A huge most enjoyable and monumental step forward for me, both professionally and personally, at the end of 2023 was a long awaited trip to Miami, Florida for two live concert shows there with a stellar ‘creme-de la-creme’ cast of players: Jim Gasior-piano, Jaime Ousley-bass, & Ludwig Afonso-drums. The events were brainstormed with me by my friend and fan for almost 20 years, jazz radio personality, writer, and patron, Edward Blanco. The first of two concerts occurred on Dec. 1st at The Jazz Gallery in the studios of WDNA (https://wdna.org), one of the greatest jazz stations in the world. That concert was recorded and we anticipate it to be released on CD later in 2024. I had a great time in Miami, being hosted by Ed and his wife Pillar, and WDNA. I made new friends and fans. I was introduced to the vibrant and appealing culture of Miami, while Miami was introduced to my own unique brand of Latin-Jazz. Thankfully, the results were warm, embracing and loving on both sides! Hence, more concert visits and musical collaborations between Cincinnati & Miami peeps are now in the works. The 2nd show I did was at The Miami Jazz Cooperative, where Ira Sullivan used to hold fort: https://miamijazz.org You can see that show in its entirety and unedited on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/ecQIZG_rsSo?si=fx18QPXb9Sbc50j7