Music that moves the spirit

I am listening to a lot of music right now just letting it wash over me. I’m careful sometimes, because other people’s melodies can slip into your bloodstream and start telling their stories instead of yours.

But every now and then… a voice comes along that doesn’t interrupt, it invites. I’ve been listening to Irma Pany. There’s a kind of soulfulness in her delivery, a lived-in storytelling that feels both grounded and expansive. Her track Black Sun carries that quiet fire—the kind that doesn’t shout, but still moves you. You can feel echoes of artists like Dave Matthews and Tracy Chapman—folks who can sit with a guitar and turn a moment into something timeless.

And then there’s Mohini Dey. Now that’s a different kind of electricity. Precision, groove, imagination—she’s got all of it. I know there’s been noise around her lately, but the music speaks louder than any of that. Check her out with the Spirit Finger Trio and just listen. Really listen.

Meanwhile, I’ve been leaning deeper into poetry, because it’s National Poetry Month, and the timing couldn’t be more right. I’ve been onstage with “The Poetry of Jazz,” weaving words and music together, trying to build something that feels like a shared breath between the band and the audience.

We opened at the Sunset Center in Carmel—sold out, full of warmth, full of connection. Then over to SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco, where the energy just kept rising. Nights like that remind you why you do this.

I’ve been blessed to share the stage with some beautiful souls: Bruce Forman on guitar, Marcus Shelby on bass and Sylvia Cuenca on drums. We have 2 more shows tonight so the music and the blessings continue.

Together, we’re not just playing, we’re reaching. Trying to build a bridge where, for a moment, we can all meet as we are. No pretense. Just rhythm, language, and the spark of something human.

That’s the work. That’s always the work.

And if you happen to be out there in the room one of these nights… I hope our frequencies find each other.

Peace to all,

Allan