News
March 2024 News from House of Cha Cha
My Feb 2024 Downbeat Magazine Production “Master Class”
Happy to announce that I just published “How To Produce a Record With a Personal Sonic Signature,” my third “Master Class” article for the Downbeat Magazine Woodshed section. It’s largely about genre-mashing, one of my favorite record-making techniques. I discuss a bunch of records I’ve worked on and also interviewed several folks whose work I […]
I’m on the Recording Studio Rockstars Podcast!
So honored to be among legends as a Recording Studio Rockstar!!! Please check out this podcast I cut last November with my man Lij Shaw. We had a great conversation that lasted well over two hours. Everything you ever wanted to know about me and more! Check the whole thing out here:
First Master Class video out, plus new releases
Excited to announce that the video of my first Master Class, “How to Produce and Mix Your Own Music,” is finally available via JazzHeaven.com. Follow along as I walk about producing and mixing on your own and as I mix a great track by the great bassist Alexis Cuadrado. New releases: Paraphrase, the new duo […]
Mid-Winter 2022 Newsletter: new Masta Ace video, new Master Class and more
House of Cha Cha 2021 Year-in-Review
2021 was a shitty year overall for the world, but here at House of Cha Cha I still seem to have managed to get a whole lot done. Among my year’s highlights (in chronological-ish order): 1 – My man Stripmall Ballads won a 2021 WAMMIE Award for his awesome record “Distant” (mixed by me) 2 […]
Dec 2021 Newsletter: a Grammy nomination and more!
Mid-Sept 2021 Newsletter: Masta Ace, Master Classes and More!
Read my sporadic email newsletter here.
Making a Record Master Class Sunday Sept 19
Very excited to announce that this Sunday Sept 19 at 1 pm EDT, “Producing and Mixing Your Own Music,” via JazzHeaven.com. I’ll be teaching everything you need to know to make a record from beginning to end, DIY-style. This DAW-agnostic class will focus mixing an acoustic jazz record. I’ll be following up with more in-depth […]
Late summer release: Shine and the Moonbeams – I Am
“Home in America,” the new single from Analog Players Society and Masta Ace is here!!!
So excited to announce the release of “Home in America,” the new collaboration between Analog Players Society and legendary Brooklyn MC Masta Ace, produced and mixed by me! We’ve been doing a lot of press around the song so there will be lots of interviews and podcasts to follow. Thanks so much to Okayplayer.com for […]
“Home in America” lands on Billboard Magazine’s “10 Cool New Pop Songs”
Honored to have our track land at the vaunted Billboard Magazine’s “10 Cool New Pop Songs” column. Thanks, Billboard!
Early Summer new releases from House of Cha Cha: Jon Irabagon, Drifter, Shine & the Moonbeams, Harper Cole
Some new releases for you from House of Cha Cha! First up is Jon Irabagon‘s new solo tenor saxophone record called “Bird with Streams,” from Irrabagast Records. This record of (mostly) songs from the pen of Charlie Parker, was recorded completely outside in a canyon in South Dakota. Since it’s Jon, the results are sublime […]
Get a sneak peak of “Home in America” on the podcast “Reparations: the Big Payback”
So honored to have the podcast Reparations: The Big Payback starring Erika Alexander & Whitney Dow use the new Analog Players Society x Masta Ace track “Home in America” as the closing song of the final episode, which is titled “Can Reparations Find a Home in America?“ Please take the time to listen to the […]
Me and Amon Drum of Analog Players Society on the Songfacts.com podcast
Check out me and Amon Drum of Analog Players Society on the SongFacts.com Podcast from early July 2021. Click here for a transcript.
Great review of “Home in America” on Bklyner.com
Thanks to Bklyner.com for running this great review in their column “Best New Brooklyn Music + Live Choices 6/25 – 7/1.” “Analog Players Society + Masta Ace’s new single, “Home in America,” is one of those meetings of hip-hop and the music sometimes called “jazz,” that’s in the direct lineage of classics like Tribe Called […]
Me and Amon Drum on the Mythaxis podcast
Check out this video podcast of me and Amon Drum talking about Analog Players Society
My June 2021 Downbeat Magazine Production “Master Class”
If you’ve ever been interested in how I approach making records, now’s your chance to get the low-down. I was asked by Downbeat Magazine to write about this very topic for their June 2021 issue.
