita” (Nicaragua), “El Bananero (The Banana Vendor)” (Honduras), “D’leau” (Haiti), “El Panuelo De Pepa” (Cuba), “Zamba Alegre” (Argentina), “O Que E Amar” (Brazil) and lastly “Harmonia Mundi” (USA) written by our pianist, Bennett Paster. Many of the songs are popular folk tunes but played using our original arrangements and keeping their Caribbean or South American flavor.

The music we play on May 17th will feature mostly songs from the new Americas CD but we’ll also play a few from our first release (Paul Beaudry & Pathways) and some we learned from our latest tour to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh and India. It will be a mixed bag of music and definitely a night to remember! Also we’ll be signing CDs and it will be the first opportunity to get one in person.

Sets are at 8pm and 10pm and the address is The Kitano, 66 Park Ave (at East 38th St), New York, NY 10016 featuring their new jazz room! There is a $10 cover and a $15 food/drink minimum per person per set. Come party with us, this release has been highly anticipated internationally since our return from our 2010 Latin American tour.

 

“Americas” Paul Beaudry & Pathways new CD!

The quartet, Pathways, recorded a new CD for the Soundkeeper label last spring called “Americas”. It will be released in May of 2012. It will feature many of the tunes we learned on the road from the Latin America tour last year and our jazz arrangements of a few more Caribbean and South American songs. More on that as it comes closer.

 

Kickstarter CD Fundraising Campaign

The Kickstarter CD fundraising campaign for the ‘Paul Beaudry & Adam Rafferty – New Tomorrows’ project was successful. It looks like that CD will be ready for release by the summer of 2012. By that time it will have been 4 years in the making, that project started in 2008.

 

Rhythm Road Central Asian Tour 2011

My jazz quartet, Paul Beaudry & Pathways, recently completed a Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad tour to Central Asia. In October 2011 we performed and gave educational workshops in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh and India. I’ll be updating my blog soon and finally moving my all my blog posts to this site!