2009 Alumni Show one week away! September 26, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Media, Personal, Radio.add a comment
One week from now, I’ll be hosting my yearly alumni weekend radio show on WCWP. In addition to the info I provided three weeks ago, I’ll be live from the WCWP Homecoming Dinner. It will be my first solo remote broadcast.
Here is a promo I cut for the show.
10/3, 9:23 AM UPDATE: Alumni weekend is being simulcast on myWCWP. Click on either the Windows Media Player or Quicktime logos to listen to the stream and see the webcam, which is on throughout the weekend.
2009 Alumni Show! September 3, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Media, Personal, Radio.add a comment
I’ll be back on WCWP during the upcoming alumni weekend. You can hear me Saturday, October 3 – Homecoming Day – from 7PM to 9PM Eastern. This will be my fourth alumni weekend show.
I’ve already made the playlist. There won’t be an interview this year, but we do have some great music lined up. That lineup includes recently released music from Spyro Gyra, the Rippingtons, guitarist Chuck Loeb, and flautist/morning radio personality Alexander Zonjic. Listen in October 3 to find out the rest.
10/3/09 UPDATE: Over alumni weekend, the station Alexander Zonjic worked for, WVMV-FM, flipped formats. As a result, I’ve removed the “morning radio personality” link.
John Tesh Tilles Center concert recap July 13, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Media, Music, Personal, Radio, Travel.6 comments
Last Saturday, I attended John Tesh: Music & Intelligence for Your Life, Live in Concert, at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at C.W. Post.
I left for the campus at 5:00, walking to the N73 (MTA Long Island Bus) bus stop bound for Hicksville. That bus arrived at the stop around 5:15 and at LIRR Hicksville Station 25 minutes later. I passed part of the time at the adjacent Dunkin’ Donuts. Then, it was off to N20 bus stop and on to C.W. Post.
I shot this picture of the Tilles Center north entrance and Atrium exterior as I arrived:
The concert was hosted by KJOY 98.3 (WKJY-FM) and sister station Love 96.1 (WLVG-FM), both of which air “The John Tesh Radio Show.”
As of today, both station’s websites still have a video from John promoting the concert.
The KJOY version:
The Love 96.1 version:
The south entrance, adjacent to the Abrams Communication Building home of WCWP 88.1 FM and myWCWP.
The KJOY van:
The view from my seat before the concert:
KJOY’s Bill Edwards, whose weekday radio show precedes John’s, welcomed us:
Next to welcome us, and by extension warm us up, was Gib Gerard, the Tesh.com web producer:
Gib also operated the graphics emanating from the monitor during the concert.
Gib and Betsy Chase, the Vice President of Programming and Executive Producer for the radio show, look for potential bidders for the robe John wore Friday night at the Garden City Hotel:
The winning bid was $450. The money will go to feed a child through World Vision.
The winning bidder later gave the robe back so it could be bid on again.
Betsy also does the “Did You Know?” tidbits for the radio show, as she demonstrated by saying “Did you know John Tesh is from Long Island and his birthday was Thursday?”
The audience erupted in cheers:
I think that’s a yes. 🙂 (I never put emoticons in my blog posts, but it was necessary here.)
Then, it was time to begin. I apologize for some of the washed out pictures.
John’s grand entrance:
SET 1
1. Barcelona
2. Garden City
Only John and Tim Landers, the music director and bass player, performed on this one:
3. Bastille Day
This began with a bass solo by Tim:
Chelsea Ward on vocals:
Gannin Arnold on guitar:
For the next song, John shared the story of the first time he met Breeze Lee, his daughter Prima’s hip-hop ballet instructor. Then, he invited Breeze on stage:
And Breeze was interpreting the beginning of…
4. Trading My Sorrows
John can sing, too:
Everybody had a hand on vocals throughout the show, except for Breeze and drummer Dave Hooper (he might have, but I couldn’t see him from my seat).
