The Ted Herman Orchestra Featuring Lee Hartley

The Ted Herman Orchestra

Orchestra Leader Ted Herman

Lee Hartley

Lee Hartley

Eric Lindstrom

Vito Pizzo

On March 10, 2012 I traveled back to the Indio Performing Arts Center to hear the Ted Herman Orchestra and the night's featured singer Lee Hartley. I hadn't not heard Lee sing since last year and was looking forward to her performance.

The night began at 6:15 pm with Carl Davis, the resident dance instructor, teaching the group how to do the "West Coast Swing". As I noted in my last blog about the IPAC, they always have ballroom dance lessons before the band comes on at 7:00 pm. Lots of fun and at no cost!

The Orchestra started playing at 7:00 pm and the majority of the audience in attendance started dancing. The band was swinging and playing some of the greatest songs in the "Great American Songbook" to the delight of the dancing audience.  After a few songs, Lee took center stage and sang a great arrangement of the Irving Berlin gem, "Cheek To Cheek" from the 1935 Movie "Top Hat".  Lee followed this great song with her version of "Besame Mucho" that received well deserved applause from the audience.  All in all, Lee sang 9 songs including one of my favorites, an original song that Lee wrote "Swinging King Cole".  I thought her closing song was a real showstopper, the classic Fats Waller chestnut, "Honeysuckle Rose".  Lee has a wonderful voice and singing style, and we all need to hear more from her in the near future!  Lee will be doing an encore performance of the sold-out tribute to Dusty Springfield that she recently did at Trinidad during Modernism Week. It will be at Woody's on Sunday March 18, at 5:00 p.m. You will have to get a reservation because this show will be sold-out also! 

The Orchestra sounded great again tonight and if there is any better sound than hearing a great singer singing classic American songs backed by a talented 17 piece orchestra, I am yet to hear it!

Pre-Lease CD Review: Lurrie Bell's "THE DEVIL AIN'T GOT NO MUSIC"

I had the pleasure of listening to a new blues CD from Lurrie Bell, "The Devil Ain't Got No Music". This is Lurrie's second CD for Aria B.G. Records and will be released on April 17, 2012.  Lurrie has put together a wonderful blend of music combining gospel with traditional blues. If you ever wondered how the traditional American blues got started, this CD tells the story by way of the great sounds produced by Lurrie Bell's blending of gospel and blues.  The more I listened to the songs on this CD, the more it produced a feeling of peace and tranquility for me. I could picture myself sitting on a front porch or perhaps on the ground with a group of friends and family members on a summer day listening to the sounds of the blues.
Track# 1 "Swing Low" sets the stage for the balance of the songs on this CD. While some people may think the blues can't be uplifting, this CD proves the point. Most blues musicians feel that sometimes the best way to lose the blues is to sing the blues! The title track "The Devil Ain't Got No Music" was written by Bell's longtime friend and producer Matthew Skoller and tells an interesting story. Skoller was inspired by a Mavis Staples interview with Chicago journalist David Whiteis. Whiteis asked Staples if the blues really was the devil's music. Mavis immediately retorted "Come on, the devil ain't got no music".
Lurrie Bell's voice and his acoustic guitar shine on track #10, "I'll Get To Heaven On My Own", and combine perfectly with  outstanding voice/hand claps and testifying from Joe Louis Walker.

There are some great musicians featured on this recording in addition to Lurrie Bell's fine voice and acoustic guitar performance.  Lurrie used Billy Branch on harmonica , Chicago percussionist Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith and noted New York blues and gospel musician Bill Sims, Jr.  Joe Louis Walker also made a big contribution to this great traditional blues CD playing slide guitar on several songs  adding background singing and hand claps on others.

Lurrie Bell sings and plays the blues like the feelings and sounds are burned into his soul.  This CD blends Lurrie Bell's marvelous singing and guitar playing with the efforts of a talented group of professionals that produce a powerful blues and gospel message.

