Currently based in He Sapa (the Black Hills of South Dakota), my work lives somewhere between jazz, improvisation, composition, community building, and curiosity. Over the past two decades I’ve lived and worked in New Orleans, Iceland, Winnipeg, Corpus Christi, Chicago, and a handful of other places, collecting collaborators, stories, and perspectives along the way.

A self-diagnosed generalist (I diagnosed myself), I’ve spent the better part of two decades collaborating and working with artists across genres, disciplines, and geographies. A short list includes Samantha Fish, Vintage Trouble, Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, The Headhunters, The Revivalists, Nikki Glaspie, Brian Haas, Mike Dillon, Helen Gillet, Ben LaMar Gay, Jamison Ross, and many others.

As a bandleader and collaborator, I’ve released ten records, performed on countless others’ records, and continue to lead and contribute to projects including Alex Massa’s Water Music, Plays Well With Others, STRANGE WINDS, Otis GO, Skeleton Crew, The Good Eggs, and the occasional DJ set under the name SnackMassa5000.

Beyond performance, I founded Improvise Arts – an artist development and high school youth mentorship non-profit here in South Dakota, re-established the South Dakota Jazz Orchestra where I serve as Artistic Director, and continue to build projects that create opportunities for artists and audiences alike. Much of my work is rooted in the belief that meaningful cultural work can happen anywhere, and I’m interested in what happens when artists gather in a room and see where an idea takes us.

As a composer, I’ve written music for film, television, documentaries, and commercial projects. My work has appeared in Big Night, In Reality, Parsnip, Discretion, and on platforms including Netflix, CBS, Discovery Channel, and Food Network.

When I’m not making music, you’ll probably find me teaching, wandering a creek or stream, chasing trout with a fly rod, thinking about water, or dreaming up the next improbable project.