Where's Fred: Bringing the funky horns for Bootsy!

While gearing up for his much anticipated June tour with his New JBs through the northeastern United States, Fred cruised to Atlanta's Patchwerk Studios to add his signature funky horns to the forthcoming album of his old bandleader and friend Bootsy Collins. 

Fans will have to wait to hear the final results, but they can expect something along the lines of this arrangment he did for Bootsy's Rubber Band's "Psychoticbumpschool" in 1978.

Many thanks to the players and all involved, including Shake Mayfield for pulling together the Atlanta horn section, and Technical Earth Recorders in Montgomery, Alabama.

Left-right Kenneth R. Pack, Kenneth Faison, Ezekiel Johnson ,Fred, Milk Shake Mayfield, Anothy Duke Pearson.

Where's Fred? Ready for a June return to U.S. touring!

What's next for Fred? A northeast U.S. tour June 16-22 with his New JB, serving fans in New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh and Portsmouth, New Hampshire!

Tuned up and tested by a month on the road in Europe with his Generations Trio, and having hit Los Angeles to bid a joyful farewell to his 40-year friend Ernie Fields Jr., Fred is grateful to be home safe in Alabama looking forward to the tour, which is the first in an upcoming series that will include west coast hits including the Blue Note Napa's Groove Summit on Aug. 24.

Check the calendar to see what all is ahead and get your tickets now.

In addition to time grooving with the project that began as a tribute to the late great organist Jimmy Smith, the month in Europe included a session in Paris to record two commissioned compositions he wrote for Music Care, the company of friend Stéphane Guetin, a music therapist and doctor in clinical psychology.

Thank you to photographer Ingrid de Vlaming for these beautiful shots from Burgerweeshuis in Deventer, The Netherlands. 

Thank you to Oliver Hochkeppel of the Bayerischer Hof Jazz Club in Munich for this.

Also enjoy these family photos. 

With Stéphane and the Music Care session cats.

With the Generations Trio after the last gig of the tour in Weimar, Germany.