Music and Food Affect Your Mood
Bill not only creates imaginative food art, he’s also a renowned jazz guitarist that has performed worldwide with many great jazz artists. His groups have played for countless private affairs, featuring mainstream jazz and selections from the Great American Songbook. Bill is a member of local 802 and is a director of the Jazz Foundation of America. He has played with Count Basie “Countsmen,” Bill Doggett, Jimmy McGriff, Wild Bill Davis, Ruth Brown, Teri Thornton, Gloria Lynne, Jimmy Witherspoon, and more.
Whether he’s improvising a breakfast or a jazz solo, it puts him in a good mood. When we do Funny Food workshops, Bill uses food and music to make it fun for children and families to learn about nutrition. At our workshop for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Bill said, “Music and food have a similar affect on us. They are both nourishing–make us happy, give us energy, are soothing, help us focus, improve our memory, and have the power to heal.” Kids and parents are mesmerized and inspired by Bill’s food art and enjoy making their own healthy Funny Food. Music puts them in the groove and they leave feeling peachy.
Bill believes that music and art are the same sensibilities. As a professional jazz musician, improvisation comes easily to him; it’s about being in the moment and moving notes around spontaneously. The same goes for food — just instead of moving notes, he’s moving food around. Improvisation and play are two very important aspects of Bill’s philosophy and process, and, in his mind, there’s no real difference between the two. Scroll down to listen to and watch some of Bill’s music.*
