Steve Madaio Plays Songs For Lovers in the Gardens at El Paso

                                                           

On Saturday March 15th the music Series at The Gardens at El Paso featured Trumpet great, Steve Madaio and 3 wonderful musicians. The concert was a benefit for the California Visiting Nurse Association and was sponsored by Bruno Le May, D.M.D., Sullivans, Pacifica and Anderhout Whittaker.  The setting was beautiful, the weather was perfect and Steve presented an evening of some of the best love songs ever written to everyone's delight in the standing room only audience. Steve Madaio is know to all music lovers here in the Valley and has played and toured with some of the greatest rock and roll bands in American history including Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones.  But tonight the spotlight was not on rock and roll but rather on some of the most romantic ballads ever written.  Steve is one of only a few musicians that can project the emotion of a song and its lyric using a Trumpet! Tonight the audience heard Steve at his very best, playing ballets like "Over the Rainbow" and "The Days of Wine and Roses" to name a few of the wonderful songs on the program.

Joining Steve tonight were 3 of my personal favorite musicians, Yarek Urant on Keyboard, Bill Saitta on Bass and Jay Lewis on Drums. Yarek Urant is always a treat to hear. He plays keyboard in a different style than any other piano player in the Valley. When he plays a ballad you can feel the emotion flowing out of his Keyboard. I think ballads are his sweet spot.  Bill Saitta also well know to all music lovers in the Valley seems to reach new levels of mastery of the Bass every time he performs. Bill is not a casual musician. He is a musician that is totally committed to breaking new ground in his playing performance, and the results have made him a pleasure to hear.  On Drums tonight was Jay Lewis one of the best drummers performing in the Desert. Jay plays with soft hands and provided the foundation for the group tonight that lifted the music to new heights!

The great Canadian Flute and Sax player, Tom Keenlyside was a very special guest tonight.  Tom may be Canadian but he has been officially claimed by all the American Jazz lovers in the Desert.  Tom and Steve are close friends and recently recorded a new CD, "Slices" that is experiencing tremendous success.  All and all it was a great concert under the stars that provided great sounds and supported a very worthy cause!

                                                                         

                                                               

Exceptional Musicians Name Their Top Ten Songs, Chapter One: Johnny Morris

                                                                             

Johnny Morris Shares His Top 10 Favorite Songs

I always had an interest in knowing the top 10 songs of my favorite musicians. I knew it how difficult it was going to be for them to put together a list of their favorite songs. You should try and then you will appreciate how difficult this task can be.  The problem everyone has is picking only 10 songs from their personal list of hundreds. I thought it would be interesting to ask some of the best musicians I know to choose their top 10 songs. 

I asked several world-class musicians to imagine what if they were limited to hearing and playing only 10 songs for the rest of their lives, what songs would they pick. This blog is the first of a series of posts that will let us see the top 10 favorite songs of some outstanding musicians. I hope you will share your comments with me.  Also, if there is any musicians who I have not contacted, as yet, who would like to publish their top 10 favorites, please let me know.

Most of my readers know Johnny Morris as one of the most accomplished pianists performing today. Johnny is a Steinway artist and one of the most caring people you will ever meet.  Anyone who has heard Johnny perform knows that he has a deep love for the songs from the "Great American Songbook". Johnny has the ability to play hundreds of great songs from memory including singing the lyrics. I expected Johnny's list to include some of the greatest songs ever written, and I was not disappointed.

Johnny is currently performing Mondays on the terrace at Backstreet Bistro from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.  Having dinner with Johnny playing many of the great songs from his personal list is about as good as it gets.  Johnny is also scheduled to perform with his trio at the Steinway Society Jazz event on April 12, 2014 at So Cal Piano located at 74111 Hwy. 111 in Palm Desert. This is the second Jazz concert Johnny has performed for the Steinway Society, and it's sure to be sold out. Call 760-341-4130 for reservations.

                                   Johnny Morris' Top 10 Favorite Songs

1. How Do You Keep The Music Playing

2. Stella By Starlight

3. My One and Only Love

4. All The Things You Are

5. Here's That Rainy Day

6. Spring Is Here

7. Invitation

8. Emily

9. Skylark

10. The Way You Look Tonight

Rose Mallett, Simply A Great Jazz Singer!

