The 2026 expo was dedicated to the memory of longtime staff member Terry Taylor, who died much too soon earlier this year. Several staff members donned caps that read “God Bless Terry Taylor.” Indeed. I don’t recall, but I’m sure I interacted with Terry at least once in all my years at LI Retro. He was memorialized in the Terry Taylor Vectrex Corner on the first floor, as seen via this Facebook post:
My three prior recaps were spread out over three posts per year. (This is post 1 from last year.) I feel I was judicious enough in my photography and culling for a singular, self-contained recap post. To help, for the first time, I’ve utilized page jumps (a.k.a. anchor links) at the top and peppered throughout.
I was quick to buy my weekend pass when tickets went on sale in winter, and I gradually built up my biggest budget ever. (I will not divulge the amount.)
In the days and hours leading up to August 8 (I didn’t go on the 7th), I had the usual performance and social anxiety that comes with being on the autism spectrum. I prayed for the strength and coping skills to get through any and all situations. So, you can understand why I needed many deep breaths as my mom drove me to the Cradle of Aviation Museum parking lot.
SPOILER: All that worrying was for nothing. I had a great time without any hitches.
ARRIVING AT THE MUSEUM Mom’s car pulled into the lot at 9:29 AM on Saturday, August 8.
Despite the high heat and humidity, I wanted to arrive as early as possible so I wouldn’t have to wait too long on line outside.
There were two lines: one on the left for those retrieving their badges at the box office via QR code, and one on the right for those who already had badges. Of course, the left line was the longer one and my Saturday destination. I’d be on the right line on Sunday.
The museum doors opened at 10AM and I reached the entrance (and air conditioning) at 10:07.
Once I got my badge, I affixed to a lanyard I saved from a year or two before and began walking around the first floor.
PHOTOS WITH GUESTS AND CANDID PHOTOS OF THEIR TABLES
Audacity Games with David Crane, Dan Kitchen, Garry Kitchen, and John Van Ryzin On the other hand, I overcame last year’s shyness and had a enjoyable interaction with the quartet of game design legends. “We don’t bite,” David Crane reassured me after I introduced myself and gladly bought all four games – new for the Atari VCS/2600 – that each of them developed. David designed Rescue from Poseidon’s Gate, Dan Kitchen’s game was Casey’s Gold, there was Alien Abduction! by John Van Ryzin (the spiritual successor to H.E.R.O.), with Garry Kitchen and David Crane co-designing Circus Convoy. Any or all of the games can be bought online here.
David Crane and Garry Kitchen talk to attendees at the Audacity Games table
You could even try them out on separate Atari 7800+ consoles:
As mentioned earlier, Ryan Burger publishes Old School Gamer, a magazine Tristan Ibarra is now involved in, on top of his author and designer credits. We’ll learn more about them in photos of their Sunday panel.
For now, here are Tristan, Walter, and Ryan:
My Life in Gaming with Coury Carlson and Marc “Try4ce” Duddleson Coury and Try were a late addition to the 2026 LI Retro guest list, and I’m glad they were booked. They were actually the first people I saw outside the museum Saturday morning before I got in line.
Try and Coury meeting an attendee and his son (out of view) who was cosplaying as Minecraft Steve
PANELS I limited myself to two panels each on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s were later and in the Main Theatre; Sunday’s were earlier in Panel Room 2, relocated to the first floor.
…have worked in the video game industry since the late 1970s. While they are known for their iconic game catalog on the Atari 2600 ([H.E.R.O.,] Pitfall!, Donkey Kong, Ghostbusters, Keystone Kapers, Crackpots…), they also bring a boatload of experience on NES, SNES, Gameboy, C64, Xbox, PlayStation, iPhone/iPad, PC/Mac and online gaming. Everybody knows Pitfall! and Donkey Kong, but did you know they also worked on Bart vs. the Space Mutants (NES), A Boy and His Blob (NES), AddictingGames.com (online), Transformers (C64), Shockwave.com (online), Candystand.com (online), and the infamous Desert Bus game from Penn & Teller?
Garry KitchenDan KitchenJohn Van RyzinDavid CraneQ&A…
The last photo perfectly encapsulates the mood of the panel. Garry, Dan, John, and David were full of interesting, engaging, and humorous anecdotes about their time in the gaming industry, working at Activision, and the many games they design and developed. (I especially enjoyed how Garry debunked a myth about Coleco’s Atari 2600 port of Donkey Kong.) They are a winning team.
Now, if only I could find John’s H.E.R.O. at a good price. Otherwise, I’ll play it in an Activision compilation.
8/28 UPDATE: Well, it isn’t a compilation, but the game design quartet’s games are getting re-released. And even though I struggled mightily at the Audacity Games games once I played them (sorry, guys), I’d still like to buy many of the re-releases.
Saturday Panel 2, 1:30-2:30 PM Main Theatre Pat Contri and Ian Ferguson CU Podcast Live!
My initial photos were taken on the right side of the first row as I deferred to an LI Retro staff photographer. Then, I went back to the center.
Among the topics for this episode The CUPodcast (Super Show #34) were:
Ian Ferguson and Pat ContriPat ContriIan FergusonThe Q&A portion of the podcast panel included a question from G Gracin (G to the Next Level).
I did not ask a question this year, and told Pat afterward what I would have asked. Part of my annual Christmas special viewing tradition includes watching Pat the NES Punk Christmas episodes, such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Punk. (RIP Billy Chaser.) Will there be a Christmas episode this year? We’ll find out in four months.
I won’t go into detail about G’s panel since they recorded it for a future YouTube video, but I will share it in photo form.
If you’ve watched G’s streams, you’ll recognize the emotes designed by their spouse and fellow streamer Rannchann.
The 2026 Long Island Retro Gaming Expo was where I made my Dreamcast dream a reality. First, I found two controllers and a VMU from one vendor. Then, I found the console by itself (no power adapter or cables) from a second vendor. And from a third, I bought three games, including launch titles NFL 2K (released on launch day) and NBA 2K (two months after launch). You’ll see all of that (and the Sonic fanny pack) in the pickups segment.
