Jessy J at Daniel Street, Fourplay at the Blue Note August 2, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Travel.1 comment so far
Last week, my friend–blogger, graphic artist, and author Katherine Gilraine–attended four jazz shows. For my post, we’ll focus on two of the shows.
First up is Jessy J at the Daniel Street club in Milford, Connecticut, last Friday. (6/22/12 UPDATE: Daniel Street closed six months later.) Jessy’s band featured Jay Rowe, another friend of mine, on keyboards. K.G. writes in part (with links added by me):
… Out came Jessy on the alto, and out came Dizzy [Gillespie]’s Tin Tin Deo, and immediately, I saw that she has made leaps and bounds in her stage presence. She danced, she played to her audience, she back-and-forthed masterfully with Rohn Lawrence and Carl Carter, and she made it clear from the first thirty seconds that she was very much into the music that she was playing. The show quickly became a showcase as she went to the mic and got to singing – Mas Que Nada, mind you, is a favorite of mine – and commandeered a party through a Gloria Estefan cover. Granted, I’m no Gloria Estefan fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Jessy knew how to incorporate it into her style. There was no one with her on stage who wasn’t equally involved in the overall dynamic, and the audience was just as into her music as she was. …
Jessy has a new album coming out the day after Labor Day, Hot Sauce.
K.G. had this to say about the Fourplay show:
If Bob James or Chuck Loeb come to the Blue Note, I’m very sure that you will find me in the audience. If Bob James and Chuck Loeb are at the Blue Note, so is every Fourplay fan in New York City.
No, really.
… [Let’s Touch the Sky] was the focal point of the Blue Note show, and I saw how New York Attitude on guitar worked its way into the (admittedly) smooth dynamic of Fourplay. If you want to hear a great example of it, check out 3rd Degree. Written by Chuck in a tribute of himself being the third guitarist in the Fourplay lineup, it’s classic Loeb indeed: sharp, gritty, and almost toeing the line of rocker guitar, but not quite there. At the Note, this was a crowd-pleaser, right along Nathan East‘s voice on I’ll Still Be Loving You. …
25,000 views! June 16, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Personal.1 comment so far
This morning, The Mike Chimeri Blog surpassed 25,000 views! Thanks to all of you that have visited since I launched the blog three years, two months, and one day ago. You’re always welcome here.
FLASHBACK: Interviewed for Dave’s Gone By on New Year’s Eve 2006 June 6, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Comedy, Internet, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Politics, Radio, Theatre.add a comment
I was Googling my name just now and came across this page. It’s the website Dave’s Gone By, a weekly radio show hosted by Dave Lefkowitz. There I found an interview I did–in which I was the interviewee–for the Dave’s Gone By New Year’s Craptacular special on New Year’s Eve 2006. You can hear that interview here. It starts at the 8:11 mark.
I was returning the favor after interviewing Dave a handful of times for The Mike Chimeri Show, which was days from its last show. Here are all those interviews (with air dates in parentheses):
Dave Lefkowitz Interview, Part 1 (August 17, 2005)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview, Part 2 (August 17, 2005)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview II (November 23, 2005) (In this one, I accidentally refer to Dave by his show title at one point. I had to rush down to Rockville Centre after I recorded the interview and my mind was all over the place.)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview III (March 29, 2006) (This was the first of three interviews I recorded in one day. After Dave came Nick Colionne and Mindi Abair. For all my Mike Chimeri Show interviews, which I self-consciously haven’t listened to since I edited them, click here.)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview IV, Part 1 (December 22, 2006)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview IV, Part 2 (December 22, 2006) (This was the last interview I recorded for The Mike Chimeri Show.)
About four years later, I was the interviewee again during the Fan Phone Call segment of Alison Rosen’s UStream show, Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend. You can hear that here.
