My experience at Day 2 of 2012 New York Comic Con October 15, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Books, Comedy, Film, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Technology, Travel, TV, Video, Video Games, Weather.add a comment
Other New York Comic Con recaps: 2014 Day 1, 2017 Day 1, 2018 Day 1, 2019 Day 1, 2021 Day 1
Friday marked my first time at the annual New York Comic Con, held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on 11th Avenue on Manhattan’s West Side. The Javits Center stretches from West 34th to 40th Streets, but the main entrance is at West 37th.
My day at the event was scheduled around the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles panel, which was to be held at 6:45 PM. Bored at home, I left the house just after 1:00, 90 minutes earlier than I planned. I walked to the Wantagh LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) station (a 20-minute walk), bought a round trip off peak ticket in a ground-level vending machine, and waited on the platform for the train to arrive. I saw one person in costume, which meant I wouldn’t be the only one bound for NYCC on the train. With the air temperature in the low 50s and a stiff breeze, I was dressed for winter: a winter coat and a long sleeve shirt, but no costume. As the joke goes, I went as myself.
After an hour-long train ride to Penn Station, I walked up to the street and had two slices of pizza at Famous Famiglia on 8th Avenue, one of many locations in New York alone. It was an appropriate lunch on the day of the TMNT panel.
After passing the Houndstooth Pub at the corner of 8th and West 37th Street, the site of many contemporary jazz shows I’ve attended, I crossed west and then north to walk on the north side of West 37th. There were groups of people ahead of me also heading to Javits. Part of the walk featured an overpass above Dyer Avenue, which leads into the Lincoln Tunnel. Once at the Javits Center, I walked in the green entrance.
Friday was the second day of four of the Con. A sold-out crowd packed the Javits Center, making the indoor temperature feel like close to 80. If only I had chosen a spring jacket and short sleeve shirt.
According to my camera, I took the first picture in this post at 3:18 PM, within 40 minutes of arriving at Penn Station. Let’s see those pics, shall we?
I expected to see press conducting interviews, like Bill Schulz and Jesse Watters did last year, but I only saw crews passing by with their equipment off (seen here after I left the Show Floor):
Taking the escalator to the Show Floor:
Leaving the Show Floor:
The next few pics are LEGO displays built by LUGs (LEGO Users Groups) in New York and Connecticut:
Quidditch:
I put the camera down for the next hour and a half to take in the sights and sounds, and grab an early dinner at the food court.
By the time I got to the conference room where the TMNT panel was, there was a line. I took this pic of the schedule board while waiting on that line, which went on to extend well past me:
As the wait continued, Peter Hastings, one of TMNT’s executive producers, walked by taking pictures of the line. I recognized him from a Talkin’ Toons with Rob Paulsen podcast back in May. As he passed near me, I asked him, “Are you Peter Hastings?” He said yes, then wondered as he shook my hand how I knew who he was. I told him it was from his body of work, and I cited Pinky and the Brain and TMNT; all I could think of offhand. I couldn’t tell if he was scared, shocked, or flattered that I knew of him. It reminded me of when I was at the will call booth at the old IMAC in Huntington before a Rippingtons concert in 2006. (You can see my pics with Jeff Kashiwa and Steve Reid here.) Musician Tom Huber was in line ahead of me and I recognized his name when he told it to the ticket taker. I told him I knew of him through his background vocals on two tracks from Steve Briody‘s (“BRY-dee”) “Keep On Talkin'” album. Tom’s response was, “Are you kidding?” In Peter’s case, he assured me the next day on Facebook that he was flattered. I thanked him for that.
NYCC staff opened the doors to the conference room just after 6:20. I managed to get an aisle a few rows in (behind a few reserved rows).
(After the above pic, I switched from my Nikon D3100 to a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 because I don’t yet have a long lens for the Nikon. I switched back after the panel.)
The panel began at 6:47 with the TMNT title sequence projected on screens and through theater-style speakers. The crowd erupted in cheers as Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello approached the dais.
Donnie, Raph, Mikey, Leo:
The panel was moderated by Ray Rahman, a writer for Entertainment Weekly and “somehow, the senior Ninja Turtles correspondent, which is a title I take as seriously as you guys do”:
Here is Ray’s pre-panel write up.
