M.I.A.

Yes, I admit it. I've been missing in action, but even I didn't realize it's been this long. So sorry. However, the important part of M.I.A is the A = action. So, though I've been missing from this blog, I have been doing things. In fact, I maybe doing a little too much, making me ineffective at what I should be doing...like communicating with you. Did I say sorry? Well, the truth is Michelle & I have been working hard on the Joe Bryant documentary: Impassioned. There's light at the end of the tunnel though, almost there. We have a couple of proposed finish lines, but we'll probably shoot for the later one so as not to rush the final product. More on that as we get closer.

I was also elected to the board of directors of FAITH = Finding All Individual Talents Hidden, last Fall. It's a brand new organization focused on after school learning for kids with Autism. It is the dream of my very gifted niece, Tiffany Andrews. I am very proud of her and to be a part of this wonderful program; but it is a lot of work getting a new organization off the ground.

I've also been spending a lot of time working with Electro-Funk. Man, the band sounds good! Okay, that may be a biased opinion, but I am really proud of their growth. Hoping more people will get a chance to hear and dance to our music in the very near future. Check out our revised Reverberation page.

I added new audio play widgets to the Duane M. Carter Projects page for all the bands as well. Go there to listen to some of the samples.

Of course, amongst all of this I squeeze in some time to write, both words and music. I even had the opportunity to publish both in a wonderful digital creative journal, Soul by Southwest, and participate in their release party back in May. It was a beautifully creative evening, and I am so thankful to be a part of this publication.

Anyway, I'll try to communicate a bit more frequently over the remaining months in this year.

Let me know your thoughts, follow me on my social media pages!

Peace

New Beginnings

I like the idea of cycles, such as the beginning of a new year. The new year affords the opportunity to reflect upon past accomplishments and failures, and start afresh with a clean slate. Though I dislike setting myself up for failure with those impossible resolutions, I do think setting goals for yourself is healthy. They give you something shoot for. I have a ton of goals for the year. Of course, I hope I can attain each and every one. Wish me the best, and I wish you the best on yours as well. But remember should either of us fall short, there is always another cycle just around the corner.

Peace

Always a Saint

I was blessed to be a member of a phenomenal group of musicians during my formative years, led and guided by some exceptionally visionary teachers. This weekend we will be gathering to rename the Locke High School band building in honor those teachers: Donald Dustin, Frank Harris, and Reggie Andrews. In doing so, I will join the bandstand with an illustrious list of alumni, to include: Patrice Rushen, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Fritz Wise, Daniel Le'Melle, Tyrese Gibson, Raymond Pounds, Gerald Albright, Gary Bias, Charles Mims, Danny Cortez, and many more sung & unsung greats from this South Central Los Angeles bed of talent. It is indeed an honor to have once been and to always be a Saint.

~Once a Saint, always a Saint~

Peace

Autumn

I came out of the house this morning to be greeted by an undeniable change in the temperature. Unfortunately, I'm not in a place with the dramatic and gorgeous turning of the leaves, but Fall is making its presence known nonetheless. So with that, I felt it fitting to post my poem, Autumn, on the writer side of my website. Hope you enjoy it.

Peace

The Wait is Over

If you're an Amazon shopper like so many of us are, I totally understand. Convenience can be so simplifying. That said, if you've been waiting for my ebook, No Promises to come to Amazon, then wait no more. The official Kindle version is here. On that note, you can find it through Barnes & Noble for the Nook, iBook for your tablet & computer, and of course Smashwords for every format. Enjoy.

Peace

Q & A

"I'd say the real story is that things happen to us for a reason. There are no coincidences. One of my poems speak of finding love across time and space. I believe this book has the same underlying premise. I find it amazing how people encounter one another, even if it's just a momentary glance where eyes meet in the acknowledgement of another's existence, at a particular point in time and in a particular space..."

Check out the rest of the interview for No Promises here.

Peace

New E-book Published!

Okay dear friends, here's the e-xciting news I was hoping to share with you. My new novel, No Promises, is now an e-book! You can click here for a free sample. I hope you like it. If you do, and you feel so inclined, go ahead and downloaded the full book to your favorite device from the same page. And, I just got word that it has just been picked up by a few of the other popular e-book retailers that you probably already use. E-njoy!

Peace

Post-Production

Our documentary project, Impassioned, has moved into the post-production phase. We've now begun the process of reviewing hours of footage and audio before we start scripting and editing. I'm so excited!

Speaking of exciting, I will have some very E-xciting news to share with you in my next post. So be sure and check back soon. No, really, soon. I promise, you won't be waiting 3 months for my next post. It's always great when I have something new to share with you.

Peace

Road Trip

My wife, filmmaker Michelle Carter, myself, and Austin Jazz Alliance chairman Fito Kahn are on a whirlwind tour of Oklahoma filming for Impassioned, the documentary we are working on. Getting ready to head back if we can brave the snowy roads:

Happy 2015!

Wishing everyone a very happy, blessed, and prosperous New Year. Thank you so much for all of your support in 2014, and I hope that I can count on you in 2015. My eyes are set ahead with positive forward thinking; making plans to make this year better in all aspects than the last. God bless.

Peace

Baby it's Cold Outside

Yes, the weather outside is frightful, or at least darn right chilly. I guess I'm a temperate weather kind of guy.