5. Draw Me Close
John tells the audience how the song “Roundball Rock,” NBC Sports’ NBA theme, came to be:
6. Roundball Rock
He stopped midway through and brought out an NBA regulation size basketball, signed by him and the band, for an audience member to dribble to the “Roundball Rock” beat:
A girl named Shannyn came on stage and hilarity ensued.
I won’t give details, but one of her responses to a question by John led him to say, “In the 20 years I’ve been doing that, that’s the best answer we’ve ever had!”
High five!
“How ’bout a hand for Shannyn?”
INTERMISSION
Gib dressed casual for the second set to illustrate how casual this set is:
SET 2
7. Open The Eyes of My Heart
8. Give Me Forever (I Do)
John wrote this with James Ingram and performed it at his wedding to Connie Sellecca.
9. I Can Only Imagine
10. The Breeze Lee Challenge
This is where John and the band individually challenge Breeze Lee with their instrumentation; or in Chelsea’s case, vocalization. In turn, Breeze challenges the band by interpreting what they play. It is left up to the audience to decide who whether the band member wins or Breeze wins.
We start with drummer Dave Hooper…
Next, Tim Landers…
Followed by Gannin Arnold…
Chelsea Ward…
After a few lines of “At Last,” she threw Breeze a kiss:
And then, it was John’s turn:
The big finish:
The audience erupted in wild cheers and applause.
Wow! I, Mike Chimeri, think it’s safe to say Breeze Lee was your big winner!
He gave a thank you wave to the audience:
After John recalled how he, Connie, and Prima got involved in volunteering, and recommend it to the audience, it was on to…
11. Rescue
I, too, recommend volunteering.
12 (Finale). Spanish Steps
Gannin had an extended guitar solo:
Breeze Lee returned…
…to interpret wild keyboard and organ solos by John:
Throwing in the modulation wheel:
Switching to the organ:
Doubling up on organ and keyboard:
And back to keyboard:
Dave Hooper soloed on drums:
Then, the final measure of the night:
The concert was quite an experience. Not only did I hear great music and singing, but I learned a thing or two along the way. Thank you very much to everyone involved, and thank you to Betsy Chase for helping me remember what I forgot or didn’t know. Appropriately enough, now I know, and you all know, too. Thanks for reading.
7/14, 1:25 AM UPDATE: My recap has been linked to on John’s concert calendar page and concert homepage.
John Tesh at Tilles Center tomorrow! July 10, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Media, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
John Tesh will be performing at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts tomorrow night at 7:30. It will be the first time I’ve ever seen John live in concert and my first trip to the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in three months. I was there for Long Island Radio & TV Day, which, coincidentally, was held at Tilles, but in the Lobby, Atrium, and Patrons Lounge.
I don’t think this will be anything like the jazz or rock concerts, cruises, or small gigs I’ve been to. I hope I like it. I’ll have a recap up within a week.
7/12, 12:15 AM UPDATE: The concert was pretty good.
7/13 UPDATE: Here’s the recap.
Michael Jackson: 1950-2009; covers played on my shows June 26, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Internet, Jazz, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
Michael Jackson, a music icon (a term that everyone seems to be using), died Thursday in Los Angeles at the age of 50. In my opinion, he had his problems in other areas, but he was a great musician. He will be missed.
The first songs I remember hearing as a young boy were “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.” Of course, I was able to hear many more after that. Among them, “Bad,” “Black or White,” and the duet with his sister Janet, “Scream.”
Through jazz, I discovered other songs of his. In 1988, David Benoit covered “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” on his “Every Step of the Way” album. In 1989, the late Miles Davis covered “Human Nature” on “You’re Under Arrest.” 19 years later, in 2008, Benoit would also cover “Human Nature” along with “Never Can Say Goodbye.” I also heard “Never Can Say Goodbye” covered by Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour on “A Twist of Motown” in 2003.
