The Music Man's "Coachella Valley Live Music Hall Of Fame"

Desert Dreams

It's May and as I got ready to make the trip back to New Jersey, I began thinking about all the great musicians I enjoyed this winter in the desert.  I thought the Music Man Blog should have a "Cochella Valley Live Music Hall Of Fame". Here is the class of 2011", "listed in no particular order" to enter the Hall. I know there are a lot of other musicians I missed but I started with the marvelous performers that I have seen. If you have other personal favorites, please let me know so I can make sure to hear them next winter.

                                                                  The Class of 2011


   Trumpet: Steve Madaio
                
   Bass: Bill Saitta, Jeff Stover, Brian Nova
              
   Male Singers-First Chair: Jack Jones, Mike Costley, Frank DiSalvo,
Johnny Meza, Frankie Randall, Pat Rizzo, Derrik Lewis, Christopher Gore, Slim Man, Larry Capeloto
                
   Male Singers-Second Chair: Erich Stratmann, Ken Steele, Tom McMorris, Marc Koltun, Denny Seidenfeld, Jim Salestrom
              
   Piano/keyboard: Marty Steele, Yarak Urant, Frankie Randall, Johnny Meza, Gino Antonacci, Derrik Lewis
              
   Sax: Pat Rizzo, Mindi Abair, Euge Groove, George Young, Al Diaz, Ron Coco, Reggie Alexander, Mikole Kaar, Gary Bias, Steve Alaniz, Ted Herman
              
   Female Singers-First Chair: Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Lola Rossi, Beverly Jensen, Laura Hagen, Poupee Boccaccio, Carolyn Martinez,  Kristi King, Lee Hartley
    
   Female Singers-Second Chair: Missoni Lanza, Jeanie Stanhope, Carole Hampton, Anita Gardner
            
   Drums: Andy Fraga, Steve Neilen, Jay Lewis, Julio Cesare, Jack Pina, Sal Frisura

   Flute: Tom Kennlyside, Pat Rizzo, Al Lopex, Steve Alaniz
            
   Trombone: John Leys
              
   Guitar: Brian Nova, Dan Papaila, Jeff Golub, Frank DiSalvo, John Pagels
            
   Vibs: Gino Antonacci

   Bandleaders: Ted Herman, Guy Lake
            

                            The Great Restaurants Supporting Live Music

       Arnold Palmers, Desert Sage, The Sandbar, Backstreet Bistro, Cafe des Beaux-Arts,  Le Paon, Cafe' Italia,  Indian Wells Resort Hotel, The Nest, Vicky's of Santa Fe, Tormes', Trinidads, Blue Ember, IW Club, Tropicale, Escena Lounge & Grill,  Miramonte Resort & Spa

                                      Businesses Supporting Live Music


      Pete Carlson's Golf & Tennis

John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey, A Dynamic Duo

On Tuesday, October 12, my wife and I had the pleasure of attending  the John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey show, "The Heart of a Saturday Night" at the Cafe Carlyle in New York City. First, if there is a more intimate or romantic cafe setting in the US, I have yet to discover it. Each time I get to hear John Pizzarelli he just keeps getting better. He is never  satisfied with his past performances and keeps pushing the envelope with his playing, singing and song selection skills. But the skill I like the most is his ability to take a "standard" that we all know well and perform it in a new arrangement that makes the song new again. This was the first time that I had the pleasure of hearing John's wife, Jessica Molaskey perform live and I really enjoyed her selection of songs and wonderful voice.  I heard her sing on CDs and radio shows but actually seeing her sing in person was a real treat.  She presents herself as a seasoned professional. Prior to the show I wondered how the voices of John and Jessica and their different approach to songs would sound once they sang together. After the first few songs, I had no further questions. While both performers have a very different approach to the songs they love, the warmth and  mutual respect they generate provides the bridge between their styles. I know a lot about John's background and family, and I can only guess that Jessica has been fully assimilated into the new Pizzarelli extended family. It really works for both of them and lifts them to a higher level of performance. I am not going to review all of the great songs they performed as the "New York Times" has an excellent review you can look up on line.  However, there was one song that I must mention. It started with John singing a soft and lush version of Irving Berlin's "Count Your Blessings" and then a seamless entrance of Jessica's voice singing parts of the wonderful Jonathan Larson song "Seasons of Love" from the musical "Rent".  The show runs through Nov 6th.  If you can get to see this show, it is really worth the effort.  John and Jessica, thank you for the wonderful evening, and please plan to do more shows together in the near future!        