Dance The Night Away With Music By The 17 Piece Ted Herman Orchestra At The Indio Performing Arts Center

Ted Herman And The Ted Herman Orchestra

Beverly Jensen

The Ted Herman Orchestra with Beverly Jensen

Beverly Jensen and John Leys

On Sunday February 26th I went over to the Indio Performing Arts Center to see "The Ted Herman Orchestra".  I had learned that "The Ted Herman Band" has a weekly gig every Sunday evening at the Arts Center and that my good friend, Beverly Jensen, was singing this evening. By chance, I happened to sit next to Ronald Hagan and soon learned that he was a member of the IPAC Board of Directors and he filled me in as to what the Indio Performing Arts Center is all about. The music and dance program at the IPAC is not advertised much and those who know about it most likely discovered it from word of mouth.  Here is the deal, every Sunday at 6:15 PM, the program starts with a dance lesson taught by Carl Davis.  Then at starting at 7:00 PM until 9PM, the 17-piece Ted Herman Orchestra takes over and plays some great "big band" standard classics from charts that Ted Herman has put together over the years. All all this great music and dancing will cost you $10.00.

There were about 120 people that came to participate in tonight's program and I do mean participate.  Everyone danced and the dance floor was large enough for everyone to show off their dancing moves. Even when the band took it's breaks, the floor was still full of dancer, dancing to pre-recorded music.
I am pretty sure that at lot of my Desert followers are learning about the IPAC from this blog and that's a good thing.  There are very few places in the country where you can go to dance to live music by an 17-piece live band, never mind for $10.00. I know I will be going back especially to see two of my favorite singers that are usually featured with this band, Larry Capeloto and Lee Hartley.

I heard the Ted Herman band last winter when they were playing in Palm Springs at Dinks but the sound tonight in this big dance hall compared to the small space they were in at Dinks was so much better in opinion.  They sounded as good as any big band I have heard and being able to dance on such big dance floor with the band elevated on a full stage made the experience just about perfect.

My good friend, Beverly Jensen was featured with the band tonight and she came to sing and take no prisoners.  She opened with the great standard, "Lullaby of Broadway" and continued with several other standard classics including a great rendition and arrangement of "Come Rain or Come Shine". Beverly has a great resume' that includes touring with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Trombonist Murray McEachern. She recorded her first and very successful CD "Ken and Beverly, Watch What Happens" in 1966. Over the years, Beverly has sang with many musical greats, like Cal Tjader, Ted Herman, Bob Hardaway, Ray Sherman, Buddy Childers, Joe Pass, Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton and her husband, John Leys. The vocal arrangements for Beverly tonight were just outstanding and I found out later that Beverly's husband, John Leys did all the arranging. Beverly has a pure strong voice that never fails to amaze me.

Make sure that the next time you feel like going out to dance, that you make it over to the IPAC.  By the way, I did see that there were two large tables that were set up for singles and I saw most of these guests dancing most of the time also!  Believe or not this program has been running for 5 years and "The Ted Herman Orchestra" has been playing here on Sunday for the last two years. If you want to hear this band this season, make plans to go before the end of March as the program will stop.  It will begin again in November.  

Brian Nova Sings And Plays Amazing Guitar At Cafe' Des Beaux-Arts

Brian Nova and Larry Holloway

Missoni Lanza and Brian Nova and Larry Holloway

Andy Franga Jr.

Missoni Lanza, Brian Nova and Larry Holloway

Tom Keenlyside

Larry Holloway

On Wednesday February 22, I made my first visit of the season to the always wonderful French restaurant, Cafe' Des Beaux-Arts to have dinner and hear one of the most accomplished guitar players in the country, Brian Nova.  Brian performs at Beaux-Arts every Wednesday and tonight turned out to be extra special because in addition to hearing Brian sing and play guitar, I also got to hear the emotional and delightful voice of Missoni Lanza who has been singing with Brian on Wednesdays.   In addition, I was excited to learn that the bass player tonight was Larry Holloway.

Brian Nova is one of the most understated, superb and multi-talented performers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. His dexterity and speed on the guitar is so smooth that unless you pay close attention, you are not aware how fast his fingers are moving.  His lush tones wash his sounds in the warm colors of red, brown and orange. In addition, Brian has a "Sinatra" like feel of timing and lyric when he sings. Last season, I did not get to hear Brian sing much and I was so happy that tonight Brian sang a lot of great "standards".  His level of excellence shone through when he combined his singing and guitar playing. For those of you who don't know Brian, he studied with two of the greatest guitarists in Jazz history, Herb Ellis and Joe Pass.  Brian has performed with literally every great in the business like Arturo Sandoval, Dave Koz, Ernestine Anderson, Freddie Cole, Joe Williams, Jeff Hamilton and the one and only Ray Brown just to name a few.  Make a note to get to see Brian at Beaux-Arts or at any other venue where he is performing.  I will try to list his future gigs on my "Support Live Music In The California Desert" blog.

