December 2023 — ALEX SADNIK

It's been seven months since Flight was released.

In that time, it’s been reviewed by All About Jazz, textura, and most recently Aquarium Drunkard. Heck, it even got played on KJAZZ this week! But what a thrill to learn that Tyler Wilcox’s review landed Flight on the Aquarium Drunkard 2023 Year In Review! BIG EGO had a great showing on the list with the brilliant new Psychic Temple, Maria Elena Silva and Dave Easley albums also getting honored alongside some truly special music! For this holiday season, Flight LPs make a great, albeit awkwardly-shaped, stocking stuffer.

If somehow this isn’t enough Flight talk, you can hear Chris Schlarb and I discuss the process behind the album on his podcast, BIG EGO Tapes. After a comprehensive review of Hole Mole’s salsa bar, we cover my relationship with Charlie Parker’s music, the different session musician roles, and where I hope to be at 80 years old. I’m an Apple Podcast traditionalist so you can find it here, but otherwise search the show on your favorite podcasting app. There are so many great interviews to check out and Chris is doing important work documenting these stories from BIG EGO.

Looking for some holiday spirit AND big band music? This coming Monday, December 18th, I’ll be performing with the Teryn Ré Big Band at the world famous Baked Potato in Studio City. Delightful holiday arrangements abound, as well as traditional big band fare. Sets at 8pm and 10pm. Hope to see you there!

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year! I’m equal parts optimistic about and terrified of 2024, but here’s hoping we can all find inner peace and open-heartedness this season.