Spring 2021 Jazziz Magazine article on me and Amon Drum and Analog Players Society
Thanks very much to John F Moore for writing this story about me, Amon and Analog Players Society and the confluence of jazz and the boom-bap in the Spring 2021 issue of JAZZIZ MAGAZINE.
STRIPMALL BALLADS Wins a WAMMIE!!!
Big ups to my good buddy Phillips Saylor Wisor of STRIPMALL BALLADS for his well-deserved Washington, DC WAMMIE for 2021 Folk Album of the Year. I got to mix this one and it was a thrill!
My interview with PostGenre.org
Thanks very much to Avery Logan and Postgenre.org for running this interview with me about the making of the two Analog Players Society records, TILTED, and Soundtrack for a Nonexistent Film.
“Reckoning” by DONNY MCCASLIN and ME is out today!
Excited to announce the release of “Reckoning,” my jazz-meets-boom bap collaboration with the great tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin! Available now on all streaming platforms!
LOWER POWER and STRIPMALL BALLADS: New 2/20 releases from House of Cha Cha
So excited that these two records are finally being released as I mixed them both in 2018. First up is Lower Power‘s One Planet at Time. This is some political hard rock for hard times. Excellent, excellent singing and songwriting from Pat Daugherty. Full disclosure: not only did I co-produce and mix this record, I […]
Buzzed Armstrong’s “Live from Spaceship Earth” debuts May 16
New from me and trumpeter/keyboardist Josh Lawrence, drummer Anwar Marshall: Very excited to announce a new band that will be debuting during Act4Music’s Cloud Festival which in running in the midst of this crazy pandemic.
“Freebird” by Walking Distance feat. Jason Moran garners NY Times best-of and more!
Freebird, the new record by Walking Distance feat Jason Moran, produced and mixed by me, has been out now for a few months and has garnered quite a bit of praise. It was named to the “Top 20 Jazz records of 2018” by the New York Times. The Times also covered the record in their […]
Dred Scott Trio back at Mezzrow November 18
The Dred Scott Trio, with Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums, returns to Mezzrow, the West Village jazz club picking up the slack left by Bradley’s, on Sunday November 18 with two show at 8 and 9:30 pm. Dred Scott Trio Sunday November 18, 8 & 9:30 Mezzrow […]
“Dred Scott Rides Alone” album release show this Sat Oct 13
Come out to the Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 this Saturday October 13 at 8:30 to celebrate the release of Dred Scott Rides Alone on Ropeadope Records. Join Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums as we play the new record in its entirety as well as some DST […]
Today is Release Day for Walking Distance ft. Jason Moran & Dred Scott Rides Alone
Big day for me today. Two records I worked hard on are reaching your earholes! First up is Freebird by Walking Distance feat. Jason Moran, on Sunnyside Records. As the producer and mixer of this record, I worked super-hard on this one. Here’s a brief description: Freebird, the new recording from Walking Distance, uses the […]
Today is Release Day for Caleb Wheeler Curtis’s “Brothers”!
Brothers, the record I mixed for Caleb Wheeler Curtis earlier this year, is out now on Imani Records and I’m excited for it to reach your earholes. This is a wonderful record, produced by Orrin Evans, featuring Seamus Blake, Eric Revis, Josh Lawrence, Luques Curtis and Mark Whitfield, Jr. It goes a lot of unexpected […]
Dred Scott Trio heads back to Ohio and Buffalo
The Dred Scott Trio (Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums) heads west to play a weekend of shows in Cleveland, OH Akron, OH and Buffalo, NY. Join us if you live in the area! Friday July 13, 7pm Blu Jazz+ 47 E Market St, Akron, OH, 44308 (330) […]
Today is Release Day for “Deja Voodoo” by Rivers on Mars!
