Hello from Johannesburg, South Africa!  After 30 years on tour, I finally made it to the continent of Africa, and am totally enjoying the experience.  Last week, clinics for Yamaha on their incredible new keyboard, the Montage, then back to LA for 5 days, now to Johannesburg with a great band fronted by Bill Champlin (from Chicago, wrote a bunch of hits including "Hard Habit to Break" and "Turn Your Love Around"), Brenda Russell (who wrote "Piano In The Dark" and "Get Her (If You Can)), and Deniece Williams ("Too Much Too Little Too Late", "Gonna Take A Miracle", "Let's Hear It For The Boy").  Whirlwind rehearsals, much jet lag, and many tracks to do from the hotel room for various projects!  

Below is my "hotel rig":  MacBook Pro, Bose noise-cancelling headphones, the iRig Pro 37 keyboard and, just entering my rig, a replacement breath controller that I just integrated today.  And of course, the all-essential pot of coffee!  

Amazing how a whole record can be made on a desk in a hotel like this these days;  today's project is a CD for a great singer named Rhiannon Giddens;  a nice little bass, very funky cello (yes, you read that right) and Rhiannon track.  The producer wants me to flesh it out with percussion, a little piano (I went with a nice smooth Wurlitzer) and some other colors (going with Bass Clarinet, maybe a little accordion).  Back to LA in 3 days, will do my Video Exchanges in short order once I'm there!  KEEP PRACTICING, everybody;  really starting to hear some great playing in the VEs these days!

George Whitty teaches jazz piano online at ArtistWorks