Playing an impromptu airport show in Newark

Along with Brooklyn-based guitarist Ben Wood, Fred made the most of a four-hour delay at Newark Airport by regaling fellow passengers with an impromptu concert that featured such standards as "My Romance," "Girl from Ipanema" and "Now is the Time." Bravo.

Captured with President Obama at the White House

In case you missed seeing Fred on the "In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues" show, you can click here to see video of President Obama's introduction, this one from an angle that includes Fred, saxman Ernie Fields Jr., and a bit of trumpeter Freddie Hendrix clearly in the shot. Enjoy.

Back from Brazil with Maceo!

The BMW Jazz Festival in Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, brought the Maceo Parker Band with special guests Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis for a total of three shows. The festival, which also included performances by several other stellar artists including young Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and Orleans Avenue, included a huge show at the beautiful Ibirapuera Park in Sao Paulo that was broadcast nationally.

The view of Sao Paulo from Fred's hotel room.

Fred at soundcheck in Ibirapuera Park in Sao Paulo.

Pee Wee Ellis, Trombone Shorty and Fred backtage in Rio.

(Pee Wee and) James Brown and Maceo Parker vocalist Martha High backstage with Trombone Shorty in Rio.

Soundchecking at Via Funchal in Sao Paulo.

The view from the hotel breakfast room in Rio.

Another beautiful view of Rio.

The Christ the Redeemer monument on Corcovado, viewed from Fred's hotel.

American Idol, Charleston and Switzerland

Fred closed out May and opened up June with shows in Los Angeles, Charleston and Lausanne.

In L.A., you may not have seen him but if you listened closely you may have heard him in the American Idol band for the season finale on May 23. During the days of rehearsal that led up to the show, he caught this shot of the string section.

On May 29, he gathered with his New JBs for the Jazz Artists of Charleston's annual Holy City Homecoming, in the historic city of Charleston in his current home state of South Carolina. Here's the band onstage during the sound check at the Charleston Music Hall (photo courtesy of JAC).

From there it was on to Lausanne, Switzerland, where he played at the Chorus jazz club with some funky Swiss friends associated with EMJA, the Ecole de Jazz et de Musique Actuelle, which reportedly is the most famous Modern Jazz School in the west side area of Switzerland, since 1984. 

Fred onstage with bassist Pierangelo Crescenzio and saxophonist Cyrille Bugnon, who's also an attorney and president of EMJA.

Fred

Drummer Alberto Malo.

Pianist Benoit Corboz

Guitarist Julien Feltin

Also on hand for the evening was pianist Alex Bugnon, Cyrille's brother, who sat in on "Pass the Peas," and sat for this photo op with Fred.