The Story

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Onward is an adventurous collection of 6 original compositions recorded May 2022 in New York City. Following March 2020, I lost all of my work and had a large amount of time to reflect on music during the COVID-19 pandemic. As I started performing again in 2021, I found a new sense of creativity. Creating new textures and expressing the blues were two prominent factors. Onward is the manifestation of that experience.

 

“Flight” is the bright and explosive start to the album. It was inspired by the sight of looking out of an airplane window and is probably the most visual song. Initially composed in 2016, “Flight” underwent at least 4 revisions with bassist, Dan Traverso, before we created the final version. “June” is the first song I composed after marrying my wife and reflects the sincere beauty, love, and fulfillment of our union. “The East” is a tribute to New Orleans East, the section of New Orleans where I grew up, took piano lessons, and still go for the best seafood. I composed this song on my parents’ piano in 2018 with the intention of sharing my love for the East, The Big Easy, and the sound of the blues in general. In November 2021, I had fun writing what would become the last piece to the puzzle. The title track, “Onward” was the first composition I wrote after the start of the shutdown and becoming a father. At the time, I was confident in my playing but composing was still a slow process for me. This song delves into my appreciation for textures, creativity, and life.

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Recording this music was such an exciting process, and I am very proud to trust my friends Dan, Curtis, and Fernando to help me bring this music to life. I told myself and the musicians two important notes before we recorded: (1) to have fun; and (2) be free. I am proud of what we created and hope everyone enjoys it.

 

Credits:

 

Dan Traverso - Bass

Curtis Nowosad - Drums

Fernando Saci - Percussion

 

The Samurai Hotel - Studio

David Stoller - Engineer

Editing - Wil Ren

Mixing - Jeremy BEAN Clemons

Mastering - Dave Darlington

Artwork - Rachel Olivia

 

I’d like to give a special thanks to these people who supported this albums development: Mykell Clem, Miriam Pappas, Debbie Pappas, Conun Pappas Sr., Nadia Hatch, Brenda Breaux, Donald Troutman, Dina Rego, Brianna Thomas, Ryan Berg, Annie Moran, Joe Dyson, Max Moran, Alex Cohen, and Grady Bajorek