Montclair State University's Kaleidoscope 2010 Is An Explosion of Music

I thought the circus was the "Greatest Show On Earth" but I just found out there are now two "Greatest Shows".  Friday night I attended "Kaleidoscope 2010" at the Alexander Kasser Theater on the Montclair State University Campus that featured both students and faculty of the John J. Cali School of Music.  This performance, that was "Sold Out", was part of the "Peak Performances @ Montclair" series that presents performances of dance, theater and music throughout the year. The audience was treated with over 300 performers, playing, singing and dancing a rainbow of wonderful music from Puccini's Tosca sung beautifully by faculty member Stephen Oosting to "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story" performed by the MSU Wind Symphony and the BFA Musical Theater Dancers. There were also performances by various Ensembles from Brass to Percussion that were finely done.  For me, the highlight of the evening was the performance of "Samba" by "The Shanghai Quartet" that featured faculty member David Singer on clarinet. This suburb piece of music was written by Robert L. Aldridge, the Chairperson of the School of Music at MSU. I loved the music that was a perfect marriage of Classical and a Jazz-like arrangement fitting together like a glove. The level of dexterity performed by faculty clarinetist David Singer can only be described as breathtaking.  Montclair State University is definitely fortunate to have the gifted composer Robert L. Aldridge chairing its School of Music.  I believe this piece of music has just been recorded by "The Shanghai Quartet" and when I get more information I will share it on my blog.

Overall, I totally enjoyed the 90 minutes of non-stop music and loved the fact that the audience not only got to experience the level of musical skills of the current students of the School of Music but also  the exceptionally talented faculty.  My congratulations to the students and faculty for putting on such a professional performance.  "Peak Performance @ montclair" continues with programs all through the academic year, and you can get additional information @www.peakperfs.org.

Brian Wilson Does Gershwin

I just finished listening to the new Brian Wilson CD, "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin".  Let me cut to the quick, if you like the Brian Wilson sound, you will like this CD.  If you like Gershwin you will like this CD. If you like the Brian Wilson sound and Gershwin songs, you will love this CD.  It turns out that the only Gershwin song that Brian knew before he made this CD was "Rhapsody in Blue" because he said his family played the record all the time at home and the melody really got into his head and has never left.  I find it hard to believe that in all the years Brian has been a major player in the music industry, he never got to know any other Gershwin songs. But that's exactly what he said when he was interviewed on XM radio's Nancy Sinatra show last week. This fact makes Brian's approach to many of these Gershwin gems very interesting.  He sang each song with an open mind and without any restraints caused by hearing the many classic recordings.  One other comment from Brian was that he was musically influenced at an early age by the music of the Four Freshmen. I had never heard this before and in thinking back about the "Beach Boys" sound, you can pick up some of the voice harmonies that the Four Freshman made famous.  Personally I really liked the CD.  I enjoyed the "Pop" approach to these "Super Star Songs" from the "Great American Songbook".   In particular, I really liked Brian's arrangement of the Gershwin song "The Like in I Love You".  I was not familiar with this Gershwin song but loved the melody and lyric. There are also four songs that sounded very much like the "Beach Boys": "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "I Got Rhythm", I've Got A Crush On You and "Nothing But Love". I loved them all.  And last but not least, there were five songs that Brian did as a solo that showed me a new side of his great talent.  His approach and sound was just great on: "I Loves you Porgy", "Love Is Here To Stay", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "S'Wonderful" and "Summertime".  At times Brian sounded the way I think "Sting" would sound singing these songs.  I hope this CD is very successful for Brian and encourages him to do another CD from songs listed on my "Top 20 Greatest Songs Ever Written in the Great American Songbook". I would be honored to work on the development of the playlist with Brian. Brian, have your people call my people!
Get the CD, you won't be disappointed!

Rdio VS iTunes, Will It Just Be No Contest?

I have never subscribed to a monthly online music service because I am a big fan of iTunes.  However I wanted to alert you that there is a new monthly online music service, Rdio, that wants you to pay a monthly fee of $9.99 to access their music catalogue.  I read about this new music service in an article that was written by Allen Hoffman in the business section of THE STAR LEDGER on August 13, 2010.  According to the article, Rdio believes that it can succeed because of the ease of using their catalogue that contains over 7 million songs from major labels. It appears that Rdio is a mix of a music site and a social site.  Rdio allows you to create your own playlists just like iTunes but also will encourage  interaction and sharing of playlists with other Rdio subscribers.  An interesting concept, but at this point I can't see this business taking off.   If the music public continues to turn away from stealing music from online sites, then this would help Rdio get subscribers.  The major problem I would have with Rdio is that they will be controlling all of your favorites and play lists that we have spend many hours collecting and developing.  If you had this subscription for a couple of years and then decided to drop it, you would lose access to all your musical creations. But this is just my feeling, the younger generation does not seem to put a value on owning their favorite songs as long as they have access to them.  I also have to admit that I never thought I would enjoy sharing comments about music on a public blog with unknown people, but here I am.  So I will watch the progress of Rdio with an open mind and wish them the best. If any readers have any comments about this topic, please share them with me.    

