Jessy J at Iridium recap February 11, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Broadway, Hockey, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, TV.2 comments
(2/25 UPDATE: Jessy has posted video of six songs from the 8:00 set to her YouTube channel, including two in one video. They are embedded in the set list below the corresponding titles.)
I was at The Iridium jazz club Thursday night to see saxophonist/vocalist Jessy J perform. There were two shows: 8:00 and 10:00. I went to the earlier one. It was the first time I’d seen her solo since I first saw her with Guitars and Saxes in 2008.
I had originally planned on seeing Jessy at the Daniel Street club in Milford, Connecticut back in late July, but I was unable to make it. I was unaware she’d be at The Iridium until the previous Monday, January 30, when the date was listed in her latest newsletter. Not about to let this opportunity pass me by, I immediately bought a ticket. (6/22/12 UPDATE: Daniel Street closed one month before The Iridium show.)
Before we get the show recap started, I’d like to share a funny thing that happened after I bought that ticket. The site I bought it through, TicketWeb, listed my hometown, with the 11793 zip code, as Briar Park rather than Wantagh. I had never heard of that alternate name and a Google search was inconclusive. I reached out to my Facebook friends from Wantagh or North Wantagh through a status update, but none of them commented. A comment in this old message board thread helped slightly, but not much:
… While my neighborhood is served by the Levittown School district, I am 110% positive that my development is considered (for intents and purposes) North Wantagh. Just north of me is the “R” section of Levittown, and the Briar Park section of Wantagh; and south of the parkway is the “T” section …
I walked through that “T” section of North Wantagh earlier today, so called because most of the street names begin with the letter “T” (i.e. Twin, Tally, Toll Gate, Tumble, etc.). So, apparently, Briar Park is a section of Wantagh, but I still don’t know where. If anyone happens to read this and knows the answer, please leave a comment.
On to the recap:
I was dropped off at the Wantagh LIRR station at 5:30, 29 minutes before my Penn Station-bound train arrived. I killed some of the time in the adjacent McDonald’s, buying a small meal, before returning to the platform. The train I was on was an older model, an M1, the predecessor to the M7, which features an automated voice recording – which I do a good impression of – and synthesized bell. When I arrived at Penn Station, I immediately walked to the 34th Street subway station to take the uptown 1 train to 50th and Broadway. I barely missed one, but another arrived four minutes later. Finally, I arrived at The Iridium, 45 minutes before showtime. Since I was early, I got a great seat: a table on the left side of the stage. After a spaghetti and meatballs dinner, it was finally time for Jessy J and the band.
Jessy was on the tenor sax:
Her pants look pink, but they’re red.
She was backed up by Jay Rowe on keyboards:
Mike Nunno (“NEW-no”) on bass:
Jon Roundtree on drums:
And Rohn (“Ron”) Lawrence on guitar:
8:00 SET LIST
1. Fiesta Velada
2. Sin Ti
3. Mas Que Nada (Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 cover) – Jessy, vocals; Rohn, background vocals
4. Tequila Moon
5. Tropical Rain
6. Remember the Night
7. Hot Sauce
8. Conga (Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine cover) – Jessy, vocals; Rohn, vocal solo
9. Oye Como Va (Tito Puente cover, arrangement similar to Santana version) – Jessy, vocals; Rohn, vocal solo
10. Baila! – Jessy, vocals
1-4 are from Tequila Moon (2008).
5 and 10 are from True Love (2009).
6 and 7 are from Hot Sauce (2011).
A few songs featured a call and response, wild at times, with Jessy and Rohn Lawrence. Here’s a sample:
The view from the HD monitor behind me:
Jessy wore two musical hats for “Mas Que Nada,” “Conga,” “Oye Como Va,” and “Baila!”: saxophone and vocals. Here she is during “Mas Que Nada”:
Rohn backed her up:
Mike Nunno’s “Mas Que Nada” bass solo:
Rohn’s “Remember the Night” guitar solo:
Clapping in the middle of “Hot Sauce”:
Jessy switched to alto sax for “Conga” and “Oye Como Va”:
“Conga” vocals:
Rohn’s “Conga” solo:
Miami-style clapping:
Vocal solo…
…with audience participation:
Jay Rowe’s “Oye Como Va” keyboard solo, first seen from a monitor:
The end-of-solo glide:
Jessy switched back to tenor sax for the last song of the set – “Baila!”:
Jay’s “Baila!” solo:
Then, it was Rohn’s turn:
And finally, a drum solo by Jon Roundtree:
The last note:
The end!