The panel consisted of executive producers Ciro Nieli…
and the aforementioned Peter Hastings:
The rest of the panel was four cast members: the voices of three of the four turtles and their sensei.
Sean Astin as Raphael:
The aforementioned Rob Paulsen as Donatello:
Rob was also Raphael in the original TMNT series that premiered 25 years ago. (Talkin’ Toons podcast live: original cast reunion)
Greg Cipes as Michelangelo:
…and Hoon Lee as Splinter:
Rob acknowledged that TMNT voice director Andrea (“ahn-DRAY-uh”) Romano was in the audience. She stood up and waved to everyone:
(That was the best image I could get. Sorry about the poor quality.)
Greg, Rob, and Sean reenacted a fight scene from the show while watching the scene on screen:
What they were reenacting:
Greg and Sean looked at the screen to their left (above) while Rob looked straight ahead at the reverse side of a second screen.
It ended with Donnie screaming in shock!:
What the scream looked like animated:
Ciro, Greg, and Rob watching the sneak previews:
As quickly as the panel began, it was over.
An hour flies when you’re having fun.
As the crowd left, a music video set to “Gangnam Style” by Psy played on the screens.
Meanwhile, Greg stuck around to greet fans and sign autographs:
Some of my pictures from the panel were vidcaps (or screencaps), pictures captured from my computer screen while playing video, which I then edited in Photoshop (cropping, adjusting color). My camerawork was iffy because I used a mini tripod and tended to shake. Neil Vitale did a much better job than me. Here’s his video:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles airs Saturday mornings at 11:00 Eastern on Nickelodeon.
About ten minutes after the leaving the conference room…
…I was out of the Javits Center.
Fifteen minutes later, I made it back to Penn Station’s LIRR terminal. On the train ride back, I sat next to two people that also attended NYCC. One of them came with a group of anime fans and she was dressed as a character. But I don’t remember which one.
I arrived home at 9:45. It was quite an 8 1/2 hour adventure, one that I won’t soon forget.
We leave you with a picture of the ticket holder I wore and badge that it held:
10/16 UPDATE: Meredith Blake of the Los Angeles Times wrote on Friday about how New York Comic Con is catching up with the bigger Comic-Con (note the hyphen) International in San Diego.
10/19 UPDATE: Andy Levy of Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld was on the Show Floor last Friday when I wasn’t. Click here to see his report.
WCWP show next Saturday morning! October 8, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
I was at WCWP (at LIU Post) on Friday to record the 2012 edition of CJazzPlus with Mike Chimeri. The show is part of WCWP’s – and by extension, Post’s – Homecoming Weekend which runs from next Friday night, October 19, through Sunday night, October 21. Like last year, I have an overnight slot: Saturday, October 20 at 2AM Eastern (Friday, October 19 at 11PM Pacific) on WCWP 88.1 FM.
If you’re outside of the signal range, you can listen to the stream by going here and clicking on “WCWP 88.1 FM.”
I’ll be playing David Benoit, Ken Navarro, Jeff Kashiwa, Fourplay, and plenty more in my two hours on the air. The prerecord process was long, but worth it. It took three hours to record two because I made some mistakes that I had to edit out.
Castle Magic, Special EFX at Long Beach Jazz Festival 2012 September 23, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Education, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
This year, the Long Beach Jazz Festival celebrated its tenth year in existence. Of the ten festivals, I’ve been to half of them, all but once at the Long Beach Public Library. The first three times were to see the Dharma All Stars, drummer John Favicchia‘s band. You can see post-set pictures from those first two shows here and a recap of the third here (featuring a set by Alan Bates before them).
My fourth trip came last year, after a three-year absence, to see Chieli Minucci & Special EFX at the Library. (Chieli had also played guitar for Dharma All Stars.) I was unable to get a good seat because I arrived a short time before their set. I refused to make the same mistake this year.
Before I get to pictures from the two sets I saw on Friday, here’s how I got to Long Beach:
In 2008, I took the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) to Rockville Centre and hoped to meet a friend there for a ride down to Long Beach. Traffic delays held her back and I ended up walking through RVC, Oceanside, Island Park, and across the Long Beach Bridge before meeting her at the bridge-side McDonald’s. It was a five-mile trek, but one that gave me a nice tan and plenty of exercise.
