Hi Ray. Yeah, for a guy with a last name like Szmik, Bob (our sax player) sure likes those latin-ish rhythms. He also loves Grover (who I first met when he was a 19 yr old in Philly). BTW, we DO do Blue Bossa. Great tune. Maybe we'll do a rough recording of it at our Sunday afternoon Jam.

As far as Smooth Jazz (or Fusion, or Jazz Funk, or whatever), a lot of musicians like it but if they're 'jazz-heads', won't admit it smile. Just because it's simple to play and has a groove doesn't have to mean it's bad. That's just elitism from the so-called 'purist'. As far as I'm concerned, it's not so much WHAT you play as HOW you play it. That's why I like such a cross-section (genre' wise) of artists; from Willie Nelson and Eva Cassidy to James Brown and Aretha Franklin. They all do it with 'feeling'. Speaking of 'feeling', a lot of great singers and musicians come from your neck of the woods.

BTW, I also love it when I see 'old geezers' still excited about 'the music'. Keep it up, Ray. You'll live a lot longer smile.

chas
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"Faith means not wanting to know what is true." [Nietzsche]