The New Mexico Music Awards

29/06/2024

29/06/2024

June 26th is the birthday for Dennis Javier Jasso and David Phillips.

Dennis, of course, is one of the driving forces behind the band Nosotros, now approaching their 30th year together. In addition to being a fabulous musician, he is also a brilliant audio engineer and producer, making music from his Fw Studios in Santa Fe. He studied at the Berklee School of Music and at NMSU. Dennis travels the world with the band and with his family. Music will do that for you.

David Phillips plays piano and founded the Pleasure Pilots. Coming from NY, NY and living in Santa Fe, he was a finalist at the NMMAs a few years ago with his solo project. He's has played with many groups in New Mexico, including with The Bumpers, The Arroyo Kings, The Soul Deacons, and Freddy Fender. https://www.pleasurepilots.com/

On June 27th, we celebrated Wendy Beach, Jill Brown and Katherine Liden.

Wendy, well...we all know Wendy and her wonderful voice. The vocalist and bassist has been performing for over 40 years. A native of the Detroit area, she has a timeless style that is rooted in the blues. She was a featured vocalist with the prestigious Nelson Riddle Orchestra, performed with saxophonists Frank Morgan & Doug Lawrence as well as trumpeter Michael Morreale, and has won numerous New Mexico Music Awards for recordings with the late, great Albuquerque vocalist Michael Herndon. She is a frequent performer for the New Mexico Jazz Workshop’s Women’s Voices ands Ladies Sing the Blues events.

Jill Brown is homegrown talent, singing with the tropical rock duo CHill, but has done a bit of traveling in her lifetime. She does a few other things as well, but just can't seem to get away from the music. Good fortune for us.

Katherine Liden is a mom who introduced her daughter to music at an early age and over time realized that she missed playing music herself, and so, got back into the fray. That was more than a decade ago and she is still out and about playing open mics and solo shows. Katherine is a songwriter who studied music at UNM and spends her off hours living in Tijeras, NM.

25/06/2024

Quick shout out to Sam Barlow, Jason Wolf and Pete Gabaldon on their birthdays.

Sam is a bluesman extraordinaire from El Paso but recording at Richard Cagle's Montrose studios in Ruidoso, which, by the way, survived the recent fires. Sam was a finalist at the 2021 NMMAs in the Blues Album category and was winner of the 2023 International Blues Challenge in 2023, winning both solo and duo categories. Proof that you are never too young to get the blues.

Jason Wolfe is the owner and producer at Triple Tone Audio Post in Albuquerque, editing sound for film and television. His credits include the films World War Z, Fight Club, Sunshine Cleaning, shot here in the Duke City. He also serves as Chief Operating Officer / Film Producer at Blue Voodoo Productions. In his spare time he is a drummer for the groups Guadalupe blue and Black Unicorn.

Jason forged his hybrid career of Sound Design, Digital Audio Technology and Postproduction in Silicon Valley in the late 90's where he worked for such companies as Avid. While at Apple, he earned an MBA at UNM Anderson school of management, with a concentration in Management of Technology. Jason's combination of creative vision and technical skills has brought him to his current role in producing films, experienced with the intricacies of both technical and creative stages of film development, production and post-production.

Drummer Pete Gabadon was born and raised in Albuquerque and has spent a considerable amount of his life playing music in and around central New Mexico. He currently plays with the Latin band Picoso.

24/06/2024

Phil Arnold's Youth Jazz Collaborative has had its funding abruptly cut by the state leaving Phil and the program in dire straights. Please consider helping if you can. http://listennm.com/youth-jazz-collaborative-program-needs-your-help/

20/06/2024

A number of people have let us know of the tragic passing of guitarist and bassist Patrick Pearson during the South Fork Fire that has burned at least 1400 structures in Ruidoso. Mr. Pearson was 60. At the time of his death, he had been living at the Swiss Chalet Inn, one of the structures destroyed by the fire. Pearson was recovering from a broken leg and may not have been able to evacuate in time.

As an artist, he frequented the clubs in and around Ruidoso for a number of years with his band, playing at places like the Quarters but had also toured throughout New Mexico for most of his life with a variety of groups including the country band Shot of Gold and the Brenden Dawes Band and with artists that included Austin Van and Craig Rivera.

We are saddened by his loss. At least one other person has perished in the fire as well. If you would like to assist the victims of the fire or help support the firefighters, there are a number of ways you can help. You can find information at https://www.krqe.com/news/wildfires/heres-how-to-donate-to-victims-of-fires-in-ruidoso-area/

19/06/2024

Help us celebrate Antonio Luis Cumbion today.

