Performing with Virtuoso Jazz Guitarist, Mike DeMicco

On Saturday, June 22, I had the privilege of performing with the great Mike DeMicco on guitar. Mike is a full-time professional jazz guitarist with a busy tour schedule alongside the Brubeck Brothers Quartet of Dave Brubeck fame, known for iconic albums like *Time Out*. Mike is an exceptional guitarist, one of the greatest I've played with or heard.

Just a few days before our performance, we had an hour-long conversation about which tunes we'd cover. I originally hoped he’d be okay with my tune list and that would be it. But you want to be fair and welcoming of a guest artist, so I accepted all of his tunes as well. To my surprise, he was not only fine with my choices but also added another 20 or so tunes he wanted to do.

I took a few days to review and memorized them on the train ride up to Rhinecliff. As mentioned in other blogs, I’m a cyclist (Citibike) and love figuring out adventures in traveling to gigs. For this one, I e-biked it to Penn Station, which can feel like the seventh circle of hell. I slung a hand-built custom Carvin HH2 (headless and chambered Holdsy model) at 4.5 lbs + on my back with just a messenger bag in the bike basket. It was a delightful, air-conditioned two-hour train ride up north alongside the Hudson River, offering stunning views and a relaxing journey. I was picked up at the train station and brought to the house where the concert was being held.

Originally slated to be held outdoors, the intense heat and humidity rerouted us indoors. This turned out for the best with better acoustics, cooler conditions, and a more intimate connection with the audience. The host of the event, Astrid Nordness, is a top artist known for her captivating paintings and innovative ceramic sculptures. It was a delight to perform in a warm environment surrounded by all types of art—paintings, ceramics, sculptures, light fixtures, you name it!

While I've played jazz for decades, I've spent the past dozen years performing Broadway musicals—a different skill set altogether. Playing jazz with others requires a solid set of jazz standards memorized, along with intros, outros, regular mechanics like harmony, walking bass lines, and, of course, outlining chords in improvisation.

From the start, I felt Mike's command of the instrument, rhythm, knowledge, and deep experience. It was exhilarating to play with him. It felt like having a safety net under you, giving the feeling that you can’t go wrong. A sign of a pro-player is someone who will always make you sound good and support you.

The host of the concert shared a wonderful testimonial: "What a wonderful house concert we were privileged to enjoy by two of the most amazing musicians. Everyone was totally mesmerized. Thank you both for such a joyful experience!"

Johnny Coghil, a bassist, guitarist, and singer from the Woodstock area, also shared his thoughts: "Fantastic performance! It was inspiring to watch two accomplished musicians really enjoy playing together! Great versions of classic tunes in an intimate setting!"

Performing with Mike DeMicco was a highlight, reinforcing the joys of live jazz collaboration.