As of publication, G’s most recent YouTube video is this one:
…a discussion on preserving and celebrating the history of video games and the community that built it. Walter Day will share stories from his years at Twin Galaxies, the journey behind his books, film appearances, and trading card series, explaining how the cards were created not just to honor champions, but to recognize the passion and achievements of gamers from every corner of the hobby. Ryan Burger will explore growing up during the rise of competitive gaming, the books, television shows, and media that chronicled gaming culture before it became a global phenomenon, and how Old School Gamer Magazine now works with many of those pioneering voices to introduce their stories to a new generation. Tristan Ibarra will discuss his path from Air Force veteran to gamer, collector, author, graphic designer, and magazine layout artist, sharing his passion for documenting the hobby and organizing its scattered history into accessible resources for fans and researchers alike. Together, the panel will reflect on the people, stories, and communities that shaped gaming culture, while celebrating the generations of enthusiasts whose dedication has helped preserve its legacy for the future.
How does that compare to my description written before thinking of citing the expo description?
For one hour, Panel Room 2 was transported to the state of Iowa. Ryan Burger and Tristan Ibarra were our hosts and they set up Walter Day to share stories galore. Ryan promoted Old School Gamer magazine and an upcoming book. Tristan detailed his The Video Game Collector’s Field Guide and his upcoming …Video Game Dictionary for the Total Noob. To that end, there were ten trivia questions with ten terms in Tristan’s dictionary. (I photographed the answers, but for obvious reasons, I’m keeping them to myself.) After Walter asked trivia questions, it was our turn to ask.
Mike Ferrara, a.k.a. HighScorsese, topped the Twin Galaxies rankings five times!One Walter quip made Tristan laugh.This question acknowledged learning of Twin Galaxies through Electronic Gaming Monthly, also founded in the Midwest (Lombard, Illinois).Journey with Patrick expressed hope to appear on one of Walter’s trading cards by attending many U.S. and Canada conventions, per a list he’s kept.
This is where I would have gone to a second post. Instead, in this same post, we begin a photographic tour of as much as I could see on each floor of the Cradle of Aviation Museum. I couldn’t get everything, and some photos were too blurry to include. The photos that remain are here.
Remembering what Norm Caruso said, I tried the Pods myself.
More from the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Pan Am exhibit:
PART THREE
DEPARTING THE MUSEUM The commercial aircraft were the last thing I photographed after coming downstairs from the Arcade Age Exhibit. That’s when I went back to searching vendors for a few more purchases, including that model 2 Sega CD. The last game I bought was Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Then, I went in the museum gift shop for three more plane replicas to go with the Pan Am plane I bought last year. And that was it. I took Lyft home to Wantagh with $44 to spare! It’s the first time I’ve ever left under budget!
Requisite exit photos:
PICKUPS What did Mike get? Well, let’s start with guest merchandise and business cards:
Thank you again, Sean Chiplock.
This is the fanny pack I won from G’s charity stream. Thank you very much, G.
Pixelated Pat [Contri] pin
Old School Gamer Magazine Issue 43, Mike Ferrara and Justin’s cards
Walter Day trading cards and his autobiography
The two bags full of games and signed cards from Audacity Games
This is just what I bought duringLong Island Retro Gaming Expo. I also bought many other things online to supplement some of my purchases. I won’t list them all, but they include VGA and power adapters for the Dreamcast and an Atari 7800+ to play those Audacity Games games. Furthermore, a VMUPro that I preordered months ago arrived Monday as I was wrapping up the first draft. (That process took six hours!)
CONCLUSION I’ve thanked many people throughout this post, but I owe a huge thanks to Ryan Shapiro, Joe Vincent, George Portugal (whom I didn’t get to see), and the rest of the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo staff for your support and accommodation. I am deeply grateful.
I’ll conclude this recap with the front and back of my badge and event program, the latter of which includes a photo of the late Terry Taylor.
Bobby G., longtime friend of My Father’s Place promoter Michael “Eppy” Epstein, first invited me to David’s show one morning in late August. I didn’t hesitate in accepting the invitation. We would meet at WCWP’s Abrams Communications Center by 5:45 PM and drive to Roslyn from there.
My parents drove me up to LIU Post at 5:00 and we arrived in the parking lot adjacent to WCWP (and Hillwood Commons) within 20 minutes. In contrast to the flurry of activity during Homecoming Weekend, the Abrams Communications Center was as dark as the night sky, with most of the light coming from studio 1 and 3 where live shows were in progress. Thomas, the Wednesday host of The Rock Show, invited me in before retreating to Hillwood for dinner. I paced quietly in the lobby until Bobby G. arrived shortly after 5:45.
Bobby and I conversed on the entire drive to My Father’s Place, listening to David Benoit’s Fuzzy Logic (2002) CD along the way.
It was about 6PM when parked in the Roslyn Hotel lot. We walked up the stairs to the hotel lobby and down the stairs to the My Father’s Place section. (MFP was originally its own venue before relocating to the hotel.) Eppy Epstein was seated outside the entrance and Bobby introduced us. Then, we confirmed our ticketed reservation with the attendant in the entryway and were ushered to a front row center table.
My conversation with Bobby continued as 8PM approached. (He and Billy Joel were classmates at Hicksville High School!) We both ordered separate dinners, each choosing a seltzer with lime as our soft drink, drinking water in the meantime. None of the entrees interested me, so I ordered fried calamari and a “side” of mac and cheese. Our waitress told me the side dish, with shell pasta, was as big as an entree, meaning I only needed to order one bowl. It was all quite good.
I checked the stage for a set list so I’d know what I was in for. I found one on the stage floor by the drum kit. I didn’t think to write the list to my stenographer pad until the show had begun and the waitress took our dessert orders. I chose chocolate lava cake, which was a bit rich for me, even with the vanilla ice cream mixed in, but still good.
Okay, the preamble is over. Let’s talk about the show itself!
Vince Guaraldi medley: Great Pumpkin Waltz/Thanksgiving Theme/You’re in Love, Charlie Brown/Christmas is Coming/Skating/What Child is This?/O Tannenbaum
Set List Background Info Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas compositions (except where noted) in the set were “Christmas is Coming,” “Skating,” “What Child is This?” (only on the soundtrack album; arrangement of traditional song), “O Tannenbaum” (arrangement of traditional song), “Linus and Lucy,” and “Christmas Time is Here.” That last song was heard instrumentally throughout A Charlie Brown Christmas, but a separate version added lyrics by Lee Mendelson, the special’s producer and co-writer (with Peanuts creator Charles M. “Sparky” Schulz). David first covered “Linus and Lucy” on This Side Up (1985), which led to an updated arrangement for “The Great Inventors” episode of This is America, Charlie Brown. David scored that entire episode, and many Peanuts TV specials (plus some Garfield specials) through 2006. The specials that stand out in my mind are:
You’re in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown – Relegated to VHS, as of this writing – Features improvised play-by-play by Steve Stoliar, a comedy writer, film historian, assistant to Groucho Marx, and impressionist (naturally, his Groucho impression is immaculate [no, he didn’t do it in the special]) *See 3/25/25 UPDATE below this list*
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown – Focuses heavily on Rerun, Linus and Lucy‘s younger brother, and his desire for a dog, be it Snoopy or Snoopy’s brother Spike (partially recycled from episode 15 of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show) – This special marked the debut of David’s original composition, “Rerun’s Theme,” later recorded for David’s Jazz for Peanuts (2008)
3/25/25 UPDATE: Steve Stoliar emailed me this evening to clear things up about his involvement in You’re in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown.
