WOW - been home for a few days now from my DC trip and feeling really off. Tired and moving slow most the time. I guess the jet lag stuff gets worse with age?? Sure seems like it right now!!

The previous 2 posts are DC Stories and Adventures. I had a great trip and loved DC!! Typical of a blog, they read backwards - second half of the story first. Sure you can figure that out!

So, I got home and had to be at Yamaha first thing the next morning. I did an unusual event in support of the home audio department. Yamaha took key buyers thru a tour of all the things Yamaha has been working on to expand their views of what a great company they really are! Cool Idea!

I represented the Wind Atelier as a Yamaha Sax guy and addressed questions about Yamaha vision, interaction with pro musicians and demonstrated a few different saxes for them to get to hear how design and finish effects the sound. It was really fun because these were not sax players or even musicians. They were normal people, as I like to call them!

The response was amazing. They honestly could not believe the sound difference between different pro sax models. The one thing I heard all day was, "I thought a sax was just a sax!"  It was a fun day with some really awesome people. I then got my Tenor adjusted (really needed it) and had lunch with the sax guy - Jeff.

What a great company!! I love Yamaha! They go out of there way to educate and promote everything that falls under that large name. I am blessed to be apart. The wrap up meeting with all the guys at the end was very cool because they all seemed to be charged up about our time together and response was amazing!!

Shown above are a black Alto 875EX, sliver Custom Z and white 875EX - Tenor Saxes were 875EX with black lacquer and silver plate. To answer the obvious question. Which one was best?? They all have different sound and spread - it would depend on the person playing it and the sound they preferred. I want them all!

After Yamaha - picked up my little girl and hung for a whole hour before running out to play Simply Fondue and Hennesseys in Dana Point. Got home real late and hit the web for a little more abuse before crashing at =4.

Friday I had to start shedding for an Album release party for Yukiko Matsuyama - Creme Brulee. The show was up at the Remo Drum Center in North Hollywood and was Saturday night. I spent much of Friday and Saturday listening and going over the music to get ready for the show.

I had not been to the Remo Center and was really impressed - had a ball! The gig went great!! We had a cool Japanese Drum group open for us and then Yukiko and band killed it! The room was packed - standing room only! The band was all star players! The gig went great and I even sounded prepared for once! hahaa!!

The CD Cover is pictured left. I got to play on the CD and really love the world music meets pop instrumental fun! Yukiko is a classically trained Koto Player and is very good to say the least! The CD sounds great and I actually love the sax solos on it. Being my worst critic I often don't love stuff I did - this was really nice all the way thru!

The Band - Yukiko Matsuyama - Koto
A native of Osaka, Japan, Yukiko plays the Japanese Koto.  Although classically trained, the music she enjoys playing these days is a wonderful mix of East meets West cultures. It’s definitely not what comes to mind when one imagines traditional Koto music.

The band features Diana Dentino on keys, Vince VanTrigt on bass, Voyce McGinley III – drums & percussion with Special Guests: Munyungo Jackson – percussion,  Greg Vail – sax & flute. 

I saw LOTS OF CAMERAS and VIDEO pointing at the stage so hope we can enjoy some of the show online soon!

Today being Sunday - much of the day was spent taking video off DVD for future upload, edited a bunch of pictures and just finished a half day upload to FLICKr!! See the Slide Show here !!!! OVER 4000 images and almost 30,000 views thus far! Love FLICKr!!

Awesome February so far!!! Be blessed and stay warm in possible!
SAXBOY - Greg Vail