I had heard Missoni Lanza sing one or two songs last winter and thought she had a unique voice and feel for a lyric.  Missoni has her own singing style that is sultry, intimate and emotional. She brings the audience her own personal readings of songs and lyrics and at times reminds me of a combination of Norah Jones and Flona Apple. I hope I get to hear more from Missoni in the future.

If you love great bass playing Bassist Larry Holloway will put you in orbit.    I ran into Larry at the end of the winter season last year at a private musicians' party and was blown away with his playing.  Larry is from the Northwest and has recently been spending the winter in the Valley. I recently learned that Larry tunes his bass in fifths, which gives his bass a wider range of sound and clarity.  This technique was first developed by one of the most respected bassists in the world, the late Red Mitchell who was Larry's mentor. The results give his bass a much greater range of notes, colors, dynamics and chords. If you like great bass playing, you have to find a way to hear Larry.  He is busy most of the time playing private events but will be playing at Vicky's on March 11, 2012.  I will publish any information I get as to where Larry is performing in my "Support Live Music in the California Desert" Blog, so keep checking it out from time to time.

After the first set,  in walks one of the best flute players in the country, Tom Keenlyside carrying his flute over his shoulder.  Tom joins the group for the next set and the music for the next 50 minutes is a delight.  I have seen Tom join in with other performers and he is nothing short of amazing! He can do it all, never a written note, just give him the key and off he goes. I love the soft sounds Tom produces on his flute and his solos are always creative and yet retain the structure of the melody at the same time. Tom has done it all and has recorded with the Best of the Best in Music: Diana Krall, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard and Oscar Peterson just to name a few. Can't hear enough of Tom Keenlyside!

The night's final chapter occurred after the second set. The young but very talented drummer Andrew Franga Jr shows up and sets up one of the smallest drums sets I have ever seen.  The drum set may have been small but the sounds were perfect for the small space given to tonight's talented group of musicians. Andrew is young but has already gathered an impressive resume'.  He graduated from the Idyllwide School of Music in 1997 and in 2003 founded Mainstream Source with Ted Sisler.  Mainstream is a successful company that provides music to the worldwide film, television and advertising industries.

Needless to say, tonight's performance was a blast for me and the rest of the audience. There was more music per square inch tonight at Cafe' Des Beaux-Arts than anywhere in the US!

Frank Di Salvo, The Desert's Newest Star Gets Rave Reviews at the Newly Upgraded Showroom in the Beautiful Indian Wells Resort

Frank Di Salvo

Frank Di Salvo

Frank Di Salvo

Frank Di Salvo

Frank Di Salvo & Dale Curtis

Last Friday night, February 10, I went over to the Indian Wells Resort in Indian Wells to visit my friend, Frank Di Salvo.  I met Frank last Winter shortly after he started singing at this great resort hotel  and I was surprised by the level of talent that Frank brings to his audiences at every performance.  The advertisement I first saw last year advertised that Frank was singing in the same style that Sinatra sang his signature songs. I went to see him with the expectation that I would hear just another singer trying to sound like Sinatra, but I was mistaken.  What I heard that first night was not only a singer who had a great appreciation for the voice and talents of Sinatra, but also a singer with a strong voice and style of his own.  The show Frank puts on at the Indian Wells Resort is not just a singing act.  It's a trip back into the history and best music of the "Great American Songbook" with Frank leading us all the way through the journey.  When I made my first visit to see Frank last Winter, the performance took place in a small corner of the lobby and with a small but appreciative audience.  I was impressed and was not surprised that last season Frank's audience grew almost every week until he was playing to standing room only audiences by the end of the Winter.  I wasn't the only one who noticed.  The president of the Indian Wells Resort, David Nichols quickly realized that he had something "special" with Frank and committed to a large financial investment to expand the small area Frank was performing into a great new showroom that even Sinatra would have been happy to perform in. It's called "Frank's Place" and that is exactly what it is.  Walking into this comfortable showroom, the first thing you see are rare pictures on all the walls of the giants of American music, Sinatra, Bennett, Nat King Cole, Perry Como and many others. Mr Nichols didn't stop there, he turned Frank's one year contract into a five-year deal.
As a result of these savvy management moves by David Nichols and the great talents of Frank Di Salvo, almost every performance Frank has given this Winter season has been sold out.