It was much more of a challenge than mere improvisation. Here – whether you want it or not – is the complete story: I had a friend who worked at Bill Melendez Prods. in a variety of capacities. She called me up one day and said, “Can you help us? We produced this Super Bowl show that Sparky wrote and there are football games with no dialogue that just go on and on and they’re repetitious and confusing.”
She gave me a VHS of the rough-cut and I sat on my living room floor starting, pausing, rewinding my VHS player and trying to time (without a stopwatch) how long each football sequence ran. Then I scribbled down some suggested narration, making use of a lot of alliterations and metaphors, such as you get from color commentators on sporting events. After that, I read it and tried to edit the copy so it fit snugly in the blank spaces. Then I went to Melendez Prods. in Hollywood and we recorded it – with Bill M. directing me – and me doing a sort of Vin Scully-inspired classic sportscaster voice.
It’s fairly miraculous that it worked out. “Variety” actually reviewed it and pointed out the sports narration as a high spot. Unfortunately, my pleasure in having met the challenge was greatly impacted by my late wife and me having been literally thrown out of our apartment by the Northridge Earthquake, which hit between the time I recorded the narration and when the show aired.
I was later rewarded with a lovely production cel (and original background) from one of the birdie football games, inscribed, “For Steve – In friendship – Bill Melendez” in black Sharpie. Sadly, even though it wasn’t in direct sunlight, the inscription faded. But – like Big Julie in “Guys ‘n’ Dolls” talking about the blank dice – “I remembers where da spots previously were.”
It remains the only Charlie Brown special that has any sort of shared writing credit.
End of story – except to thank you for the compliment on my Groucho impression!
Thank you, Steve, for correcting the record, and allowing me to post what you wrote.I don’t know where I got in my head that he improvised the dialogue. I must have misinterpreted the Facebook comment he left a few years ago when I said that I’d watched my digitizing of the VHS tape. On that note, Steve wrote in a follow-up reply…
Oh – also – that particular show was produced as a tie-in with Shell Oil and the VHS tape was either a giveaway or for sale at a low, low price at Shell Stations when you filled up your tank. So even though it aired on TV, I suspect it’s missing from DVD release because of the initial deal with Shell. Not sure. I also did voices for Melendez (what a great guy) on “Snoopy’s Reunion” and “It’s The Girl In The Red Truck, Charlie Brown.”
I’m inclined to agree with Steve about the Shell tie-in keeping You’re in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown off DVD and other modern home media releases. It’s the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown is another special that has yet to go beyond VHS, but Snoopy’s Reunion has a dedicated DVD.
Thanks again to Steve Stoliar. Now, back to what I wrote in December.
“Schroeder” (set to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”) and “The Doctor is In” were from the Broadway musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
That brings us back to the photos. For that You’re a Good Man medley, David portrayed Schroeder and Courtney channeled Lucy.
David even sang!Roberto disputed David’s claim of poor tennis skills.
I’m not ashamed to admit “Just Like Me” drove me to happy tears. It’s such a pretty song.
So, that’s what the wiring was for! Magnificent.
When Courtney wasn’t on stage, the trio of David, Roberto, and Dan played instrumentally.
The finale: “Linus and Lucy”:
David’s Jerry Lee Lewis motifThe last noteThe quartet gathered for a bowAn audience member presented David with a Charlie Brown doll.
For the encore, a man at a front row table held up his LP copy of Waiting for Spring (I have it on CD) and requested a track from there. David chose “Cabin Fever,” one of my favorites.
It featured a drum solo by Dan Schnelle.The last note of the setSharpie in hand, the man got his copy of Waiting for Spring signed by David.
I only got to meet and greet half the band. Roberto and Dan were deep in separate conversations and I didn’t want to rudely interrupt.
However, I did get to catch up with David, who signed my copy of Timeless:
I then introduced David to Bobby Guthenberg (who took the above photo). Bobby bought a copy of Timeless, and David signed that.
Bobby G. and I weren’t the only WCWP alumni at My Father’s Place that night. Voice actor David Kaplan was there, too. It was great to see him. He was talking to vocalist Courtney Fortune, who I then spoke to. I complimented Courtney’s performance and told her how moving her rendition of “Just Like Me” was. Then, Bobby took a photo of us:
My one regret is not getting a photo with My Father’s Place promoter Eppy Epstein before Bobby and I exited The Roslyn. Upon exiting, I noticed it was snowing!
Before meeting and greeting, Bobby offered to drive me back to Wantagh so my parents wouldn’t have to drive back up to WCWP for me. I accepted and called my mom to let her know. Bobby cautiously drove home in the rain/snow mix, once again conversing the entire way while finishing up his Fuzzy Logic CD. He switched to Timeless while waiting at a red light on Jerusalem Avenue.
Bobby dropped me off at the curb at about 10:30. I wished him good night and thanked him yet again for treating me to a memorable night at My Father’s Place. (He messaged me on Facebook upon his safe return home to Bayside.) I may return to MFP some time in 2025 if Eppy can book drummer Billy Cobham. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Thank you again to David Benoit, Roberto Vally, Dan Schnelle, and Courtney Fortune. You were all wonderful.
The June 21 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was still another one-day recording, done entirely on April 24. I’m not bothering with streak stats anymore. It’s a regular thing now. Pickups were recorded April 26 and 27, with extensive rerecording on May 3.
The playlist was created alongside next week’s on April 15 and 16, with a tweak on the 22nd to add a Louis Hayes song. Annotations were written between April 21 and 23, followed by the talk break script draft. I hoped to get next week’s show recorded before Smooth Jazz for Scholars, but that didn’t pan out. The playlist and annotations were reworked to coincide with May 3’s rerecording.
I’ve gotten more playful and goofy in my talk breaks in recent shows, either by going off script or working that shtick into the script. For example, “…East and West play bass the best…but it’s subjective.” Also, I didn’t think there’d be so much spelling.