Afterward, Jessy and I briefly caught up with each other and shot this picture:
She asked if I still had my blog and I told her I do. I also met Rohn in person for the first time and caught up with Jay and Mike, who I’d previously seen on bass for drummer John Favicchia’s Dharma All Stars. Outside of the band, I saw my friends Katherine Gilraine, who came for the 10:00 show, and Kat Sarracco who was at the 8:00 show, but I didn’t even notice during it because I was focused on the stage the entire time.
Going back to Penn Station, I was unable to find the entrance to the 50th-Broadway subway station’s downtown platform. So, I gave up and planned on walking all the way down to Penn. I didn’t realize it, but I would be walking through Times Square. The tourists were out in full force and I was one of them, shooting these pictures:
My last picture of the night was the exterior of the Times Square station:
I was finally able to board the downtown 1 train, but had to walk a bit above ground before finding the LIRR entrance. I ran to catch the 10:05 Babylon-bound train. The New York Rangers hockey team had a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden that ended moments earlier. (The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime.) So, the train I barely made was packed. I stood by the car door until Jamaica when one of the fold-out seats next to me was vacated. I got back to Wantagh just after 11:00, ending a great night of music and travel.
Thanks to Jessy, Jay, Mike, Jon, and Rohn for a wonderful, exhilarating show. It was a blast!
Steve Cole at Houndstooth recap; Fall Foliage November 13, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Later recap: October 2013
Updated at the end with feedback from Steve.
Last night, saxophonist Steve Cole performed at Houndstooth Pub, a few blocks north of Penn Station. For me, Houndstooth has become the new IMAC. December 4 will mark one year since my first show there.
I didn’t have a ride to the Wantagh LIRR station. So, I walked there in the late afternoon around sunset. (The days are short this time of year.) Along the way, I took pictures of noteworthy foliage.
This is a tree on Briard Street:
The corner of Briard and Island Road:
Stephen Lane:
Ella Road:
Beech Street:
Across from Wantagh Elementary School:
South of Bunker Avenue:
Then, I put the camera away and didn’t take it out of my travel bag until 8PM at Houndstooth.
Ed Tankus of Blue Plate Radio welcomed the sold-out crowd, introduced Steve Cole, and then Steve introduced himself:
Steve played tenor sax:
He was joined by Carl Carter on bass:
JJ Sansaverino on guitar:
Steve Williams on drums:
And Bill Heller on the keyboard:
When I walked down the stairs, I saw a Kurzweil PC3x keyboard and knew Bill would be in the band. It was a pleasant surprise.
SET LIST
SET 1
1. Off Broadway (NY LA, 2003)
2. So Into You (Between Us, 2000)
3. Just A Natural Thang (True, 2006)
4. Undun (The Guess Who cover) (Moonlight, 2011)
5. Angel (Sarah McLachlan cover) (Moonlight, 2011)
6. Got It Goin’ On (Between Us, 2000)
SET 2
7. Thursday (Spin, 2005)
8. Curtis (True, 2006)
9. When I Think of You (Stay Awhile, 1998)
10. Sugar (Stanley Turrentine cover)
11. Our Love (Stay Awhile, 1998)
“Got It Goin’ On” featured solos from Bill…
…and Carl:
JJ had a guitar solo on “Thursday”:
“Curtis” had a long and interesting backstory, which Steve told before playing it:
Steve invited up his friend Dave Hiltebrand to stand in on bass for “Sugar”:
Steve Williams’ drum solo:
The last song of the night was “Our Love”:
The last note:
This night is history.
Steve Cole is very entertaining, funny, wild, sensitive, and soulful. We saw all sides last night. Thanks to Steve, Steve Williams, Carl, JJ, Bill, Dave, and Steve Butler of Mighty Music Corp. It was a fun few hours.
11/14 UPDATE: This album began with foliage pics on my walk to the train station. I took a few more this afternoon in my front and back yards:
11/15 UPDATE: I linked to this recap on my Facebook wall and tagged Steve in the link description. Today, he left a comment:
Thanks for the kind words Mike! I’m so glad you came, and had a great night….