Frank does so much more than sing Sinatra songs, he loves to sing songs by all the greats, Jack Jones, Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole and Dean Martin just to name a few.  Frank pays tribute to them and their craft in songs and with stories that he shares with the audience.

When you go to see Frank Di Salvo you just don't see and hear a singer.   What you get is a seasoned, muti-talented entertainer that will bring back great memories of the music of your life that is guaranteed to make you leave the show smiling and happy.

Tonight's performance was even more special because Dale Curtis, a talented Trumpet and Flugelhorn player and an old friend of Frank's sat in on several numbers.  Dale resides in Ketchikan, Alaska and traveled down to Indian Wells to jam with Frank. He was a great addition to the show and played wonderful.  Dale has an impeccable musical resume that includes performing with some of the best in the business like, Lionel Hampton, The Supremes, The Temptations, John Clayton and Diane Reeves.  Dale has recently recorded a new CD "Bridge To Nowhere" with "The Dale Curtis Quintet" that I will be reviewing in a future blog.  I hope Dale comes back to the Desert again in the near future and maybe he will bring his Quintet with him.

Rizzo "The Great" At Vicky's

Steve Neilen, Yarek Urant, Pat Rizzo and Jim DeJulio
All photos courtesy of Herb Koenig, photographer of the music stars of the Desert!

Pat Rizzo

Jim DeJulio

Yarek Urant

Steve Neilen

Carol Hampton

Take a look at the faces on the group picture above and it will give an idea of the quality of music the Pat Rizzo Band is performing at Vicky's.  This was my first visit back to Vicky's to see Pat's group and the music was better than I remembered.  First of all, Pat is "the man" when it comes to tenor sax playing in the Desert.  And his singing keeps getting better all the time. Pat has a great range and a keen sense of timing that allows him to sing the great songs perfectly.  Whether he is singing a Sinatra or a Bennett song, the results are always very satisfying to his audience. He also plays wonderful flute with seemingly no effort. Just a wonderful performer to see and listen to.  However, tonight I noticed that the other members of Pat's group, Jim DeJulio, Steve Neilen and Yarek Urant were just outstanding and far better than when I heard them last year.  First of all, in my opinion, Yarek Urant is one of the best pianist in the Desert today, if not the best.  If I were a singer, I would want Yarek on the keyboard without a doubt. Yarek brings a soft refreshing, emotional touch to the piano that most pianists just never get near.  

Jim DeJulio is a joy to not only listen to but to watch.  If anyone ever had the desire to play the upright bass, this is the bass player they should study.  Jim has played with the best of the best in the music world, and the reason is very simple. When it comes to the bass, he is in a class of his own. Every time I hear Jim play he reminds me of one of my heros, the great Ray Brown. And if anyone thinks your bass playing compares with Ray Brown you are at the top of your game and Jim certainly is in this class!

Steve Neilen completes this group perfectly and always keeps the group in a perfect groove.  Together, the four piece Pat Rizzo Band is one of the most talented musical groups ever to play in the Desert or anywhere else for that matter.  Don't leave the Desert until you get to hear them at least once!

Carol Hampton was in the audience for tonight's performance and sang a couple of great standards in her usual great voice and style. Carol's stage presence always makes her a great additional to any venue.

Mikole Kaar Sings,Plays Alto Sax, Clarinet and Keyboard at La Brasserie Bistro & Bar in La Quinta

La Brasserie Bistro & Bar

Mikole Kaar

Mikole Karr

                                                                   

Mikole Karr

Friday, February 3, I went to the great new French Bistro & Bar, La Brasserie in La Quinta to have dinner and hear Mikole Karr entertain.  I heard Mikole last year at the Coachella Wine Festival and recently found out that Mikole was playing at La Brasserie on Friday and Saturday.  Last time I heard Mikole he only played sax but tonight outside on the patio area,  Mikole also played wonderful clarinet, keyboard and sang.  Tonight's selection of songs were mostly from the "Great American Songbook" and Mikole played with a softness that matched the songs perfectly. But don't underestimate Mikole's ability as he can play traditional Jazz as well as any performer.  In fact, Mikole plays real Jazz every Tuesday night at the Palm Springs Tavern with a great group of talented Jazz musicians.

La Brasserie has great food and eating outside with the soft sounds from Mikole make for a wonderful romantic evening.  I will be catching Mikole's act at the Palm Springs Tavern in a couple of weeks.  In the meantime, you should get over to La Brasserie and experience eating great food outside while enjoying the smooth sounds of Mikole Kaar.