Listen for me on WCWP this weekend October 9, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Education, Football, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Radio, Sports.add a comment
All times are Eastern.
It’s that time of year again: Homecoming Weekend on 88.1 FM and WCWP.org. It starts Friday at noon and runs through Sunday night at midnight.
Unlike the last three years, my show is not the first of the weekend. That honor goes to one WCWP’s founding members, Art Beltrone, who will be hosting 1960s Post Scripts.
Instrumental Invasion with Mike Chimeri follows Art’s show at 2PM. You’ll hear music from Najee, Nick Colionne, Ken Navarro, Bob James Trio, and many others.
My second Instrumental Invasion, which I pre-recorded at home on September 19, airs Sunday at 6AM. It’s the usual decades-long musical journey, a 50-year journey this year, featuring Return to Forever, David Benoit, Dave Koz, the Rippingtons (which David and Dave were once part of), and so much more. One spoiler: I recorded the show thinking it would air at 2AM, so my talk-up for “Up All Night” by Richard Elliot (“a fitting title at this hour”) lost its context.
Both shows can be heard at 88.1 FM, if you’re close enough to the signal, at WCWP.org, or on the WCWP app for iOS devices. (There is an Android app, but it isn’t working, which led Google Play to suspend it from downloading.)
In between Friday’s live show and Sunday’s pre-recorded show, I’ll be at LIU Post Homecoming on Saturday afternoon and evening. As usual, I’ll mostly be at the Abrams Communications Building, where WCWP is located, but I’ll drop by the parking lot of Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium as the Post Pioneers play the Saint Anselm Hawks. The team enters the game with a 5-0 record. It’s their last season in Division II, their last with green as a team color, and may be their last as the Pioneers. LIU President Dr. Kimberly Cline announced the “One LIU” unification last Wednesday. Starting next year, the Pioneers (or whatever they’ll be known as) will play in Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision). Ironically, I wearing my LIU Post polo shirt the day of the announcement.
Following the game, during the second hour of Bernie Bernard’s show, the 2019 inductees to the WCWP Hall of Fame will be announced.
I hope you’ll be listening to WCWP during as much of Homecoming Weekend as you can. Jeff Kroll closes out the weekend with his 10PM show on Sunday.
Chieli Minucci & Special EFX at The Cutting Room: 2018 edition October 1, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
I was back at The Cutting Room on Saturday night for Chieli Minucci & Special EFX.
It was my third time at the venue and first time seeing Special EFX since the 2016 Long Beach Jazz Festival.
Like last time at The Cutting Room, I made sure to arrive early so I could get a good table. I ended up at the same table as last time.
On this night, Special EFX was made up of co-founder Chieli Minucci on guitar:
Jay Rowe on keyboards:
Jerry Brooks on bass:
Mino Cinelu on percussion:
…and Joel Rosenblatt on drums:
The set list contained nine songs and with three vignettes. Here’s the list:
1. Daybreak
Originally heard on: Global Village, 1992
2:21 PM UPDATE: Chieli posted an excerpt to Facebook (below) and Instagram:
2. My Girl Sunday/Miami
Originally heard on: Sweet on You (Chieli), 2000; Masterpiece, 1999
3. Chieli and Mino vignette 1 (Chieli called it “Church 1”)
4. Courageous Cats
Originally heard on: Jewels (Chieli), 1995
5. Dance on the Delta
Originally heard on: Deep as the Night, 2017
6. Chieli and Mino vignette 2
7. Rush Hour (Chieli and Jerry duet)
Originally heard on: Sweet Surrender, 2007
8. Uptown East
Originally heard on: Slice of Life, 1986
9. Speak to Me
Originally heard on: Masterpiece, 1999
10. Chieli and Mino vignette 3
11. Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers (Stevie Wonder cover; based on Jeff Beck version)
Originally heard on: Renaissance (Chieli), 1996
12. Crazy Eights
Originally heard on: Genesis, 2013
Here are various shots of Chieli Minucci on acoustic guitar:
Electric guitar:
Vocalise on “Speak to Me”:
Jay Rowe:
Jerry Brooks:
Mino Cinelu:
Vocalise:
…and Joel Rosenblatt:
Mino and Chieli during their vignettes:
Chieli and Jerry on “Rush Hour”:
The finale: “Crazy Eights”:
The last note:
Before I left for Penn Station, I briefly spoke to Chieli, then to Jay Rowe and his mother Mia DiStasi, who introduced me to her friend Elaine.
Chieli and the band always put on a great show. This time was no exception. Thank you so much.
Audiobooking 4.5 September 22, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Audiobooks, Comedy, Film, Music, News, Personal, Theatre, TV.add a comment
After I wrote my previous post, I decided to at least list the audiobooks that didn’t let me down.
Rather than wait until December and recall all I’d listened to in the past year, I made a Microsoft Word document in January, adding to the document after completing each audiobook. Putting aside Carrie Keagan and Joely Fisher, here’s what I chronicled in that document:
- My Story by Elizabeth Smart with Chris Stewart (read by Elizabeth) – This was an intense book. I felt Elizabeth’s pain during her nine-month abduction. I understood just how sick and deranged Brian David Mitchell was. I cheered at the point when the police found her and apprehended Mitchell and Wanda Barzee.
- Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin – Steve recalls his youth and entire stand-up career, which he ceased in 1981. He has occasionally returned to stand-up since, including for a Netflix special with Martin Short.
- Leonard: My Fifty-Year Relationship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner with David Fisher (read by Bill) – William Shatner details his 50-year relationship with Leonard Nimoy, along with their lives prior to meeting. Shatner briefly detailed Nimoy’s left-wing political activism, but it’s in the past and didn’t sting as much as Carrie Keagan’s contemporary politics in the previous audiobook. It was interesting to listen to. Shatner’s read sounded extemporaneous rather than scripted.
- Boys in the Trees: A Memoir by Carly Simon – In this memoir that bears the same name as her platinum 1978 album (minus the “A Memoir” part), Carly Simon focuses mostly on the first 40 years of her life. It starts with the dysfunctional upbringing, moves on to touring and recording as The Simon Sisters with her sister Lucy, details her early hits, and chronicles her marriage to James Taylor from its fairy tale beginning to its bitter end.
- Not Dead Yet: The Memoir by Phil Collins – This is a complete autobiography, from birth to publication in 2016. There was a passing positive reference to Harvey Weinstein, anachronistic considering what’s been reported since this book came out.
If you’d like to know what I’m listening to after this post, ask me.