There was a whole talk break centered around something related to anime because of the original David Benoit song I had in mind, “Yusuke the Ghost.” The May 3 rerecords removed all references (including later callbacks) and changed David’s song to “Monster in the Attic.” The morals of the story are don’t do fandubs if you want to work professionally in voice-over, and don’t blab on your radio show and blog about every little thing a creator you support does or has done.
As if all that weren’t enough, this show aired on the day I tested positive for COVID-19. It finally got me after three years and three months in the U.S. This adds to my production delays that began with the WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony and continued with my mom’s retirement party last Friday and replacing my computer desk and hutch on Saturday. (Thanks to my uncle Scott for assembling the new one.) The advance buffer is down to four shows. After next week, what I’ve recorded so far (through July 19) has been reworked as evergreens without dated references. This will allow them to air as reruns if I need a hiatus. Beyond that, I’ve made playlists for four shows (including show 175), annotated and scripted one (as an evergreen), and partially annotated two others. Depending on how I feel, those will be the last shows until September or October.
Thank you for your continued support. I’ll close with before and after* photos:
*The true after photo won’t come until my dual monitor setup is complete. As of today, I am waiting for a replacement monitor (dead pixels) and its mate that I bought separately to replace the old one (seen alone in before, on the left in after). That monitor got scuffed when the tripod/webcam fell on it. At the time, I was vacuuming off sawdust from a hole my uncle drilled for the speaker’s power cord.
9:15 AM UPDATE: This is another one of those shows where I went the entire time between recording and airing without noticing a mistake: omitting Masato Honda on alto sax for “Midnight Dreamer” by T-Square and Friends. I also made a research mistake for “Over Nine Waves” by Alison Brown. Compass Records is her and Garry West’s own record label and Compass Sound Studio is their studio.
6/27 UPDATE: My dual monitor setup is complete. The replacement and mate arrived today and neither had dead pixels on their screens.
The May 31 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was the fifth in a row with talk breaks recorded in one day, and third in a row/fourth out of five recorded in one day. That day was April 10, 19 days after last week’s show was recorded. I got a cold a few days after that recording (March 25) and used the time to work on playlists for this show and the next two. Pickups were recorded on April 13, April 16, and May 5.
The playlist was created March 19, 22, and 26, then tweaked on April 1 to add a track from Keiko Matsui‘s Euphoria album released the day before. Annotations were written from April 3 to 5, and the talk break script was drafted April 8.
The May 24 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was the fourth show in a row with the talk breaks recorded in one day, and second in a row/third out of four to be recorded and mixed in one day. The recording/mixing date was March 22. Pickups were recorded on the night of the 22nd and mid-afternoon on the 24th.
The playlist was created March 18 with annotations on the 20th and the talk break script draft on the 21st.
The Make Me a Star cover model reminds me of someone I knew in high school.
I listened several times from March 10 to 17 before delving into the T-Square topic channel’s full catalog. As I type this paragraph on the morning March 23, I am up to New-S (1991). (I also have to contend with construction work and chatter in my neighbors’ backyard.) And as I type this before publication on May 25, I skipped from B.C. A.D. to FLY! FLY! FLY! and WISH.
ORSON (narrating for Booker and Sheldon): The wizard Bo ran a little restaurant at the edge of the forest where he made magic and sandwiches. Occasionally, he got his two skills confused.
(Bo, in wizard garb, stands behind the counter, wiping a glass. Roy walks in and takes a seat.)
ROY: Hiya, Bo. Make me a sandwich.
BO: Okay. You’re a sandwich, man. (Bo transforms Roy into a sandwich.) Oh, like, sorry, dude. I’ll, uh, change you back.
(Roy returns to normal, but with his face covered in mayonnaise. Wade, as The Ugly Duckling, walks in with a bag over his face.)
WADE: Wizard, you must help me. I… (He notices Roy.) Uh, why do you have mayonnaise all over you?
I went 75 seconds over, thanks to a lengthy talk break in the first segment and another 21 in the fourth segment, but with short talk breaks here and omitted tidbits there, I broke even by the last segment. (My “even” is 1:49:00.)
Recording and mixing a full show in one day is as exhausting as running a marathon. Flubs were plentiful and mouth clicks were everywhere. Adobe Audition‘s declicker only goes so far. On the plus side, I finally realized the need to orient the microphone at my second location vertically to match the sound at home.
Saturday, April 29, concluded with the second night of Jay Rowe‘s 20th anniversary edition of Smooth Jazz for Scholars, benefiting the Milford Public Schools music department. As usual, I have a long preamble listing how my day went before the show itself.
Upon waking up in my second floor Hampton Inn hotel room that faced the parking lot, I went through the rest of the photos from Friday night and removed the blurry ones. Following a workout (and shower), I headed down to the common area with my laptop for breakfast and mingling as I began editing. I didn’t edit as much as I talked with fellow jazz fans that went to the first night. They were fascinated with what I do and what my interests are, including my newfound Japanophilia and fascination with music and pop culture. (Read about my first week as a city pop fan.) In addition to meeting up with Mark and Phyllis Abrams, Estella and her friend Norma were eating breakfast at a table behind me. I always set up on the elevated center table because it has outlets for plugging in devices. Then, I met Owen Lomax who showed me his photos and videos from other shows he’s attended. After that, Mark and Phyllis’s friends Rob and Mel came down. Rob was most fascinated with me and we spoke a long time. He was even nice enough to get ice from the second floor machine so I could chill hot water. I’d poured it from a container before noticing there weren’t any hot cocoa packets to mix in. As noon approached and the common area quieted down, I decided to head back to my second floor room.
I bought three 50/50 raffle tickets for $10 on way into the Veterans Memorial Auditorium at Parsons Complex Friday night, inadvertently knocking my keys out of my coat’s right pocket when reaching for the wallet. I didn’t know what happened until Saturday afternoon before a trip to ShopRite. I thought I might have left the keys at CVS when checking out my stenographer pad and sleep mask purchase. However, when I stopped there on the way to ShopRite, an employee working Friday night said she didn’t see keys left in the checkout area. After ShopRite, my parents dropped me back at the hotel, and went to Home Depot to duplicate the house and office keys. That left the auditorium as the only place I could have lost them. I’d find out come evening.
My editing process for Canon EOS R7 photos in Adobe Photoshop Elements (again, I also have regular Photoshop) is cropping out excess and tweaking brightness, contrast, color, and/or levels. Somewhere along the way, I apply a dust and scratches filter to tamp down the grain. If I have to sharpen a photo, I use despeckle before dust and scratches. (Read about my initial experience with the R7.)