Summertime and Live Music, Perfect Together

 

One of the many great pleasures of summer is  we all get to   hear great "live" music.  Most performers use the summer to do tours.   Resort areas like the Jersey Shore have local talent performing all week.  It makes for a wonderful time for those that can get away for a week or two.  But no matter where you get to spend some time this summer, I am sure that "live" music is pretty easy to locate.  Some of you might know that I am one of the owners of Epernay Restaurant in Montclair, NJ.  Epernay is a French Bistro that only plays the best music from the "Great American Songbook".  This summer Epernay has started a new Tuesday "Supper Club Series" to enable local young music students an opportunity to perform in a live and intimate public setting.  The series started on Tuesday August 3 spotlighting the singing of Joe Longthorne. Joe resides in Essex Fells and graduated from "Newark Academy" in Livingston.  Joe is currently a junior at "The Boston Conservatory of Music".  If you are in the area, come by for some wonderful French food from our new menu and   support Joe.  Epernay is a BYOB so take a bottle or two of your favorite wine to make your evening even more special.

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY DOES IT ALL

As I have mentioned before in these blogs, one of the cool things I like to do is listen to CDs that have been released in the past by artists that I have missed along the way.  One artist that only recently caught my interest is Ann Hampton Callaway.  I can't believe that I had not been exposed to such a creative genius until recently.  This again confirms for me that there is real value in looking back and searching for gems that have been missed.  I first came across a CD Ann released in 2002 entitled, "Signature".  This title was perfect because the tunes Ann recorded in it do represent her signature sound and approach to the lyrics of some great songs. I particularly loved "You Turned The Tables On Me", "Tenderly, "Good Morning Heartache" and "For All We Know" recorded with help from the wonderful voice of Freddy Cole.  The second CD I found, "Slow" was released in 2005 and it is also a winner.  The tracks I liked the most were "Slow", "Never Let Me Go" the Carole King chestnut, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"and "You Belong To Me".  Ann's latest release is "At Last" and it's on my "To Do" list to review. I can't end this posting about Ann without commenting about her voice.  Ann's voice is rich, dark, warm and comfortable and has so inspired me that I am going to dedicate my recent oil painting posted at the top of this article to Ann Hampton Callaway.  It will now be entitled my "Ann Hampton Callaway" Still Life.  I believe the painting reflects the richness and warmth of Ann's wonderful voice, looks and personality.  You can catch several of Ann's performances on "YouTube".

By the way, Ann's talented sister, Liz Callaway will be appearing in NJ at NJPAC on November 6, 2010 and it is worth making the effect to get to see her act. 

Smooth Jazz In New York

Hi again, sorry it's been so long since I posted a new blog.  My schedule has been over the top for the last couple of months, and I have been working on a few other projects.

I heard some great live music over the past few months and wanted to share with you my experience on the "Smooth Jazz Cruises 2010". This is a jazz cruise that leaves from Pier 61 at the Chelsea Piers every week.  They have a different artist playing each week, all with the smooth Jazz sound.  We saw Spyro Gyra and they are still playing great sounds.  These cruises are really cool! You can have dinner on board or you can just have a drink and listen to the sounds.  As you might know, our area no longer has a smooth jazz radio station, and I still don't understand why the New York area can't support a smooth jazz station because both the 6:30 and the 9:30 shows were sold out the night we attended.  Being an old sax guy, hearing the Spyro Gyra sounds was a real treat for me.  It was a perfect night to be sailing on the Hudson admiring the skyline of the "Big Apple", sailing really close to the Statue of Liberty and admiring the water views  to die for!  They have cruises scheduled every week through the summer.  My advice is to check it out.  You can google "Smooth Jazz Cruises 2010" to get all the info.

Linda Eder Revisited Again For The First Time!

It's been a while since I put a post up.  I'm back in NJ now but I have had lots on my "To Do" list since I got back from the desert.  Being in the desert this winter gave me time to do some research of a few older CDs that I had missed, and I thought my blog readers might be interested in some of the gems I found. At the top of the list is a CD that was recorded by Linda Eder and released in January of 2008, "Greatest Hits".  If you love great singing and great Broadway standards you must, and I mean must hear this CD.  Linda's interpretations of some outstanding show-stopper Broadway tunes is nothing less than sensational!  In particular, I just can't stop listening to these four songs:

1. I Am What I Am, from La Cage Aux Follies

2. Someone Like You, from Jekyll & Hyde

3. What Kind Of Fool Am I?, from Stop The World

4. Over The Rainbow

Even if you heard these outstanding performances a while ago, they have lost nothing with age.  They are great performances by an outstanding artist.  Linda performs all over the country, and when she gets in your neighborhood, don't miss a chance to see her in person.