2018 Long Island Retro Gaming Expo recap August 13, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Books, Internet, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, Technology, Travel, Video, Video Games, Weather.add a comment
Last year marked my first time at the annual Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, held at the Cradle of Aviation Museum along Museum Row in East Garden City. I was only there for two hours, though. This year, I deeply immersed myself in the event, buying a weekend pass back in March. I did that after learning that legendary video game collector and educator The Immortal John Hancock would be there:
If that wasn’t enough, David Murray, The 8-Bit Guy, would be back, as well. And on behalf of Retronauts, Jeremy Parish was there. I’ve only listened to one podcast so far, but I regularly watch the Works series of videos for NES, Super NES, and Game Boy on Jeremy’s YouTube channel.
Hancock, 8-Bit Guy, and Parish all had panels on Saturday afternoon in the museum theater. Before I did anything else, I made sure to sit in on those panels.
I left for the Cradle of Aviation Museum at 10:20. A light rain fell in the wake of thunderstorms that plowed through an hour earlier. By the time I arrived, there was only drizzle. I had to wait in line to present my ticket and get wristbands for both days. While waiting, I photographed a couple of historic markers:
…and the museum exterior:
Once inside, attendees were greeted by this sign:
My home for the next four hours:
First panel up, Jeremy Parish (center) with Kurt Kalata (left) and Rob Russo (right) of Hardcore Gaming 101:
Kurt plugged the appearance a few days ago on the site.
The topic was the history of Super Joe in Capcom games, including Commando and Bionic Commando.
Jeremy Parish:
Kurt Kalata:
Rob Russo:
The lone picture I took with my iPhone X all weekend:
The panel wrapped up with Q&A.
Afterward, I got to meet Jeremy, letting him know how much enjoy his videos. Then, we posed for a picture:
He let me know what the next episode of Super NES Works would be about, including the correct pronunciation of one of the words in the title.
8/15 UPDATE: The episode is about Darius Twin, with “Darius” pronounced like “Elias,” but with an “R” instead of an “L”:
Jeremy explained the pronunciation in a pinned comment below the video:
Fun fact about this video: I looked up the pronunciation of Darius to make sure I got it right. So anyone who posts a comment to “correct” it will be (1) wrong and (2) sent to the salt mines for a life of hard labor.
For the next panel, The 8-Bit Guy talked about the demo scene:
For Q&A, someone asked how David’s Planet X3 game for DOS was coming along.
He showed us:
A few more questions and answers followed.
8/14 UPDATE: I recorded all the panels for personal use, but in the case of David’s presentation, to vidcap anything I couldn’t get with my DSLR. Here are those vidcaps:
David stuck around to watch the third panel of the day: The Immortal John Hancock:
John shared his backstory, discussed collecting, and of course, took Q and gave A.
John’s video game binder:
The panel concluded with a group shot, which was one of a few pics posted to John’s Facebook and Twitter pages:
After leaving the theater, I met up with David and John at their booths. David’s wife Leslie took our picture:
…and The Eternal Sarah Hancock took my picture with John:
8/14 UPDATE: In his latest YouTube video, John reflected on his time at the expo and shared some of his oddball game pickups:
On the upper left and right corners of the screen, he mixed in B-roll from the first and second floors. The group shot is the video thumbnail and was also shown in the upper left in the last 30 seconds.
Before my shopping spree, I walked all three floors, taking pictures along the way. We start on the first floor:
Second floor:
The music of Super Thrash Bros.:
LAN play on the third floor:
Here’s the end result of my shopping:
When I got home, I photographed my pickups.
Sega Saturn:
- Console with cables and two controllers (second bought separately)
- Daytona USA
- Sega Rally Championship
- NBA Jam Extreme
I was so proud to finally get a Saturn and games for it. I have fond memories of playing Daytona USA, among other games, at my cousins’ house in Massapequa.
Super Nintendo:
- Aladdin
- Killer Instinct
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
Sega Genesis:
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist
Nintendo Gamecube:
- Super Smash Bros. Melee
Nintendo Wii:
- Super Mario Galaxy
- SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1
Nintendo Wii U:
- New Super Luigi U
- Super Mario Maker
And from The 8-Bit Guy’s booth, I bought a pair of Retro Grooves cassettes by Anders Enger Jensen, whose music can be heard in David’s videos.
I will be getting these in MP3 form by e-mail, but for now, I used my Sony TC-WE305 cassette deck – which I bought in 2004 for digitzing my WGBB shows – to record both sides of each cassette to my computer, via Adobe Audition 3.0, and save the tracks separately. I love them.
I spent a couple of hours editing Saturday’s pictures and then went to sleep.
I left a half hour earlier yesterday morning, attaching my Sunday wristband beforehand.
The Long Island Retro Gaming Expo runs concurrently with the Long Island Tabletop Gaming Expo. I didn’t walk through the section on Saturday, but I made up for it when I walked in yesterday:
John brought his R2-D2 from the Tabletop area to the vendor hall:
After John delighted kids with his astromech droid…
I asked if he could pose for a pic. He obliged:
When I finished shopping from vendors on Saturday, I thought that was it. But I wanted more, and got more yesterday morning before the one panel I planned on attending: Leonard Herman and John Hancock, the latter of whom I saw with a couple of the vendors I bought from.
Leonard and John covered many topics in their 11AM panel:
Their backstories, how they met, video game history, Leonard’s history books (such as the latest, Phoenix IV: The History of the Videogame Industry), and Leonard’s stories about Ralph Baer and Ted Dabney.
It ended with a lengthy Q&A.
I learned so much during the panel. Afterward, I bought Leonard’s book from one of the vendors and he signed it for me.
To Mike,
Best Wishes
Leonard Herman
I look forward to reading Phoenix IV from cover to cover, no matter how long it takes.
That counts as one of my pickups, which I photographed when I got home around 1:45:
As for the games I picked up…
Nintendo Entertainment System:
- Double Dragon
- Mega Man 3
Nintendo Game Boy:
- Alleyway
Sega Genesis:
- Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Sega Saturn:
- Pebble Beach Golf Links
- WWF In Your House
Sony PlayStation:
- Tekken
Sony PlayStation 2:
- Tekken 4
- Tekken 5
Nintendo Wii U:
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
At home, I bought the Action Replay 4M Plus for Saturn, and six more games on eBay: three for Genesis (World of Illusion, Quackshot, Rocket Knight Adventures), two for Saturn (Virtua Fighter Remix, Virtua Fighter 2), and one for N64 (Yoshi’s Story).
I’m so glad I was more involved in the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo this year. Thank you to everyone I met, met again, and bought from. Until next year.