I mixed Deja Voodoo earlier this year and I’m excited for this Ropeadope release to reach your earholes! The label says it best: The sax man with eclectic plans is back! Avram Fefer plays with the most unique of ensembles, and after delivering his Big Picture Holiday release he has returned with a new project […]
LOWER POWER makes its debut in Tompkins Square Park this Sat June 23!
Guys, I’m super-excited to announce that I’m playing bass in a new punk band called LOWER POWER. The songs, by Pat Daugherty, are off-the-charts good and we’re gonna make a record real soon. Jon Heagle will be on guitar and Gintas Janusonis on drums. The show is in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village […]
Dred Scott Trio plays Mezzrow Wed February 28
The Dred Scott Trio, with Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums, will play Mezzrow, in New York’s West Village, on Wednesday February 28 with two shows at 8 and 9:30 pm. The show will web-stream via their website. Dred Scott Trio Wednesday February 28, 8 and 9:30 pm […]
Show with Brazilian vocalist Emanuelle Araujo at nublu classic next week Nov 3!
I’m really looking forward to this show coming up next week with amazing Brazilian vocalist and actor (she has her own netflix show!) Emanuelle Araujo. It’s at nublu classic and besides me on electric bass, Guilherme Montiero on guitar, Pablo Valera on keys and Stephane San Juan on drums. A great band and some great […]
Dred Scott Trio at Mezzrow Wed August 30
Join the Dred Scott Trio, with Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums, at Mezzrow, in New York’s West Village, on Wednesday August 30 with two shows at 8 and 9:30 pm. The show will web-stream via their website. Dred Scott Trio Wednesday August 30, 8 and 9:30 pm […]
Short Ohio stint for Dred Scott Trio coming up Aug 18-19
The Dred Scott Trio (Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums) heads west to play a weekend of shows in Cleveland, OH and Akron, OH. Join us if you live in the area! Friday August 18, 7pm Blu Jazz+ 47 E Market St, Akron, OH, 44308 (330) 252-1190 Saturday […]
Today is Release Day for Johnbern Thomas Trio’s “Mesi, Merci, Thank You, Gracias”!
I really enjoyed mixing and tracking this record by the Haitian band Johnbern Thomas Trio. They’ve managed to combine legit New York swing with the dance rhythms of their homeland in a really fantastic way. With some help from pianist Aaron Goldberg, this record really rocks. Check it out! Amazon Spotify Apple Music
Dred Scott Trio to play Mezzrow March 27
The Dred Scott Trio, with Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums, will be playing Mezzrow, in New York’s West Village, on Monday August 30 with two shows at 8 and 9:30 pm. The show will web-stream via their website. Dred Scott Trio Wednesday August 30, 8 and 9:30 […]
Dred Scott Trio restarts weekly Rockwood show next Monday
Yes, it’s true. After several years off, the Dred Scott Trio is coming back to Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 every Monday at midnight, starting February 6. So stay up late with us and hail satan! Dred Scott Trio Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 every Monday at midnight starting Feb 6 196 Allen St, New […]
New Year’s Eve with Queen Esther at the Kennedy Center
Happy to announce that I’ll be back at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage with the inimitable Queen Esther to ring in 2017! It’s a stellar band including Patience Higgins, Warren Smith, Todd Londegan and Jeremy Bacon. Come and celebrate with us! Queen Esther & her Hot Five Kennedy Center Millennium Stage December 31, 2016, 6 […]
Dred Scott Trio does Mezzrow Wed November 30
Join the Dred Scott Trio, with Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums, at Mezzrow, in New York’s West Village, on Wednesday November 30 with two shows at 8 and 9:30 pm. The show will web-stream via their website. Dred Scott Trio Wednesday November 30, 8 and 9:30 pm […]
Dred Scott Trio is Ohio-bound, Nov 4-6
The Dred Scott Trio (Dred Scott on piano, Ben Rubin on bass and Diego Voglino on drums) will be playing a short tour next weekend with shows in Cleveland, OH and Akron, OH. Join us if you live in the area! Friday November 4, 7pm Blu Jazz+ 47 E Market St, Akron, OH, 44308 (330) […]
Playing next week at the Kennedy Center with Queen Esther
Excited to be the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage with the amazing Queen Esther on June 18! It’s a great band including Patience Higgins, Wayne Tucker, Todd Londegan and Jeremy Bacon. It’s a free show so come by if you’re local! Queen Esther & her Hot Five Kennedy Center Millennium Stage June 18, 2016, 6 pm […]
Mudville plays murder ballads at Branded Saloon Feb 15!