                                       

Rose Mallett

Rose Mallett has had a full schedule of performances this winter, but I had not seen her until Thursday night when I went to Escena Lounge and Grill inside the beautiful Escena Golf Club. The Escena Lounge and Grill is a wonderful place to enjoy great food and listen to some of the wonderful sounds of Jazz provided by Rose and fellow musicians, Barry McClure and Danny Flahive.  Rose Mallett has a wonderful Sarah Vaughn-like lush voice that when combined with her 3 1/2 octave range, puts even the most casual Jazz listener in outer space. In my opinion in the short period has been singing in the Desert she has become one of our best Jazz singers.  She approaches her songs without fear and applies her own Jazz interpretation bringing new life to the many great standards she sings.  Rose is a perfectionist and it's no surprise that she has chosen two of the best side-men in the Valley to support her performance.  Barney McClure has taken the Desert Jazz scene by storm this winter playing gigs almost every night. Barney is a wonderful personality and a great pianist. I was surprised to learn that he is self-taught on the keyboard and did not start playing keyboard until he was seventeen. Any singer would love to have him playing for them! On stand-up Bass is everyone's favorite Bass player, Danny Flahive. Just like Barney, Danny is in great demand and performs almost every night. Danny has his own unique approach to playing Bass, and his solos are well constructed and beautifully played. When you combine these three mega-talents together, the resulting sounds are a beautiful thing to hear.

Rose performs at Escena on most Thursdays but you should call first to make sure she is performing. She also is performing at many other venues including Woody's in Palm Springs.  She is scheduled to appear at Woody's on Fridays, March 7, 14 and 21. You might also check out her site to see her full schedule. 

Barry McClure, Rose Mallett and Danny Flahive

Barney McClure

Danny Flahive

Book Review: "Rod, The Autobiography" By Rod Stewart

                                                                 

If you ever wondered what it would be like to be born into a working class family and then evolve into a Mega Rock and Roll Star with more money than you could ever have imagined, then this is the book you need to read. In this autobiography, Rod Stewart holds very little back in describing his incredible career and his more incredible personal life. He is the prototype of what life is like when you are a rock and roll supper star. I recently read and published several book reviews of epic superstars including Eric Clapton, Steven Tyler and Keith Richards, and they all share some common characteristics.  First and foremost, they are all survivors. They knew what their destiny was, and they let nothing including drugs, lifestyle and limited financial resources stop them from achieving their dreams. Financial success was not the driving force motivating them. They were all driven by an unrelenting drive to create, play and perform music. However, when success and money did arrive, they could never get enough of the life style that money and public success brought.

As written in Rod Stewart's autobiography, his personality reminded me, in some way to Keith Richards. They both were totally happy being submerged in music. While they both enjoyed the financial rewards that success brought, they never lost contact with where they came from and who they were.

I found the stories that Rod wrote about some famous musicians very interesting.  Rod's life story in his own words rings of honesty you don't usually get from other biographies of famous people. Much like Keith Richards, Rod Stewart has remained true to his working class upbringing.
                                                                        Book Review
                                         The Music Man Awards this book "3 Quarter Notes"

                                                    4 Quarter Notes= Excellent, Must read
                                                    3 Quarter Notes= Good Read
                                                    2 Quarter Notes= Somewhat Interesting
                                                    1 Quarter Notes= Save Your Time And Money

CD Review: John Pizzarelli "Double Exposure"

                                                               

John Pizzarelli has a terrific new CD that was born out of John's creative musical talents. For those of you familiar with John's performances, you know he always creates his own particular paths to music.  Never satisfied with simply covering a great standard, John looks for new and creative ways to bring some of himself to the tune and something new to the listener. This approach is not without risk but pushing the musical envelope is what John Pizzarelli is all about. For this CD, John wanted to find a way to present some great old standards and some great old rock and roll tunes. While John has always been faithful to the "Great American Songbook", he also has a love of the great songs of the rock and roll area. However, there is no way would John would be interested in cutting a new CD of simple covers of these songs.  John came up with the idea of combining two songs or different sounds from different times together.

We had the pleasure of hearing John perform some of the songs on his new CD in January at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, Ca. The songs were simply outstanding. The first song John performed and also the first song on the CD was a combination of the Lennon/McCartney song "I Feel Fine" with the Lee Morgan classic "Sidewinder".  Hard to visualize what this final song would sound like but it was just outstanding.  John refers to the final product as "Lennon and McCartney meet Lee Morgan".  Next, John did an arrangement of Tom Watts' "Drunk On The Moon" combined with the great Billy Stayhorn tune "Lush Life". Next, Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" was given an influence of "Shine On Harvest Moon" producing a new musical gem.