Video from around the house: 1994 and 2011 November 11, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Personal, Photography, Video, Weather.add a comment
July 25, 1994, was the beginning of my videography life. When I used my camcorder regularly, between 1994 and 2004, I would occasionally shoot video around my house. This was usually reserved for special occasions like a deep blue sky (especially in the middle of summer), fall foliage, and during or after a snowstorm. The videos below represent the first and second examples.
November 11, 1994, was a day off for me. I was in eighth grade at the time. Like today–also November 11, Veterans Day–trash and recycling was not picked up. We didn’t realize that in ’94, as you’ll see in the first video, but I checked the pickup schedule earlier this week and knew not to bring stuff to the curb. I feel sorry for those that didn’t know. I saw many houses with uncollected trash and recycling on my walk this afternoon. But I digress.
Earlier this year, I captured my old home videos on VHS (dubs of VHS-C), VHS-C masters, and MiniDV masters. I felt nostalgic enough today to retrace my steps (minus the primitive camera work).
Here then is what I shot on November 11, 1994:
And here’s what I shot today, November 11, 2011:
Today’s video was originally shot in 1080p, but I mixed two MTS files down to one MPEG4 file in 720p.
Snowtober in Wantagh October 30, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, News, Personal, Photography, Politics, TV, Weather.add a comment
What was billed as “Snowtober” was “Rain-and-snowtober” or “Wintry mix-tober” in Wantagh for much of yesterday and last night. Just to the north and west (within Nassau County), more wet snow fell. The precipitation changed to all wet snow after 11PM.
What fell at my house only stuck to the cars in the driveway and to parts of the grass. Any cold surface accumulated snow.
Since it was the first snow we had in seven months, I took out my camera and took a few pictures. The first three pics are from around noon:
The last two were taken at 11:30, nearly twelve hours later:
A bigger concern for me was the strong gusty winds. The National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning for Nassau and Suffolk until 6:00 this morning. This was, after all, a Nor’easter. So between that and wet snow accumulating on tree limbs, I feared downed trees, limbs, and power lines. I simultaneously flashed back to the Nor’easter of March 2010 and Irene of nine weeks ago. But the worrying was for nothing. The winds died down early this morning and the power never went out. That’s not to say it didn’t go out elsewhere on Long Island, but it wasn’t on the scale of either storms I flashed back to. I wish I could say the same for people north and west of the Island (2/11/13 UPDATE: The page I linked to in the previous sentence no longer exists).
11/3 UPDATE: Somehow, a link was made between this storm and climate change last night on NBC Nightly News:
BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor: Everybody out East said the same thing about this freak snowstorm, “This kind of thing didn’t used to happen. This never happened before.” And while that is true, it may also be true that we’ll all have to start getting used to this kind of thing over the long haul.
I didn’t hear that. What I heard is what is noted later in Noel Sheppard’s NewsBusters post:
Yet October snows in the northeast though infrequent do occur. As AccuWeather reported Monday:
The last time that Central Park recorded measurable snow was on Oct. 21, 1952 when 0.5 of an inch fell. Prior to that, 0.8 of an inch fell on Oct. 30, 1925. […]
A record snowfall of 6.0 inches was set at Bangor, Maine, on Sunday. This broke the old record of 5.0 inches set back in 1963.
The point being that it does snow in this region in October.
…
One can only imagine what kind of storms hit this region during the Little Ice Age of the 16th through 19th centuries. But since Williams and Thompson weren’t alive, and snowfall records began in 1869, weather events earlier than that seem unimportant.
This of course is common for climate alarmists, so we shouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised.
In their view, whatever is happening today couldn’t possibly have happened before records starting being kept, and therefore all weather events outside “the norm” are considered extreme and therefore proof of climate change.
You think those still without power in Connecticut, New Jersey, and other affected areas care about that? Of course not. They just want their power back.
12/30 UPDATE: This storm was the #2 tri-state area news story in WCBS 880’s countdown of the top 11 stories of 2011:
Nineteen inches of snow in October? Even WCBS 880’s cautious chief meteorologist Craig Allen couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“There’s no way you can play this down based upon these weather maps. Almost everything is in agreement,” Allen reported.
And these flakes were falling on full foliage. All it took was a couple of inches of snow to start bringing branches down.
Hundred-year-old trees snapped like twigs. Mother Nature’s mischief night was the Halloween snowstorm of 2011.
Three million people lost electricity. …
You can read and listen to the rest here.