Smooth no more March 8, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
A few days before scheduled to occur, the Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards were canceled. My friend Katherine Gilraine, who was supposed to co-present, is rightfully perturbed:
…
To say that I’m angry is an understatement, and not just because they have canceled the event so close to the wire. Generally, you don’t cancel shows this close in advance. Bad ticket sales are one thing, but if it’s obvious that the ticket sales are dismal – which, believe me, is not something that a promoter misses over an extended period of time – you let people know in advance. Because that way, they can plan on alternatives.What really raised my hackles is the way that the advertising was – or in this case, wasn’t – done for this event, and the producers are pulling out the “smooth jazz radio is dead” card as the reason why ticket sales were bottomed. Similarly, it pisses me off that the article above [This article. –MC] suggests that the artists drop the “smooth” moniker and “start making real music.”
What part of this music isn’t real, I ask? Seriously. What part of this music isn’t real if the cruises are booked a year in advance to the gills, the festivals are a hit, new artists are voluntarily entering the genre, and the listeners have gotten involved in more than one grassroots petition to bring the stations back?
…
You can read the rest at the link on the words “rightfully perturbed.” She goes on to say that smooth or contemporary jazz is real music. And I agree. But her post hit close to home because I relied heavily on contemporary jazz in my time at Evening Jazz on WCWP, a format that is supposed to be perhaps a little c-jazz, but mostly other sub-genres of jazz and jazz-inspired music from other genres. I got by for seven months without incorporating all of that, but chose to step down when I was told I had to.
Outside of c-jazz fan friends and musician friends, few people I know believe the genre Kat and I love is real music. They think it’s elevator music, it sucks, it gives them a headache, they hate it and the artists, they whine about a lack of vocals (“where are the words?”), it’s lovemaking music, and other complaints. Some of it could be considered lovemaking music, but I don’t think of that when I listen or talk about it on the air. If I hadn’t been introduced to c-jazz, new age, and traditional jazz in the Local Forecast on The Weather Channel when I was young, I’d probably think the same way as those that bash it. I’m glad I discovered it.
While on the subject, I have good news. I’ll be heading back to the Boulton Center in Bay Shore on Tuesday, March 22, to see Eric Marienthal, and to Houndstooth Pub in Manhattan on Saturday, April 16, for Brian Simpson. Expect recaps of both.
3/9 UPDATE: It appears Kat’s dark cloud has a silver lining:
Not 24 hours past since I put up my last post regarding the abrupt cancellation of the Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards, and already the wheels have been set into motion. Before Tuesday elapsed, Ken Levinson, Bruce Nazarian, the artists, the people at Anthology, the people at Spaghettini’s, and everyone else who was left in the lurch by this turn of events had pulled together and engineered what has become known now as the Lemonade Weekend.
This astounds me, in the very best of ways. This is exactly why I call jazz “Our Music” when I’m with fellow fans. We took a failed, poorly-marketed event, and turned it into a makeshift festival. I’m not sure who will be part of this makeshift festival, but there is much to be said for the tenacity, gumption, and love that we have for the artists.
We, the fans, made this happen.
…
No laughing matter February 26, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, News, Personal, Politics.add a comment
Earlier this week, far-left blogger Ian Murphy made news by prank calling Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R). In the call, Murphy posed as billionaire David Koch (“Coke”) and engaged in a 20-minute conversation with Gov. Walker, trying to bait him into saying something incriminating. Depending on your ideology, Murphy either got nothing out of the prank and Walker didn’t say anything new, or Murphy is a hero for trapping the sinister Walker.
The Daily Caller made note of Murphy’s past. Besides a fervent anti-war position, he went to a creationist museum while pretending to have Asperger Syndrome. The title of his post on the experience was very offensive: “Let There Be Retards.” (It hurts to write that.)
As someone that actually has Asperger Syndrome, Murphy’s representation of AS was an intolerant caricature. I doubt even my fellow Aspie friend Jason Ross would act like that. Worse yet, that caricature appeared to be for the sole purpose of screwing with a creationist museum. I don’t think I’m a creationist. I rely on what I learned in science classes from elementary school in Freeport to middle and high school in Wantagh to college at C.W. Post. But my grievance is over his mockery of a stereotypical Aspie.
