LACMA WAS GREAT!

1) Panamanian artist and old friend(we go back 30 plus years) Rogelio Mitchel, LACMA's head of Music Program Mitch Glickman and myself.
2) Eddie and the crew, the most important friends an artist have during a performance,
3) Backstage waiting to go on.
4) performing.

LACMA was wonderful. a beautiful setting, on a beautiful CA summer day, with a great crowd!

TODAY AT 5:00 PM, LIVE AT LACMA

Today, Saturday, June 28, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, we will be performing at LACMA( Los Angeles County Art Museum). The concert will take place at the Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater at LACMA, in Hancock Park north of the Hammer Building.
It is a free concert.

The band:
Jonathan Dane: Trumpet
Brad Dutz: Marimba and hand percussion
Tom Etchart: Bass
George Friedenthal: Piano
Luis Muñoz: drums and percussion
Narciso Sotomayor: Guitar

For more information call LACMA's Music Department at 323 857-6115.

A MASTERPIECE! MILTON AND WAYNE!

I just finished listening for the first time in many years,to a masterpiece, "Native Dancer", the incredible collaboration between two masters of contemporary music: Brazilian singer/songwriter Milton Nascimento and probably the best Jazz composer/saxophonist alive today, Wayne Shorter, both performing at their very best. After more than 30 years the music sounds as fresh as if it had been recorded yesterday. Sonically, conceptually and compositionally, it does not get any better than this. Herbie Hancock, Airto, David Amaro and Wagner Tizo also participate. One of my "25 Best Recordings " of all time.

RECOMMENDATION: ROBERT PLANT & ALLISON KRAUSS

This Wednesday, June 25, I will be going to the Santa Barbara County Bowl to hear two great artists live in concert: Robert Plant and Allison Krauss. If you haven't heard their collaborative CD, go get it. Highly recommended! L.

SUMMER PERFORMANCES!

Here is a list of some of the shows we'll be doing this summer in California:
1) On Saturday, June 28, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, we will be performing at LACMA( Los Angeles County Art Museum). The concert will take place at the Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater at LACMA, in Hancock Park north of the Hammer Building.
It is a free concert. For more infoirmation call LACMA's Music Department at 323 857-6115.
2) On Thursday, August 14, at 8:00 PM. we will be at Soho, in Santa Barbara. Soho Music Club is located at 1221 State Street, Suite 205, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. For reservations:805-962-7776. www.sohosb.com
3) On Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23, we will be performing at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, the premier Jazz venue in Southern California ( 3233 HELMS AVE, Los Angeles, CA 90034. Phone:310-271-9039). There will be two shows nightly: 8 PM & 9:30 PM. Tickets: $25 ($13 for students 21 and under).
4) On Friday, August 29, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, we'll be playing at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens, as part of the Courthouse Jazz Series. The open venue and free admission will provide the entire community an opportunity to enjoy Santa Barbara’s beautiful surroundings while listening to great music and supporting Santa Barbara’s vital non-profit’s and charities. Please, check in later on for more info on those performances, and on other upcoming shows. Cheers! Luis.

My buddy "Tux" and myself playing...

Introducing my new buddy "tux", who keeps me company at all times while trying to finish composing the music for my next CD. The background beat is a collaboration with my song Adam, done with his MPC. Tux got a little scared at the end...:)

OJOS!

NEW FAMILY MEMBER!

This is our new family member. No name yet (any ideas?), but we are enjoying him very much! Welcome little guy!!!!

LUIS MUNOZ LIVE AT LACMA / FREE CONCERT ON 6/28 AT 5:00 PM

This coming month, on Saturday, June 28, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, we will be performing at the Los Angeles County Art Museum, as part of the "Latin Sounds" series sponsored by LACMA's Department of Music Programs. The concert will take place at the Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater at LACMA, in Hancock Park north of the Hammer Building.
It is a free concert. For more infoirmation call LACMA's Music Department at 323 857-6115, or you can email me at : contact@luismunoz.net Hope you can join us! Luis

PS, Also, don't forget our shows at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles on August 22 and 23, 8:00 and 9:30 PM shows. L.

RECOMMENDED READING!

Books I am reading these days:

1) "Palestine, Peace not Apartheid" by Jimmy Carter
2) "Effortless Mastery" by Kenny Werner
3) "Creating True Peace" by Thich Nhat Hanh
4) "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel García Márquez. Set in the steamy backwater of coastal Colombia of a century ago. 51 years, 9 months, 4 days and 622 affairs later, Florentino Ariza declares once again, his love for Fermina Daza...
5) "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides, a story that manages to be both,illuminating and transcendent.