2018 WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony May 7, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Interviews, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, Travel, Video.2 comments
Other Hall of Fame ceremony recaps: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020-21, 2022, 2023
As usual, I took pictures and video, the latter of which is at the bottom of the post.
The seventh annual WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony took place Saturday afternoon in the Goldsmith Atrium at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of LIU Post. It was my first time back on campus, and in the atrium, since seeing the Dave Koz 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour in early December.
Like last year, I arrived at Tilles a half hour before the ceremony. I immediately mingled with all that had gathered in the atrium as I set up my equipment. I noticed there was a mixer behind the platform where the interviews would take place. I went to the Abrams Communications Building, the home of WCWP, to ask Director of Broadcasting Dan Cox if he had an 1/8″ to 1/4″ cable so I could record from the mixer to my TASCAM DR-03. He had a 1/8″ cable and an adapter, so I was set. When I got back to the atrium, I connected the cable and adapter to a line out jack, checked the levels, and started recording.
Shortly after 1:00, the ceremony began with an introduction by the aforementioned Dan Cox…:
…and a video narrated by Jim Cutler:
2015 inductee Jeff Kroll hosted again:
Dan Cox returned to present the first of two new awards. The WCWP Lifetime Achievement Award was given to “Grandfather Rock” Chris MacIntosh:
He shared some stories from his 37 years hosting Rock & Soul Gospel:
Back in 2016, the one year I couldn’t attend, WCWP’s sage secretary Ann Gaffney, a.k.a. Mrs. G, was posthumously inducted to the Hall of Fame. Her daughter Cathy Turner accepted on her behalf.
Cathy returned this year to present Kristina Huderski with the Ann Gaffney Student Service Award:
Kristina graduates this Friday.
2014 inductee Ted David recorded a message to the inductees from Florida:
2012 inductee Hank Neimark and 2017 inductee John LiBretto introduced Muffet Provost (“pro-VO”), then interviewed her over the phone:
Muffet was unable to attend due to impending surgery.
It was hard to make out what she was saying through the Atrium speakers, but she’s a little clearer in the video below.
2017 inductee Neil Marks introduced Pat Kroll (née Champion):
Pat read a thank you speech…:
…then reminisced with Jeff and Neil:
The obligatory view from my camcorder:
Jeff read a message from Joel Feltman:
Pat’s friend Joanne had a few words:
2015 inductee Bruce Leonard introduced Rev. John Commins:
None of us realized this at the time, but the year on the plaque is wrong. I should be ’73, not ’79. John noticed the error at his hotel afterward. Jeff Kroll promised on Facebook that John will receive a replacement plaque with the correct year.
5/28 UPDATE: John’s replacement arrived a few days ago. He took a picture which he shared in his Facebook timeline:
Jeff presented John with a CD of WCWP’s coverage of the Bar Beach (now North Hempstead Beach) Fireworks broadcast from 1987:
Jeff shipped the original cassettes to me last month and I remastered them.
A shot of John’s wife Marilyn while he shared the story of how they met:
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us today at the seventh annual induction to the WCWP Hall of Fame!”:
Dan had Pat and John sign one of the posters:
Bruce, John, and Jeff posed with 2016 inductee Joe Honerkamp before he left:
John also prayed for Joe’s healing following a recent accident:
The cake:
Chris MacIntosh with his award:
Chris with Jay Mirabile:
Kristina Huderski with her award:
John LiBretto, Diane Hudson Taylor, Hank Neimark:
I had to pose with John and the CD I made for him:
My friend and hype man Jay Mirabile:
Pat Kroll and her mother Marion:
Pat and John:
The Krolls and the Commins’:
I always enjoy capturing these events and mingling with my fellow alumni. I feel deeply loved and appreciated. They’re my second family. I love you all. Congratulations to Muffet Provost, Pat Kroll, John Commins, Chris MacIntosh, and Kristina Huderski.
Here is the video:
Thanks to Dan Cox for providing the audio cable and adapter, and the introductory video. Thanks to Ted David for posting his segment to Facebook. My video was shot on a Panasonic HC-V770 camcorder with a Takstar SGC-598 shotgun mic. The audio from the mic can only be heard a few times. (A sound check in the auditorium disrupted Dan’s introduction a few minutes in, which is why there’s a jump dissolve.)
SJFS 2018 Night 2 recap May 1, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Softball, Travel, TV, Video.Tags: Connecticut, contemporary jazz, Dan Patrick, Dan Patrick Show, Dave Anderson, Hampton Inn, Jay Dobbins, Jay Rowe, Jazz, Jessy J, Le Moyne College, Le Moyne Dolphins, Marion Meadows, Matt Marshak, Mexico Tipico, Milford, NE-10, Nelson Rangell, Northeast-10, Paul Taylor, Rohn Lawrence, SJFS, smooth jazz, Smooth Jazz for Scholars, Softball, Steve Scales, Trever Somerville
add a comment
The 16th annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit run by keyboardist Jay Rowe continued on Saturday night with the second of two concerts. The headliners were Nelson Rangell, Jessy J, Matt Marshak, and Paul Taylor.
Like last year, I got a limited amount of sleep in my room at the Milford Hampton Inn into Saturday morning due to nervous energy related to impending photo editing. I got 5 1/2 hours, and maybe another hour half asleep. At around 7:30, I took my laptop and its power supply to the lobby to mingle with any musicians and fellow jazz fan friends I saw. When I arrived, David Benoit, Marc Antoine, and Roberto Vally were seated at a table, so I said hello and sat one table over. When they left for the airport, I moved to a seat at an elevated table with outlets for charging. I plugged the laptop power supply into an outlet and spent the next few hours editing in that spot, occasionally getting up for hot chocolate.
There was a man that looked like film and TV archivist Ira Gallen. It turned out his name was John, and after apologizing for mistaken identity, I had a nice conversation with he and his wife Mary. My friend Mark Abrams also came in the lobby and introduced me to John Caramagna and his wife Barbara Grocki. And I briefly spoke to Kevin McCabe and Steve Lewis.
Also in the lobby, though I didn’t talk to any of them, was the Le Moyne College softball team. They were in town to complete their Northeast-10 (or NE-10) regular season against the University of New Haven. They lost the series, but ended the regular season with a 2-1 win Sunday afternoon while I was back home in Wantagh. Adelphi University, where my sister went for her master’s, is in the NE-10 and are the reigning conference champions. Le Moyne plays New Haven later today in the first round of this year’s conference championship.
