Last night's gig at the Redwood Cafe in Cotati was a doosy of a way to start 2015 - so much fun! When we finished, Chris came over and quietly shared is reaction to the evening: "It looks like we've still got the mojo..." All night long Chris and I had been making eye contact and just smiling with pleasure as we created some interesting, exciting musical jams. I got to play a real piano (with a pick-up), and that helped me play with confidence and energy. You can pound and thump on a real piano, and you can also create quiet subtleties - it works for me. We began by just jamming on an introductory chord, and Mike chose to play a haunting, beautiful trumpet descant over our groove. I decided right then that we were in for a musical adventure. That's the way it often is with the Thugz - that's what makes us love what we do. We never know where the music will take us and where we will be taking our audience. It's always an adventure, and I love it. Chris, Andre, Bradley - everyone played well, and, of course, Drew made it all work with his generous spirit and expertise on the soundboard. We are writing songs too, and we hope to have some gems emerge. Our next big gig will be at the former Aubergine's in Sebastopol (755 After Dark) at the end of February. We'll see what 2015 brings - it sure feels promising! Take care. Love, Sylvia