02-06-10

02-06-10

Jimmy Heath is at the Blue Note this week with his Big Band. I hope I can catch a set of that! He's one of jazz's living legends. His autobiography written with Joseph McLaren just came out entitled "I Walked With Giants". I recently got it and began to read it. It's terrific. There's a short piece in there on how he taught at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport for a bit in the 80s, and his association with Sonny Costanzo, who all local jazz musicians over 40 in our area remember well. I've enjoyed Jimmy's playing and his tunes since the 70s when I first heard him. Also, Joe Lovano will be at the Village Vanguard this month with his band. A special "Get Well Soon" to Joe, who had a freak accident back in the fall, and thank goodness I understand he's on the mend. Joe Lovano of course, is one of jazz's giants, and he provided me with some saxophone lessons in the late 80s that were extremely profound, and inspirational.

01-03-10

Happy New Year! Jody Sandhaus's new duo cd with Pete Malinverni "Afterglow" is now available via her website www. Jodysandhaus.com and on itunes. I had a chance to see Jody perform in Manhattan on Park Ave. at the Kitano. Pete Malinverni on piano, Lee Hudson on bass, and the incomparable Leroy Williams on drums accompanied Jody. It was just exquisite. Steve D'Agostino has just released his new cd " A Chapter from the Great American Songbook", and I had a chance to play on a few of the tunes on it. It was recorded at Bennett Studios (Tony Bennett!) in New Jersey. You can check it out at his website www.SteveDagostino.com and it will soon be available on itunes, cdbaby, and other download sites.

11-05-09

K.E.Y.S. PRESENTS  at TALMADGE HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH: An afternoon of wonderful music..... Sunday November 8th -  4 pm Talmadge Hill Community Church  870 Hollow Tree Ridge Road  Darien CT   Pianist Claudia Cali returns to play Beethoven Classical Guitarist Michael McCallie plays Bach Pianist Gary Chapman and Violinist Jaroslaw Lis play contemporary compositions by Don Wallace Reception to follow Suggested donation:    $25 Reservations recommended  203 761 0150

07-06-09

Happy Summer! We're finally getting some nice weather after a horrendous month of June. 2009 is a big anniversary year in Jazz. 100th Anniversary of the birth of Benny Goodman, Lester Young, Gene Krupa, and the brilliant lyricist Johnny Mercer ( look up the tunes he wrote-amazing!) 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. Some of my favorites include: Dexter Gordon "Go", Horace Silver "Song for My Father" and "Blowin' the Blues Away", Sonny Rollins "A Night at the Village Vanguard", John Coltrane "Blue Train", and Hank Mobley "Soul Station". i could go on and on! Many, many favorites on this legendary recrding label. It is also the 50th Anniversary of Miles Davis "Kind of Blue", John Coltrane "Giant Step", Dave Brubeck's "Time Out", Charles Mingus "Ah-Um" among many other landmark records. If you don't have them in your collection, get them! I'm busy playing with various fine musicians these days, but many are private affairs. I do have listed a number of outdoor concerts with Steve D'Agostino (the annual "Concerts on the Green" tour!). Come out and see us and support live music! Live music venues to hear great music are becoming somewhat scarce in our area and with this economy. I was recently with Steve and his Trio down at Tony Bennett's recording studio in Englewood, NJ putting a couple solos down for his forthcoming cd. Very cool! Gorgeous state of the art studio. This past year sadly marked the closing of the Silvermine Tavern. Marsha and Frank Whitman were tremendous supporters of live music, and the venue will be sorely missed by all who performed and supported the music there. Counting private parties, I played there for over twenty years! Thank you Frank and Marsha. We'll keep swingin' wherever and whenever we can!

01-04-09

Happy New Year to all! I always hoped that if I ever got my picture in the New York Times, it would be because of an appearance at the Village Vanquard, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall or something like that, BUT NO! I got my picture in the Sunday, December 21,2008 NY Times regional section, because I played Christmas carols outdoors on the streets of New Canaan. New Canaan, where I teach now, is certainly not immune to the current economic woes of the country. The local merchants have been trying to come up with various ways of bringing shoppers to their village, and brought various musicians and entertainers in to perform for their annual Holiday Stroll. I was happy to spread a little holiday cheer, although certainly felt a little silly at times.

