Frank DiSalvo Celebrates The Start of His 6th Year At Indian Wells Resort Hotel in Indian Wells, CA

Everyone's friend and favorite Desert entertainer, Frank DeSalvo is starting his 6th year of performing at Frank's Place in The Indian Wells Resort Hotel.  It's been a wonderful ride for both Frank and the thousands of people who have come to see and hear him perform.  Frank has never stopped improving his show filling it with great vocals from Frank and tons of memories of the entertainers who have crossed our paths in the past 50 years.  Frank tells stories about his and our favorite singers starting with Sinatra, Martin and Sammy Davis and then moving to Darin, Como and Nat King Cole. Frank interspaces his music with comedy and stories about his personal life with impeccable timing.  The reception Frank gets from his audience is remarkable;  they love every minute of his show.  And why not, Frank is a moving dynamo on stage.  Take a good look at the photos above and I think you can almost feel the emotion that he generates on stage.  He has never taken his audience for granted.  He always starts his show exactly on time and never stops during his 3 hours except for one small intermission during which Frank spends his time talking to every table in the room.  His formula of entertainment has been a booming success.  Tonight was a Thursday and Frank had more than 100 people filling the room.  He sells out Fridays and Saturdays even though the Hotel has brought in several additional tables positioned in part of the front lobby.

Frank's voice has become stronger and deeper over the past 5 years that I have been listening to him, and he has developed a wonderful, relaxed style that captivates his audiences.  Frank performs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Indian Wells Resort Hotel and I highly recommend his show to anyone that loves live entertainment that is just not available in many venues today.  You must make reservations as his shows are always filled!

I have attached a YouTube of Frank singing "Luck Be A Lady" Live with the Ted Herman Big Band for your listening enjoyment.

CD Review: The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band, "Holmes"

I recently had the pleasure of listening to a great new Big Band CD, "Holmes" performed by The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band and I wanted to give all my big band fans a heads-up that this is a CD you need to have.  The sound, the songs, the arrangements and the players on this CD are all outstanding.  I know that sometimes having all the best players in a recording session does not always guarantee a super result, but The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band does not disappoint.  Marvelous Saxophone player, Jeff Benedict has produced a perfect example of what the big band sound is all about.  Jeff did most of the great arrangements and also wrote two tunes for the CD.  The sound and the arrangements are big and lush and all the music makes perfect sense to any listener whether an experienced or perhaps a new listener.

Jeff Benedict has a long list of recording credits and is an accomplished classical musician as well as a wonderful Jazz performer.  In putting this band together, Jeff picked outstanding musicians from around the country who he had previously worked with and greatly admired.  The result is a pleasure for the ears!  Let's hope we hear more from The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band in the near future.  Long live the "Big Bands".

I have attached two "YouTube" videos I found so you can hear this outstanding band.

Band Members:

Saxophones: Jeff Benedict, Adrian Williams, Jeff Ellwood, Ken Foerch

Trumpets: Steve Hawk, Jeff Jarvis, Tom Tallman, Frank Rico

Trombones: Paul McKee, Jacques Voyemant, Otto Granillo, Gerry Amoury-Bass Trombone

Guitar: Dave Askren    Piano: Matt Harris   Bass: Tim Emmons   Drums: Paul Romaine

Producer: Jeff Benedict   Conductor: David Caffey   Engineer: Jim Linahon  

Booth Supervisor: Kevin Mayse   Studio Assistant: Jeff Tower

"Songbird" Beverly Jensen Impresses the Jazz Lovers at 360 North in Palm Springs

"Songbreath" is the perfect name for Beverly Jensen.  Beverly has a strong, clear voice when combined with her perfect pitch will win over any music lover of the "Great American Songbook".  If you have been in the Coachella Valley over the past few years, you probably have heard Beverly sing a song or two.  I have never talked to any musician who has heard Beverly sing and then express anything but the highest praise about her voice, her phrasing and her beautiful interpretation of lyrics.  She is truly a remarkable vocalist.

