Tag Archives: Year in Pictures
2014 in Pictures
2014 was a year I spent on the ROAD. Shall I even attempt to list all of the cities?! ….Hell, why not. This year I hit up Amsterdam, Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham (Alabama and United Kingdom), Boston, Brooklyn, Cape Town, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Cologne, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Durham, Fresno, Houston, Johannesburg, Kansas City, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Oakland, Paris, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Richmond, Rotterdam, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Ana, Seattle, St. Louis and right down the street…. Washington D.C.
I got to hear music that I worked on every single week on Adult Swim’s animated series, Black Dynamite, saw myself on TV one day and decided to make a change by dropping off 35 lbs in the first few months of the year, traveled and saw some of the world with The Foreign Exchange and solo with Carmen Rodgers, started working on an EP with 1/2 of +FE, Nicolay, rocked an NPR Tiny Desk with +FE, began scoring a documentary, began a storytelling series, “Studio Campfire Stories: LIVE” that started on the right foot with a sold out show in Atlanta, and released one of the more talked about videos of the year (in my eyes anyway haha)..
Here’s to a helluva 2015 and much love to everyone riding with me throughout this musical journey… *raises glass of brown likkuh* Cheers!!
2013 In Pictures
With 2013 being the most successful year in my music career, it’s only right that I share the pictures that documented it. Looking back, I released my newest album, ManMade, and had the pleasure of visiting Brooklyn, Baltimore, D.C., Chicago, Richmond, Philly, Pittsburgh, LA, Tucson, Detroit, Vegas, Seattle, Austin, Durham, Atlanta, Charlotte, San Diego, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Cleveland in support of it – I was even asked to perform on the eight-day Capital Jazz Cruise at the beginning of November. I contributed to the new The Foreign Exchange album Love In Flying Colors with “Listen To The Rain,” and The Reworks with a remix for Phonte’s “Gonna Be A Beautiful Night”. I hung out with Bobbito and Crazy Legs of Rock Steady in NYC, began endorsing Lewitt Audio, released an ode to Sesame Street in the form of the “Count To Five” video, was the subject of my FIRST documentary, and even had a day named after me in Las Vegas.
Things to look out for in 2014…
• Making the music for Black Dynamite – The Animated Series (Season 2) with Fatin “10” Horton
• My very first trip to South Africa with The Foreign Exchange at the end of March + a world tour with +FE
• A brand new single + video from ManMade + more solo dates
• New, original music… Including a collaborative EP with…………………………
…….anyway, thank you, 2013… Here’s to one helluva productive and positive new year in 2014. Cheers!!
2012 in Pictures

“…Give it up for Lorenzo Ferguson a/k/a Zo!, y’all!!” © Phonte in LA • Photo by Kris Perry (Oct. 2012)
2012 has been another helluva year. I got to do some traveling and play shows in LA, NYC, DC, Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, St. Louis, Bethesda, MD, Greensboro, NC, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Columbia MD, Boston, Virginia Beach, Raleigh, Vienna, VA, Memphis, Indianapolis, San Francisco, and Phoenix …..and Durham, NC for this coming New Year’s Eve. I completed my first year as a full-time musician after the school I taught music at closed last year – I was then able to continue teaching by conducting individual piano lessons and workshop to groups of young ones. I began endorsing Moog Music, received another standing ovation during a performance back home in Detroit, and got the bulk of the recording finished for my newest album ManMade. Sy Smith and I did some touring this year playing big solo shows at DC’s Blues Alley and NYC’s Blue Note and received big performance props from Sheila E while I was back on the road with The Foreign Exchange who wrapped up performances for an album we have been touring for two years, Authenticity. I hit my ten-year anniversary of releasing music as well. Outside of all that, it was a fairly quiet twelve months……….
…Looking forward to 2013. Enjoy the photos!!
- Me and Phonte laying VERY early recordings for ‘ManMade’ (Jan. 2012)
- The LA crowd • Photo by Kris Perry (Jan. 2012)
- Looks like I liked something I heard • Photo by Kris Perry (Jan. 2012)
- Sy and I on the keys • Photo by Kris Perry (Jan. 2012)
- Zo! + Sy Smith • Photo by Marcel Friday (Jan. 2012)
- Sy in deep concentration • Photo by Marcel Friday (Jan. 2012)
- Enjoying myself… • Photo by Marcel Friday (Jan. 2012)
- Me in LA • Photo by Marcel Friday (Jan. 2012)
- Keyboard duet featuring Zo! + Sy Smith • Photo by Marcel Friday (Jan. 2012)
- Group picture after the LA show • Photo by Kris Perry (Jan. 2012)
- Miki Howard, Me and Sy Smith in LA • Photo by Kris Perry (Jan. 2012)
- Amtrak to NYC (Jan. 2012)
- View from my hotel room in NYC (Jan. 2012)