There are 13 songs on this CD and each and every one has a story fully developed on the liner notes. I have to describe one additional song on the CD that was simply breathtaking.  The James Taylor song "Traffic Jam" was rebuilt with the influence of Joe Henderson's "The Kicker". John's  wife, the talented Jessica Molaskey wrote some terrific new lyrics and added her voice. John's description of this tune was "James Taylor and Joe Henderson as seen through the eyes of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross thanks to Jessica Molaskey's wonderful lyrics".

John Pizzarelli has been working hard for years on his trade with much success. His guitar performances have always been top notch, but now his singing and his creative arranging abilities have brought him into a special class of outstanding musicians. This is a CD that needs to be in your collection.

List of Songs:

"I Feel Fine"/ "Sidewinder"
"Harvest Moon"
"Traffic Jam"/ "The Kicker"
"Ruby Baby"
"Alison"
"Rosalinda's Eyes"
"In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"
"Drunk On The Moon" "Lush Life"
"Walk Between The Raindrops"
"Free Man In Paris"
"Take A Lot Of Pictures"
"I Can Let Go Now"
"Diamond Girl"   

Carolyn Martinez Singing Better Than Ever at Vicky's

                                 

Carolyn Martinez

Listening to Carolyn Martinez sing is always a treat for the ears and the spirit.  Carolyn has become a Desert favorite within a short period of time due to her ability to relate to a lyric and sing it like it was her life story.  Carolyn is meticulous in picking her material, only the best of the best of songs for her.  The result is a wonderful listening and emotional experience for her audiences.  This is her second year singing at Vicky's, and she has more fans than ever going to Vicky's to hear her. Her rhythm section consists of Larry Holloway and Roger King. Larry is already on the top of everyone's list as a super bass player in jus the few years he has been performing in the Valley.  The Drummer, Roger King has been getting a lot of work this season. Roger plays with soft hands that give perfect support to Carolyn's singing. Usually, David Ring plays Piano for Carolyn but tonight Bob Corwin was sitting in for David.  Bob was more than up to filling the large shoes of David Ring and did a marvelous job of performing the arrangements with little time for rehearsal.

Tonight Carolyn asked two popular Valley singers to come up to sing, Leonard Kaye and Ken Steele. Leonard Kaye has a wonderful voice and a great relaxed singing style that is always a treat for any audience.  Ken Steele has a deep golden voice that would sound great even if he was reciting the alphabet.  He is truly a seasoned professional, and I never get tired of hearing him sing.  Ken and Carolyn surprised the audience tonight with a charming duet.

Carolyn and her group perform at Vicky's on Monday nights.  If you haven't heard her sing this year, do you self a favor and call for a reservation to hear her.  She creates a wonderful night of music and I highly recommend you catch her act.    

Carolyn Martinez, Roger King, Larry Holloway and Bob Corwin 

Larry Holloway

Roger King

Ken Steele

Ken Steele and Carolyn Martinez

Leonard Kaye

Don Rice, Danny Flahive and Joe Lettieri Jazz It Up At Sullivan's Steakhouse

                                   

Don Rice, Danny Flahive and Joe Lettieri

On Wednesday I went to Sullivan's Steakhouse to hear Don Rice and his Jazz Trio including Danny Flahive on Bass and Joe Lettieri on Drums.  Sullivan's is a fun bar and one of the most popular in Palm Desert.  Wednesday night is Jazz night with Jazz starting at 6:30p.m. The bar is always a busy place, but if you wait until happy hour is over at 7:00 pm, you will be able to find a table.  The feel of the room is warm and comfortable and with the addition of Jazz, it is a great place to have some wine and listen to really good Jazz.  Don Rice and his Tenor Sax are well-known throughout the Valley and for good reason. Don gets a wonderful bold and warm sound out of his horn and reminds me of many of the Tenor greats who I listened to and loved when I was growing up in New Jersey. I have written about Danny Flahive before and every time I hear him, he seems to get better. He plays with great intensity and creativity that makes each of his solos seem new. Danny is one of the great Bass players here in the Desert, and someone I just love to hear play. On Piano tonight was Joe Lettieri who I had not heard before.  Joe has a soft but exciting style, and he had no problem playing beautiful Piano for the great songs this group played tonight. 

I don't know how long this group has been playing together but they fit together perfectly. They play great classic Jazz tunes and classics from the "Great American Songbook".  I highly recommend a trip to Sullivan's to have some fun and enjoy the outstanding Jazz these seasoned musicians perform every Wednesday night.