The plan on Friday was to take two trains to Long Beach. The first leg took me from west on the Babylon Branch from Wantagh to Lynbrook. At Lynbrook, I walked down the stairs from one platform to another and waited for the Long Beach-bound train. This was my first ride on the Long Beach Branch. One day in February, I researched the railcar models the MTA uses for LIRR trains, specifically the M7. After finding out about that, I looked for YouTube videos of the M7 in action. One of those videos was this one on the Long Beach Branch (but only as far as Island Park):
Until Island Park, I sat on the opposite side of the YouTube user that posted the above video. I brought along my Nikon D3100 again for the Festival, but took some test pictures on the train ride:
The Long Beach Bridge:
I was in Long Beach with time to spare and got to the Long Beach Public Library shortly before the doors were opened to the performance room.
Before Special EFX, the audience was treated to Castle Magic, an upright bass trio, something I hadn’t seen before.
The trio was led by Santi Debriano:
with Harvie S.:
Call and response between Santi and Harvie:
Guitarist Steve Adelson, the founder and organizer of the Long Beach Jazz Festival, joined in on the last song:
Steve played the Chapman Stick:
Now, I know what an upright bass trio sounds like. Santi, Harvie, and Essiet were fantastic; as was Steve at the end.
Next up was Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, introduced by Steve Adelson, before he left for a set with his Stick-tet across the street at Lola’s Kitchen:
Chieli played electric guitar:
Jay Rowe on the keyboards:
Jerry Brooks on electric bass:
and Lionel Cordew on drums:
SET LIST
1. Courageous Cats
Originally heard on: “Jewels,” 1995 (Chieli solo album)
2. Bodybeat
Originally heard on: “Body Language,” 1995
3. Greenway North
Originally heard on: “Modern Manners,” 1985
4. Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
Originally heard on: “Renaissance,” 1996 (Chieli solo album)
5. Mirage
From an album that will be released in 2013
6. Rush Hour (Chieli/Jerry duet)
Originally heard on: “Sweet Surrender,” 2007
7. The Night is Ours
Originally heard on: “Without You,” 2010
Here are sets of pictures from the set, starting with Chieli:
Jay’s solo pics from “Courageous Cats” and “Bodybeat”:
Jerry’s solo pics from “Bodybeat” and “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers”:
Lionel’s “Bodybeat” drum solo:
Chieli asked for some water music from Jay to lead off “Greenway North”:
The “Rush Hour” duet:
The last note of the set:
It was an exhilarating set, as always; the perfect capper to an adventurous Friday that began in the late afternoon and concluded in the middle in the evening.
Here’s to ten more years of the Long Beach Jazz Festival!
Brian Simpson concert recap 2 September 9, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Golf, Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel.add a comment
Previous Brian Simpson recap: April 2011
Later Brian Simpson recap: February 2015
Last night, I returned to Houndstooth Pub to see keyboardist Brian Simpson. His show marked the anniversary of Midtown Groove.
Brian played the keyboard…
and the keytar:
Matt Marshak was on guitar, as he was last time:
John Dillard on bass:
Courtney Williams on drums:
And Brian Lanier on soprano (seen below) and alto sax:
I was on hand for the first set. Here’s what Brian and the band played:
1. It Could Happen
2. Here With You
3. South Beach
4. Funkology (by Matt Marshak)
5. Can’t Tell You Why
6. Blues for the Houndstooth Pub (written for the show)
7. Let’s Get Close
8. Saturday Cool
Fasten your seat belts because it’s time to ride through the set via my cameras’ viewfinders. That’s right, I used two (but not simultaneously).
Brian addressing Matt before “Funkology”:
Brian made his way toward one of the premium seat tables during “Saturday Cool”:
The last note of the set:
Before I left, I had a brief chat with Brian and we posed for a pic:
It was another wildly enjoyable set! Thanks to Brian, Matt, John, C-Will, and Brian for a great show.
(By the way, I was wearing a souvenir shirt I bought last Sunday at the final round of The Barclays, a PGA Tour event held this year at Bethpage Black Golf Course.)
