Hi folks, just for the heck of it, here's a live track from a pianoless trio gig I did last week with bassist Adam Gay and drummer Bryan Bowman at Kaleidoscope in SF. It's the classic Ornette tune "The Blessing"--listening back, we basically stayed true to the form, while not really playing the changes per se (wouldn't have been very harmolodic if we had). It's also the first time I've played my cornet in years (it's an old British Besson), which immediately put me into a different sound/idea zone, somehow.Enjoy (hopefully)!

• "The Blessing" (Coleman) Adam Gay, bass; Bryan Bowman, drums; Ian Carey, cornet; recorded 7/21/10.

Hi folks: 2 things--first, want to hear my dulcet tones talking about my CD and my career so far, plus my mumblings about jazz philanthropy and the State of the Gig? Here's an interview I did last week with KVLU's Jason Miller. It also features a live cut from our CD release show with guest vocalist Lorin Benedict. Check it out:

• Ian Carey interview with Jason Miller, KVLU FM (7/17/10)

Second, I have a couple of short-notice gigs to tell you about: tonight, I'll be playing and hosting a jam session with drummer Bryan Bowman and bassist Adam Gay (while Ben Stolorow wows them in Japan) at Kaleidoscope in the Mission. Come on by and bring your music-making things!WHAT: The Kaleidoscope SessionWHO: Adam Gay, Bryan Bowman, and Ian CareyWHERE: Kaleidoscope, 3109 24th Street (@ Folsom), SFWHEN: Weds., July 21, 7:30-11:00HOW MUCH: Free!I'm also excited to be playing with the 16-piece Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (the former Pearl's Monday night band) this Sunday at the Benicia Fine Art & Jazz Festival. Come on out for a bonanza of big band bodaciousness!WHAT: The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (led by Tod Dickow)WHERE: The Benicia Fine Art & Jazz Festival, First Street Green, BeniciaWHEN: Sunday, July 25, 5:00pmHOW MUCH: $8 adults, kids free!

Thanks to some quick listening by our bassist Fred Randolph (who was in a cab on his way to the airport) and some help in tracking down the details from Mitchell Feldman, I learned this weekend that the tune "Sockdolager" from our latest CD was used as "interlude music" on NPR's Fresh Air on June 24.While it's not quite the same as a review, it's definitely cool to hear us while Terry Gross reads the credits, and I like the idea of the tune going out on the 450 or so stations which carry the show.You can listen to the entire story where the tune was heard at NPR's website, or just the snippet of us rocking away behind Ms. Gross' dulcet tones right here:

• Ian Carey Quintet: "Sockdolager" on NPR's Fresh Air

UPDATE 7/26: And another track! "Shake & Joe," one of the cheerier tunes on the record, was heard last week. Hopefully it helped counteract a depressing (but interesting of course) analysis of the new financial bill. (Thanks again for the quick hearing, Fred!)

Still working on part 3 of the big jazz philanthropy/gig discussion, but in the meantime, here's a cheery infographic about the kinds of numbers a 21st-century musician would have to move to earn minimum wage selling albums (either physically or digitally). Needless to say, it makes me think the whole shebang is better viewed as a way to "get your stuff out there," than as a moneymaking endeavor, unless you manage to get a cut on a car commercial or something. (Fortunately, Taco Bell is hiring--be sure to tell them about your jazz theory expertise!)Speaking of digital distribution: the title track from Contextualizin' is being featured on this week's edition of the eJazzNews Sampler, along with some vintage Jaco and other great artists. Download it for FREE here.Also: in memory of the amazing Hank Jones (who passed away today after an incredibly long and productive career), WKCR, the world's greatest jazz station, is playing a marathon of his music right now. Check it out immediately!

Joe Cohen, Me, and Noel Jewkes with 8LM. Photo from Baytaper.com.

Hello, listeners, and a happy summertime to you all. I wanted to share two things with you: the first is that the great local music website Baytaper.com has posted photos and audio recordings from last months 8 Legged Monster show at Club Deluxe. The band featured local luminaries such as Noel Jewkes, Rob Barics, Vince Lateano, and others, and I really enjoyed playing with them. There's also a guest appearance by local trumpet phenom Mike Olmos, who stopped by and sat in on a tune written especially for him by bandleader Mike Irwin Johnson. So swing by Baytaper and check it out (and be sure to browse their extensive library of recordings of other fine local musicians).

Secondly, I promised to put up some recordings from my April Quintet show at Anna's in Berkeley for those who weren't able to attend. The band was smokin' (if I may say so), and we played some interesting new (or new to us, anyway) material. So here are two tracks for your (absolutely free) enjoyment--if you like what you hear, please consider buying our CD (if you haven't already).

• Sink/Swim (I. Carey): The title track from our CD, in maybe the best live version we've done.
• Sockdolager (I. Carey): A disjointed minor blues in 6/4 time, which I wrote in NYC years ago but updated for this group. Personnel on both tracks: myself on trumpet; Evan Francis, alto saxophone; Matt Clark, piano; Kurt Kotheimer, bass; Tim Bulkley, drums. Recorded live, 4/23/08.

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out to our shows last week at the Parc 55—I had a great time playing with Adam, Ron, and Noah, and with any luck I'll be able to play there some more in the future. For those of you who weren't able to make it, here's our version of the standard "I Love You," from Friday night.

• I Love You (Cole Porter) With myself on trumpet; Adam Shulman, piano; and Ron Belcher, bass. Recorded live, 10/05/07.

Also: last Saturday, I played with one of three pickup jazz groups (mine had Jeff Marrs, Eugene, and Evan Francis) that performed for the Fillmore Street "Indian Summer" Stroll, which culminated in a wild sidewalk jam session featuring 15 or so musicians wailing away amid the pedestrians. I told another musician it would be cool if random jam sessions just broke out all the time on sidewalks around the city--kind of like "Critical Mass." (Which then led to the mental image of thousands of jazz musicians clogging the streets and stopping traffic to play 500 or so choruses on "Now's the Time," as well as the unfortunate nickname "Critical Jazz.")

For more photos of this and many of my other gigs, visit my Flickr site here.