Beverly has been applying her singing skill with many bands and groups over the years including several tours with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.  She is at easy singing alone, with a piano, with a trio and with a big band.  She can do it all!

Tonight at 360 North Restaurant, Beverly was joined by Randy Johnson on Keys, Jim Kirwin on Guitar, Steve Crowell on Drums and John Tedder on Electric Bass.  One of the great aspects of the music community here in the California desert is that they are very supportive of their fellow members.  And tonight was no exception.  Many were on hand and some even sat in with the group to support Beverly.  It is so great to see musicians support each other in such a tough industry.

I would like to add that as a vocalist, Beverly never pays it safe singing easy songs, she is always challenging herself to sing great songs that you just don't hear everyday.  She has a wonderful ear for the best of the best songs with lyrics that tell wonderful stories.

I want to give those that have not heard Beverly, the experience to hear her.  I used a hand held iPhone to record Beverly singing "Watch What Happens" at 360 North.  It's live, of course, and I was not able to due justice to Beverly's voice but even using an iPhone, I think you can hear what a great vocalist she is.  The lush and soulful Tenor sounds are from Joe Canoura who was sitting in with the group. Sorry the video is dark due to the lighting in the club.

Carolyn Martinez Sings and Swings at Vicky's With The Bob Corwin Trio

Thursday nights at Vicky's of Santa Fe Restaurant are owned by Carolyn Martinez with her beautiful voice and the marvelous Bob Corwin Trio.  Carolyn has been performing at Vicky's and other music venues in the Desert for the last few years but her voice and phrasing just keep getting better and better every year.  Carolyn has the ability to bring a lyric to life and convince her listeners that she is actually telling her own life stories.   Carolyn has developed a large and loyal following our the past few years and it's understandable as she really connects with her audience.  She also makes sure she has only the best of the best players to support her.  The Bob Corwin Trio is an exceptional musically-talented trio that works perfectly with Carolyn's voice and arrangements.   Bob Corwin is the kind of piano player every singer dreams of.  He is supportive, and, yet,never overshadows the singer when he gets a chance to solo.  I have never heard better.  Tonight, Danny Flahive on Bass was simply out of sight.  He had several solos that proved again that he is one of the best Bass players in the country.  Tonight was the first time I had a chance to hear Craig Chestnut play Drums and he was great.  His touch and sense of timing never faltered.  

I attempted to record a small part of the performance so you can get a feel of Carolyn's voice and style and also hear how well the trio supports her.  It's my first attempt to post a live video on one of my review blogs and hope you find it enjoyable.

CD Review: Linda Calise, "La Vie-My Life"

Linda Calise grew up listening to the wonderful sounds of the American Songbook just like me and most of the followers of this blog.  She fell in love with the sounds of Bennett, Sinatra, Streisand and the Pop sounds of the The Carpenters and The Beatles.  In the early 90's she studied voice in Boston at the McClosky Institute for Voice.  She has performed at music venues such as: the Wang Theatre, Scullers Jazz Club, Something Jazz, Swing 46, Kitano Jazz Club in NYC, the Waldorf Astoria and the Foxwoods Casino just to mention a few.

Linda Calise has a strong, pure voice and will impress any listener within the first few notes.  It's clear that all the years she spent listening to Bennett and Sinatra have also paid dividends.  Her phrasing and interpretation of lyrics are top rate.  She is an excellent performer!  She has selected an interesting mix of songs for her CD, including great standards, Blues and Pop and she performs every one perfectly.

I have attached two "YouTube" videos so you can hear Linda's beautiful voice and skillful work on two cuts from her new CD.  The first cut is a soulful ballad, "Sunday Kind of Love" and the second cut is a Gershwin gem, "They Can't Take That Away From Me". Enjoy!

Performers on "Sunday Kind of Love"
Ben Albert-Piano, Joe Calise-Bass, Mike Casano-Drums, Alex Krepkikh-Guitar, Pete Levesque-Saxophone, Eric Bloom-Trumpet, Garrett Levesque-Violin.