Matt Marshak with Oli Silk & Joey Sommerville recap October 2, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Other Matt Marshak show recaps: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015
I was at the Houndstooth Pub last night to see Matt Marshak with Oli Silk and Joey Sommerville perform. Thinking the show was at 7:00, I left for the Wantagh LIRR station at 5:00 for the 5:18 train to Penn Station. Before I left the house, it still felt warm and barely humid outside, but on the platform at the train station, it felt cool and dry. It’s a good thing I brought a jacket. I also brought an umbrella, which came in handy for the four-block walk to Houndstooth. For the second day in a row, small bands of rain developed and moved their way north-northwest. The tri-state area was on the northeast side of an upper-level low pressure system centered over Pennsylvania. That’s still the case as I type. When I got to Houndstooth at 6:25, I was informed that the show was at 8:00 rather than 7:00. So, I had to wait in the entrance for close to ten minutes until the lower level, where the show was, was opened up.
Once the doors opened, the seats at the tables and bar (where I sat) gradually filled up. There were few empty seats left by show time. After an introduction from Eulis Cathey of WBGO (whose show I put on for a few minutes while writing the early part of this post), it was time to begin.
Matt Marshak played guitar:
Oli Silk on the keyboard:
Joey Sommerville on trumpet:
Kenny Harris on bass:
And Carl “C-Man” Anderson on drums:
I was there for the first set before they took a break. Here’s what they played:
(NOTE: Joey came to the stage after song 2, did not play on song 7.)
1. On the Rocks
2. S.O.S.O.S.! (Oli Silk)
3. Swag (Joey Sommerville)
4. Teddy P – Kenny Harris, vocals
5. A Silent Knowing
6. Moonshadows (Joey Sommerville)
7. Get Out Claws (Oli Silk)
8. Like You Mean It (Joey Sommerville) – Joey S., vocals
9. I Will Be With You – Kenny Harris, bass solo; Carl Anderson, drum solo/vocals
(singing): “Swing yo’ hips (4x) like you mean it!”
Joey took to the audience midway through “Like You Mean It”:
“I Will Be With You” had two major solos. First from Kenny Harris…
…and then Carl Anderson:
The C-Man got a standing ovation:
The last note of the set:
You couldn’t ask for a better night: a packed house and outstanding music from outstanding players.
10/4 UPDATE: Check out Katherine Gilraine’s recap.
Irene, Five Days in Freeport September 8, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, DVD, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Radio, Technology, Travel, TV, Video, Video Games, Weather.1 comment so far
After 26 years of barely missing hurricanes, or at least direct hits, Long Island’s luck ran out last weekend.
On a Friday afternoon, September 27, 1985, Hurricane Gloria, a fast-moving Category 2, made landfall near Long Beach. 25 years and 11 months later, it was Irene’s turn. Though Hurricane Irene was barely a Category 1 when it made landfall on Coney Island last Sunday morning (immediately weakening to a tropical storm), it wasn’t moving as fast as Gloria and it came during high tide rather than low tide. The south shore of Long Island got pounded. Over 500,000 Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) customers, including myself, were without power at the height of the storm. Either giant limbs or uprooted trees fell on power lines or transformers caught fire. I lost power at 1:30 AM Sunday because of the latter. (Also, the sub-station in Plainedge that we were linked to was badly damaged.)
I prepared my bedroom for the worst by covering up some belongings, including CDs, and putting them on the floor:
I spent Saturday night and much of Sunday in the basement and on the main floor, only going to the top floor in the afternoon to take a [cold!] shower. While preparing my room on Saturday, I found a lucky rabbit’s foot. I kept it close by or in my shorts pocket.