I cut myself off from editing at 3:45, having only reached photo 120 out of 294 taken during the show.
My parents and I opted to drive up Boston Post Road (U.S. 1) for dinner at Olive Garden in Orange. It was rainy and windy most of the weekend, and that’s what we encountered Saturday afternoon and evening. I planned on wearing my LIU Post polo during SJFS night two (to complement the WCWP polo on Friday), but an accidental stain while eating meant I’d have to change into a spare long-sleeve polo I brought when I got back to the hotel.
On the way back, we stopped at Cumberland Farms so I could get a pint of ice cream (not just bars this time) and Dad could refuel the Ford Explorer. I watched more Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear and finished eating the ice cream right before my friend Kelly arrived from Wallingford. Then, off to Parsons Complex. It was still raining heavily, so Kelly dropped me off by the auditorium side entrance to limit the rainfall on my gear.
Inside, I asked around about my lost keys, and was eventually referred to the light and sound engineer. He handed them to me before I finished asking! Thank goodness! At least I have spare keys now.
I set up my equipment in the same left-center portion of the orchestra pit, took $10 out of wallet, and went back to the lobby to buy another three 50/50 raffle tickets. Before and after retrieving the wallet from my right coat pocket, I made certain that the keys were still in there. Now that it’s warmer, I do that with my right pants pocket.
While I’d spoken to my photography mates Katherine Gilraine and Ron Hancox on Friday, I didn’t get to meet the fourth photographer, Andrew James, until Saturday before the show. I’ve made so many friends since my first time at Smooth Jazz for Scholars in 2007 (with my first recap in ’08), including Paul, one of the ushers. I saw Lisa Arpin again, along with fellow Jay Rowe Tito Tuesdays livestream alumni Judy Raphael and Robin Morin Stewart.
8:00 arrived, as it always does, and Kevin McCabe walked to a stage mic for his introduction.
For the first time since 2019, a night of SJFS opened with a performance by Milford Public Schools music students: the Foran High School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Jessica Turner:
Ms. Turner did not cite song titles, but the first song featured alto and tenor sax solos.
9. Tequila Moon (Jessy J) Originally heard on:Tequila Moon (2008) Featured musicians: Jessy J (tenor sax), Jay Rowe (keyboards)
10. Tropical Rain/Hot Sauce (Jessy J) Originally heard on:True Love (2009)/Hot Sauce (2011) Featured musicians: Jessy J (tenor sax), Andy Abel (guitar)
11. Waterfall (Kim Waters) Originally heard on:Someone to Love You (2002) Featured musicians: Kim Waters (alto sax), Jay Rowe (keyboards)
12.Europa (JJ Sansaverino; Santana cover) Featured musician: JJ Sansaverino (guitar)
13. Blue (Jessy J) Originally heard on:Blue (2022) Featured musicians: Jessy J (tenor sax), Andy Abel (guitar)
14. Exotica Originally heard on:On the Horn (1995) Featured musician: Paul Taylor (soprano sax)
15 (Finale). Ladies’ Choice (Paul Taylor) Originally heard on:Ladies’ Choice (2007) Featured musicians: Everyone, plus women from the audience!
JJ Sansaverino leads off the headliner photo galleries:
Next, Paul Taylor on alto sax:
Paul on soprano sax:
“Side to side!”The audience obliged.
Kim Waters was solely on alto sax:
End of “Waterfall”…
…and Jessy J played tenor sax:
Photo galleries of the house band start with Jay Rowe during his intense “Waterfall” solo:
The best I could get of Jay’s pirouette/glide
Andy Abel’s “East Coast West Coast” solo:
Regrettably, I only took two more photos of Dave Anderson:
Here are nine of Trever Somerville:
…and the 11 best of Steve Scales:
Medium shots, starting with Kim, Dave and Jay:
JJ and Jay:
End of “Set It Off”
Jessy J and Jay:
Dancing along (no pun intended) to Jay’s “Tequila Moon” solo
Jessy and Andy during his “Blue” solo:
Wide shots:
End of “Pleasure Seeker”Andy Abel’s “In the House” solo…End of “Hot Sauce”…“Thank you so much! That’s ‘Hot Sauce.’ Mwah.”“Jessy J! She’ll be right back!”Jay’s “Waterfall” soloEnd of “Exotica”End of “Europa”…“JJ Sansaverino!”“Thank you!“
Between “Europa” and “Blue,” the raffle winners were announced from a bag held by Kevin McCabe. Jessy gave Jay the winning 50/50 raffle ticket (I lost again):
The winner was Chris.It was Chris’s 46th wedding anniversary! Yes, that is why she’s cheering.
That brings us to the finale: “Ladies’ Choice.” Paul Taylor’s custom for live performances of this song is to invite ten ladies to dance on stage. As you’ll see, Kelly was one of the ten! Feeling ambitious, I started walking to the stage, but turned back before reaching the rope on the left end of the orchestra pit. Now, the photos:
Big finish!That’s it!Headliner bow…The headliners and ladies exited as Jay and the house band wrapped up…The true end…Jay’s sign-off
I packed my equipment and headed for the lobby, putting it all on a table in the corner. Then, I began meeting and greeting, catching up with Kim Waters first:
If I knew he was pointing at me, I’d have pointed back, like I’ve done in other photos.
Kim paid tribute to Chuck Loeb after playing “In the House,” a song they wrote and played on. They produced and recorded many albums together in the 1990s and 2000s. I told Kim I hadn’t seen him play live since he and Chuck did the first night of SJFS in 2014.
Me and Chuck Loeb (1955-2017) after the first night of the 2014 Smooth Jazz for Scholars
I said I still have the business card Chuck gave me for his online guitar school, which I scanned for posterity at home Sunday evening:
I tried the website and it no longer works.
To Kim’s right at the meet-and-greet table was Paul Taylor:
Then, Jessy J:
Jessy thanked me for my positive review of Blue when it was released last April, and we also reflected on the loss of Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodmanthe week before. Jessy is in Ray Chew Live, the DWTS house band, and she was highly complimentary of Len. I had thought he retired as judge because of his cancer diagnosis, but Jessy said that came after. Len and his tens will live on in our hearts.
Turning the tables, Jessy took a photo of me and my good friend Steve Lewis, another yearly SJFS volunteer:
Steve was in the background of that 2014 photo with Chuck Loeb.
I took a photo of Kim with Jay Rowe’s mother, Mia DiStasi:
…and a selfie with Mia:
The camera only focused on her, but that’s okay.
