BETWEEN RECORDING SESSIONS 2!

Taking a break from recording (next week i have lots of sessions), trying to clear the mind and after cooking a big Moroccan meal ( butternut squash and lentil soup, fennel and black olive salad with lemon vinaigrette, caramelised onions with chargrilled eggplants, spicy prawns, basmati rice, figs with rosewater, almonds and honey, and of course, moroccan mint tea, we went to an orchid show in search of the "Guaria Morada", the Costa Rican National Flower. Hundreds of flowers later, we walked out empty handed but joyful !

BETWEEN RECORDING SESSIONS!

Photos by my lovely wife HollyAnn!

Astor Piazzolla: milonga del angel

BLISS!

PINKER PLACE # 2

My first time posting from my iPhone . The wonders of modern technology!

PINKER PLACE #1

Hanging out in the snow at Mountain High's Pinker Place Park Road with some strange characters:

GIL SCOTT HERON/MESSAGE TO THE MESSENGERS

SIN COMENTARIO

Happy Cannyon/Santa Inez Mountains/ Business meeting

Agustin Fallas, my dear friend from childhood and my manager for issues in Latin America came and visit me to plan some concerts down south and at the same time, have some fun together in CA. Good conversations, good meals and a few great Jazz concerts (David Binney at the Pasadena Jazz Institute)...Here are a couple of pictures taken during our drive up north to Happy Canyon in the Santa Inez mountains. Not a bad spot at all to talk business!

“Everything you can imagine is real." Pablo Picasso

3RD SESSION, TAMTRUM STUDIOS, MONTECITO, CA 12/08

THIRD SESSION FOR NEW PROJECT ON 12/19/08. FIRST, WE REHEARSED AT MY STUDIO, THEN AFTER A GOOD HOME COOK MEAL, WE HEADED TO TAMTRUM STUDIOS IN MONTECITO, CA WHERE GUITARRIST CHRIS JUDGE AND BASSIST TOM ETCHART LAID DOWN SOME AWSOME TRACKS ON "DE ALMA Y SOMBRA" AND "ESPERANZA". GOOD URUGUAYAN FRIEND, EX MANAGER AND ALL AROUND GOOD GUY/ MUSIC LOVER BETO DE LEON JOINED IN. THINGS ARE GOING BETTER THAN EXPECTED. THIS MORNING AT 3:00 AM I AM OFF TO TUCSON, AZ. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

SECOND RECORDING SESSION AT BEAGLE STUDIOS FOR NEW CD

Th greatest joy in the world for a composer is to get in the studio exactly what at one point only existed in his or her imagination. Lois Mahalia gave me just that last night with her performance of "HYMN". Beautiful voice, beautiful soul. Thanks Lois!

FIRST RECORDING SESSION AT BEAGLE STUDIOS FOR NEW CD

I was very glad to be back this weekend to Beagle Studio for the first session for a new CD to be released next year. Located in Montecito, CA, Beagle Studios is a beautiful place surrounded by fields of green and forests of pine trees and oaks. Singer Andy Zuñiga and studio owner Emmet Sargeant were also there. This coming week, beautiful and talented singer Lois Mahalia, along with guitarist Chris Judge and bass player Tom Etchart will cut some tracks including the lead vocals for a Gospel spiritual "Hymn"

HYMN


Blessed are the ones who surrender to Love
For they’ll inherit the Kingdom of Heaven
Few are the ones who will rise from despair
Many the ones who are bowed down and fallen (but)

Hope is a waking dream, it’s a sunrise
Hope…from a withered tree, flowers blossom.

Open your heart to the world and rejoice (and)
Live as if you’ll die tomorrow
Learn as if you’ll live forever and
Hope as if hope were the beat of your heart.

In the twilight each star is a dream
Blessed are the dreamers on top of the mountain
Wise are the ones who seek treasures within
For they will find and drink from the fountain

Hope is a waking dream, it’s a sunrise
Hope…from a withered tree, flowers blossom.

Open your heart to the world and rejoice and
Live as if you’ll die tomorrow
Learn as if you’ll live forever and
Hope as if hope were the beat of your heart.
----------------
Hope is a waking dream, it’s a sunrise
Hope…from a withered tree, flowers blossom.

Open your heart to the world and rejoice (and)
Live as if you’ll die tomorrow
Learn as if you’ll live forever and
Hope, step away from the shadow
Love with no fear and no sorrow

.

MY MUSIC ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

My music gets mentioned in an article on National Geographic Magazine. To read more: http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/country/content.country/costa_rica/

NEXT GENERATION-WYSE LA KID @ HOME STUDIO B

MPC, MICROKORG, DX7 AND A THOUSAND RECORDS AND YOU ARE ALL SET FOR MAKING BEATS. MY SON ADAM WILL BE COLLABORATING WITH ME ON ONE TRACK ON MY UPCOMING CD, TO BE RELEASED NEXT YEAR.