Trust Us with Your Life; UPDATE: Canceled!; UPDATE 2: Not officially canceled.; UPDATE 3: I give up. July 12, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Media, Music, Personal, Sports, TV.1 comment so far
8/1 UPDATE: Trust Us with Your Life has been canceled.
8/2 UPDATE: Or has it? More on these updates at the bottom of the post.
2/19/13 UPDATE: I give up. I’ll assume it’s canceled.
4/1/13 UPDATE: Whose Line is it Anyway? reboots this summer!
If you like improvisational comedy, you’ll love the new ABC series Trust Us with Your Life. It was developed by Dan Patterson, one of the people behind Whose Line is it Anyway? It’s hosted by Fred Willard and stars improv veterans Wayne Brady, Jonathan Mangum, and Colin Mochrie. The first two episodes have also starred Greg Proops and Craig Cackowski.
The stars of the show create scenes based on stories recounted by each episode’s guest, which have included (and will include) Serena Williams, Jack and Kelly Osbourne, Mark Cuban, Ricky Gervais, and Florence Henderson (a guest in a latter season of Whose Line). There are improv games to go along with the scenes. If you’ve seen previous Drew Carey’s* previous improv series or tours, this sample of games played may sound familiar:
- Glee Club It! (like Showstopping Number)
- Putting Words in My Mouth (like Dubbing)
- Rap It! (like Kick It!)
- Dramatic Episode (like First Date and New Choice)
- Styles
As a hardcore fan of improv comedy, I laughed hard at most of the scenes.
Unfortunately, post-Whose Line improv series have not lasted long:
- Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show was canceled on the WB after only a handful of episodes. The rest of the recorded episodes were run a year later on Comedy Central.
- Drew Carey’s Improv-A-Ganza ran five nights a week for eight weeks, but did poorly on GSN. It was not renewed. But thanks to the five-night-a-week run, it is the longest-running post-Whose Line series.
I’m hoping Trust Us with Your Life breaks that trend and becomes a huge hit. Why watch serial sitcoms, dramas, and reality shows when you can laugh uncontrollably for 30 to 60 minutes a week with no conflict? Thank you, Dan Patterson, for giving us TUSWYL. I love it!
*-Due to Drew’s contract with CBS, he is not allowed to appear on TUSWYL since it’s on a competing network.
8/1 UPDATE: Nope, the trend was not bucked. Trust Us with Your Life has been canceled. Another post-Whose Line improv series has failed.
Blame this on Fred Willard’s incident all you want, but this is really about a majority of American viewers not looking kindly on improv comedy. The fact that Whose Line is it Anyway? lasted so long amazes me when you consider that its offspring cannot achieve the same staying power.
There are only two cable networks I can imagine the TUWYL re-emerging and perhaps achieving success: Comedy Central or BBC America. But that won’t happen, either.
All involved with the show – in addition to Green Screen and Improv-a-Ganza- should be applauded for trying. Among improv fans like myself, these are hits, but there aren’t enough fans like us to make a difference. It’s a reality we must accept.
8/2 UPDATE: I didn’t catch this until around 11:50 last night, but the TUYWL Facebook page said this about the show’s fate at 10:15 Tuesday night:
I would like to clarify something. “Trust Us With Your Life” has NOT been officially cancelled as of right now. The last two episodes were pulled from the schedule due to competing with ratings for the Olympics. The last two episodes may (or may not) be scheduled at a later time. If you would love to at least see the final two episodes of the season, feel free to write to ABC directly (in other words, not on here) and vocalize this. Thanks, all.
Notice the post says “the final two episodes of the season,” and not the series. I’d like to think they’re right; that Trust Us with Your Life is still alive and merely on hiatus. If so, it would fly in the face of those reveling in its demise because of who the host is.
2/19/13 UPDATE: I give up. I think I can safely say that Trust Us with Your Life was indeed canceled and is never coming back. And while Fred Willard continues to have guest shots on TV series, the performers he moderated, so to speak, haven’t been seen on TV since; at least not to my knowledge.
So, once again, a post-Whose Line improv series bites the dust. Maybe if Nick Cannon was the host, as he was on Wild ‘n Out, Trust Us with Your Life would still be on the air.