Excited to announce that Mudville will be playing our first show in a couple of years as part of Charming Disaster’s Murder Ballad series. Not sure which songs we’re going to play yet but Marilyn and I are really looking forward to it. And it’s in my neighborhood! Mudville Branded Saloon Monday February 15, 8pm […]
Ergo’s “As Subtle As Tomorrow” is out now.
Last year I had the chance to work on this record with Brett Sroka and his band Ergo. This record is a really cool mix of live trombone, piano and drums along with a bunch of cool electronics as effects. Sam Harris on piano and Shawn Baltazor on drums. Shawn mixed the record with Brett […]
Pre-order “Someone Else” (the film) now!
Someone Else, the film I scored in 2014, is finally being released to the masses. It is available for pre-order from iTunes here. It will also be screening for a week in Los Angeles in March. Not clear on the details yet but I’ll keep y’all posted.
The New House of Cha Cha is ready!!!
So happy to announce that the all new House of Cha Cha, new room, new monitors, new awesome sound and vibe, is all done a ready to make music. Pics to follow as soon WordPress will accept my uploads. So now’s a great time to hit me up so we can work together on your […]
Someone Else’s New York premiere is tonight!
I’m very excited to be attending the New York City premiere of Someone Else, the feature film I scored last year for director Nelson Kim. This is definitely the kind of movie to see in a theatre, especially so you can experience the low end of my score! The screening is at Village East Cinemas […]
New Mudville music out today!
I’m very happy that this day is finally here. New Mudvillemusic is here today via Ropeadope Records. It’s the end titles track for my friend Nelson Kim’s film Someone Else, the feature film I scored last year. It’s available now from iTunes as well as our bandcamp store. Enjoy!
Bob Wijnen’s record is done!
NYC Unforeseen, the debut record from Bob Wijnen that we’ve been working on since last November, is DONE! I’m producing, engineering and mixing on this one. Just got it back from ace mastering engineer Gene Paul and it sounds great. I went over there last week as I love to hear Gene tell me stories […]
Headed to Miami for the premiere of “Someone Else”
I’m very excited to be some of the cast and crew of Someone Else at its world premiere tomorrow night at the Miami International Film Festival. Marilyn Carino from Mudville will be joining me. Not only did I write, produce, record and mix the entire score for the film, but Mudville wrote a new song […]
“Someone Else,” the film I scored
So I wrote the score to this film last year, Someone Else. Written and directed by my friend Nelson Kim, it’s a great city mouse/country mouse story about two Korean-American cousins. The buttoned up law student comes to New York City for the summer to visit his relative, the playboy actor. Drug use and girlfriend-switching […]
My Downbeat MasterClass on producing live jazz records
On the heels of producing and mixing over thirty live records for SmallsLive, the record label of the New York jazz club Smalls, late last year I was asked by the magazine to write a story for their “Recording School” section on how to produce live jazz records. While my approach to producing isn’t much […]
What I did in 2014
Hey Everyone! Happy New Year! It’s been so long since I’ve written (I plead: Baby) that I thought an update from the House of Cha Cha was in order. Here goes… FILM COMPOSING: In September I finished composing, performing, and mixing the score for the feature film Someone Else, written and directed by Nelson Kim. […]
Emilio Solla’s “Second Half” nominated for a Grammy!
So excited that Emilio Solla‘s excellent record “Second Half” has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Record of 2014. I was fortunate to be a co-producer on the record. I oversaw two days of very intense record at Systems II in Brooklyn and edited all the final takes together. With a nine-plus-piece […]