THE NEXT GENERATION-ADAM AND MATT WORKING HARD/HOME STUDIO #2

¡DESPERTAMOS EN UN MUNDO DIFERENTE ESTA MANANA!

MUSIC AND POLITICS

It’s been over a month since I last posted on my blog. I’ve been very busy. Two things have been taking all my time lately. Number one, I started recording a new CD. So far, I’ve been working in my home studio, doing most of the work myself. However, bassist Tom Etchart, guitarist Narciso Sotomayor, keyboardist George Friedenthal and singer Teka have also stopped by to do some tracks for me. So far, I have 9 new compositions among them: Malabarista (The Juggler), Manantial, Sendero Luminoso and Tango y Sangre de la Media Noche. The recording won’t be released for another year, but it sure feels great to get started with it.

The other thing that has been keeping me busy is politics. I am proud to say that I’ve been spending lots of time trying to help Mr. Barack Obama become the next president of the United States. I’ve also been involved with the upcoming local elections, helping Louise Capps, Pedro Nava, Anna Beth Jackson and the rest of the Democratic candidates. I’ve met some wonderful people on the way. It’s been a very interesting endeavor, making phone calls all over the country, talking to people, sharing ideas, and listening to their fears, hopes and interests. A wonderful learning experience and a satisfying one. I hope to be celebrating Mr. Obama’s victory this coming Tuesday.

FACING THE POLITICAL PROCESS

In less than two months, we will be facing the most important presidential election of our lifetime, an act that will influence the entire universe and in many ways will choose the path of modern civilization. It is an unprecedented opportunity for all of us to get involved in record numbers, cast a vote and be a part of such a process...
click here to read more:
http://luisbook.blogspot.com/search/label/OPINION/

ADAM AND YOSHI LISTENING!

NOW, PAY ATTENTION GUYS, WE'LL BE TESTING YOU LATER...

FIRST RECORDING SESSION

Last sunday I had the first recording session for a new CD, to be released some time next year. I had the opportunity to work again with my dear friend and wonderful Brazilian singer Teka Pentiriche. She recorded both lead and background vocals on a new bilingual tune (Spanish and Portuguese) entitled "Manantial". Click here to see the lyrics:
http://luisbook.blogspot.com/search/label/LYRICS

IN CONCERT!

BIG SUR/MONTEREY/ASILOMAR BEACH/CARMEL

A few images that my wife HollyAnn took during our trip up north just this last week (I was doing a gig in Carmel by the Sea), including photos of our stop in Big Sur, Asilomar Beach, the oldest working lighthouse in CA and jellyfish at the Monterey Aquarium.

COURTHOUSE JAZZ FESTIVAL PHOTOS

Luis Muñoz: Drums
Narciso Sotomayor: Guitar
Tom Etchart: Bass

COURTHOUSE JAZZ FESTIVAL PHOTOS

A few more images from our last show of the summer at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Jazz Festival. Thanks to Rob Hoffman for the images:
Brad Dutz on marimba
George Friedenthal on keyboards
Jonathan Dane on trumpet
Special guest Luis Conte on percussion

SANTA BARBARA COURTHOUSE JAZZ FESTIVAL 8/29/08

It was our last performance of the summer and a magical one! The band clicked and so did the audience at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens. A beautiful evening at a beautiful place. We also had the pleasure to be joined on stage by one of the greatest percussionists in the world, Mr. Luis Conte (Madonna, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Phil Collins, etc.).

LUIS MUNOZ LIVE AT THE COURTHOUSE JAZZ FESTIVAL 8/29/08-LA MACHACA

Luis Munoz telling the "Machaca" story while performing at the Courthouse Jazz Festival in Santa Barbara, CA, on 8/29/08. Trumpeter Jonathan Dane had just been bitten by one some 23 hours prior to the concert...

I MET THE WALRUS

LUIS MUNOZ LIVE AT "THE JAZZ BAKERY"-08/23/08

Video of "Los Ojos De La Ausencia", the opening song of our final night at "The Jazz Bakery", Los Angeles premiere Jazz club. The composition, a quartet piece which I wrote a few years back, will be on my next CD, to be released in 2009. It features Tom Etchart on Bass, George Friedenthal on Piano, Narciso Sotomayor on Guitar and myself on drums. For the rest of the show, Jonathan Dane on Trumpet and Brad Dutz on Marimba and Hand Percussion joined in.

NEXT PERFORMANCE: THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 29TH AT 5:30 PM.

This Friday, August 29, from 5:30 to 8:00 PM, we'll be playing at the beautiful Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens, as part of the Courthouse Jazz Series. The concert is free and will benefit the "Breast Cancer Resource Center". The venue is absolutely beautiful! Bring a picnic basket, a bottle of wine, a blanket and enjoy the show. For more info, visit: http://www.courthousejazz.com/ Cheers! Luis.

A GREAT TIME AT THE JAZZ BAKERY!!!!!

We had a great time at the Jazz Bakery! Wonderful audience, wonderful venue. Thanks Ruth!!!