7/22/05 [ busy, Busy, BUSY!]

Well, the good news is: I'm working a lot. And the bad news is: I am working . . . A LOT. With the addition of the Zilker Summer Musical every Thursday through Sunday, and a few other random gigs I've picked up July and August are jam packed with music for me. Check out the GIGS PAGE for the full list of places I'll be playing. There's something almost every night of the week for awhile!! On the Chamber Jazz front, we have officially been given the first Sunday of every month at Copa and have no plans to slow down with our production of new music. The next show will be Aug 7 and we will have new music as well as the favorites all you CJE fans have grown to love. :) Don't worry you'll all get the reminder email as the show draws near.

6/20/05 [ Good Show, Good Band ]

Well another success at Copa with the Chamber Jazz Ensemble! We had a considerably smaller crowd this time but they were very supportive and seemed to be into the music. The good news is that those of you that missed us this time around due to conflicts with Father's Day can catch us again on July 10 back at Copa. They served a small but affordable menu of Quesadillas and Nachos last night which were very good! I'll be sure to keep the emails coming to all of you on our list.

As far as the band and the music went, this was the first gig where things came together a little bit. The band played great and Stephen and I were very happy with everyone. The coming months will be an exciting time for this group as the sound solidifies!

Coming up I'll be with Kevin at Cedar St tonight and every Monday and at Roy's on Saturdays. Check out the GIGS PAGE for more info. 'til next time!

2/22/05 [ At a Loss for Words]

Sorry for the incommunicado over the last few months. The transition from regular school-year lessons into summer lessons has proven a time-consuming feat. Things are churning along as usual with my steady gigs with Kevin Ahart at Cedar Street on Mondays and Roy's \(now on Saturdays - we're the new weekly headliners\). Kevin is still somewhat of an undiscovered talent here in Austin so for those of you reading this in the Central Texas area, feel free to come out on a Monday or Saturday and discover him!

I just returned from a week long trip to Flordia to visit my Mom and my sister and family with new nephew Robbie. Somehow it rained for the entire week. We did manage to squeeze in a round of golf in the one 4-hour window we had between thunderstorms.

Coming up next weekend I'll be performing with the Chamber Jazz Ensemble at Copa again. We're beginning our new regular performance series there. We will be there June 19th, July 10th, Aug 7th, and then the first Sunday of every month thereafter. I once again would like to stress that the music you will hear at our performances is rare and beautiful. Don't let harsh economic conditions wither this beautiful bloom - SUPPORT LIVE JAZZ! For more info visit the BAND PAGE. Hope to see everyone at gigs around town!

2/22/05 [ Chamber Jazz Success at Copa ]

A huge, heart-felt thanks to everyone who came out this Sunday for the Chamber Jazz Ensemble performance at Copa. It was an overwhelming success with the turnout. We had more than twice the numnber of people we'd estimated show up, and we packed the place for almost the whole show. Stephen and I are truly humbled, flattered, and greatful for everyone who supported our work this weekend! The band sounded great (despite the large ammount of sight-reading going on) and it was a blast to perform our music after nearly a year of slaving over hot pianos/computers to get it all prepared. It was such a success that we've been invited back and will be booking another performance sometime at the beginning of April. We will have some new music and possibly some guest soloists to keep things spicy. Stay tuned to wilswindler.com and chamberjazzensemble.com for more info. It was a very exciting gig, and we're looking forward to our next opportunity to see you all.

1/31/05 [ Chamber Jazz Ensemble Booked ]

Great news, everybody! We have booked a performance for the Chamber Jazz Ensemble on February 20 at Copa. Copa is a bar and restaurant on 3rd St just south of Congress. We'll be playing all original music from 6pm-9pm with a small cover charge of $5. Steve and I have been working very hard preparing the music and keeping the band alive while we hustled some gigs, and we finally have a place to play here in town. This group is unique to Austin in that we are playing modern, 21st century, large-ensemble jazz music with a subtle sensibility. More to be posted as the date draws nearer. Please come out and bring everyone you know!

12/21/04 [ Great Band at Cedar Street ]

My gig last night at Cedar Street with the Kevin Ahart Sextet was a total blast. I feel sorry for all of you out there that missed it! The band is starting to come together as we've added Matt Russell on piano and shifted Steve Smith over to trombone (his main axe). The book is filling up with music (arranged by me) and Kevin is, as always, singing his butt off. There is nothing mediocre about this band and the style is accessible to pretty much anyone! What I'm trying to say is [1] COME CHECK US OUT, and [2] look for us around town in the future!

As the holidays approach, I have been enjoying a much-needed break from teaching, playing, and generally having resposibilities. Now that April has returned from Colorado (where the plays with the Fort Collins Symphony), we have nothing but fun in store for 2 weeks!! I'll be in New York from Jan 5-9 visiting April's family and checking in with old friends in the city. If any of you guys up there are reading this, drop me a line a maybe we can hang out while I'm in town. Happy Winter Break to you all!!

11/20/04 [ The Music Continues ]

I just finished the gig at the Galaxy Cafe this evening and it was a BLAST! Playing with an excellent rhythm section is always a delight. We had Ed Jarusinsky on drums and Larry Natwick from Blanco on piano and they both played great tonight. It is remarkable how much the people at the cafe seem to enjoy the music. When jazz is done well, most people with any sort of sensitivity perk up and feel the good vibes, even if they don't really understand it. I often feel like jazz is something that people just don't like, but lately as I've seen the way people react at my gigs around town I feel like there is hope. We weren't limiting ourselves tonight -- nothing I>too crazy but we definitely weren't stifling what we wanted to avoid offending the audience. It was just a good scene all around. Usually the Saturday night band is Paul White's Quartet, and they'll be back next week. It's a good hang that's worth a visit.

Things are also a-buzz with the Chamber Jazz Ensemble. Stephen and I are hard at work writing new music for the band and we've got a rehearsal to keep hope alive in a few weeks. Having my own ensemble for which to compose music is also a great joy. I don't have to make any comprosmises because things are set up just the way I'd like them. The only problem is begging people to come play with us. It's not a $$ maker yet. But, based on how things have been going out on the scene, there's hope for us yet!! More news on the development of the band as it comes.

And, in case any of you were wondering, our Wednesday night gig at 219 West has been cancelled. Things just weren't working out. We're trying to find a replacement on Wednesdays and it will be posted right here at wilswindler.com as soon as we get it hooked up! .

10/24/04 [ New Site Opening ]

Welcome to the new site!! It's been a long time in the works, but it is finally ready for public consumption. I'm going to reserve the "official" opening until I have all the content loaded, but for those of you who have stumbled upon this new version early, congrats and enjoy!

It has been an exciting time for me here in Austin over the last several months. I've begun working steadily and have a number of exciting projects in the works. I recently finished recording the demo record for my new 10-piece Chamber Jazz Ensemble (with composer/trombonist Stephen Smith) and we're out shopping it around to scare up some places to play. We've got all the top Austin guys in the band and are looking to break some new artistic ground around here. I've also been playing 3 nights each week with Kevin Ahart as well as doing all new charts for his book. Keep an eye on this band - you'll be hearing from us a lot! Overall things are settling in for me as I'm getting back in shape from my year away from the music biz. Only recently have I found my stride again on my horn and playing has become a joy again. Keep on coming back to site to visit because updates will be frequent again (now that I have stuff to report!!) If you have any comments about the site feel free to [ email me ]. Stay in TOUCH!!