12-24-08

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to all! On January 16, 2009, I will be playing standards and celebrating Duke Ellington (one of my earliest jazz influences) at the Silvermine Tavern in Norwalk with Joe McWilliams( piano) and Steve Taylor (bass). We'll be somewhat "In A Mellotone" without a drummer, but certainly hope to warm things up on a January night! The following night, January 17th, the always-creative Bobby Leonard will join us on drums, as we play in Trumbull as part of the LHMC Concert series at Long Hill Methodist Church. They have a spaghetti dinner at 5:30, then a concert! Come on out and see some live music! http://www.longhillumc.com/concertseries.htm

09-30-08

Dear friends of live music: There is so much to update you on from my "corner of the sky". After eleven wonderful years in West Haven, I'm now teaching music to the children in New Canaan. I hope to have new additions to this website soon, and hope to be a more diligent "blogger" in this What's New section. I hope to have news about a new recording soon, and update you about live performances where you can come out to hear the band. Enjoy the changing fall colors, and have faith that our great country will be OK. That's as political as I will get! I subscribe to the Charlie Parker maxim: "I'm a devout musician."

07-02-07

A string quartet composed by my good friend (and bandmate for many years!) Don Wallace, will be part of the program in an upcoming chamber music concert in Guilford, CT. Another dear friend and teaching colleague Phyllis Silver will also be performing at this concert on piano. The free concert will take place on Sunday, July 22 at 2:00 pm and is part of the Joyful Noise! Concert series at the First Congregational Church of Guilford. Please visit the church website for more information. www.firstchurchguilford.org

07-01-07

I encourage all of you who have a chance to read this, to check out some really terrific musicians who I have the pleasure of working with this month: Nicole Pasternak is a wonderful, spirited vocalist who really swings! She's has her own unique sound and she is deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, both vocal and instrumental. Elements of Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Ella, and others are present in her singing, and as she told me, she's even been checking out Judy Garland, and how tremendous Judy was at just singing the melody straight! www.nicolepasternak.com Richard "Cookie" Thomas is a consummate entertainer and singer deeply rooted in the music of Nat "King" Cole, Ray Charles, Johnny Hartman, Lou Rawls, classic R&B, and the great Doo-Wop groups of the 50s and 60s. Cookie's smooth, soulful sound and warmth come shining through all his recordings. www.cookiethomas.com Jody Sandhaus is a singer I've worked with for over 20 years. She has the voice of an angel. ( I'm partial!) She swings yes, but also there is a depth of feeling in her sound to me that compares with any of the jazz masters. Her phrasing is awesome. Great thought and feeling go into every song she sings. www.jodysandhaus.com Jody's husband, Pete Malinverni, is one of the fine jazz piano players in the world! Peter calls upon all his influences which run from Barry Harris, Monk, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, gospel and church music, a strong classical background, and and as a result produces simply amazing, heartfelt, swinging jazz. www.petemalinverni.com You must check these people out. Their websites all contain samples of their music, or will direct you to where you can hear some of it ( and purchase it). Enjoy!!

06-26-07

James Taylor, one of my all-time favorites, has a song on his record "Dad Loves His Work" called "Summer's Here", where he sings in his inimitable voice: "Summer's here, I'm for that, I've got my rubber sandals, got my straw hat. I've got my cold beer, I'm just glad that it's here!" That says it all this time of year. For me, his voice is SO great ( not to mention his guitar playing), and his music has been a great part of my life since "Sweet Baby James" came out in 1970. I listened to it all summer long down in a friend's basement, along with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Deja Vu", and CCR's "Cosmos Factory". Those records carried over to the following summer as well, where we also wore out Carole King's "Tapestry". I can't today listen to any of these recordings without thinking of summer time! I had no idea then I'd be so into jazz, but this singer-songwriter music that was so big in the early 70s had a lasting impact on me, and the music endures because it is good music, plain and simple. It is music that has strong melody, harmony, rhythm, beat, it's expressive, and it is played well. That's what good music is, right? Enjoy the summer, and get out and hear some live music!!