I don’t know if the rabbit’s foot was the cause, but our house was spared. The only damage for us was smaller branches and twigs, and leaves falling around the house. I took these pictures Monday morning in the front and back yards under a partly-to-mostly sunny sky:
I put everything I had put on the floor back where they were before on Sunday night. This picture was also taken Monday morning:
More pics from Monday near my house:
I stayed home without power until Monday afternoon when a family friend in Freeport was nice enough to let me stay with them until power was restored at my house. Villages like Freeport that have their own utilities didn’t lose power for long. If only that were the case for LIPA customers. Some didn’t get it back until early this week. I got it back 3:30 PM Friday. The family friend was without FiOS (for reasons I won’t get into), so I was stuck with radio, wireless internet (on my laptop), and mobile web (on my cell phone). I also passed the time by going for walks, listening to music on my iPod, and playing video games. I hadn’t played Game Boy or Game Boy Advance games in ages until last week. I brought my camera on one of those walks and stopped by my late grandparents’ old house and Cow Meadow Park (swatting mosquitoes along the way):
Before getting to the old house and Cow Meadow, I saw a sad sight walking up the block where the friend lives. Curbs on both sides of the street had flood-damaged carpeting, couches, and appliances waiting to be picked up. I used to live in southwest Freeport. So, I know what it’s like to get flooding from the bay in the bottom floor of the house. I got that during the aforementioned Gloria, and Nor’easters in December 1992 and March 1993. Within months of those last two storms, I had moved to a part of Wantagh that’s a few miles inland.
Back at the friend’s house, she had the complete run of I Love Lucy on DVD. I got into that show years ago when it was on Nick at Nite. My love for it was rekindled. I watched the latter seasons while the friend had them on.
The ride home late Friday afternoon was great. I knew I’d be returning home to electricity and cable, albeit with an empty refrigerator. Before leaving, I thanked the family friend for putting up with me for five days. I returned the favor this Tuesday when I stayed at her house while she was at work to be present for a Cablevision technician to install their services–iO, Optimum Online, Optimum Voice–in place of Verizon’s–phone, FiOS internet, FiOS TV.
Three footnotes:
1. As I type this post, Hurricane Katia is about to turn northeast and move away from the U.S. East Coast. Good.
2. There were plenty of columns and blog posts in Irene’s aftermath that downplayed the storm and/or reprimanding the media for overhyping it. Many media did overhype it, but damage is damage. Downed trees are nothing compared to massive flo0ding, whether from storm surge or rivers overflowing from nonstop rain. Residents of New Jersey, Eastern New York State, and Vermont are among those that got the latter. And the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee in the last few days have only added to the flooding.
3. I stumbled upon a blog post that offers the Washington, D.C. area perspective. It’s written by freelance writer Kristine Meldrum Denholm: How I’ve dodged the demise of the east coast, part II: Goodnight, Irene. There was minimal damage in her neighborhood and she never lost power. Kristine is not alone. My neighbors two houses to the west of me never lost power, neither did my piano teacher in Freeport.
4. Yet another link: Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean summed up Irene at her blog last Monday.
9/27 UPDATE: It’s hard to believe that tomorrow will mark one month since Irene made landfall here. And as I noted at the top, Hurricane Gloria whizzed (compared to the slower Irene) through Long Island 26 years ago today. Since I wrote this post a few weeks ago, a few more Atlantic tropical cyclones have formed and none have directly impacted the U.S. (Knock on wood.) In checking the August archives at the website Johnny Dollar’s Place, I found an interview John Gibson did with Janice Dean on his Fox News Radio show. It took place on August 29, the day after landfall:
12/30 UPDATE: Irene was the #1 tri-state area news story in WCBS 880’s countdown of the top 11 stories of 2011:
… But Sunday morning, August 28, we knew the caution was called for.
Irene swept ashore in Brigantine, battered New Jersey, then crossed Coney Island at 9 a.m. on a path for New England.
Throughout its path, Irene caused widespread destruction, left millions without power and killed 56 people.
“We are now into day three of no electricity for hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders,” reported WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs. …
Even with all that Irene turned out not to have been a hurricane when it hit our area.
Okay, fine, it wasn’t a hurricane. It was Tropical Storm Irene. It might as well have been a category 1 hurricane because it moved slow enough to cause the same amount of damage.
You can read and listen to the rest here.
Rippingtons Smooth Cruise recap 2 July 28, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Travel, TV, Weather.add a comment
Yesterday, I went to Chelsea Piers’ Pier 61 for the weekly summer Smooth Cruise aboard the Spirit of New York. I was aboard the Rippingtons‘ 6:30 cruise. This was my second Rippingtons Smooth Cruise. The first time was in 2009. And overall, it was my fifth Ripps concert.
Before we get to the sights inside, let’s focus on the outside.
As the ship passed Lower Manhattan, we passengers caught a glimpse of the half-completed Freedom Tower (9/11 UPDATE: The tower is officially known as One World Trade Center):
Further north, the Empire State Building:
The East River view of the Freedom Tower:
Now, the inside story. The ship embarked at 6:43 and the concert began a few minutes later.
