As usual, summer has been extremely busy, but lots of fun.  I was really excited to see and hear the music I wrote for the narrative-dance show Mama’s Boy come to life in June.  The show got some great reviews from the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, Reader, etc., and they all had great things to say about the music.  It was my first experience writing music for dance.  Combining musicians, electronic elements, and tap dance was especially challenging, but I’m proud of how things turned out.  Luckily, my good friend Arne Parrott and I were able to split up writing tasks with because we had nearly two-hours worth of original music to compose in about a month.  Reviews are below.

This week, I’m also excited to be hitting the road (sort-of) in support of a great new album by Aakash Mittal.  Here’s our itinerary. Please come if you can!

7/31 Sugar Maple (Milwaukee, WI) 9pm $8
(http://www.mysugarmaple.com/)
8/2 Surplus of Options (Chicago, IL) 9pm $10
(http://www.surplusofoptions.com/)
8/3 Dakota (Minneapolis, MN) 11:30pm $5
(http://www.dakotacooks.com/)
8/4 Ice House (Minneapolis, MN) 8pm $8
(http://www.icehousempls.com/)
8/5 Skylark (Chicago, IL) 10pm $5

Finally, I’m really looking forward to headlining the House of Blues with Leah Druzinsky on Aug. 24th.  She could really use your help filling the place, so buy tickets here!

Reviews:

“One classy first-time-ever touch: four onstage musicians play a score composed or arranged by two of them, Arne Parrott and Kurt Schweitz. And this shit is good. Mama’s Boy is set in the primordial ooze of Maxwell Street in the 20s and 30s, just as the Depression hits, and the tunes suggest jazz, blues, a little klezmer, and some tango, without ever overwhelming the story or the tap dancing, which establishes character and feeling.” read more

“A sensational ensemble of 14 dancers is set in motion by a sublime four-piece onstage playing a richly jazzy score by keyboardist Arne Parrott and bass player Kurt Schweitz” read more

“An ambitious undertaking, richly accompanied live by a quartet of musicians whose members devised the impressive original score, “Mama’s Boy” is rich in period atmosphere” read more

The musical accompaniment… helps drive the story. It never overpowers, but combines with the tap rhythms to create a beautiful sound for the show. read more

My workstation for Mama’s Boy (bass not pictured)

Picture from a recent City Winery gig: (courtesy of CB Lindsey)