4/1/13 UPDATE: Whose Line is it Anyway?reboots this summer!
Derecho flashback July 1, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Baseball, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Radio, Sports, Weather.add a comment
Friday’s derecho that plowed through the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic took me back fourteen years to a derecho that impacted Long Island.
“Derecho” is a Spanish term that has many translations, including “straight.” The “straight” translation gives the long-lasting weather event its name because of the straight-line winds it produces.
The derecho I remember hit in the mid-afternoon of September 7, 1998; Labor Day. But I didn’t even know of that term, or the swath of damage it caused, until last winter while reading up on major storms that have hit Long Island.
Outside of looking at the radar on The Weather Channel and hearing the thunder, I was oblivious of the derecho’s effects. I was in the basement of my friend Joey’s house, a few blocks southwest of my home in Wantagh. The basement was basically his apartment. It had a bedroom, entertainment center (where we were at the time), and bathroom. I sat at a table while he sat on the couch. I flipped back and forth from The Weather Channel and ESPN, the latter of which was carrying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Mark McGwire hit his 61st home run of that season in that game.
Despite the strong winds and lightning, the power never went out at Joey’s house. My house wasn’t so lucky. We did lose power. Considering what I learned recently, I can understand why and why it was out for so long. Power was not restored until around 4AM, about half a day after the derecho hit.
YouTube user Eltiempo10 has video of a Weather Channel Local Forecast at 2:58 PM:
The forecast begins at 0:38, following a station promo featuring Mike Bono, who is now at YNN. (Click here for my December 2005 interview with him.) The JFK “Current Conditions” observation at the top of the forecast is from before the derecho. At 0:50, you’ll notice the temperature went down 11 degrees and the wind speed was 51 MPH! Much of the last 90-seconds is the 90-minute radar loop. The music excerpt used is “Secrets” by Brazilian jazz guitarist Torcuato Mariano, from his 1995 album Last Look.
Acoustic Alchemy concert recap 3 June 22, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, News, Personal, Travel, Weather.3 comments
Other Acoustic Alchemy recaps: June 2008, October 2010, November 2016
Yesterday was a day I had been looking forward to since mid-March when I bought my ticket: Acoustic Alchemy‘s 8PM set at The Iridium. It was their third night of three at the club.
But there is a prelude to the photo recap of their show.
This was the middle day of a three-day heat wave in the Northeastern U.S. The evening before, the power went out at my house for three hours, from 6:20 to 9:20 (both approximately), except for two minutes around 8:45 when there was power before losing it again. 45 minutes later, the power was out again, but back within a few minutes. The next time I lost power wasn’t until 2:25 yesterday afternoon. LIPA (the Long Island Power Authority) estimated that power would be restored by 5:00. According to the alarm clock in my room when I got home, it returned at 5:13.
But I couldn’t wait two hours in a gradually heating up house until my planned train ride at 4:59. So, within 15 minutes of the outage, I got ready to go (with only sunlight to work with) and got a ride to the Wantagh LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) station at around 3:15. The train left at 3:27 and I was at Penn Station by about 4:15. While in Woodside, my train passed over I-278, the B.Q.E. (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway):
This was my second attempt at a picture over there. My first try came on the way to Shilts’ show at Houndstooth last month.
I took the subway from 34th Street to 42nd and walked toward 6th Avenue. From there, I passed News Corporation, McGraw-Hill, SNY (SportsNet New York) and Radio City Music Hall, before turning back toward Broadway at 51st Street.
It was only 5:15. I still had an hour and a half before show attendees could go into Iridium. So, I killed another hour at the Applebee’s a block away. Then, I waited for a half hour outside the next-door Winter Garden Theatre. Finally, at 6:50, the first wave of attendees were let in. After seltzer, water, and pizza, it was time for the show.