EL OSO- SHORT STORY

Era una mañana como tantas. El grito de mi madre diciéndome que mi desayuno estaba enfriándose en la mesa del comedor me hizo despertar...
TO READ MORE:
http://luisbook.blogspot.com/2008/05/el-oso-short-story.html/

TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, LIVE IN VENTURA, CA!

This Wednesday, April 30th, at 7:30 PM (and every last Wednesday of every month) we will be performing at Bombay Grill in Ventura, CA ( 143 S California St Ventura, CA 93001-2803 Phone: (805) 643-4404), as part of their Wednesdays Jazz series. This month the band will consist of:
Jonathan Dane: Trumpet
Brad Dutz: Marimba
Tom Etchart: Bass
George Friedenthal: Piano
Narciso Sotomayor: Guitar
Lorenzo Martinez: Percussion

Hope to see you! Luis.

IF YOU MISSED IT YOU CAN LISTEN HERE!

In case you missed my internet radio interview yesterday with Worldstreams Radio, you can listen to it in its entirety at:
http://www.worldstreams.org/past10.html/

TODAY (4/16/08), LIVE INTERNET RADIO INTERVIEW

Today, April 16th, at 7:00PM (10:00 PM Eastern Time), I will be doing a live radio interview on the internet, via WorldStreams Radio. WorldStreams Radio is a socially conscious non-profit resource for the arts, world politics, culture and social issues around the globe. It is the number one World Fusion music station on Live365.com
Please, join me!
TO LISTEN: http://www.live365.com/stations/zweland/
OR: http://www.worldstreams.org/

THIS SUMMER, LIVE AT THE JAZZ BAKERY IN LA!

This summer, on Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23, we will be performing at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, the premier Jazz venue in Southern California ( 3233 HELMS AVE, Los Angeles, CA 90034. Phone:310-271-9039). There will be two shows nightly: 8 PM & 9:30 PM. Tickets: $25 ($13 for students 21 and under). Please, check in later on for more info on those two nights, and on other upcoming performances. Cheers! Luis.

LAST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, LIVE AT BOMBAY

On the last Wednesday of every month, starting on April 30th, we will be performing at Bombay Grill in Ventura, CA ( 143 S California St Ventura, CA 93001-2803 Phone: (805) 643-4404), as part of their Wednesdays Jazz series. This month the band will consist of:
Jonathan Dane: Trumpet
Brad Dutz: Marimba
Tom Etchart: Bass
George Friedenthal: Piano
Narciso Sotomayor: Guitar
Kevin Winard: Percussion (Kevin will be home a few days from his road gig with Steve Tyrrell, and will be joining us).

Hope to see you! Luis.

VIEW FROM THE STAGE!

LIVE INTERVIEW ON WORLDSTREAMS RADIO: 4/16/08

On Wednesday , April 16th, at 7:00PM (10:00 PM Eastern Time), I will be doing a live radio interview on the internet, via WorldStreams Radio. WorldStreams Radio is a socially conscious non-profit resource for the arts, world politics, culture and social issues around the globe. It is the number one World Fusion music station on Live365.com
Please, join me!
TO LISTEN: http://www.live365.com/stations/zweland/
OR: http://www.worldstreams.org/

"EL FLAUTISTA"/RECUERDOS.

I took this picture in late 1969, in the Avenida Central, San José, Costa Rica. This gentleman is one of the many characters I used to spend time with in the city. He was full of great stories and very inspirational. Two years later, I ended up studying flute at the Music Conservatory of the National University. The Conservatory at the time was located in a beautiful old building on the south corner of the "Morazán" Park, downtown. Oh my, how things change! These days, that building is home to "Key Largo", one of the more popular whore houses in San José, but that is another story...

NEXT PERFORMANCE: THIS WEDNESDAY 3/26 IN VENTURA, CA.

Our next performance will be this coming Wednesday, March 26, at 7:30 PM, at Bombay Grill in Ventura, CA ( 143 S California St Ventura, CA 93001-2803 Phone: (805) 643-4404), as part of their Wednesdays Jazz series. The band will consist of:
Jonathan Dane: Trumpet
Brad Dutz: Marimba
Tom Etchart: Bass
George Friedenthal: Piano
Lorenzo Martínez: Percussion
Narciso Sotomayor: Guitar

Hope to see you there! Luis.

LAST CONCERT IMAGES

Photos from our latest concert at the Unitarian Society in Santa Barbara, CA. As always, for larger photos, click on each image.

"SONGS OF PEACE & TRANSFORMATION" LIVE

"Songs of Peace & Transformation" concert at the Unitarian Society, Santa Barbara, CA, March 16, 2008.(Click on the image, for a larger photo).