Nelson Rangell and Jessy J joined me at the table for a while. We had a lengthy, interesting conversation, which included remembrance of John Patterson, who tragically, suddenly died in March. John came to SJFS in 2016 to promote the River Raisin Jazz Festival. I made a video of his promotional pitches from both nights and posted it to Facebook. I’d like to share it here.
I never met John in person, as I added him on Facebook afterward, but we had shared interests in music and politics, so I was glad to know him.
My friend Kelly was the last friend I saw in the lobby before I went back to my room. CNN was on the TV behind me and I was hearing viewpoints I didn’t want to. The secret to having and keeping most of my friends that are music fans or musicians is to avoid politics. Thankfully, Kelly is apolitical. After finishing editing Friday’s pictures in my room, I watched initial coverage of the remaining rounds of the NFL Draft. I hung out with Kelly for a half hour and then went back to my room. After watching some YouTube videos and SnapKay’s Twitch stream, 5:00 came and it was time for dinner.
My parents and I went to Mexico Tipico, where Uno used to be, on U.S. 1 right before I-95. We went there early because we thought we would have to wait. There was no wait and we were finished by 6:15. I had my favorite Mexican dish: plain chicken quesadillas without any other toppings or sides. I was back at the Hampton Inn for about five minutes, then Kelly met me in the lobby and we took the scenic route to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Part of that route was the building that’s home to The Dan Patrick Show:
The show is syndicated on radio stations nationwide and simulcast on Audience and NBCSN.
We arrived at the auditorium just before 7:00 and the doors opened at precisely 7:00.
Once inside, we went our separate ways until after the show. I set up in the orchestra pit, took a break in the lobby to buy 50/50 raffle tickets (I lost), and went back to the pit.
Once again, the show began before 8:00; eight minutes, to be exact. Kevin McCabe spoke first:
The opening act was the Foran High School Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jessica Shearer:
The ensemble played two songs, the second of which was “Feels So Good” by Chuck Mangione, but in a lower key than Chuck played.
Jay Rowe and his band came on stage at around 8:10.
Jay worked the keyboards:
Dave Anderson played bass:
Trever Somerville on the drums:
Steve Scales on percussion:
…and Rohn (“Ron”) Lawrence on guitar:
As I said at the top, the headliners were Nelson Rangell on alto saxophone (below), flute, and whistling:
Jessy J on tenor sax:
Paul Taylor and soprano (below) and alto sax:
Matt Marshak on guitar:
…and for two songs, special guest Marion Meadows on soprano sax:
Unfortunately, that was the only solo shot I took of Marion, but there are plenty on the first night.
SET LIST
1. Rosemary’s Tune (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: Live at Daniel Street (2011), Smooth Ride (2016)
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar solo)
2. Sunny Salsa (Nelson Rangell)
Originally heard on: Upcoming album
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Jessy J (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar solo), Jay Rowe (keyboard solo)
3. Hot Sauce (Jessy J)
Originally heard on: Hot Sauce (2011)
Featured musicians: Jessy J (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar solo)
4. Tequila Moon (Jessy J)
Originally heard on: Tequila Moon (2008)
Featured musicians: Jessy J (tenor sax), Matt Marshak (guitar), Jay Rowe (keyboard solo)
5. Lifestyle (Matt Marshak)
Originally heard on: Lifestyle (2014)
Featured musicians: Matt Marshak (guitar), Jay Rowe (keyboard solo)
6. Sleepwalk (Matt Marshak; Santo & Johnny cover; Larry Carlton arrangement)
Featured musician: Matt Marshak (guitar)
7. Pleasure Seeker (Paul Taylor)
Originally heard on: Pleasure Seeker (1997)
Featured musicians: Paul Taylor (soprano sax), Jay Rowe (keyboard solo)
8. Arrival (Paul Taylor)
Originally heard on: Countdown (2016)
Featured musician: Paul Taylor (alto sax)
9. Over the Rainbow (Nelson Rangell; Arlen/Harburg ballad from The Wizard of Oz)
Musicians: Nelson Rangell (whistling), Jay Rowe (keyboard)
10. By Light (Nelson Rangell)
Originally heard on: Upcoming album
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (flute), Jay Rowe (keyboard solo)
11. Lookin’ Back (Matt Marshak)
Originally heard on: New York (2016)
Featured musicians: Matt Marshak (guitar), Marion Meadows (special guest) (soprano sax)
12. From the Start (Nelson Rangell)
Originally heard on: Upcoming album
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Matt Marshak (guitar)
13. All I Want (Jessy J)
Originally heard on: Live at Yoshi’s 10 Year Anniversary Special (2018)
Featured musicians: Jessy J (tenor sax), Jay Rowe (keyboard solo)
14 (Finale). Ladies’ Choice (Paul Taylor)
Originally heard on: Ladies’ Choice (2007)
Featured musicians: Everyone (Paul played alto sax)
Rohn didn’t play on any songs featuring Matt.
Here are groups of pictures by artist, starting with Nelson Rangell on alto sax:
Whistling:
…and on flute:
Jessy J:
Prompting the audience to clap on “Hot Sauce”:
They obliged:
Matt Marshak:
Paul Taylor on soprano sax:
Prompting the audience to wave their arms side to side on “Pleasure Seeker”:
Again, they obliged:
…and alto sax:
Jay Rowe:
Dave Anderson:
Trever Somerville:
Steve Scales:
Rohn Lawrence:
Pointing at Jay because it was his turn to solo on “Rosemary’s Tune”:
Wide shots, starting with Nelson and Jessy:
Rohn and Jessy:
Matt and Jessy:
Rohn and Paul:
Matt and Marion (MM and MM):
Matt and Nelson:
Jessy and Jay:
The finale: “Ladies’ Choice”:
The end:
The meet and greet began with Jessy J:
I brought my copy of Live at Yoshi’s 10 Year Anniversary Special for her to sign. I was the first person to pledge to the album’s PledgeMusic campaign. I also told her a funny story. When I pledged to her 2015 album, My One and Only One, I foolishly typed my name for her to sign rather than a personal message. So, when that album arrived in my mailbox, she had signed my name, “Mike Chimeri,” on the cover. It was like that early episode of The Simpsons – “Lisa’s Substitute” – where Mr. Bergstrom (Dustin Hoffman under the pseudonym “Sam Etic”) left a note for Lisa which read “You are Lisa Simpson.”
Jessy, Paul Taylor, and Marion Meadows used to tour as Sax and the City. Saturday night served as a reunion, which was 2/3 immortalized below:
Marion also took a selfie.
I met and posed with Paul Taylor myself:
I was happy that Paul remembered me when he saw me. “Mike!,” he exclaimed.