Antonio is from Chilili where he still lives and is Founder/Director at Proyecto Cumbion, which he leads and plays accordian and provides the vocals as well. He received his Master's Degree, Clinical Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University, but also finds time to play music, employing a host of wonderful musicians including vocalist Isabela Lopez, percussionist Erving Nevarez, Raquel Covarrubias on
Guira/Guacharaca/Maraca, guitarist Jamie Harrison. bassist Artha Meadors, Rafael Herrera and Andres Ramierez on Tambora/Percussion and
Oscar Gamboa on the Llamador. The band has collaborated with Yeison Landero, El Heredero and Grandson of Andres Landero, touring nationally. https://proyectocumbion.com/

19/06/2024

First, let us rectify an oversight. Randy Sanchez celebrated his birthday a couple of days ago and we wanted say sorry and happy belated. Randy is the last original member of our favorite band, Nosotros, playing Tres, guitar and providing vocals. From Las Cruces, he now makes his home in Santa Fe and spend his spare time playing msic with a bunch of folks; Baracutanga, Rock Fox, Agueybana, and more. With Nosotros and others, he has won multiple awards including New Mexico Music Awards for the past two decades. Amazing. Longevity in this business should always be celebrated.

Today we celebrate Adrienne Braswell, owner of Adrian Braswell Music in Ranchos de Taos. The Singer/Songwriter/Actor/Writer/Vocal Coach comes to us from San Antonio, TX. - and was an NMMA Blues Song winner for her tune "Scrawny Little White Girl" from her album BLUE DOOR. She attended UNM from 2006-2008 and her country-comedy musical smash hit r***e –The CowPattys!, four strong and funny women singing “A-Cowpella” toured the country to packed houses for four years, opening for The Smothers Brothers and others. https://www.adriennebraswell.com/

Latin Jazzmaster and arranger Chris Cordova also celebrates today. He has plays solo and collaborates with other artists to form duos, trios, quartets and quintets. He studied at Berklee and at UNM. As owner of Chris Cordova Jazz, he is able to do most anything you need in the musical realm. He toured nationally throughout the 1980's and returned to New Mexico where he has played with the finest musicians, swinging through in the Southwest. https://chriscordovajazz.com/home

18/06/2024

We say happy birthday today to Cristina Rodriguez, David Bliss and Neal Copperman.

Cristina Rodriguez is co-founder of Mind&Melody, Inc., a non-profit organization that implements interactive volunteer based music programs with educational and therapeutic benefits for individuals experiencing neurological impairments. Based in Miami, FL, Cristina's hometown, she had an idea while volunteering at Miami Children’s Hospital, that a place at the hospital where the kids could come and learn how to play an instrument might be therapeutic. Enter Lauren Koff who had similar ideas. By 2014, they had put the bones of the program together and now teach individuals with and without neurological impairments how to create music themselves. Cristina makes her home in Los Alamos these days. https://mindandmelody.org/

You can often find David Bliss playing with some of the best jazzers anywhere. People like Michael Anthony, Jamie Harrison, Allison Davis, Micky Patten, Vic Romanelli, William Hanley, Michael Metz, Gordon Johnson and Bevan Manson. Born and raised in the Duke City, he studied at Cornell University and enjoys traveling domestically and abroad.

You know Neal Copperman as the executive director of the non-profit AMP Concerts. The sheer number of performances he produces is phenomenal and he always seems to find a way to bring the best musicians on earth to Albuquerque time and time again. https://www.ampconcerts.org/

18/06/2024

The artist's friend and manager Rich Engel shared the news on Friday.

18/06/2024

Zenobia informs us of the passing of singer and songwriter Angela Bofill at the age of 70 on June 15th. Bofill's strong three-and-a-half-octave ranged voice can be heard on her compositions like the classic Over the Moon and Under the Sky. Her 1978 debut, Angie, was produced by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen and was one of the first albums to be tagged as "Smooth R&B." She is best remembered for jazzy love songs like “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” and “Angel of the Night.” She logged six albums in the Top 40 of the Billboard R&B charts from 1979-1983, with five of them crossing over to the Top 100 of the pop charts, one of the first Latina artists to do so.