Kelly and I gathered my equipment and we said goodbye to our friends in the lobby. A lighter rain awaited us outside Parsons on our walk to the parking lot. When we got back to the hotel, I gave Kelly a good night kiss and took the elevator back to my room, bantering with the desk clerk until the doors opened.
In my room, like the night before, I moved photos and videos to my laptop (while watching a Twitch stream), imported the RAW photos into Lightroom, exported them as JPGs, deleted the RAWs, edited the meet-and-greet shots for posting to Facebook, and edited another 15 from Friday’s set. Then, sleep…for another few hours. Back to the laptop to curate my roll. I was left with 70 more photos than Friday. I edited a little, then met Diane and Richard in the common area. They, too, were at both nights of Smooth Jazz for Scholars and we agreed to meet for breakfast Sunday morning. I had my laptop with me, but never opened it. I just talked to them, and Paul Taylor (it was his birthday!) once he came down for breakfast. After a little more editing in my room, I packed up and checked out with my parents.
I put off further editing until Monday (May 1). The rest of Sunday (April 30) was for unwinding after a long weekend. I vowed to take my time editing the photos and working on this recap.
Editing was completed May 7, immediately followed by watermarking all photos. On May 9 and 10, I picked the best of the best from each night, which was still a lot, then saved lower resolution versions in Photoshop Elements. May 10 is also when I started drafting the written portions of these blog posts, which I incorporated into posts on the 12th and 13th, and fleshed out on the 15th and 16th.
Thank you for reading one or both of my 20th anniversary Smooth Jazz for Scholars blog posts. I will be back next year! See you around.
Friday, April 28, was the first of two nights for the 20th anniversary edition of Smooth Jazz for Scholars, hosted by keyboardist Jay Rowe in his hometown of Milford, Connecticut. The event, held on two nights since 2013, benefits the Milford Public Schools music department. It was the 19th SJFS overall (canceled by COVID in 2020 and ’21), my 15th overall, and 14th that I’ve seen it its entirety. (I only saw the first night in 2015 with that year’s WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony held the following afternoon back on Long Island.)
In the days and hours leading up to the Milford trip, I grew overwhelmed by the impending workload (photos and videos). I struggled to pack everything the afternoon of the 28th, having spent two hours editing most photos from the WCWP station dinner (for student and alumni staff) on the 26th. I didn’t want to go, but felt obligated to go because I didn’t want to back out of the commitment I’d made to Jay. I convinced myself this would be the last year. (SPOILER: It won’t be.)
I finally left house with my parents just before 2:00. We encountered traffic delays on I-95 in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Waze directed us through winding side streets in Westport. We were eventually directed back to I-95 in Bridgeport with little volume the rest of the way to Exit 36 in Milford (in New Haven County, if you’re wondering). Not knowing which would be the official hotel, we booked rooms at Hampton Inn a month or two earlier. Our rooms were on the second floor, facing opposite ends of the building. I chose the room facing the parking lot so I-95 traffic wouldn’t keep me awake.
After settling into our rooms, we went for dinner at Pasquale Pizza a short drive from the hotel. Since we were close to the hotel, I walked back after finishing my pasta. On the way, I passed a Gas & Go station:
That made me think of the Gasigo sequence in the “Heroboy” episode of Freakazoid! In the sequence, singing attendants delayed Freakazoid’s (Paul Rugg) attempt to reach the villain Gutierrez (Ricardo Montalban). They had to finish the jingle in Freak’s car. Watch:
The episode ended with the Gasigo attendants driving Gutierrez mad as they reprised their jingle:
South of Gas & Go was another gas station/convenience store: Cumberland Farms. I stopped in there to buy ice cream bars for dessert back in my room.
My friend Kelly drove down from Wallingford for the show and met me at my room door around 6:30. We hung out for a little while, then drove to the Parsons Complex. I had her stop at CVS on the way so I could buy a small notebook or pad for writing out the set list and side notes. I forgot to pack a notebook and my sleep mask. I got a cheap gray mask and stenographer pad (close enough), then went on to Parsons. We arrived close to 7:30, after the soundcheck, so the doors were open.
Before entering the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, I decided to take a chance on the 50/50 raffle. I took out my wallet from my coat’s right pocket and bought three tickets for $10. Little did I know I inadvertently knocked out my keys, and wouldn’t realize what happened until the next day. More on that in the Saturday post.
I got plenty of reassurance from Katherine Gilraine and Ron Hancox, my fellow photographers in the orchestra pit, along with friends like Jay Dobbins, Phyllis Abrams, and Robin Morin Stewart. I love what I do and I love the music. I shouldn’t put so much pressure on myself. I need to be present, enjoy myself, trust the process, and take my time. I don’t work for a media outlet. There is no deadline.
With newfound confidence, I set up my equipment on the center-left portion of the orchestra pit below the stage. Production manager Kevin McCabe came on stage around 8:10 to welcome the audience and thank the sponsors:
Then, he introduced Jay Rowe, who read his statement in the program that marked Smooth Jazz for Scholars’ 20th anniversary:
Here is that message:
20 years of Smooth Jazz for Scholars!! I certainly did not think I would reach this milestone when I had the idea to start this event 20 years ago. Doing these shows helped me to become a better musician and play with some of my favorite musicians and people!! In some cases, I was playing alongside my musical heroes like Jeff Lorber, Alex Bugnon, David Benoit, Marc Antoine and Peter White, while watching newer artists like Vincent Ingala and Eric Darius become superstars and amazing entertainers. There have been losses along the way such as the passing of Jeff Golub, Chuck Loeb, Nick Colionne [fan page] and Rohn [“Ron”] Lawrence. These guys are missed terribly in our musical community and will never be forgotten. I have learned much about how important music is in people’s lives and have examined my own relationship with music. I still love playing and I am grateful that musical dreams can still come true in advancing middle age!! I truly hope that the youth of Milford, Connecticut – the town I grew up in and still love to live in – can experience the joy I have when playing music in whatever they pursue when they grow up. I also hope they can have the wonderful friendships that I have had through playing music. Thanks so much to Ken Navarro, Marion Meadows, Chieli Minucci [“key-ellie min-oo-chee”] and Nelson Rangell for being there for me at the very first Smooth Jazz for Scholars show that we played back in 2003 at Foran High School. It is very fitting to me that these artists perform for the first night of our 20th anniversary weekend. It has been a pleasure working with all of the artists who have played at Smooth Jazz for Scholars over the years at various festivals, clubs and events all over the world. Thanks to all of the fans of smooth jazz who have supported this show for all these years. You have been the reason to keep this going to support music education in our public schools inspiring the next generation of artists and music teachers!! Thanks to our sponsors: Barrett Outdoor Communications; Milford Bank; Dr. Anna Cutaia, Superintendent for Milford Public Schools; Amy Perras, Instructional Supervisor for Music, Art and Library Media; Kathy Bonetti, Communications Coordinator for Milford Public Schools; my mom Mia DiStasi; my wife Deborah Rowe; Kevin McCabe; WRTC; Mike Stacy at WRCH; Gregg Roche, former host of The Sunday Smooth Jazz Brunch on WRCH; Steve Butler, my favorite booking agent; everyone in this ad book (program), all of the wonderful fans of smooth jazz and the great artists performing at this year’s shows. Enjoy this year’s shows and stay tuned for next year when Smooth Jazz for Scholars becomes an adult at 21!!