When I approached Nelson Rangell, he signed an empty envelope (or so I thought while working on the post). It read:
For my buddy Mikey!
(signature) Nelly
So, you can understand why I have a big grin on my face:
Here’s the envelope Nelson signed:
Waiting at the end of the line was Matt Marshak:
I hadn’t seen Matt since his November 2015 show at Houndstooth Pub, which was the first time I used my Nikon D5500 at a show. He was at SJFS two years ago, but I didn’t meet him afterward.
I couldn’t see the expression Matt was making above. I only knew he spread out his arms, so I spread mine out.
While waiting in line, I saw my friend Jay Dobbins and his girlfriend Philomena. Jay took three of the last four pictures. Kelly took the one of me with the envelope. After saying goodbye to Jay, Philomena, Steve Lewis, and photographer Steve Cooper, Kelly and I headed back to the hotel.
I got a half hour less of sleep and began editing in the lobby at 6:00 Sunday morning. It was quiet for the first hour or so, but I did meet Mike, who was going to drive Jessy J and David to the airport. Then, Jessy and David came downstairs. They liked the pictures I had edited so far. Later in the morning, I met Diane Roth and her friend Rich. We had a fascinating conversation. It turns out that envelope Nelson signed originally contained a framed photo from last year. Diane took the photo and gave it to him as a gift. While working on these recaps, I noticed that there was another unframed print in the envelope. I scanned it to include here:
After Diane and Rich left, Mark and Phyllis Abrams said hello, John and Mary waved goodbye, the Le Moyne Dolphins congregated, Kelly dropped in, and Nelson and I spoke for a half hour.
I was finished editing by 10:55. I put my laptop away, went back to my room to get my packed suitcase and tripod, left a tip for housekeeping, said goodbye to Kelly in her room, exited the hotel, and got in the car with my parents. Despite pockets of heavy traffic on I-95 in the Bronx, and on the Grand Central and Southern State Parkways, it only took an hour and 40 minutes to get home. Along the way, I watched a couple of YouTube videos on my phone (this and this).
After a few hours of decompressing, I chose pictures for the two recaps you’ve read. It was tough to get to sleep, but I think I got six or seven hours. I drafted the recaps yesterday and published them this morning.
Thank you for joining me on my journey. And thank you to everyone I spoke to and saw perform this weekend. Until next year, so long.
SJFS 2018 Night 1 recap May 1, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Books, Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, Video, Video Games.Tags: Ashley Bell, Connecticut, contemporary jazz, Danny Pickering, Dave Anderson, David Benoit, Dean Koontz, Elan Trotman, Hampton Inn, Jay Rowe, Jazz, Jessy J, Kirby Star Allies, Marc Antoine, Marion Meadows, Milford, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Rohn Lawrence, smooth jazz, Smooth Jazz for Scholars, Steve Scales, Trever Somerville
add a comment
Keyboardist Jay Rowe‘s 16th annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars was held in his hometown of Milford, Connecticut, on Friday and Saturday nights. The concerts benefit the Milford Public Schools music department. This is a recap of Friday night with headliners Marc Antoine, David Benoit, Marion Meadows, and special guest Elan Trotman.
The sixth annual SJFS in 2008 was the first show I recapped for my blog, which was only two weeks old at the time.
My parents and I left for Milford earlier than last year, at 1:10, but we encountered the same heavy traffic. To be fair, traffic was fine until we crossed into Connecticut. The flow finally eased after exit 27 in Bridgeport. Along the way, I played Kirby Star Allies on my Nintendo Switch, the first time I played in portable mode and the only time I played it all weekend. Then, I watched new videos from a few of the YouTube channels I subscribe to, and posted a picture to Instagram.
I should also note that like last year, a Jay Rowe song played on the Watecolors SiriusXM channel during the drive. This year, it was the radio edit of “Rosemary’s Tune.”
It took two hours and 55 minutes to get to the Milford Hampton Inn.
As we checked in, I ran into saxophonist Jessy J, who headlined Saturday night, along with her husband David. A few minutes later, David Benoit walked in the lobby and we caught up with each other.
My room was on the south end of the first floor. After unpacking and setting up my laptop, I hung out with my friend Kelly, who chose to stay over at the hotel rather than drive from home both nights. We would see each other again after the show.
My dad recommended we eat dinner at Olive Garden on U.S. 1 in neighboring Orange. So, that’s what we did. Like last year, I had minestrone and lasagna with a couple of breadsticks.
My parents dropped me off at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in the Parsons Government Center at around 7:15. I had my ticket checked, then got into my position in the orchestra pit with a few photographers and waited for showtime.
Oddly, Kevin McCabe of Jumpstart Jazz came on stage to start the night about five minutes before 8:00.
After that came the opening acts. First was the Jonathan Law High School Jazz Ensemble, directed by Phil Giampietro:
They performed “Feather Report,” a Kris Berg composition.
Second was the Jonathan Law Choir, directed by Kelly Jones:
They sang two songs: “Hlonolofatsa” (5/3 UPDATE: Thank you, Kelly.) and “Jonah’s Song.”
Jay Rowe and his band came on stage around 8:15:
Jay played keyboards:
Dave Anderson was on bass:
Trever Somerville on drums:
On his birthday, percussion by Steve Scales:
…and Rohn (“Ron”) Lawrence on electric guitar:
As noted above, the headliners were, in order of appearance, Marc Antoine on classical guitar:
David Benoit on piano:
…and occasionally on keyboard:
Jay emphasized the first syllable on “Benoit” rather than the second.
Marion Meadows on soprano saxophone:
And for the last three songs (including the encore), special guest Elan Trotman on tenor sax:
SET LIST
1. Smooth Ride (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: Smooth Ride (2016)
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Marc Antoine (classical guitar)
2. Latin Quarter (Marc Antoine)
Originally heard on: Urban Gypsy (1995)
Featured musician: Marc Antoine (classical guitar)
3. Caminando (David Benoit & Marc Antoine)
Originally heard on: So Nice! (2017)
Featured musicians: David Benoit (piano/keyboard), Marc Antoine (classical guitar)
4. A Cafe Au Lait Bentley (David Benoit & Marc Antoine)
Originally heard on: Smooth Ride (2017)
Featured musicians: David Benoit (piano/keyboard), Marc Antoine (classical guitar)
I cheered when David announced this song: “Yay!” It’s my favorite song on So Nice. David told me it’s based on a line in Ashley Bell by his friend Dean Koontz. I found it here:
“Of course I don’t teach anymore. Don’t have to. That’s my café-au-lait Bentley over there. But I always tell people,” said Mrs. Hoffline-Vorshack, “I was the first to recognize your talent.”
