Pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and music director whose work has earned two GRAMMY Awards, 14 nominations, two Latin GRAMMY nods, and an Edison Award. Plus, his musical direction for the Jazz at the White House broadcast earned an Emmy nomination. He performed with Miles Davis, has collaborated with Chaka Khan, Stanley Clarke, and more, plus he has been musical director with Steely Dan, Queen Latifah, and others. In addition, he spent a decade as Lead Arranger for American Idol and The Tonight Show. He currently tours with Dianne Reeves and various European orchestras, all while preparing three releases for this year, supported by global tours.
“Oftentimes when I'm at museums looking at art or even just walking down the street or in a hike or something, I hear music. So, lately I've been singing into my phone and composing this way because I feel like sometimes when I compose at the piano, sometimes muscle memory gets in the way. You end up writing what you know already. And when you sing, you're pretty much freed up.”
“I've always been an improviser. I'm a jazz pianist at heart, and that's what we do is we improvise… That’s where I live.”
“When I first started getting interested in the music seriously, I wanted to write, I wanted to compose and play piano and, so, I was already doing that. I'd played drums… I played oboe all the way through school.”
“When I moved to Hollywood… there was a lot of opportunities… studio work was still happening… I was lucky enough to get into the session scene.”
“I called Chick (Corea), I’ve kind of known him off and on since my days with John Patitucci, … And he's always, it's funny all these geniuses are so clear and open to being supportive to young musicians, and he's one of them. Herbie (Hancock)'s one of them. I've been blessed to be around a lot of those guys that are kind of, bring up your own, in jazz they say, ‘We bring up our own children’.”
“We work a lot at The Village (Studios) in west L.A. I've done three movies with him at Abbey Road.”
“Miles Davis would be 100 years old this year, 2026. And of course, he inspired musicians in all genres, right? He's iconic, visionary. He's changed music three or four times. The way people listen to music now you wouldn't even realize that that's the influence Miles had. But he had a huge influence on creative people. I worked with Miles in 1989. I joined his band.”
“The (Herbie) Hancock Institute produces International Jazz Day, which happens every April 30th. And we've been doing that for 15 years. Destinations all over the world. We've done Turkey, Cuba, the White House, St. Petersburg, Australia, New York, Paris. A lot of places. This year it's in Chicago. And we have usually about 30 musicians from all over the world perform. And my job is to kind of put them in groups and help them decide what music to play and arrange it and rehearse them. Make sure it's recorded right.”
“I've worked hard, my whole life to do this. I keep wanting to learn, I keep practicing, keep trying to find things. And now I'm able to have these opportunities to bring it to people, you know? It's wonderful.”
“Concentric”
“Captain Senor Mouse”