By the mid 1980s, her career has slowed somewhat as she took time off to raise her children. She released her last studio album, “Love in Slow Motion,” in 1996. Her music career ended when she had strokes in 2006 and 2007 that left her partly paralyzed and speech-impaired. If you listen to nothing else by this wonderful artist, please take a listen to Over the Moon and Under the Sky and you will hear what producers Dave Grusin, Clive Davis, Narada Michael Walden, George Duke and Norman Conners were all so excited about.

The artist's friend and manager Rich Engel shared the news on Friday.

15/06/2024

New Documentary Film on Albuquerque’s Punk Band Left Unsaid coming soon. June 13, 2024 admin The band Left Unsaid was huge in the Duke City in the 90s, rising above the fray to gain national attention before disintegrating. A new documentary about the late 90s/early 2000s Albuquerque punk/rock sce...

15/06/2024

The Albuquerque based band Left Unsaid has produced a documentary about the 90s Punk Rock scene in the Duke City and the band's rise and fall premiering on Amazon Prime on June 22nd. Check out the trailer and more at

New Documentary Film on Albuquerque’s Punk Band Left Unsaid coming soon. June 13, 2024 admin The band Left Unsaid was huge in the Duke City in the 90s, rising above the fray to gain national attention before disintegrating. A new documentary about the late 90s/early 2000s Albuquerque punk/rock sce...

15/06/2024

Birthday wishes this spring day to guitarist and audio engineer Dennis Vigil and keyboardist and artist Dave Shanks.

Coming to us from Las Vegas, NM (the REAL Las Vegas) and now living in Albuquerque, Dennis bangs around playing with groups like the Mango Cakes, Mozzy Dee and others, running live sound and is also instrumental in recording and producing a number of groups in and around central New Mexico. The song How Dare You, written and performed by Adriana Vigil was engineered, mixed and produced by Dennis was a finalist in the Best Vocal Performance category at the 2024 New Mexico Music Awards and a Best Mastering Engineer winner for Andy Rogulich and High Fidelity Mastering. (That's Dennis on the left.)

Keyboard wizard Dave Shanks from Alto, NM also celebrates today. Originally from El Paso, he moved to the cool mountains near Ruidoso after studying at the University of Florida. You might find him playing with the Doso Dirtbags, backing artists like Spencer Gandy or recording with Richard Cagle at Montrose Studios, down the hill and up the mountain in Ruidoso. He and Miriam hosted the Celebration of Life for Chi-Town Sher and continue to pay tribute to her in word and song.

13/06/2024

We know someone reminded us about this, but we quickly forgot, so let's do this today before we forget again and say happy birthday to actor, artist and songwriter Gary Farmer who celebrated his birthday yesterday.

Gary is from Toronto, Canada but has been living in Santa Fe for quite a while. He was winner of the NMMA's Best Americana song in 2023 for his song Fool For Love, but that is the least of his accomplishments. The First Nations actor has starred in movies, TV and commercials for 4 decades including the iconic films Pow Wow Highway, Police Academy and Smoke Signals. He has had recurring roles in The West Wing, The Red Road, Rez Dogs, Longmire and Resident Alien and has worked with everyone from Martin Sheen to Robert DeNiro. His music has never taken a back seat, and he continues to tour with his band, The Troublemakers, singing and playing a mean blues harp. He has no plans to slow down anytime soo. We're lucky to have him here.

11/06/2024

Happy birthday to Chris Ishee and Michael Alison

The jazzmaster from College Park, MD landed in Santa Fe more than a decade ago after studying jazz piano at the University of Miami. You can hear him playing keyboards with the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra, on the Sky Railway or as the Albuquerque Isotopes music master. In his signature porkpie hat, you'll hear him backing almost anyone who plays music in central New Mexico.

Apparently Austin, TX wasn't weird enough for Michael Alison, so he moved to The Duke City. He studied law at Texas Tech and guitar, well, everywhere. When he's not arguing cases before the court, you can find him workshopping at a songwriters in the round or playing guitar with JD Johnston or just by himself. Good vibes.

08/06/2024

Coming to us from Odessa, Texas to settle in Ruidoso is Spencer Gandy who we say happy birthday to today. A guitarist and entertainer by trade, you can find him out and about in Southern NM playing as a solo or with his trio, Three of a Kind. If you want to hear some good music tonight, head over to Win, Place and Show at Ruidoso Downs tonight to hear the guys putting it all together.

08/06/2024

Before today slips away, lets say happy birthday to jazz master, arranger, model, digital content creator, actor and photographer Ryan Montano who's birthday was yesterday.