5. Freedom at Midnight (David Benoit)
Originally heard on: Freedom at Midnight (1987); “The Schroeder Variations” with “Moonlight Sonata” excerpt on Earthglow (2010)
Featured musicians: David Benoit (piano/keyboard), Marc Antoine (classical guitar)
6. Body Rhythm (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: Body Rhythm (1995)
Featured musician: Marion Meadows (soprano sax)
Marion began the song by playing through the audience.
7. Humanity (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: Soul Traveler (2015)
Featured musicians: Marion Meadows (soprano sax), Jay Rowe (keyboard solo), Dave Anderson (bass solo)
8. Montuno Bay (Marc Antoine)
Originally heard on: Guitar Destiny (2012)
Featured musicians: Marc Antoine (classical guitar), Jay Rowe (keyboard solo)
9. Every Step of the Way (David Benoit)
Originally heard on: Every Step of the Way (1988)
Featured musicians: David Benoit (piano/keyboard), Marc Antoine (classical guitar)
10. Linus and Lucy (David Benoit; Vince Guaraldi cover)
Originally heard on: This Side Up (1985), Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown! (1989)/This is America, Charlie Brown episode 6: “The Great Inventors,” Here’s to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years! (2000)
Featured musicians: David Benoit (piano)
11. Soul City (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: Soul City (2018)
Featured musicians: Marion Meadows (soprano sax), Elan Trotman (special guest) (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar solo)
12 (Finale). Mas Que Nada (Marc Antoine; Jorge Ben Jor cover; Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 signature song)
Originally heard on: Cruisin’ (2001)
Featured musicians: Everyone but Dave Anderson; Roberto Vally (bass)
With the piano in the way, I didn’t realize Roberto was on bass, so I didn’t take any pictures. Instead, I’ll refer you to his website. I met him in the hotel lobby the following morning.
13 (Encore). Watermelon Man (David Benoit; Herbie Hancock cover)
Originally heard on: Right Here, Right Now (2003)
Featured musicians: Everyone but Marc Antoine, Danny Pickering (flugelhorn)
Jay didn’t play on David Benoit’s songs. Rohn didn’t play on “Latin Quarter,” “Caminando,” “A Cafe Au Lait Bentley,” “Montuno Bay,” or “Every Step of the Way.”
We’ve reached the part where I show groups of pictures by artist. We start with Marc Antoine:
David Benoit on piano:
…and keyboard:
To start “Body Rhythm,” Marion Meadows played through the audience:
Special guest Elan Trotman:
Jay Rowe:
Dave Anderson:
Trever Somerville:
Steve Scales:
Rohn Lawrence:
Now for shots with more than person, starting with Jay and Marc:
David and Marc:
Elan and Marion:
“Linus and Lucy”:
The finale: “Mas Que Nada”:
The encore: “Watermelon Man”:
Danny Pickering made a cameo on flugelhorn:
The end:
I wasn’t expecting an encore, but I love David’s take on “Watermelon Man,” so I was happy to hear it.
At the meet and greet in the lobby, I met and posed with Marc Antoine:
Elan Trotman and David Benoit:
…and Jay Rowe and Marion Meadows:
Kelly dropped me off at the hotel and she went to the after party. In all the years I’ve gone to SJFS, I’ve never been to an after party. I don’t like to be up too late, anyway. I usually go to sleep around 10:00 or 11:00.
Mike Chimeri’s Music Collection videos, outlines, slideshows, and script January 17, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Music, Personal, Video.add a comment
Last night, I received an e-mail from YouTube that announced changes to the YouTube Partnership Program that affects my channel. One paragraph in the e-mail stood out:
Under the new eligibility requirements announced today, your YouTube channel, Mike Chimeri, is no longer eligible for monetization because it doesn’t meet the new threshold of 4,000 hours of watchtime within the past 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. As a result, your channel will lose access to all monetization tools and features associated with the YouTube Partner Program on February 20, 2018 unless you surpass this threshold in the next 30 days. Accordingly, this email serves as 30 days notice that your YouTube Partner Program terms are terminated.
This completes the failed experiment that was Mike Chimeri’s Music Collection. Having been inspired by other YouTubers, I worked from May to July last year putting together eight videos while preparing for four more that I never made. The videos were watched by as many people that watched most of my other videos: ones to tens of people, not thousands or more. And I only picked up tens of subscribers. It was heartbreaking. All the work was for naught. Money was wasted on a Parrot TelePrompTer, camcorder light, and chroma key matte. I hope to find uses for those items in the future, but I think only the light will be put to use.
The videos that got the most views were live performances from Smooth Jazz for Scholars, some of which I took down when I applied for monetization in the first place. And the highest-viewed video couldn’t be monetized because of the subject matter.
This morning, I scanned PDFs of the outlines I wrote for the eight videos I posted, the four I never completed, and one scrapped introductory video. I also made slideshows of the pictures I would have used for the four videos I didn’t complete. I am sharing all of that, and one partial script, below. (NOTE: The slideshows were uploaded to WordPress rather than YouTube.)
Introductory Video outline (scrapped)
Episode 1: 6 Albums from 1981
Outline
Video
Episode 2: 1970s Debut Albums
Outline
Video
Episode 3: 8 Albums from 1992
Outline
Video
Episode 4: 2000s Debut Albums
Outline
Video
Episode 5: 9 Albums from 2000
Outline
Video
Episode 6: Albums by Sidemen
Outline
Video
Episode 7: 1980s Debut Albums
Outline
Video
Episode 8: 1990s Debut Albums
Outline
Video
Episode 9: 9 Albums from 1977 (incomplete)
Outline
Slideshow:
In addition to an outline and slideshow for the first incomplete video, I also have a partial script that I worked on one day in September.
RAMSEY LEWIS – TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD
Ramsey Lewis released two albums in 1977.
The second of the two was Tequila Mockingbird, a play on To Kill a Mockingbird, the Harper Lee novel-turned-Academy-Award-winning film.
Tequila Mockingbird continued Ramsey’s association with Earth, Wind & Fire that began with Sun Goddess a few years earlier.
EWF keyboardist Larry Dunn produced three tracks: the title track, “Skippin’,” and “That Ole Bach Magic.”
He wrote the title track himself and co-wrote “That Ole Bach Magic” with Eddie del Barrio.
I like all eight tracks on “Tequila Mockingbird,” including the ones produced by Bert deCoteaux.
But my absolute favorites, thanks to Ramsey’s solos, are the title track, “Camino el Bueno,” “Caring for You,” and “Intimacy.”