So, I missed a post and calendar update last week. I didn't get to alert you of a gig we had yesterday. Yeah, so this is old news now. The DCQ performed out in Liberty Hill at Foundation Park for a Christmas Holiday community event. Outside. In the cold! But, it was great. There was a good crowd and lots of activities for the kids. We even pulled out our book of Christmas arrangements to heighten the holiday spirit. A great time was had by all!

Peace

Veterans Day

I am proud to say that I spent 10 years of my life in the U.S. Army, 1981-1991. If the circumstances were right, I'm sure I would have retired an Army Bandsman as many of the good friends I met along the way did. For the most part, it was a path worth traveling; so many valuable lessons learned. Though I know many of you say, "Sure, you were in the band, why wouldn't it be great." So, let me put the record straight. Bandsmen/women are soldiers, trained right alongside the Infantry, the Field Artillery, the Signal Corps, besides being outstanding musicians in the roles of ambassadors of peace and democracy, as well as training support for our fellow troops . Yes, we trained and prepared for the defense of this nation, as so many before us and since have done. I despise war; yet I am proud of all my fellow veterans that have given of themselves in both times of strife and peace for the good of us all.

With that said, let me invite you to the veteran owned Brass House this Veterans Day evening, Nov. 11th, 7pm to support Army Chaplain and author David W. Peters as he is interviewed by NPR's John Burnett in conjunction with The Front Porch on the release of his new book, Death Letter. While you're there, you'll be entertained by my very own Duane Carter Quartet (The DCQ). So, if you're in the Austin area, come on out!

Peace

Back to the Routine

Well, the Texas Jazz Festival is behind us now.  It was an awesome event with such an appreciative and enthusiastic audience.  We truly enjoyed it and we believe the crowd did as well.  I also got to meet up with my old friend Bill Churchville, L.A. studio session musician and former lead trumpeter with Tower of Power.  We last saw each other (FB not included) back in the mid '80s while playing in the Army Band stationed in Panama.  It was great to reconnect!

Now it's back to the normal routine: practicing, writing, and all those other -ings needed to better oneself.  Well, I should say sort of normal.  There are other projects looming, including the documentary my wife, Michelle Carter and I are working on in conjunction with Fito Kahn of the Austin Jazz Alliance.  It is the life story of Dr. Joe Bryant, an 87 year old WWII Veteran and still active jazz trumpet player.  We are currently in fundraising mode, so if you are so inclined drop by our Indiegogo page and help us make this a reality.

Peace

Keepin' it Fresh

Excited to be trying out some new music. From time to time I put down the horn and go into writer's mode. Such has been the case for the last few months. The results, a brand new batch of tunes. It's quite a thrill when the band starts working them out and you're hearing them come to life. And the band is doing a fantastic job of doing just that. Can't wait for you to come experience them with us!

Peace

Texas Jazz Festival

Just got news that we, The Duane Carter Band (DCB), will be performing at the Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi this October. I'm excited to hear that since it's been a few years since we last performed there. Check my Calendar page for dates and times. Hope to see you there.

Peace

News page

Since the new year began, I've been thinking about redesigning the News portion of my website. I wanted to keep the current design of the site, while at the same time find a way to add an archive of old posts. Rather than disrupt the flow of the site, I decided to try out a blog page for this purpose. So, here it is! It's still a work in progress. This one should be a little easier to manage than the old one and it will allow me to archive posts. I'm just hoping that I will be able to bring over the posts from the last year. Fingers crossed.

Peace

Somethin' Old, Somethin' New

The first half of 2014 has been interesting. It's been a mixed bag for me. The performance end slowed down after the holidays, but creativity continues to drive forward. In fact, it has allowed me the space to work on some long left undone writing projects (and there are many). I'm also working on some film projects with my other half, cinematographer Michelle Carter. We have a couple of documentaries in pre-production; I'll keep you posted on those.

Peace

Merry Christmas!

Can you believe how quickly time passes? I can't seem to get my head around it. Seems we just started this year with me telling you about my new projects: Eclectro-Funk and the DCQ, now here we are already at the end of the year. So what's new? Basically, looking into the new year. The DCQ played what is probably the last gig of 2013 at the Austin chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Christmas Party. It was a good way to end the year, giving back in an extremely joyful way. Be sure and drop by our management site: Centerpoint Music, and tell your friends about us. I have several bands that are willing and able to make your event a musical happening. Hope your holiday's are blessed.

Peace

Happenings!

Well, let me get right to the latest news. Eclectro-Funk will be performing at The Carousel Lounge tonight from 7-9pm. Come on out and have some fun with us. Now for a horse of a different color, the DCQ minus 1 will be back at the Satellite Bistro on the 28th. Looking forward to seeing you at our shows.

Peace

Disappearing Act

Well in case you've been wondering I haven't been exactly missing these last couple of months, just not present, at least on this blog. Sorry about that. So what's been happening in my absence you say? Music of course. The DCQ did a private function earlier this month, and the DCQ minus 1 will be back at the Satellite Bistro next month. I'll keep you posted on that. Eclectro-Funk is preparing for a series of studio dates beginning the end of the month. We're working on some of my original material, which is always a thrill for me; and the rest of the band appears to be enjoying it too. Can't wait to share that with you.

Peace