Since my last correspondence, my touring has taken me to the Southwest with gigs in Phoenix and Tucson and onward to the Northwest to Wyoming with a concert tour of the cities Sheridan, Gillette and Powell. Wyoming was arranged by the great drummer Ronnie Bedford who teaches percussion at Northwest College in Powell. The tour featured performances with his trio, the college big band and a series of clinics. Ronnie and I go back many years and he playe on my Kurt Weill album. When he was on the east coast we did lots of concerts and clubs together.

I saw some spectacular scenery going over the Big Horn Mountains and my camera was operating in full gear. The distances are vast out there and people think nothing of driving hundreds of miles to go to the "local" shopping mall. This was my second trip in these parts. The last time, guitar legend Chuck Wayne joined us.

Lately I've been getting requests to explain my own multi-mallet technique, particularly my special grip. There are different mallet techniques out there, but the one I worked out for myself seems to fit me to a "T" and is apparently of interest to others. It was showcased at a special concert I did called "The Art of the Vibraphone" at the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium this past spring. Also featured were my original compositions and arrangements.

Here is a concert I would love for you to make if you are in the NYC area this fall: Noted jazz promoter Jack Kleinsinger will be devoting a special evening at his popular "Highlights in Jazz" series to musicians who left their native countries to come to the USA to become jazz artists. The concert is called "Jazz Is My Passport" and will feature artists from countries such as Kyrgistan, Brazil and others. I will perform with my trio, which consists of bassist Dr. Lyn Christie from Australia, guitarist Roni-Ben Hur from Israel and yours truly from Nova Scotia, Canada. Jack's concerts draw large audiences and if you're a jazz lover you will be in good company. Reservations and ticket info are listed below.

Jack has been a well respected jazz promoter in New York for over 30 years and has featured some of the most notable jazz stars during that time, including most recently McCoy Tyner, Dave Brubeck, Keely Smith, Carol Sloan and others. Just this summer he was honored at the JVC Jazz Festival with a special evening devoted to his contributions to jazz. I am always honored to play at his concerts and to be a returning guest.

More news later on... Cheers,

Warren Chiasson