Ramsey would re-record “Intimacy” on Chance Encounter in 1982 and Taking Another Look in 2011.
He re-recorded the title track on Ivory Pyramid in 1992, his first album with GRP after two decades with Columbia.BOB JAMES – HEADS
After putting out his first four solo albums on CTI, Bob James started his own label, Tappan Zee Records, in 1977.
His inaugural album, the second of the year, was Heads.
From One in 1974 through 12 in 1984, most of Bob’s early albums were numbered directly or indirectly.
Heads refers to the Buffalo nickel.
Nickels are 5 cents.
Ergo, Heads is Bob’s fifth album.
The album personnel is who’s who of New York City musicians of the day: Eric Gale, Steve Khan, Steve Gadd, Idris Muhammad, Gary King, Will Lee, Richard Tee, Ralph MacDonald, Hubert Laws, David Sanborn, Grover Washington, Jr., the Brecker Brothers, Michael and Randy, Jon Faddis, Eddie Daniels, and Mike Mainieri.
And that’s just the beginning.
There are six tracks on the album, but Bob only wrote two of them: the title track and “Night Crawler,” not to be confused with “Nite Crawler,” which Larry Carlton wrote for The Crusaders.
More on that later.
The other four tracks are what I consider to be the ultimate cover of Boz Scaggs’s “We’re All Alone,” “I’m in You” by Peter Frampton, Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful,” and a classical ballad by Henry Purcell: “One Loving Night.”
“One Loving Night” features recorder by George Marge and tenor sax by Grover Washington, Jr.THE CRUSADERS – FREE AS THE WIND
Free as the Wind was the first Crusaders album without original member Wayne Henderson and the last album with Larry Carlton as a member.
Larry would appear as a guest on Standing Tall in 1981, which I showcased in the first episode, and The Good and Bad Times in 1986.
The rest of the Crusaders at the time were Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Pops Popwell, and Stix Hooper.
Like Tequila Mockingbird, Free as the Wind contains eight tracks.
The title track leads it off, followed by “I Felt the Love,” which first appeared on Chain Reaction two years earlier.
After that, you have “The Way We Was,” a Pops Popwell composition with intermittent chatter, and the aforementioned unrelated “Nite Crawler,” which Larry would play on his eponymous solo album the next year.
Fifth on the album is “Feel It,” written by the entire band with a lyrical refrain by Lamont Dozier of Holland-Dozier-Holland fame, followed by the longest track – “Sweet N’ Sour,” and the shortest track – “River Rat.”
Free as the Wind closes with the Joe Sample ballad, “It Happens Everyday.”
Joe would re-record the song 20 years later on his solo album, Sample This.PAT METHENY – WATERCOLORS
Pat Metheny Group debuted in 1978, as I shared in the second episode of Mike Chimeri’s Music Collection.
Pat’s solo offering in 1977, Watercolors, was like the group’s beta test.
75% of the band is here: Pat Metheny on guitars, Lyle Mays on piano, and Danny Gottlieb, now of the Lieutenant Dan Band, on drums.
Playing fretless bass on Watercolors was Eberhard Weber.
This is the third album in this episode thus far with eight tracks on it.
Two of them are a suite: “Florida Greeting Song” and “Legend of the Fountain.”
The title track leads off the album, followed by a solo guitar piece called “Icefire,” “Oasis,” a duet with Eberhard and with many layers of guitar.
The middle tracks are my favorites: “Lakes,” an exercise in chord progression, and “River Quay” (“key”).
After the two-part suite, Watercolors ends with the ten-minute “Sea Song.”WEATHER REPORT – HEAVY WEATHER
The lone Weather Report album in my collection is the commercial smash, Heavy Weather.
That was as far as I got.
Episode 10: Best Ofs with New Tracks (incomplete)
Outline
Slideshow:
Episode 11: Collaborative Albums (incomplete)
Outline
Slideshow:
Episode 12: 11 Albums from 1987 (incomplete)
Outline
And with that, Mike Chimeri’s Music Collection is officially a thing of the past. It lives on through all that I’ve shared here.
I made a mere 68 cents in ad revenue while my YouTube channel was monetized. That’s $99.32 short of the point where I’d get paid.
Now, my channel will go back to its previous purpose: blizzard timelines, aircheck videos, and WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony videos. Thank you to anyone that watched Mike Chimeri’s Music Collection. You’re in rarefied air.
Lisa Hilton at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall: 2018 edition January 14, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, TV, Weather.add a comment
Previous Lisa Hilton recaps: June 2011, January 2014, January 2015, January 2016
Later recap: January 2019
Thursday night marked my first time at Carnegie Hall since I saw comic ventriloquist Jeff Dunham 15 months ago, and my first time seeing jazz pianist Lisa Hilton in two years. (I couldn’t make last year’s show.)
As with all Carnegie shows, I was not allowed to take pictures during the performance. That means I have to compensate by describing what I saw and photographing what happened before and after. That’s not a complaint; just an explanation.
Until my dad drove me to the Wantagh LIRR station at 4:40, it was a typical Thursday for me: grocery shopping, treadmill running, and YouTube and Netflix watching.
As I waited on the platform for the 4:59 Penn Station-bound train to arrive, I took a couple of pictures, the first ones taken on my iPhone X, a generous Christmas gift.
About 50 minutes later, I was at Penn Station, where I walked to the 34th Street subway station and took an uptown E train to 7th Avenue and West 53rd Street.
All but one of the remaining pictures in this post were taken on my Nikon D5500:
When I exited the train, I was greeted by the Ed Sullivan Theater, home to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert since September 2015. (David Letterman retired that May.)
I planned on eating dinner at Lindy’s, but was walking up Broadway when I should have been on 7th. So, I missed it.
I turned east at West 56th Street, but couldn’t find a restaurant I liked. I did take pictures along the way.
I turned north up 6th Avenue and then west at West 57th.
I figured I would try the Russian Tea Room:
The staff seated me at a booth, generously moving the table so I could get in. Unfortunately, there was nothing on the menu to my liking. I apologetically relayed that to the waiter and left. I felt embarrassed, but I’m sure you, the reader, feel I shouldn’t have been. At least I can say I’ve been to the Russian Tea Room.
I passed by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, where Lisa Hilton was to perform, and found a restaurant on 7th Avenue called 9Ten:
The atmosphere was great. Contemporary jazz was playing on the speakers through what I assume was Pandora. I recognized “Max-O-Man” by Fourplay, Eric Marienthal’s cover of “Work Song” by Cannonball Adderley (written by his brother Nat), “Slammin'” by Nick Colionne, and “Step On It” by Pieces of a Dream.