Performers on "They Can't Take That Away From Me"
Joe Calise-Bass, Mike Casano-Drums, Bob Bowlby & Ted Casher-Saxophones, Ross Hill-Trumpet, Jeff Galindo-Trombone.

Bill Saitta Produces A Great New Sound: JazzGrass" at Palm Desert Greens Country Club

Jeremie Levi Samson, Bill Saitta and Bob Hamilton

Barnaby Finch, Don Reed, Jeff Olsen,Lily McCabe, Bill Saitta and Sean Longstreet

                                                Bill Saitta, Don Reed, Lily McCabe. Sean Longstreet

On Saturday night, January 16, "Bill Saitta Music" presented a wonderful new music sound that might be a new experience for a lot of music lovers here in the Coachella Valley.  Bill calls the music "JazzGrass" and it consists of a blend of Jazz and Blue Grass.  The result is a rather infectious sound that is guaranteed to get your feet moving and your spirits soaring!

The night opened with a trio of Bob Hamilton on Guitar, Jeremie Levi Samson on Violin and Bill Saitta on Bass.  Bill's trio set the tempo for the evening and introduced for the first time to many in the audience French Violinist, Jeremie who was nothing short of fantastic.  In my opinion, Jeremy is one of the best Jazz violinists I have ever heard.  His dexterity and tone were perfect and after hearing him tonight, I have no doubt he is ready for prime time performances.  Don't miss any chance to see him.  You may be able to catch him at Backstreet Bistro on Tuesday nights where he like to sit in with Bill.

The next group of outstanding musicians led by Barnaby Finch took the stage after Bill's Trio finished.  This group consisted of Barnaby Finch on Piano and Conducting,  the great Don Reed on Guitar, Mandolin and Dobro, Lily McCabe on Fiddle,  Jeff Olsen on Drums, Sean Longstreet on Guitar and Bill Saitta on Electric Bass.  The sounds of this group were new, fresh and explosive.   As I looked around the sold-out audience of 200+, I could not see anyone sitting still.  This music makes you want to clap your hands and stomp your feet.  It was a great evening of music, excellent food and good old fun.  I particularly enjoyed the solos from Barnaby that were outstanding riffs enjoyed by both Jazz and Blue Grass fans.

 

The Music Industry Loses A Giant: Ron Kalina

The music industry and especially the Coachella Valley music community was recently faced with the sad news that one of our music giants had passed. We lost the incomparable and mega-talented Ron Kalina.  Ron was considered one of the finest Jazz harmonica players in the world.  And when it came to playing standards, Ron was simply the best that I have ever heard.  He often told me "My sweet spot is playing and singing the beautiful ballads of the"Great American Songbook".  I think it was far more than a sweet spot for Ron.  For me, he was one of those rare instrumentalists that could bring a beautiful lyric to life without a word being spoken.  Ron spoke with his Harmonica and everyone who ever heard him was touched by his musical brilliance.  The other sweet spot for Ron was playing in a supportive role for vocalists who understood the beauty of some of the greatest American songs ever written.  There was no one better at filling behind singers than Ron.  In my years listening to great music here in the Desert, I was fortunate to hear Ron playing for every great singer performing and he was always asked to sit in whenever he entered a music venue.

Ron's talents were not just limited to his Harmonica, he was a wonderful Singer, Pianist, Composer and Arranger.  He also was a talented Tap dancer but I never got to see him dance. As a pianist, Ron accompanied hundreds of performers including lovers of the "Great American Songbook" like Linda Ronstadt, Joe Williams, Gloria Lynne and the great Johnny Hartman.

I will always be thankful that I had the chance to hear and know Ron Kalina, a true American musical genius!  I loved everything he ever played, but his recording of "The Nearness of You" is unforgettable for me.  You can hear Ron playing this song by going to iTunes and look up Ron's Cd's.

Ron Kalina, rest in peace,  the joy and brilliance of your music will be with us for the rest of our lives!