The "Other" Toni Curtis

 This Toni Curtis is not the movie star most of us remember.  This is the woman named Toni Curtis that shows up at the Desert Sage Restaurant many nights and sings a few songs with Johnny Meza.  Toni loves to sing and even though she has never had any professional instruction, she really does quite well. She sings because she has a love for good melodies and good lyrics and is a great supporter of the "Great American Song Book".   She has a great stage presence and infectious personality.  Keep singing, Toni, "The best is yet to come".
Try to catch her act, she sings whenever she wants to when Johnny Meza is at the keyboard at the Desert Sage Restaurant in LaQuinta.

Dave Koz Rocks The House In Morristown Community Theatre

This week I had the pleasure of attending the "Dave Koz & Friends Smooth Jazz Christmas Show" at the Community Theatre in Morristown, New Jersey. This is the third time, I believe, Dave has performed his Christmas show at the Community Theatre and his show just keeps getting better and better. Dave is always the professional, always prepared and always surrounded by outstanding musicians. This is no accident, Dave is a real perfectionist and once his show starts, it never stops rocking. If there is a better sax player in the country today than Dave Koz, then I am yet to hear him. His performance was just outstanding and what a pleasure to hear some of the old chestnut Christmas songs played in fresh new and innovative arrangements. If you have never had a chance to see Dave in person, you should try to see him on one of his tour dates. You can find out where he will be on his web site: davekoz.com

Dave had some outstanding musical friends supporting him starting with the great pianist and composer David Benoit. David can do it all, Classical, Jazz and Pop and he plays with Dave like they are musical twins.  No matter what they play, they fit together like fingers in a glove.

Personally, I was unprepared for Rick Braun and his work with the trumpet. He has done a lot of great work, but I have never had the pleasure of hearing him perform, and he was great. This concert was billed as Smooth Jazz but it was more like one big Jazz session for me.

The guitarist was Peter White and again his interpretation of the songs he presented was just about perfect. Peter has a great feel for songs and lyrics. He proves again that the great instrumentalists can play a melody with such understanding and emotion that even though there are no lyrics involved, the audience can feel the meaning of the music.

Brenda Russell a very talented singer-songwriter handled the vocals and fit the personality of the other members of the group perfectly. Brenda provided her own unique approach to several songs and was aided and surrounded by the great cast of musical characters.

The show was sold, out and it was clear that many members of the audience were long-time fans of Dave Koz and with good reason. Just a great show from beginning to end!

Dinner With Sinatra: The Top 10 Greatest Male Singers of the Great American Songbook

I am working on a Top 10 Greatest Male and Female Singers of The Great American Songbook and, of course, The Chairman of The Board will be on it. I wanted to share one of my Frank Sinatra stories with you as I prepare to list him as my first entry. About 20 years ago during one of my first visits to the Palm Springs area, my wife and I decided to try to find a good local restaurant for dinner. We were staying in the Rancho Mirage area so we started to drive on Route 111 where we knew there were lots of interesting looking restaurants. It was early, about 6:30, so we knew we would be able to get into most places. As we were driving, we noticed an interesting-looking restaurant on Route 111 West. I don't remember the name, but I do remember it was an Italian restaurant with a Southwestern feel. As we made the turn into the driveway along the side of the restaurant, a green Jaguar pulled in front of us. We were the only two cars that pulled up, and as I looked at the license plate it read, "FAS". I laughed and said to my wife that maybe it was Frances Albert Sinatra. To our surprise, as we got out of our car, Sinatra himself steps out of the Jag at the same time. Luckily, the valet was not around, and I walked up to Frank and thanked him for all the pleasure his music had given us over the years. Sinatra was in a very good mood and as we talked, I asked him if this was one of his favorite restaurants since we were new to the area. He told us it was, and that he often orders take out from this place for himself and any parties at his home. He then offered that he was here tonight to celebrate Gregory Peck's birthday with many of his closest friends. With that the valet appeared, and he went in and we followed right behind him. When we got to the front desk, the reception person asked if we had a reservation, and I told him we were here for the Gregory Peck birthday party. This ends the story because that's when the reception person said, "Not in your dreams".  He did, however, seat us next to the Peck birthday party room. It was such a thrill to have been in the same restaurant with Sinatra, the entire Rat Pack and about 20 of the biggest Hollywood Stars of the day. We may not have gotten into the party but, boy, what great story value. By the way, if anyone remember this restaurant, I would love to know the name.


Candidates For "The 10 GREATEST MALE SINGERS Of The Great American Songbook"
1. Frank Sinatra
2. Bing Crosby
3. Bobby Darin
4. Johnny Hartman
5. Mel Torme
6. Andy Williams
7. Lou Rawls
8. Tony Bennett
9. Johnny Mathis
10. Jack Jones
11. Vic Damone
12. Fred Astaire
13. Billy Eckstine
14. Michael Buble'
15. Robert Goulet
16. Dean Martin
17. Nat King Cole