One symptom of Asperger Syndrome is hypersensitivity in many areas, including emotion. Murphy’s mockery and slurs an emotional response out of me. They hurt. I took them personally. Can you blame me? AS is no laughing matter. It isn’t something to pretend to have and then mock later on online.
If I get attacked personally for this somewhere on the internet, so be it. I’ve unfortunately been attacked before. I’m sure that can be said for many people. For all the positive things on the internet, there are some harsh negatives.
New blog header January 11, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Personal.add a comment
After seven months, here is the new blog header:
I had trouble getting a good smile in all the pictures I took tonight. This is the one I chose.
2010 in review (WordPress post) January 2, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Internet.add a comment
I received an e-mail today from Team WordPress and the Stats Helper Monkeys. They gave me the option of posting the stats in the e-mail to The Mike Chimeri Blog. I chose to do that:
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!.
Crunchy numbers
A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 8,800 times in 2010. That’s about 21 full 747s.
In 2010, there were 37 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 180 posts. There were 1039 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 6gb. That’s about 3 pictures per day.
The busiest day of the year was January 27th with 280 views. The most popular post that day was Bold & Fresh Tour at Westbury!.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were tesh.com, homepage.mac.com, facebook.com, olbermannwatch.com, and magicisland.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for joyce cooling, empty stage, ken navarro, john tesh radio show, and gib gerard.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
Bold & Fresh Tour at Westbury! January 2010
3 comments
John Tesh Tilles Center concert recap July 2009
8 comments
SJFS recap April 2008
11 comments
RnR concert recap June 2008
1 comment
Long Island Radio & TV Day 2009 April 2009
12 comments
Peter White Christmas 2010 at B.B. King’s December 5, 2010
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Music, Personal.2 comments
Last night, Peter White took his annual Peter White Christmas tour to B.B. King’s in New York City. Unfortunately, I was not there, but my friend Katherine Gilraine was:
… Now, here’s an interesting factoid: despite my atheism, I rather like Christmas music, especially Christmas music done right. So naturally, where would I be today but with Peter White, Mindi Abair and Rick Braun for the Christmas special?
The first show, the one that I had my ticket for way in advance – since before the Big Cruise, mind! – was sold out. How I got the seat right next to the stage, I will never know, but you cannot beat that view. And what is first but Rick opening up with Little Drummer Boy? Muted trumpet, brushes on the snare – a light, simple-but-classic take on this holiday favorite. And soon enough, Peter and Mindi come on up as well and the rest of the band, standing by, joins in as well, turning an easygoing tune into something rousing.
You know, seeing that trio on stage together is something interesting, considering the stylistics. Rick Braun is almost old-school in his handling of the trumpet – and he handles it to perfection. Peter White is deceptively straightlaced, and is immensely playful when he’s on stage. Mindi – all attitude, sharp and energetic. But put them together, and the creativity on stage is infectious. …
Read the full recap here.
The last time I saw Peter White Christmas was in 2008 at IMAC. You can check out my recap of that show here.
Last day of CJazzPlus tomorrow December 1, 2010
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
Tomorrow is the last day of operation for my Live365 internet radio station, CJazzPlus (station link). Listen in from 12PM to 12AM Eastern.
In its two-month existence, CJazzPlus (blog page link) has struggled to get listeners, but it’s been an honor (I know, I always say that) to run it, playing my favorite instrumentals from my personal collection. I don’t know what will come next for me, but there must be something.
Mike C. November 16, 2010
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
Starting today, I’m shortening my display name from “Mike Chimeri” to “Mike C.” Since this is The Mike Chimeri Blog, you’ll know what the “C.” stands for.
In other news:
- My 29th birthday is tomorrow.
- CJazzPlus continues to chug along and I have an eye on expanding listening hours next month. Stay tuned.
- My grandfather, Arthur Rose, passed away on November 5. May he rest in peace. Thank you to those that have expressed condolences.
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