Marlowe Shepherd in New York

It’s such a humbling and thrilling opportunity to be back and grinding away in New York City. The chance to be back on the ground here is as real as it gets. I arrived here with no expectations of results or the conception that the city would respond to my efforts. I just promised myself I would really hustle, give it my all and that, in the end, would allow me to sleep at night. Here I am halfway to everywhere and digging in.

It’s ten miles plus on foot per day in the suit sweating out the oldies. Pitching for solo and ensemble work in person to upwards of 150 hotel and restaurant locations plus the records shops, galleries, and any other space I can find. It’s the jazz clubs, the private member clubs, and the fashion houses. It’s uptown, downtown, and everywhere in between. It’s tracking all these in person interactions with the repetition of follow up emails and phone calls. It’s the sweet surprise and the joy of just being a part of it all.

I’m giving it away. That is the reason, at the core, why I started out in the first place. When I’m practicing in my favorite spots in Central Park it’s right out of ‘real good for free’. That’s the point really, in the end you have to just let it go and find it’s own way around. It might come back to you and it might not. The angle is really just live from a point of view of love, and through the filter of love. It’s pretty simple.

I brought over 400 vinyl units of my two current efforts along with 200 singles. I’ve been gifting them to all the locations I’m pitching to and would love to play as I make my way around the city. It’s the gesture of sharing what I do without expectations. I love these moments and by months end I will have had 600 lovely interactions with hard working people who are generally asked for something and not given anything. Again, it’s the gesture and I’m lucky to be able to share it around.

I enjoy all these Incredible properties new and old. I’m drawn to the history of it all. Who’s stayed here? Who had drinks here? Who walked down these streets dreaming? At the end of the day what inspires me is the people in the city. That’s the real city to me.

Smalls Jazz Club _ Club Wits End _ Winnie’s Jazz Bar _ The Django _ Casa Tua _ Maxime’s Club _ Fasano _ Casa Cruz _ Aman _ ZZ’s _ University Club _ The Harvard Club _ Tomi _ Viilage Vanguard _ The Twenty Two _ The Ned _ Chez Margaux _ San Vicente _ The Collection _ The Refinery _ The Waldorf Astoria _ The W _ The Fitzpatrick _ The Dominick _ The Whitby _ Ace Hotel _ The Algonquin _ Four Seasons _ Dream Hotel _ The Mark _ The Pierre _ Lowes Regency _ The Luxury Collection _ Aura _ The Warwick _ Le Meridien _ The Langham _ The Thompson _ 1 Hotel _ The Ritz _ The St. Regis _ Mandarin Oriental _ Equinox _ The Manner _ Park Lane _ Park Central _ fast Times Coffee _ The Standard _ The Lowell _ The Plaza _ The Roxy _ The Fifth Avenue Hotel _ The Mercer _ Hotel Chelsea _ The Bowery Hotel _ The Peninsula _ The Carlyle _ JW Essex _ The Chatwal _ Nine Orchard _ Citizen M _ The Manhattan _ Perry Street _ Fleming _ RPM Underground _ Ergot Records _ Oceana _ Match 65 _ Tuscany Steakhouse _ JoJo _ Four Twenty Five _ Jean-Georges _ Gramercy Tavern _ Midnight Blue _ Daniel _ Rocco _ The Empire Hotel

I certainly take pride in what I’ve accomplished. The 3000 nights I’ve played in the last 10 years, the beautiful collaborations in scaling charts to big swing orchestras, co-producing a full symphony, and the albums I’ve recorded with the amazing musicians, producers, engineers, and everyone in between that allowed all of it to happen. I don’t believe it’s a healthy mindset to feel that all of it should add up to anything specific or that accomplishments are cumulative.

It’s always what’s next. See you around town.