Greg Carmichael, the Boss of the Band, played acoustic guitar:
Miles Gilderdale played electric guitar…
And acoustic guitar:
Fred White on keyboards:
Gary Grainger on bass:
And his brother Gregory Grainger on drums:
The set:
1. Homecoming
Originally heard on: “Reference Point,” 1990; “Arcanum,” 1996
2. Overnight Sleeper
Originally heard on: “Natural Elements,” 1988
3. Angel of the South
Originally heard on: “The Beautiful Game,” 2000
4. Jamaica Heartbeat
Originally heard on: “Back On The Case,” 1991
5. Marrakesh
Originally heard on: “Roseland,” 2011
6. One for Shorty
Originally heard on: “Roseland,” 2011
7. Passion Play
Originally heard on: “AArt,” 2001
8. Ariane
Originally heard on: “Blue Chip,” 1989
9. The Stone Circle
Originally heard on: “Red Dust & Spanish Lace,” 1987
10. The Beautiful Game
Originally heard on: “The Beautiful Game,” 2000
11. Tuff Puzzle
Originally heard on: “AArt,” 2001
Encore 1. Casino
Originally heard on: “Natural Elements,” 1988; “Early Alchemy,” 1992 (recorded circa ’82); “Arcanum,” 1996
Miles’ “Overnight Sleeper” solo:
Greg C.:
Gary’s bass/scat solo on “One for Shorty,” a tribute to his late niece, Gregory’s daughter, Dianne:
Greg G.:
Click here to learn about The MusicianShip, the non-profit organization co-founded by Greg, Dianne, and Jeffery Tribble Jr.
Fred’s “Passion Play” solo:
The Graingers’ bass/drum jam during “Tuff Puzzle”:
Miles’ wild “Tuff Puzzle” solo!:
The encore: “Casino”:
It was quite a show. The band was fantastic! And I heard from Fred that the 10:00 show was just as great!
David Benoit, “Conversation” May 29, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal.add a comment
Album cover from Benoit.com
The winning streak continues! Jazz pianist and conductor David Benoit’s Conversation album was released today.
Here are the tracks:
1. Napa Crossroads Overture (3:46) – David and guitarist/vocalist David Pack (previously with the band Ambrosia) wrote this tune two years ago and it finally found a home on Conversation. Pack is featured on guitars with a little help from Pat Kelley.
2. Feelin’ It (3:57)
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (3:07) – This is the theme from the movie of the same name, composed and originally performed by Theodore Shapiro. It featuers a wild guitar solo by Jeff Golub and violin from David’s daughter June.
4. Kei’s Song Redux (4:49) – The title is self-explanatory: it’s a new version of “Kei’s Song,” originally recorded for Freedom at Midnight 25 years ago, but it isn’t exactly a carbon copy.
5. Sunrise On Mansion Row (4:10)
6. You’re Amazing (3:21) – A tribute to David’s friend and site webmaster Jean Wang. In addition to playing flute and piccolo, Tim Weisberg also gave David Lee Roth-esque “shoutouts” like “well, all right!” and “come on!”
7. Q’s Motif (3:11) – “Q” is for Quincy Jones; based on a boogie-woogie motif he wrote. This is my favorite song on the album so far, not just because of the synthesizer solo, but the piano, as well.
8. Let’s Get Ready (4:47)
9. Conversation (From Music For Two Trios) (4:55) – Another self-explanatory title. It’s a musical conversation between pianist Robert Theis, violinist Yun Tang, and cellist Cathy Biagini; and David, bassist David Hughes, and drummer Jamey Tate. The former performed in the classical style while the latter performed in jazz. Will the two trios converge? Listen and find out.
In addition to the musicians mentioned above, you’ll also hear Brad Dutz on percussion, David Sills on tenor and soprano saxophone, and the following classical musicians:
- Violinists: Yun Tang, Michelle Wood, Eleanor Dunbar
- Violaists: Xiang Wang, Ilona Geller
I highly recommend Conversation. You won’t regret your purchase. And if you’re a diehard jazz fan like me, you’ll be listening again and again and again!
Shilts at Houndstooth Pub recap 2 May 14, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Hockey, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, TV, Weather.add a comment
Previous Shilts recap: June 2011
Two nights ago, for the second Saturday in a row, I saw saxophonist Paul “Shilts” Weimar perform. Last week, Shilts was part of keyboardist Jay Rowe’s tenth annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concert. This time, he played solo at the Houndstooth Pub, a few blocks north of Penn Station. It was a busy night in that area. In addition to Shilts, there was the Bolder & Fresher Tour (Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Miller) show at the Town Hall six blocks north (and two east) of Houndstooth, and Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Semifinals was taking place at Madison Square Garden. The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals alternated wins and losses in the first six games and the winner would face the New Jersey Devils in the conference final beginning two nights later. Both floors of Houndstooth had TVs tuned to the NBC Sports Network where Rangers and Caps fans alike that could get into MSG watched.