Ryan is a 5-time Billboard-charting recording artist and winner in the jazz category at the 2024 NMMAs. Ryan has appeared in commercials and films including Good Kill starring Ethan Hawke, Disney's Lemonade Mouth and Love N' Dancing starring Amy Smart, Rachel Dratch and Betty White. He has been a featured performer on CSI Miami and Wildfire and has in print campaigns to his modeling credits. He's also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! playing the trumpet for pop stars “Hanson” as part of the “Cleto & The Cletones” horn section. His latest release, Enchanted Lands is currently being played at radio stations across the United States and Western Europe and his new album Truth Journey has garnered over 4 million streams on Spotify. His success led to nation-wide performances at jazz and music festivals including the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, The Phil Denny Armory Jazz Festival and The Seabreeze Jazz Festival. https://www.ryanmontano.com/

07/06/2024

We are only now learning of the passing of Phyllis Jennings Kennedy, artist and activist, teacher, mother, and wife, on April 15th of this year. She retired from New Mexico Arts in 2020. Phyllis reinvigorated the statewide Poetry Out Loud program, showcasing her innate abilities to network and get the right people excited and involved. She brought that same diligent passion to creating an Arts and the Military program, creating opportunities for New Mexican veterans. It was Phyllis who convinced the NM Arts program to support the NMMAs Therapeutic Songwriting for Veterans program, funding the program several times before her retirement. She was a wonderful human being who saw value in our veterans and wanted nothing more than to make their lives better. We were honored to know her.

05/06/2024

Alyson Jeanne and Herman Martinez Jr celebrate birthdays today.

Alyson is a working musician here in Albuquerque, playing bass and singing lead and harmony for a number of bands. You might see her on stage with Joseph General, Jamie Harrison (himself and incredible sideman and solo artist) and others.

Herman is an audio engineer, producer and Alta Vista Music studio owner has recorded many of New Mexico's most talented artists from his studio in Albuquerque. Junior graduated from West Mesa High School in 1987 and joined his father's business from the home built studios on the west side of the Duke City. Over the years, his client list, fan base and family have grown and grown.

03/06/2024

Birthdays this weekend for Katie Gill and Tommy Eylicio

Katie is a talented guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bassist who graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor of Music degree, but her musical journey started long before that. Originally from Roswell, NM. Katie has lived all over the place, from NY to Dallas and everyplace in between. She hangs her hat in Seattle these days. You remember her as a member of the NMMA award winning bands Jeez La Weeze and The Buckerettes. She can sing in any style and has opened for Rita Coolidge, Wynonna Judd, Asleep at the Wheel, Michael Martin Murphy, Rosanne Cash and Ricky Skaggs. She played rhythm guitar for Junior Brown and sang back up vocals with Nancy Griffith. Her voice has been heard on jingles for radio and television throughout the US. Find her music and more at https://katiecaingillmusic.com/home

Guitarist Tommy Eylicio is from Albuquerque but now lives in Grants. You've heard him with the Project 505 Band, his Power Drive Band and Just Playin' and he played with the legendary Brown Sugar band, (with the late Jeffro Carter) Trappie and the In Crowd and with other legendary artists including Don Cardona, Cesar Bauvallet, Johnny Hernandez, Al Muniz, Sunny Ozuna and Valentin Garcia and is himself a legend as one of the Sidemen.

29/05/2024

Harmonica Mike Handler and Paul Pino are celebrating birthdays.

Mike came from San Francisco and landed in Santa Fe by way of Nevada and Oregon and after studying radio, film and TV at the University of Denver. He is the founding father of the Country Blues R***e and also plays with the Stormy Monday Blues Band. He was spotted recently at the 18th Annual Crawdaddy Blues Festival, Madrid, New Mexico and co-hosts the Sunday Blues Show at KSFR-FM. When he's not playing or on the radio, you might catch him on a movie set as an actor or crew member. While he's known for his blues harp, Mike also plays a mean guitar.

Paul Pino if from Carrizozo and studied at UNM, moving to a ranch in nearby Sandia Park to play guitar and sing with his band, The Tone Daddies. He's been married to Linda for a bunch of years and together they travel around the state playing rancheras, corridos and good old rock and roll. He remains close to his hometown, traveling back their several times a year. (His birthday was actually yesterday, but we didn't quite get to it.) Feliz Cumpleaños.