From a human resources standpoint, jazz gigs can be fairly “transactional,” in the sense that you hire the person to do the gig with a particular set of repertoire in a particular time and place for a particular fee. When things go well, it goes beyond that and there’s a real musical connection and a real commitment to the music beyond just “doing the job.” In a few of those cases, the further result is deep, enduring friendship.

On the 40^th anniversary of his birth, it seems right to express gratitude for having found this in Henry Lugo, my brother, bassist and left-hand-man for nearly 13 years. Since I’m a list-maker anyway, I thought I would come up with a list of 40 highlights of gigs and recording sessions we’ve done together. As I did so, three things stood out. One, I had to pare the list down significantly, as there are a lot of highlights from among the hundreds of things we’ve done together. Two, there’s an inadvertent tracing of my/our progress as his consistent devotion to delivering the goods on all levels has enabled me to forge new ground professionally. Three, it’s conspicuous to me how many moments really stand out in my mind that are left of center of this list . . . the long talks on carpooled journeys to gigs, the commiseration and sharing about so many musical things and especially the proactive yet under-the-radar moments of thoughtful kindness at times of struggle.

Oh yeah, and he’s one of the BADDEST bassists around, and that my music has provided a vehicle for his own self-expression is a profound confluence of compatibility and all-around good fortune. So without any further ado:

1. October, 2002 – the first gig (Café Atlantique, Miford, CT with George Mastrogiannis)
2. November, 2002 – It’s Only Natural Restaurant, Middletown, CT (1st gig together in 3 year “residency” there)
3. November, 2003 – celebration for WWUH (my first, and sadly not last, gig playing entirely left-handed)
4. December, 2003 – 30th birthday party/live recording session for What It Is album
5. March, 2004 – North Star Café, New Brunswick, NJ (1st gig with the “new” NB Trio with Vinnie Sperrazza)
6. March, 2004 – Bennington Museum (VT) with Andrea Wolper
7. May, 2004 – NB Trio, John Kerry fundraiser (showing me that private functions can be REALLY fun)
8. August, 2004 – Café Atlantique (my first gig as a parent)
9. October/November, 2004 – Large Group and Trio sessions for Soul Force, Peter Karl Studio
10. July, 2005 – Castle Street Café, drum-less quartet with Amanda Monaco and Chris Dingman
11. September, 2005 – wedding gig, Middletown, CT (my first time playing with Henry on electric bass, aka “lobby” [ask me sometime])
12. December, 2005 – recording session for Letter Back Home by Jason Berg, Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ
13. May, 2006 – opening for Heart Gallery (awareness raiser for kids seeking adoptive homes), Cameron Gallery, Middletown, CT, quartet with Wayne Escoffery
14. June, 2006 – Playdate’s first official gig, Cornelia Street Café, NYC
15. September, 2006 – Mike Baggetta Quartet, Artspace, Greenfield, MA (my first gig after becoming a parent for the second time)
16. April, 2007 – NB Trio at Hartford Public Library (music of Duke Ellington)
17. August, 2007 – Recording session with NB Trio for Bliss, Bennett Studios
18. September, 2007 – Recording session for Playdate, Bennett Studios
19. November, 2007 – NB Quartet with Jimmy Greene at Buttonwood Tree, Music of the 1960s (in conjunction with Wesleyan class)
20. March, 2008 – Amanda Monaco’s City College Master’s recital with Playdate, NYC
21. June, 2008 – Recording session for my book The Versatile Keyboardist
22. October, 2008 – NB Trio at Pittsfield CItyJazz Festival
23. September, 2009 – Siggy Davis with NB Trio, Roxbury Arts Center (Catskills, NY)
24. November, 2009 – Know Thyself extravaganza: Wesleyan University’s Crowell Concert Hall, Jazz Gallery NYC, recording session at Bennett Studios
25. April, 2010 – Playdate’s CT debut, Firehouse 12, New Haven
26. July, 2010 – NB Trio at An die Musik, Baltimore, MD
27. July, 2010 – NB Quartet with Jimmy Greene, with guest Joel Frahm, Szechwan Tokyo, Hartford, CT
28. August, 2010 – Know Thyself at New Haven Jazz Festival
29. September, 2010 – CT Folk Festival, New Haven, with Lara Herscovitch
30. March, 2011 – NB Quartet with Erica von Kleist, Makeda, New Brunsick, NJ
31. October, 2011 – NB Trio at Russell House, Wesleyan University (music of Kenny Barron)
32. May, 2012 – NB Quintet with Kris Allen, Jimmy Greene and Yoron Israel, Buttonwood Tree
33. September, 2012 – Chamber ensemble at Choate Rosemary Hall faculty concert, Wallingford, CT (the beginning of Henry’s tenure teaching there, the premiere of “The Outer Circle” and the opening of Kate’s solo show of drawings)
34. March, 2013 – Recording session for Ripples, Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY
35. August, 2013 – “We Shall Overcome” performance/discussion at EDNF Learning Conference, Providence, RI
36. November, 2013 – surprise party/gig for my 40th birthday, Scatz, Middletown, CT (my most recent left-hand-only performance)
37. April/May, 2014 – CD release tour for Ripples (including the Side Door, Old Lyme, CT, The Jazz Gallery, NYC, Germano’s, Baltimore, MD, First Congregational Church, Bristol, RI, Columbia Heights Concerts, Washington, DC and Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT), featuring NB Trio and Jazz Samaritan Alliance
38. March, 2015 – launch of Resonant Motion’s Jazz Up Close series with Freddie Bryant Quartet, Russell Library, Middletown, CT
39. April, 2015 – premiere (and to-be-released recording) of The Rock and the Redemption with NB Resonance Ensemble, Wesleyan University
40. June, 2016 – Recording session for my daughter Rebecca’s most recent demo