Before we get to Shilts’ performance, I have a few pictures to share from my train ride in to Penn on the LIRR.
Forest Hills station:
BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway):
A view of Manhattan from Long Island City:
I thought one of those buildings was One World Trade Center, but that’s to the south, and I was in a north-facing seat.
Long Island City rail yard:
Not only was this a concert, but it was also a release party for Shilts’ upcoming album, All Grown Up. Copies were available, but sold out fast, just as tickets for the show did.
I got a premium seating ticket back in March and ended up right next to the stage!
Shilts was joined by Abdul Zuhri on guitar:
Ken Stacks Richardson on keyboards:
Thomas Gooding on bass:
And Eric Brown on drums:
SET LIST
SET 1
1. See What Happens
2. Lambeth Strut
3. Good Evans
4. Seeing Things Clearly
5. Sugar
6. Look What’s Happened
SET 2
(NOTE: I left between sets, but saw the set list printout from my seat. If I made any mistakes, let me know in the comment thread.)
7. All Grown Up
8. 2 Pesos For Bud
9. Soul Eyes
10. Eyes Down
11. Blues
12. Back On The Hudson
Neal Newman, audio engineer, assisted by his son Dale (not pictured):
Eric Brown’s “Sugar” drum solo:
I left between sets, but not before getting my copy of All Grown Up signed by Shilts and grabbing a picture with him:
Cheers to Shilts, Abdul, Ken, Thomas, and Eric for another great show.
I’ll conclude this recap on the topic of the Rangers.
Just as I approached 34th Street, I heard wild cheers coming from the top floor of Lucy’s Cantina Royale. The Rangers had held on to beat the Capitals 2-1 and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Devils.
Here are the happy Rangers fans leaving Madison Square Garden to head home:
Game 1 of the EC Finals is tonight.
5/25, 11:17 PM UPDATE: Unfortunately for Rangers fans, like myself, the Rangers lost to the Devils in six games. They took a 2-1 series lead and then lost three straight. The Devils will face the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals.
SJFS 2012 recap May 7, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Film, Internet, Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Video.add a comment
Jay Rowe‘s tenth annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars began with:
1. Hit the Bricks
Featured musicians: Foran High School Jazz Band
Jay came out at the end of the song. Hidden from view was Dave Anderson on bass, seen here one song later:
Rounding out Jay’s band was his Special EFX bandmate Lionel Cordew on drums:
And Steve Scales (left) on percussion:
It was an overcast evening outside the Parsons Complex Auditorium in Milford, Connecticut. But inside, the sun was shining. This year’s show featured guitarists Rohn (“Ron”) Lawrence, Nick Colionne, and Chieli Minucci; and saxophonists Paul “Shilts” Weimar, Paul Taylor, and Nelson Rangell.
