Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!  2009 has been busy so far.  My new album, "The Cafe Carlyle Sessions," has gotten a warm reception, and my relationship with Edel Records in Germany has been a blessing. They also released my Christmas CD with new cover art in Europe.

The musical approach for the Carlyle album has been inspiring for me.  After presenting my material for so long in a pop format, I have decided, for the immediate future, to only play shows using the Carlyle ensemble - grand piano, sax, flute, upright bass,  drums and me on acoustic guitar.  The simple instrumentation gives a more introspective opportunity to showcase the songs.  I'm getting to work with some amazing musicians which is creatively invigorating for me. 

We have a nice tour schedule in the upcoming months and I hope you all get a chance to see a show. The audience reaction has been very positive, with many of our fans saying they prefer this new approach.

In addition to my touring, Rob and I have written over a dozen new songs, with more coming all the time, and I have begun to record them as time allows.  I cannot give a realistic release date but, if I had to guess, I would say summer of '09.  The new album is stylistically very  different than our previous projects. I seem to be at a loss to describe it to anyone, so I guess that you will have to wait and judge for yourself.  Rob and I are very excited about these songs. This will my 2nd self production, having also produced my Christmas album.

Otherwise, life is good. I hope the same is true for all of you.  As always, you have my deep gratitude for your continued support.

Christopher