As I waited for my food, I took a selfie on my iPhone X:
The food was great: mozzarella sticks, Penne Bolognese, and vanilla and chocolate ice cream.
On my way back to Carnegie Hall, I could see Times Square to the south. The ball was still there, eleven nights after it dropped:
I walked in to the Weill Recital Hall at 7:07. I had to wait in the lobby for about 20 minutes until the hall doors were opened. I was the first to arrive, but within 15 minutes, the lobby was packed. I briefly heard Lisa Hilton and her band rehearsing.
A few minutes after the doors opened, my ticket was checked and I walked into the hall. As usual, my seat was front row center, though barely right-of-center.
As I waited for Lisa and the band to come out, I took a few pictures:
I should have taken a picture of the audience behind me. The turnout was big at the orchestra level where I was. They were ready for a great performance.
Lisa came on stage at 8:07, followed closely by J.D. Allen on tenor saxophone, Luques Curtis on upright bass, and Rudy Royston on drums.
Most of the songs in the set list were from Lisa’s Escapism album, which she composed music for between April and July, and released on December 1. Thursday night was the first time the music of Escapism was performed live. Weill Recital Hall doesn’t have a sound system, so the instruments relied on the acoustics of the hall for amplification. I couldn’t tell. It sounded great; it always does.
1/17 UPDATE: Lisa posted a few of Justin Bettman’s pictures from the set to her Facebook page:
I’m in the center, to the left of J.D.:
Talking to the audience between songs:
The set was about an hour and contained the following songs:
1. Hot Summer Samba
2. Meltdown (also on Sunny Day Theory, 2008; and Nuance, 2010)
3. Zero Gravity
4. Too Hot (not a cover of Kool & the Gang)
5. 29 Palms
6. Mojave Moon
7. Waterfall (from Cocktails at Eight, 2000)
8. A Spark in the Night (from Nocturnal and Day & Night, 2016)
9. So This is Love (from My Favorite Things, 2005; Sunny Day Theory, 2008; Nuance, 2010; and Day & Night, 2016)
10 (Encore). Seduction (from Seduction, 1997; Cocktails at Eight, 2000; My Favorite Things, 2005; and The New York Sessions, 2007)
J.D. didn’t play on “Meltdown” or “29 Palms.” He had a solo at the end of “Seduction,” which was otherwise performed as a trio. “Waterfall” was a solo piano piece, considering its origin on Cocktails at Eight, a solo piano album.
“Hot Summer Samba” was reminiscent of “Tequila” by The Champs. “Too Hot” was inspired by a trip to New Zealand in extreme heat. “Zero Gravity” brought to mind astronauts floating aboard a space shuttle. “Waterfall” initially had a Celtic feel, but then tensed up. Two years later, I still think “A Spark in the Night” had a Latin feel. Specifically, it reminded me of drummer John Favicchia‘s “Kukuc,” but at a slower tempo. That might be why “Spark” was my favorite song in the set.
I caught up with Lisa afterward, and then got to meet J.D. Allen and Luques Curtis. We all posed for a picture:
I put my coat and backpack on and left. I impatiently opted for the stairs over the elevator, then briskly walked north and west to the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway station.
The station is adjacent to the Time Warner Center, home to CNN’s New York bureau:
As you can see, I arrived just as the downtown 1 train arrived. I boarded it and put my camera away for the night.
Thanks to Lisa, J.D., Luques, and Rudy for a great hour of music in the Weill Recital Hall. I hope to be back next year.
Smooth Jazz for Scholars 2018 dates/lineup January 5, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal.add a comment
Keyboardist Jay Rowe has announced the dates and lineup for this year’s Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concert series. The announcement came yesterday on Facebook:
Tickets for this year’s 16th annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concerts are on sale now!! This year’s shows will be held on Friday 4/27/18 and Saturday 4/28/18. The shows will be held at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium at the Parson’s Complex 70 West River Street Milford, CT. 06460. Doors open at 7p.m. showtime is at 8 p.m. This year’s artist line-up on Friday 4/27/18 is David Benoit, Marc Antoine and Marion Meadows. The artist line-up on Saturday 4/28/18 is Paul Taylor, Nelson Rangell, Jessy J and Matt Marshak. Tickets are $40 each for 1 night and $70 for both nights. Tickets can be purchased by sending a check or money order payable to Smooth Jazz For Scholars Inc. to P.O. Box 3723 Milford, CT. 06460. The first 250 seats are reserved seating first come first served. The rest are general admission seating. For additional info call (203)874-4150 or (203)415-8878 or go to jayrowemusic.com. Thanks!!
It’s the 16th Smooth Jazz for Scholars, and the 12th I will have attended.
I’ve been dreaming of David Benoit and Jessy J performing at SJFS for years. That dream has come true. David will be there on the first night while Jessy will be there on the second night. I just saw David last month at the Dave Koz 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour stop at the Tilles Center, but I haven’t seen Jessy since she performed at the Iridium six years ago. Jay was part of her band, as was guitarist Rohn Lawrence. I don’t know if he’ll be at either night, but it would be nice.
Matt Marshak is back for the second time in three years, the same night as Nelson Rangell. I keep envisioning him playing with Nelson on “Sonora.” Will that happen? We’ll see.
Paul Taylor hasn’t been at SJFS since 2012, one month before I transitioned to DSLR cameras.
Marc Antoine was last at SJFS in 2015, but I wasn’t there. SJFS conflicted with the WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony in 2015 and ’16. I went straight from Milford to Tilles for the ceremony in ’15, but opted not to go in ’16. (Sorry, Joe Honerkamp.) Thankfully, the ceremony has not conflicted since. In fact, this year’s ceremony is the following Saturday, on May 5.
Friday, April 27
David Benoit
Marc Antoine
Marion Meadows
Saturday, April 28
Paul Taylor
Nelson Rangell
Jessy J
Matt Marshak
Location:
Veterans Memorial Auditorium in the Parsons Government Center
70 W. River St.
Milford, CT 06460
Tickets: $40 for one night, $70 for both nights
Reserved seating tickets can be purchased by check (like I will) or money order payable to:
Smooth Jazz for Scholars, Inc.
P.O. Box 3723
Milford, CT 06460
For questions or additional assistance, call:
(203) 874-4150
(203) 415-8878
or go to: jayrowemusic.com
I leave you with recaps of the first and second nights of the 15th annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars.
5/7/18 UPDATE: Recaps of this year’s shows can be seen here and here.