Lenny Green, host of Kissing After Dark on 98.7 KISS FM, warmed up the audience and then welcomed the Rippingtons to the stage!
Russ Freeman, the bandleader, was on guitar:
Jeff Kashiwa on the alto saxophone…
…and EWI (electronic wind instrument):
Rico Belled on bass:
And Dave Karasony on drums and percussion:
SET LIST
1. Côte D’Azur
Originally heard on: “Côte D’Azur,” 2011
2. Modern Art
Originally heard on: “Modern Art,” 2009
3. Postcard From Cannes*
Originally heard on: “Côte D’Azur,” 2011
4. Mr. 3
Originally heard on: “Let It Ripp,” 2003
5. Aspen
Originally heard on: “Curves Ahead,” 1991
6. Le Calypso
Originally heard on: “Côte D’Azur,” 2011
7. When It Feels Good (Jeff Kashiwa)
Originally heard on: “Back in the Day,” 2009
Jeff pointed out that a 24-second snippet of this song can be heard in the background in one scene from Larry Crowne, the new movie starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.
8. Avenida Del Mar
Originally heard on: “Life in the Tropics,” 2000
9. Sainte Maxime
Originally heard on: “Côte D’Azur,” 2011
10. Snowbound**
Originally heard on: “Curves Ahead,” 1991
11. Black Diamond*
Originally heard on: “Black Diamond,” 1997
*Jeff on EWI
**Jeff on EWI and alto sax
Russ and Rico got the audience clapping to start “Côte D’Azur”:
Bill’s vocoder finish to “Modern Art”:
The stage view on closed-circuit TV one deck below:
Jeff walked through the audience for the first half of “Aspen”:
Bill used the “skating rink organ” setting on “Le Calypso”:
Dave’s drum solo came in “Avenida Del Mar”:
Jeff played both the alto sax and EWI on “Snowbound”:
Jeff put the alto sax down for “Black Diamond,” going with the EWI:
The end of the set:
Before the show, I said hello to Bill and Rico, and we posed for this picture:
And afterward, I stayed behind the camera for this pic of Russ and Bill:
This was the best Smooth Cruise I’ve been on in recent memory. Thanks to Russ, Bill, Jeff, Rico, and Dave for another great show! And thanks to an area of high pressure for providing nice, comfortable (or at least not as humid) weather.
This recap is dedicated to my cousin Steve who turned 18 yesterday.
8/2 UPDATE: Katherine Gilraine attended the 9:30 cruise and wrote about it (and three other shows) at her blog:
Spirit Cruises: The Rippingtons
With Cote D’Azur out and on sale, I couldn’t miss it. The Rippingtons have always had a reputation for producing wonderful material, and when Russ Freeman brings out his inner rocker – just stand back, that is all.
Last week’s Wednesday night was no exception. I boarded the ship, and when Russ Freeman broke into Cote D’Azur’s title track, it was on. Jeff Kashiwa, a strong saxman in his own right, also had a chance to shine with his current hit, When It Feels Good. Me being picky me, I listened into Jeff’s style, and have to admit that his is more than palatable. Straightforward, but easy on the ear, strong and direct – all the marks of what I like in my horns.
That cruise, though…I can’t put it into words. Somewhere between Black Diamond and the NYC skyline at night, I reaffirmed just why I do what I do: the traveling, the jazz, the writing… It makes me feel utterly alive.
Shilts at Houndsooth Pub recap; with guests! June 13, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Later Shilts recap: May 2012
Saturday evening, I made my second trip to Manhattan in four days. I saw Lisa Hilton down in Greenwich Village on Wednesday. On Saturday, the musician was Shilts at Houndstooth Pub in the Fashion District, a few blocks north of Penn Station.
Unlike Wednesday when my dad and I drove to the venue, I went by myself taking the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) to Penn Station. Not that it mattered to me, but alcohol was banned from trains that day because of the Belmont Stakes. It made sense. Why spoil the day of someone who came from out of town for the race? I was between Woodside and Penn Station while the race was in progress. Neither Shackleford nor Animal Kingdom won. Instead, Ruler on Ice was the surprise winner, as I learned through mobile web on my cell phone once inside Houndstooth Pub and watched on DVR when I got home.