After we “Hit the Bricks,” Kevin McCabe and keyboardist Jay Rowe introduced the rest of the show:
Then back to the music:
2. Rosemary’s Tune (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: “Live at Daniel Street,” 2011
Featured musician: Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
Video:
3. Lambeth Strut (Shilts)
Originally heard on: “Going Underground,” 2010
Featured musicians: Shilts (tenor saxophone), Nick Colionne (guitar)
4. Seeing Things Clearly (Shilts)
Originally heard on: “Going Underground,” 2010
Featured musician: Shilts
At the 2010 SJFS, someone in the audience requested “Rainy Night in Georgia” for Nick Colionne. Unfortunately, that wasn’t on the set list that night, but on this night, the audience got their wish:
5. Rainy Night in Georgia (Nick Colionne; Brook Benton cover)
Originally heard on: “It’s My Turn,” 1994; “Keepin’ It Cool,” 2006
Featured musician: Nick Colionne (vocals/guitar)
6. Pleasure Seeker (Paul Taylor)
Originally heard on: “Pleasure Seeker,” 1997
Featured musicians: Paul Taylor (soprano sax), Chieli Minucci (guitar)
7. Uptown East (Special EFX)
Originally heard on: “Slice of Life,” 1986
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci, Paul Taylor
8. Exotica (Paul Taylor)
Originally heard on: “On the Horn,” 1995
Featured musicians: Paul Taylor, Chieli Minucci
9. Mystical (Chieli Minucci & Special EFX)
Originally heard on: “Sweet Surrender,” 2007
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci, Shilts, Nelson Rangell (alto sax)
10. Good Evans (Shilts)
Originally heard on: “HeadBoppin,” 2006
Featured musician: Shilts
“Good Evans” began with solo piano from Jay:
With a little help from Steve Scales:
Then, Shilts and the rest of the band joined in:
11. Free as the Wind (Nelson Rangell; The Crusaders cover)
Originally heard on: “Soul to Souls,” 2006
Featured musician: Nelson Rangell
Nelson originally performed this song on tenor sax, but he went with soprano here:
Nelson also had a very involved solo:
Video:
12. The Warmth of the Sun (Jay Rowe; The Beach Boys cover)
Originally heard on: “Jay Walking,” 1997
Featured musicians: Foran High School Select Ensemble Chorus (Director: Theresa Voss), Nelson Rangell, Rohn Lawrence
In a move many didn’t see coming, at least not me…
Marion Meadows made a surprise appearance!
13. Suede (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: “Player’s Club,” 2004
Featured musicians: Marion Meadows, Rohn Lawrence
14. Funky Broadway (Wilson Pickett cover)
Featured musicians: Rohn Lawrence (vocals/guitar), Paul Taylor (alto sax), Shilts, Nelson Rangell
Paul switched to alto sax for the rest of the show:
15. The Night is Ours (Chieli Minucci & Special EFX)
Originally heard on: “Without You,” 2010
Featured musician: Chieli Minucci
Nelson Rangell introduced the next song this way:
This next tune that we’re gonna do for you is something that I wrote. And the title is not for the new movie that’s out, but it’ll do. This is called “A New Avenger.”
16. A New Avenger (Nelson Rangell)
Originally heard on: “Soul to Souls,” 2006
Featured musician: Nelson Rangell
“A New Avenger” featured solos by Lionel Cordew, Steve Scales, and Dave Anderson.
Lionel went first:
Steve was next:
And then, it was Dave’s turn:
Getting back to Nelson:
(NOTE: Pictures from the next two songs, and some from the finale, are screencaps, which I cropped, sharpened, and magnified in Adobe Photoshop 7.0.)
17. Sonora (Nelson Rangell; Hampton Hawes cover)
Originally heard on: “Destiny,” 1995 (alto sax); “My American Songbook, Vol. 1,” 2005 (whistling and piccolo)
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell, Chieli Minucci
It wouldn’t be a Nelson Rangell show without whistling:
Dave Anderson switched acoustic bass for this song:
Nelson switched to piccolo (below) after Chieli’s solo (above):
After a quick applause, Nelson whistled solo for about a minute before the band rejoined him.
He took a bow as he got another round of applause:
Video:
18. Prime Time (Paul Taylor)
Originally heard on: “Prime Time,” 2011
Featured musicians: Paul Taylor, Shilts, Nelson Rangell
19. Some Funky (Nick Colionne)
Originally heard on: “Feel the Heat,” 2011
Featured musicians: Nick Colionne, Rohn Lawrence
20 (Finale). Godfather J (Nick Colionne)
Originally heard on: “No Limits,” 2008
Featured musicians: Everyone (Nick – vocals)
“Godfather J” is a tribute to James Brown. Nick channeled the Godfather of Soul throughout the song.
Back on stage, Chieli played lying down for a while:
Kevin McCabe came out to drape Nick’s jacket on him:
Jay briefly left his keyboards to “play” Chieli’s guitar:
That’s it!
This was the wildest Smooth Jazz for Scholars I’ve ever attended! Who knows what next year’s show (or shows?) will bring? Here’s to ten more years, and many more after that!
MikeChimeri.com 
