Make a Joyful Noise!

For over 10 years, I've been a professional Liturgical Cantor. For the uninitiated, that means I sing masses, weddings, funerals, and anything else that happens inside a church.

I've also got the unquantifiable luck of attending mass with an extraordinary collection of talented musicians. We sing for 7PM Masses at St. Augustine Parish in Old City Philadelphia.

We're pick-up musicians and we throw things together last minute. 25% of what we do is made up on the spot, and our chemistry is nearly divine.

We also occasionally get our act together and put on an actually-rehearsed concert, usually around Christmastime, to give the Parish some Community Cred, and also as an excuse to jam together.

Take a listen.

A Musical Outlet

It started simply enough, on a rainy night in Center City.

Before we hit the town, my friend Karl and I got together to record a 3/4-time rendition of At Last. We were drinking whiskey, and I was wearing a nightgown as a shirt. Thus, Whiskey & Nightgowns was born.

Now, KSho and I get together from time to time to throw some music and lyrics together and see what happens. Sometimes our crazy talented buddies join us, too. Here's a little taste of what we do.

Take a listen.

AT LAST

You smiled, and then the spell was cast.

Jazz & Standards

About 10 years ago, a good friend of mine said my voice reminds him of Ella Fitzgerald. Although that's too high a complement, I do love a good jazz standard, and much of the music I write ends up having crazy keys and suspensions and transitions. Karl's always up for the challenge, so together we came up with these:

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Love is just a game...

Overgrown Heart

My heart's a little overgrown...

Everybody Sins a Little

No one's really always good.

Singer/Songwriters

Also, we write stuff that doesn't sound at all like jazz standards. Some sort of jumbled mishmash of inspiration from Delta Rae to Tristan Prettyman to Fleetwood Mac to Jimmy Eat World. And so here's what happens when THAT happens:

Low

Brush with the devil

Our Love is Your Thing

Now it's only your thing.

Whiskey in the Moonlight

To keep you away...