Since its release the Vegas Breeze album has become a listener favourite on Jazz stations around the world, especially the stand out track “When In Rome”. 

Talking about Rome, we thought we would be touring Europe with this album at this time. 

Since the whole world is grounded (again) for the moment I felt releasing a new track and video would be the best way to bring more music to our fans around the world! 

For those paying close attention our focus on Vegas Breeze was to find unusual songs from the showroom era and chose material from beyond the regular Rat Pack repertoire.  (Creating an “Alternate Vegas Playlist” if you will!)

That led to a really fun period of research, discovery and exploration for myself and the band! 

FINDING THE SONG(S)!  

You know when you are kids (before legal age) you hang out in each others houses a whole bunch (Whoever had the best basement!)   In fact it was while playing records in the basement of a friends house I came across a Nat King Cole song that seared itself into my memory-  The melody was bluesy and swaggering, the lyrics smart and sexy, the arrangement, played by Count Basie’s band, so fun and swinging!  
Although it the album was out of print and unavailable for decades. (There are some advantages to streaming services!)  
Searching for the song I came across another tune, a delicious ballad written by one other than Mel Torme with the same name!  How strange and wacky was that?

TWO SONGS IN ONE! 
The new release “Welcome To The Club” combines the two little known songs, one recorded by Nat King Cole and the other one written and recorded by Mel Torme, (both with the same title!)..and sits firmly in the tradition of the “sophisticated swinger” giving advice to his fellow “loser in love”. 

Working closely with my band on the Vegas Breeze project (Micheal Shand, Russ Boswell and Al Cross) we experimented with arranging the two songs together and it felt like the most natural thing in the world! 

The joining of a tradition “bar stool ballad” with a swinging Vegas “showstopper” seemed to cover all the Vegas traditions at once! But what was really incredible is that BOTH lyrics give advice to a fellow “swinger”after being screwed over by a cheating lover! Perfect for our Vegas Breeze album” 

Cant wait for folks to see the Video Dropping Jan 21st!

I've always had a love/hate relationship with Frank. Although his phrasing, choice of material and superb arrangements are impeccable, the standard bearer of mid century pop artistry, his macho swagger and tuff guy personality has always turned me off the music. 

His whole “Rat Pack” act may have defined a kind of “screw the establishment” hipster attitude at the time but Frank’s definition of “masculine cool” seemed   hopelessly dated & old school by the time I started listening. Even his softer more vulnerable love ballads suffered from our knowledge of his treatment of the opposite sex. 

When looking at material for the upcoming album “Vegas Breeze” It was pretty deep in the process before I realized that we needed to include at least one well known Sinatra tune in tribute to the great contribution he made to the American songbook. 

“Thats Life” was the first Sinatra tunes we tried and ended up being one of the last tunes recorded for the album.  A late 60’s hit for Frank that I had previously only known through Aretha Franklin’s 1967 incendiary version. Apparently Frank hated singing the song ( because of it’s “loser” narrative) but because audiences always requested it he was forced to keep the song in his live sets. 

Looking to create our own “Micah” version of the song, the band (Michael Shand, Russ Boswell and Al Cross) and I experimented with playing the song at breakneck speed and that “go for broke” tempo seemed to express the songs hopeful spirit the best! 

Im really happy with the power and punch that our arrangement delivers! LOVE what having the full horn section and the back up ladies does for the whole vibe-like you’ve just stepped into a classic era Vegas showroom in full swing!

Genie, Laura and Carlos on the "Thats Life" Shoot!

When I started talking to award winning director Carlos Coronado about our collaborating on a video I knew I wanted to do something fun and wild.  The video's for"New York Stories" were mostly serious in nature and that "Vegas entertainer" vibe is a component of this new album that I wanted to make sure we communicated with our first video release!

 The song I chose, "Thats Life", is a classic Sinatra tune, but the band and I had recorded our own sped up "Micah Barnes" version that seemed like the perfect way to introduce this new album.   So over the course of a number of enjoyable visits to Carlos favourite watering hole in the Parkdale area of Toronto our plans were set in place.

  I knew we could ask horn players James Rhodes and Nebhu Yohannes (pictured) to come by since I'd worked with them on the "Micah At The Sands" show....But we needed two statuesque performers  to play the "Vegas Showgirls" which seemed like it would be biggest challenge, until I thought of talking to my pal Laura Desiree who just happens to be one of North America's premiere burlesque artists! It took a while to coordinate schedules but once Laura came on board the shoot landed quickly, she suggested her sister in arms Genie Emerald as the 2nd Showgirl and I knew we had landed our perfect cast!  

Little did we know that still shots from the day would end up being the image for the #VegasBreeze  crowdfunding Campaign!  But with all that glamour it seemed like the perfect way to introduce this music to the world! 

The shoot actually went very quick and was a whole lot of fun! We can't wait for you to see the results!

    Its really exciting when you meet a new musical soul mate. It has long been my dream to work with horns and thanks to Master Arranger Don Breithaupt (and his awesome taste!)- Vegas Breeze now features an all star horn section!

Have a peek at the video about and you'll see Don conducting the horn section through a tune. It was magic to hear his charts unfold with such incredible attention to detail and such deep musicality!

 Pictured are Don and myself with Jason Logue(Trumpet), John Johnson (Tenor),Vern Dorge (alto) & William Carn (trombone) Talk about your All Star Horn Section!  Cannot wait for you to hear this music!