- “Don’t ever underestimate the power of your mind…” © Sy Smith via ‘SunStorm’ (Jan. 2012)
- Dookie rope chains + Yellow Curl bottles = The 80’s.. Me and Phonte in D.C. • Photo by Victoria Ford (Jan. 2012)
- Zo! and Tigallo Hate the 90’s @ Axel F. 80’s Party/Performance in D.C. • Photo by Victoria Ford (Jan. 2012)
- Nicolay, Butta of SoulBounce.com & I in D.C. (Feb. 2012)
- Chicago Arrival, (02.09.12)
- The Nord Stage Eighty-Eight… Weapon of choice for Chicago. (Feb. 2012)
- Zo! + Sy Smith in Chicago • Photo by Warren Skipper (Feb. 2012)
- Zo! + Sy Smith in Chicago • Photo by Kimberly Vandever (Feb. 2012)
- Zo! + Sy Smith in Chicago • Photo by Kimberly Vandever (Feb. 2012)
- Zo! + Sy SmIth in Detroit (Feb. 2012)
- Zo! + Sy Smith in Detroit. (Feb. 2012)
- Zo! at Jazz and Jokes in Nashville • Photo by Shamicka Bush (Feb 2012)
- Zo! + Sy Smith = The Superman and Wonder Woman of Indie Soul… LOL Photo by Chadd Hardy (Feb. 2012)
- The St. Louis Arch – View from my hotel’s lobby… (Feb. 2012)
- Me with Cameron and Cameron after my workshop and tour of Westview Middle School in St. Louis… 02.13.12
- The “ZoTif”
- Recording for D.C.’s own, Kokayi • Photos by Kokayi (April 2012)
- Me and Sy at Ben’s Next Door in D.C. (April 2012)
- Sy Smith and I in D.C. • Photo by Julius Prince (Apr. 2012)
- Phonte, Big K.R.I.T. and 9th Wonder for the “Life Of Kings” video shoot right before I jumped my ass in front of the camera. (April 2012)
- +FE Prayer in Greensboro, NC (April 2012)
- +FE in Greensboro, NC (April 2012)
- Face Off!! in NYC • Photo by Sean J Rhinehart (May 2012)
- Sy Smith • Photo by Sean J. Rhinehart (May 2012)
- In NYC • Photo by Sean J. Rhinehart (May 2012)
- Sy in NYC • Photo by Sean J. Rhinehart (May 2012)
- Sy and I in NYC (May 2012)
- Me on keys and Monet on flute • Photo by Sean J Rhinehart (May 2012)
- Rockin’ the hell out with the Bubba Gump lip • Photo by Sean J. Rhinehart (May 2012)
- +FE Music… Stocked up in Moods Music – Atlanta (May 2012)
- Apache Café setup in Atlanta (May 2012)
- Sy Smith + Zo! @ Apache Café in Atlanta • Photo by Angie Keilhauer (May 2012)
- Sy Smith + Zo! @ Apache Café in Atlanta (May 2012)
- Me and Sy Smith ain’t here for you other sucka ass crews!! (May 2012)
- The set-up at Quixotic in Dallas and me and Sy’s show. (May 2012)
- Taking a walk in Downtown Houston (May 2012)
- Sy Smith + Zo! @ Fitzgerald’s in Houston (May 2012)
- Sy Smith + Zo! @ Fitzgerald’s in Houston (May 2012)
- Sy Smith @ Fitzgerald’s in Houston (May 2012)
- Sy Smith + Zo! @ Fitzgerald’s in Houston (May 2012)
- Sy Smith @ Fitzgerald’s in Houston (May 2012)
- Zo! @ Fitzgerald’s in Houston (May 2012)
- My View at the Capital Jazz Fest (June 2012)
- Performing with +FE at the Capital Jazz Fest (June 2012)
- Zo! @ the Capital Jazz Fest (June 2012)
- Zo! @ the Capital Jazz Fest (June 2012)
- Stage Shot @ Capital Jazz Fest (June 2012)
- +FE Crew with Anthony Anderson after our Jazz Fest performance (June 2012)
- Looking out on the empty venue in Brooklyn at +FE’s soundcheck. (June 2012)
- +FE in Brooklyn! (June 2012)
- My view from the stage in Boston for +FE’s show. (June 2012)
- +FE Shutting it down in Raleigh, NC (June 2012)
- +FE in Black and White in Raleigh (June 2012)
- Didn’t get to go to visit Moog while we were in Asheville, but I did get to endorse them this year. (June 2012)
- Stage setup at The Emerald Lounge for +FE’s show in Asheville, NC (June 2012)
- Zach, Biscuit, Sy and I rehearsing for Blues Alley (June 2012)
- Blues Alley Marquee • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Ready to go at Blues Alley in DC. (June 2012)
- Me and Sy just before hitting the stage for the first show at Blues Alley in DC. (June 2012)
- Zo! • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Zo! • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Zo! • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Sy Smith • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Zo! • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Sy Smith • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Zo! • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Laughing HARD at somebody • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Sy Smith • Photo by Lauren Persons (June 2012)
- Fatin “10” Horton and I… Three days straight in the studio, June 2012
- Tim Scott Jr. laying drums down for the ‘ManMade’ album. (Aug. 2012)
- Me, Sheila E. and Sy Smith in D.C. (08.30.12)
- Zach Cutler, Jon Laine, Sy and I rehearsing for the Blue Note (Sept 2012)
- Turn your cell phones off… Me and Sy are ready to tear the Blue Note stage down. (Sept. 2012)
- Behind our hotel… The Detroit Riverwalk, September 2012
- On keys for The Foreign Exchange at Detroit’s Chene Park • Photo by Crystal Bailey (Sept. 2012)
- Phonte, Me, Deborah, Kush and Sy in Detroit • Photo by Drake Phifer (Sept. 2012)
- On the way to Memphis (Sept. 2012)
- Grover Stewart, Scott McGreer, Sy, Me and Chadd Hardy after our show in Indianapolis (Sept. 2012)
- Up to no good in Inglewood… (Oct. 2012)
- Soundcheck at The Key Club in LA (Oct. 2012)
- Detroit goes with me on the road (Oct. 2012)