Getting back to music, the last time I was at Houndstooth for Brian Simpson, there were strong winds and heavy rain. This time, there was a lighter wind and mist. The $19.99 umbrella I bought earlier in the day was worth it.
Bass player Kenny Harris opened up for Shilts with two songs. The latter song was a Bobby Caldwell cover, “What You Won’t Do For Love,” which he also played during Matt Marshak’s Houndstooth show in December.
Kenny was accompanied by his brother Rodney Harris on drums and the aforementioned Matt Marshak on guitar.
Then, it was time for Shilts.
Kenny Harris remained on bass:
Frank “Third” Richardson was on drums:
And Jay Rowe played the keyboards:
SET LIST
1. See What Happens
2. Look What’s Happened
3. Good Evans – Solo intro by Jay Rowe
4. Steve Cole: Just A Natural Thang – without Shilts
5. Sugar (Stanley Turrentine cover) – with Steve Cole
6. Seeing Things Clearly
7. Jam – with Matt Marshak
8. Staten Island Groove – with Matt Marshak
Jay led off “Good Evans” with an original piano solo:
He had another in the middle of the song:
After “Good Evans,” Shilts introduced a special guest:
Shilts yielded the stage to Steve who played “Just A Natural Thang”:
Shilts returned and Steve stuck around for “Sugar”:
Shilts brought out another special guest, Matt Marshak, seen earlier with Kenny, for the last two songs:
Third Richardson’s “Jam” drum solo:
The last song of the set was “Staten Island Groove”:
And that was it for the first set:
I’m sure the second set was just as great.
Before I left, I said hello to Shilts and we posed this picture:
I had a blast. I send my thanks to all involved: Shilts, Steve Cole, Kenny Harris, Rodney Harris, Third Richardson, Matt Marshak, Jay Rowe, Eulis Cathey, Kevin McCabe, Steve Butler, Kat Sarracco, Frank Sarracco (neither present, but there in spirit as Neko Productions was a sponsor), and Katherine Gilraine. K.G. has a post up about the entire night.
SJFS 2011 recap May 4, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography.1 comment so far
Jay Rowe‘s ninth annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars concert was spread out over two nights. Last Friday, there was the jam session at Daniel Street in Milford featuring Steve Cole and Jeff Kashiwa. (6/22/12 UPDATE: Daniel Street closed in January.)
Saturday had the main concert at the Parsons Complex Auditorium. It was my fifth SJFS and the second where I didn’t stay the night.
Kevin McCabe of Jumpstart Jazz Productions was the first to greet the audience:
Then, Jay Rowe, the man behind the concert, following Kevin’s introduction:
Jay was backed up by Best Kept Secret, made up of Steve Scales on percussion:
Trever Somerville on drums:
And Dave Anderson on bass:
Of course, Jay was on the keyboards:
Without further ado, the photo recap is underway.
SONG #1: Martinis and Bikinis (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: “Live at Daniel Street,” 2011
Featured musician: Ken Navarro
After a few minutes, Jay welcomed Ken Navarro to the stage for the rest of the song:
SONG #2: Eric’s Dream (Ken Navarro)
Originally heard on: “Brighter Days,” 1995; “Ablaze in Orlando,” 1998
Featured musician: Ken Navarro
Ken wrote this song for his son Eric, who was nine years old at the time. He’s now 25.
SONG #3: Lakes (Ken Navarro; Pat Metheny cover)
Originally heard on: “The Meeting Place,” 2007
Featured musicians: Ken Navarro, Jeff Kashiwa
Jeff was on the tenor saxophone:
The next four pictures are of Dancing Eric Triffin:
SONG #4: The Lucky One (Jeff Kashiwa)
Originally heard on: “Play,” 2007
Featured musicians: Jeff Kashiwa, Ken Navarro
Jeff wrote “The Lucky One” for his wife and child. He truly is the lucky one. It was the first time he’d ever played the song live.