"OF SOUL AND SHADOW" T-SHIRTS FOR SALE

"Of Soul and Shadow" T-Shirts are for sale at:
http://luismunoz.net/merchandise.html
Thanks to our beautiful model and dear friend (and Honorary Luis Muñoz's Fan Club President María Guadalupe Cruz Vasquez).

NEXT PERFORMANCE:3/26 IN VENTURA, CA.

We had a wonderful concert last Sunday afternoon at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara. I will be posting some photos of the show tomorrow night. Meanwhile, our next performance will be on Wednesday, March 26, at 7:30 PM, at Bombay Grill in Ventura, CA ( 143 S California St Ventura, CA 93001-2803 Phone: (805) 643-4404), as part of their Wednesdays Jazz series. The band will consist of:
Jonathan Dane: Trumpet
Brad Dutz: Marimba
Tom Etchart: Bass
George Friedenthal: Piano
Lorenzo Martínez: Percussion
Narciso Sotomayor: Guitar

Hope to see you there! Luis.

IN CONCERT, THIS COMING SUNDAY MARCH 16th!

This coming Sunday, March 16, at 3:00 PM, I will be performing at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara ( 1535 Santa Barbara St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 965-4583 ), along with:
Jonathan Dane: Trumpet
Brad Dutz: Marimba
Tom Etchart: Bass
George Friedenthal: Piano
Lorenzo Martínez: Percussion
Narciso Sotomayor: Guitar

We will be playing a series of quiet, introspective compositions which we've called "Songs of Peace and Transformation". It will be a very intimate, all acoustic performance, in this beautiful venue. Please join us!

THE JUGGLER/ EL TORO AMARILLO

SELF PORTRAITS: My present everyday life, either as a juggler or as a bullfighter of sorts...

UDU

NEXT PERFORMANCES: 3/16 AND 3/26

On Sunday, March 16, at 3:00 PM, we will be performing at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara ( 1535 Santa Barbara St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 965-4583 ). On Wednesday, March 26, at 7:30 PM, we will be performing in Ventura at Bombay Grill ( 143 S California St Ventura, CA 93001-2803 Phone: (805) 643-4404). We will be posting more information about both shows in the upcoming days. Hope to see you!

ABEJONES/A SHORT STORY

"Todos morimos, pero no todos vivimos..."

Dos meses después de haber regresado de México, nos mudamos al barrio Escalante.

Anteriormente el barrio Escalante había sido un potrero lleno de vacas coloradas, rodeado por un cafetal de unas sesenta manzanas de extensión. A un lado del potrero, al que llamaban"Texas", había un ojo de agua potable donde se reunía todo el vecindario en época de sequía; al otro lado corría el río Torres, un hilo de agua cristalina que al pasar junto a la facultad de química de la Universidad Nacional, se convertía en un riachuelo espumoso, turbio y putrefacto...
Read more

ALISON KRAUSS/A BEAUTIFUL VOICE FROM A BEAUTIFUL SINGER!

PAT RAFTERY

"The Yellow Box" and "Sunrise", two paintings by my old friend Pat Raftery (Rojo), that now hang in my living room. For more info about his work, visit him at: http://patraftery.net/

JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE REVIEWS "OF SOUL AND SHADOW"

"Of Soul and Shadow" continues gathering great reviews from the international press. This time,Forrest Dylan Bryant of JazzTimes Magazine (March 2008 issue) writes: "Costa Rican keyboardist-percussionist Muñoz has painted a kaleidoscopic portrait of his homeland, combining several strains of Jazz performance into a folkloric framework. A large, rotating cast of musicians evoke lush rainforest, busy urban centers, relaxed country life or scenes of nostalgic romance with ease... Tunes like the dance machine "La Verdad", or the too-short "Luz del Sur" areterrific...Read more

WE WELCOME BRAD DUTZ TO THE BAND!

Marimba player and overall percussionist extraordinaire Brad Dutz is the new official member of the band and we welcome him. Brad is a veteran of the LA studio scene( you can hear his work on movies like "Ocean's Eleven", "Syriana" and "Hidalgo", or TV shows like "King of the Hill" and "Family guy", and on recordings by Vinnie Golia, Ricky Lee Jones, Willie Nelson or Alanis Morrissette among many). We are very happy to have him around. Luis.

CUESTA COLLEGE CONCERT 2/1/08

WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME LAST NIGHT IN SAN LUIS OBISPO. THANKS TO RON McCARLEY FOR INVITING US TO PERFORM AT CUESTA COLLEGE!