Jay Rowe, 2023 Smooth Jazz for Scholars program
As Jay said, all four headliners from the first show in 2003 were present on the first night 20 years later!
(Updated with videos on 5/31, and updated with more videos on 7/23/26. The soundcheck was part of the original post.)
SET LIST 1. Every Woman Every Man (Jay Rowe) Originally heard on:Smooth Ride (2016) (earlier version of this post incorrectly credited song to Groove Reflections) Featured musician: Jay Rowe (keyboards)
2. Midnight Dance (Jay Rowe) Single Featured musician: Jay Rowe (keyboards)
3. Ballerina (Special EFX) Originally heard on:Just Like Magic (1990) Featured musician: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)
4. George Can’t Dance (Special EFX) Originally heard on:Catwalk (1994) Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar), Nelson Rangell (alto sax)
5. Gratitude (Nelson Rangell) New and unrecorded (10/5/23 UPDATE: It has since been recorded and will debut as a single tomorrow.) Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Chieli Minucci (acoustic guitar)
6. Smokin’ Joe (Nelson Rangell) New and unrecorded; tribute to Joe Sample Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Jay Rowe (keyboards)
7. Smooth Sensation (Ken Navarro) Originally heard on:Smooth Sensation (1997) Featured musician: Ken Navarro (acoustic guitar)
8. When We Dance (Ken Navarro) Originally heard on:Into the Light (2020) Featured musician: Ken Navarro (acoustic guitar)
9. The Lift (Marion Meadows) (started in audience) Originally heard on:Body Rhythm (1995) Featured musician: Marion Meadows (soprano sax)
10.My Cherie Amour (Marion Meadows; Stevie Wonder cover) Originally heard on:Body Rhythm (1995) Featured musicians: Marion Meadows (soprano sax), Jay Rowe (keyboards)
11. Daybreak (Special EFX) Originally heard on:Global Village (1992) Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (acoustic/electric guitars), Jay Rowe (keyboards), Dave Anderson (bass)
13. In the Sky Today (Ken Navarro) Originally heard on:All the Way (2003) Featured musicians: Ken Navarro (acoustic guitar), Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Steve Scales (percussion), Trever Somerville (drums)
This part of the post is dedicated to photo galleries of the headliners. We start with Chieli Minucci on electric guitar:
Chieli on acoustic guitar:
Ken Navarro on acoustic guitar:
Ken on electric guitar for “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”:
Ken interacting with the band on “In the Sky Today”:
“Steve Scales on percussion!”
Marion Meadows starting in the audience for “The Lift”:
Nydia Hancox shooting video in the foreground as Marion plays to good friend Dolly Moye
On stage:
Ending “Romantica” in the audience:
Nelson Rangell on alto sax:
Whistling on “Sonora”:
Whistling gave way to piccolo…
…and whistling while holding the piccolo:
End of “Sonora”
Now, the house band, beginning with percussionist Steve Scales:
Drummer Trever Somerville:
Bassist Dave Anderson:
Strumming!
Andy Abel on acoustic guitar:
…and otherwise on electric:
Finally, Jay Rowe on keyboards (all but the first are from his “My Cherie Amour”):
On to medium and wide shots, beginning with Chieli and Nelson:
Chieli and Ken on “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”:
A standing ovation!
Ken and Nelson:
Nelson and Jay:
Marion and Jay:
Last in this section, Steve and Trever:
Why not give audience and photographer shots their own section?
Andrew James, Ron and Nydia Hancox
Estella Taylor-Greene, Dolly Moye, Nydia Hancox, Jay Dobbins, Norma Rohadfox
Another photo of the fab five in my camera’s sports mode. Jay Dobbins spotted me again.
When it came time for the raffles (between “…Elizabeth Reed” and “Marcosinho”), I forgot to only check my tickets for the 50/50 portion. I was needlessly exasperated when my numbers didn’t match what Jay Rowe called.
I was rightfully dismayed when I actually lost the 50/50, but at least my $10 went to a great cause. The winner was Steve, who graciously donated back $200 of his winnings.
The finale, “What You Won’t Do for Love,” featured vocals by Carla Z:
The end of the finaleJay thanked the musicians and audienceThe bow…
As I was packing up my camcorder – Panasonic HC-X1500 with VW-HU1 and Rode VideoMic GO II – and tripod – Magnus VT-300, Lisa Arpin approached me to say hello. We had met during Jay Rowe’s Tito Tuesdays livestreams on Facebook during the early months of COVID. Afterward, I put the speedlight on my camera – a Canon EOS R7 – for flash meet-and-greet photos. (I was close enough to the stage that the RF-S 18-150mm lens was all I needed.) Unfortunately, the flash and low ISO (100) darkened the background and washed out the foreground. So, I turned off the speedlight and had photos taken at the settings I used during the show: 1/100 second shutter speed and ISO 2500. Later in Adobe Photoshop Elements, I’d bump up the brightness and contrast. (I have regular Photoshop, but mostly use it for upscaling, PDF automation, and graphic design.)
The first photo is of Jay Dobbins and Andy Abel:
Andy and “Jay Squared” (Dobbins came up with that):
I wanted to get in one photo, which Andy’s sister Janet gladly took (the next day was her birthday):
Once more from the auditorium, me with Jay Dobbins and Steve Scales:
Out in the lobby, I missed a chance to catch up with Chieli Minucci, but was part of a conversation with Marion Meadows and Katherine Gilraine about a documentary he was working on.