SONG #5: You Make Me Blue (Chieli Minucci & Special EFX)
Originally heard on: “Without You,” 2010
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci, Jeff Kashiwa, Marion Meadows
Time to introduce Marion Meadows!:
Marion was on the soprano sax:
SONG #6: Treasures (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: “In Deep,” 2002
Featured musicians: Marion Meadows, Chieli Minucci
Marion and Dancing Eric juxtaposed:
SONG #7: Thursday (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: “Spin,” 2005
Featured musicians: Steve Cole, Chieli Minucci, Ken Navarro
SONG #8: Angel (Steve Cole; Sarah McLachlan cover)
Originally heard on: “Moonlight,” 2011
Featured musician: Steve Cole
Dave Anderson played acoustic bass on “Angel”:
SONG #9: Movin’ Up (Jeff Kashiwa)
Originally heard on: “Play,” 2007
Featured musicians: Jeff Kashiwa, Ken Navarro
It was that time in the show to introduce the feature teacher himself, Bob Nunno!
SONG #10: Donna (Bob Nunno)
Originally heard on: Yet to be released
Featured musicians: Bob Nunno, Chieli Minucci
Rounding out the lead saxes for the night, Bob played tenor:
“Donna” is Bob’s tribute to his wife.
After “Donna,” Jay shared the story of how he met Ms. Theresa Voss, the Foran High School choral director:
I was playing piano for the [Milford] tree lighting ceremony and I was told that I would be accompanied by the Lauralton Hall Chorus. And it was great. They were such a great chorus. … It was a pleasure musically to play with them. And I admire Theresa, how great she was as the choral director. So, when I heard she got the job at Foran High, I thought, oh my God, this is going to be great. They’re gonna have a great chorus. Sure enough, she built up the choral program and made it what it is now.
After recounting the Select Ensemble Chorus’ first four appearances at SJFS, he welcomed Ms. Voss to the stage:
The chorus soon followed:
Then, Jay told the audience that it was Ms. Voss’s birthday and invited her back to the stage from the orchestra pit…
…where the chorus and audience sang “Happy Birthday” to Jay’s keyboard accompaniment:
After Steve Scales noted it was his birthday, too, and Ms. Voss returned to the pit to direct the chorus, it was time for:
SONG #11: Katy’s Groove (Jay Rowe)
Featured musicians: Foran High School Select Ensemble Chorus
“Katy’s Groove” was dedicated to pop singer Katy Perry.
A round of applause:
The performance went so well, Jay wanted a way to officially record it.
He then dismissed the chorus until later:
SONG #12: Suede (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: “Player’s Club,” 2004
Featured musician: Marion Meadows
Surprise! Marion began in the audience:
We jumped right from “Suede” to:
SONG #13: South Beach (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: “Body Rhythm,” 1995
Featured musician: Marion Meadows
A sample of “Mas Que Nada” found its way in the solo:
Steve Scales, Trever Somerville, and Dave Anderson were next on the solo train:
Marion: “It’s an absolute honor and a pleasure to have known Jay Rowe for so many years. I’m proud to say that Jay Rowe has been a member of my touring band for 19 years. So, that says a lot about friendship and the love I have for this gentleman. A round of applause for Jay Rowe.”
He also thanked Dave, Steve, and Trever.
SONGS #14/15: Ken Navarro solo feature: Letter From Home (Pat Metheny Group cover)/Europa (Santana cover)
Musician: Ken Navarro only
“Letter From Home” was dedicated to Tom and Melissa who are serving our military in Iraq. Tom is the son, and Melissa the daughter-in-law, of Libby and Lauren, a couple from Atlanta in the audience. (1/6/12 UPDATE: You can hear these songs and more on Ken’s new album, “The Test of Time.”)
SONG #16: Festival (Special EFX)
Originally heard on: “Peace of the World,” 1991
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci, the ladies of the Foran High School Select Ensemble Chorus
There was one song left. All the musicians returned to the stage.
SONG #17 (Finale): Hyde Park (The “Ah, Oooh” Song) (Jeff Kashiwa)
Originally heard on: “Another Door Opens,” 2000
Featured musicians: Everyone, Foran High School Horns
The audience played a role, too, as Jeff informed them. You’ll see what role below.
“Ahhhhh, oooooh”:
The final note of the night:
Afterward came the meet and greet with pictures.
This year’s Smooth Jazz for Scholars was another success from start to finish. Next year is #10! See you then.
SJFS 2011 recap still to come May 1, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography.add a comment
As I type, I’m early in the process of editing pictures from last night’s Smooth Jazz for Scholars concert. Once I finish, the next step will be to select the best ones and upload them to the blog. Then, the writing part. The recap should be up by next weekend; hopefully sooner.
Thanks for your patience.
5/4 UPDATE: The recap is up.
MikeChimeri.com 