It took three attempts to get a photo with Jay Rowe, his wife Deborah, and Nelson Rangell (sorry to all three of you):
The last photo of the night, taken by Kelly, was me with Kristin and Ken Navarro:
Kelly dropped me off at Hampton Inn around midnight. I wrote the following back in my room (in the vein of what I wrote earlier in this recap):
I had a lot of apprehension and performance anxiety ahead of tonight, the first night of the 20th anniversary Smooth Jazz of Scholars. The thought of taking hundreds of photos and having to edit them all scared me. And yet, I was at the Parsons Complex in Milford and had a great time. No way will I give up what I do. It’s too much fun in the moment. That’s what should matter. I have to remind myself to be present. I can’t look ahead in fear. I have to enjoy myself and snap away. I’m beloved by all that know me, and that was true tonight.
Mike Chimeri, Facebook post, 4/29/23, 1:22 AM
Watching part of a Twitch livestream got me through the late night/early morning hours as I transferred photos and videos from their SD cards. Then, since I shoot RAW now, I imported all the photos into Adobe Lightroom, then exported them as JPGs and deleted the RAW files.
Before retiring for the night/morning, I edited the meet-and-greet photos to include in my all-is-well Facebook post. I was able to get a few hours of sleep before my body decided I’d had enough.
The playlist was created on March 9 with annotations on the 11th. The talk break script was drafted up to the top of hour 2 on March 14 and completed between recording sessions on the 15th.
Let’s get the scoped aircheck out of the way before all the background info:
Aside from that, there were many Bob Barkerisms in my talk breaks, such as the way I teased the next segment, and the “Sir John, who cometh from the flock…?” shtick with announcer Johnny Olson. Examples can be found at the start of these two videos:
I channeled Johnny andRod Roddy with the “something for every room in the house!” bit leading into the Fourplay and Ken Navarro showcases. I was going to end the show with a Marc Antoine Three-of-a-Kind Showcase, but my signed copy of Ken’s Love is Everywhere CD arrived on March 9. Thus, an opportunity arose to end on a new recording.
This time, four songs were retreads (again, listed in order of appearance):
For the first time in the show’s Wednesday night history, I went more than a week – two weeks – without a David Benoit song. That’s still only seven weeks out of 163. He will definitely be back next week.
The April 26 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP went on the air at the end of the station dinner for students and alumni. The dinner was held at The View Grill, located off Long Island Sound in Glen Cove. I listened to much of the first hour during a ride home from my parents. Mom took a photo of Dad’s infotainment system while tuned to 88.1 FM:
3:47 PM UPDATE: Here’s a photo I took with my camera:
The show’s playlist was created on February 24, annotated on the 27th and 28th, scripted on the 28th and March 1.
For the first time since December 7, I recorded out of sequence. Segments 6, 1, and 3 were recorded on March 2, followed by segments 2, 4, and 5 on March 3. I wanted to get the last segment out of the way because of the mammoth talk break that expounded on my city pop discovery, including excerpts of “4:00 A.M.” by Taeko Onuki and of the Caitlin Myers English version. My hunch was right, but I only managed to go 69 seconds over, plus another three seconds in the first segment where I first discussed city pop vis-à-vis Casiopea. I had little trouble compensating, completely making up for the overage over the last four segments without remixing.
After recording a quick pickup for the second segment on March 4, I redid the entire last talk break on the 5th. Taeko noted in a 2017 interview that Stuff drummer Chris Parker played on Sunshower, her precursor to Mignonne. Eric Gale was in Stuff. Maybe it was him. I bought a 2008 CD reissue of Mignonne on Amazon, planning on scanning the presumably Japanese liner notes once it arrived on March 6 and translating the text in the scan. Hedging my bets, the full talk break record said the soloist was Eric. Then, I did an alternate tack-on where I said it wasn’t. I played part of the solo in each.
Served me right for not noticing Discogs’ entry for Mignonne‘s 1989 CD reissue with its English credits. Nope, not Eric. It was Tsunehide Matsuki. I canceled the Amazon CD order, cited the Discogs ’89 CD credit, tacked that onto the earlier redos, and called it a night. I did one more pickup for this redo on March 7 because I was unsure of whether or not Caitlin Myers had more city pop adaptations in the pipeline. I did a separate pickup for the first segment on the 7th, with the precise Japanese transliteration of Casiopea, and a pickup for the top of hour 2.
For posterity, here was the original last talk break with all my nervous energy:
April 15 portion joined in progress: Caitlin’s anime dubbing background inspired me to sign up with CrunchyRoll and watch select anime series. I started with the second season of Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, featuring Caitlin as the introverted Shioriko Mifune, who slowly comes out of her shell as the season progresses. At first, I wondered “why the hell am I watching this?,” but by the third episode, I was hooked. So, now I can add idol/virtual idol to my diverse musical interests. (What I play on Instrumental Invasion remains my primary interest.) Incidentally, the English dub does not account for songs, meaning episodic numbers and the opening and closing themes are sung by the original seiyuu (Japanese voice actors).
Ever since I watched Cronkite Remembers on DVD in the 2000s, I’ve had the introductory narration to Walter Cronkite‘s You Are There in my head. “We Were There” by Jazz Funk Soul always jogs my memory, but I never thought to play it on Instrumental Invasion until this show. The way I did the talk-up is how I’ve said the title to myself.
It’s time for the annual “audiobooking” post. Most are visible in the thumbnail, but here are all the audiobooks (with links) that I’ve listened to on Audiblesince post #7 last year:
I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story by Anthony Daniels with J.J. Abrams (foreword written and read by J.J., otherwise read by Anthony; “th” pronounced like a “t”)
Priceless Memories by Bob Barker with Digby Diehl (read by Bob; credits read by Robert Petkoff!) – I already have this as a CD set, but I wanted the Audible treatment
I got halfway through an audiobook by a New Jersey-based musician and actor who was part of a long-running HBO drama. Then, the author launched into a long political dissertation. I returned my credit and moved on to…
I only lasted five minutes or so on an audiobook about the media until it became clear this would mostly contain interview excerpts from the author’s podcast. So, I returned that credit.
That’s a total of 27 audiobooks (two co-written by O’Reilly, one wholly by Reilly), plus two returns. Everything from I’m a Still a 10-Year-Old Boy through Face the Music was purchased in October while Audible steeply discounted their catalog. Since then, I only use Audible credits on audiobooks over $14.95, the monthly membership fee. Of course, if I buy three credits for $35.88, then I’ll buy anything over $11.96.
Next year’s “audiobooking” post will be the ninth overall, but the tenth anniversary. Until then, happy listening.
5/26/24 UPDATE: I can no longer commit time to these “Audiobooking” blog posts. So, last year’s eighth post is the final post. Thank you for following my journey through audiobooks over the past decade.
MikeChimeri.com 