A few times in my six years (to date) in radio, I played two Michael Jackson covers and one Jackson 5 cover. Thanks to my overall playlist files in Microsoft Word, I can share the songs and the artists who covered them and what shows I played the songs on:
Miles Davis, “Human Nature” (You’re Under Arrest, 1989):
- 11/16/01, The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
- 4/26/02, The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
- 9/27/02, The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
- 11/15/02, The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
- 12/31/03, The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
- 11/4/04, The Instrumental Invasion (WGBB)
Chuck Loeb, “Rock With You” (Listen, 1999)
- 9/27/02, The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
- 1/30/03, The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
- 12/30/04, The Instrumental Invasion (WGBB)
- 6/17/07, Block 1 (6PM-9PM, 12AM-3AM, 6AM-9AM, 12PM-3PM), MCJN: Mike Chimeri Jazz Net (my Live365 Internet Radio station, May 22 to July 7, 2007)
- 7/5/07, Block 1, MCJN: Mike Chimeri Jazz Net (Live365 Internet Radio)
Dave Grusin & Lee Ritenour, “Never Can Say Goodbye” (A Twist of Motown, 2003):
- 2/25/04, The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
- Evergreen Show #5 (pre-recorded 3/3/04), The Mike Chimeri Show (WCWP)
MP3: Airchecks from shows featuring Michael Jackson covers
Outside of radio, I heard “I Want You Back” (the Jackson 5) and “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” (the Jacksons) covered at previous Smooth Jazz for Scholars concerts. The latter was in 2007 and the former in 2007 and 2009.
Long Island Radio & TV Day 2009 April 23, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Media, Personal, Radio.9 comments
Last Saturday, I made the trek to C.W. Post for the annual Long Island Radio & TV Day at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, presented by the Long Island Wireless Historical Society and WCWP. From 10AM to 4PM, exhibits, performances, and events were held in the Tilles Lobby, Atrium, and Patrons Lounge.
I arrived shortly after 12PM and began snapping pictures.
I was greeted by Kip Rosser playing the theremin, the first electronic instrument.
The audience (at the moment I shot this) included Ted David and Maura “Bernie” Bernard. See if you can find them:
Kip between songs:
Here’s what else I found in the Lobby:
WGBB, my home from July 2004 to May 2005:
myWCWP, my home from October 2001 to May 2004, and May 2005 to January 2007:
Though I’m no longer with ‘GBB or WCWP, I’m an alumnus of both forever.
myWCWP’s Alana Leider gave a tour of the Abrams Communication Building every half hour. Meanwhile, at the table, here are Jordan Lauterbach, Jessica Burke, and alumnus John Zoni:
On to the Atrium…
When I was at WGBB, the station shared WNYG’s building. Here is the WNYG table:
And this is the Friends of WCWP and WCWP 88.1 FM table:
Bernie Bernard and Mike Schanzer (aka Mike Hendryx):
In the following picture:
Sitting L to R: Andrea Wiener, Anita Bonita, Keith Allen (WBZO-FM, B-103), Russ DiBello (aka Famous Amos), David Plotkin
Standing L to R: Brian Bannon, Mike Riccio
WCWP alumni: Jeff Kroll, John Zoni, Dan Cox:
John Zoni, Jeff Kroll, Dan Cox:
Mike Riccio, Bill Mozer, Bob Guthenberg (aka Bobby G):
John Zoni, Dan Cox, Bill Mozer:
Bernie Bernard and Kathy Cunningham worked together at WBAB-FM:
Dan Cox being interviewed by Jim Merritt of Newsday:
And to wrap up our look at Long Island Radio & TV 2009, me and Anita Bonita:
If you spot anyone you recognize in the pictures that I didn’t identify, let me know and I’ll edit their names in.
I had my chance to meet Don Tandler and fellow WGBB alum Mitch Lebe, and re-meet Jim Cutler, but there were gone before I could catch up to them. I’m sorry I missed you guys. Having said that, I had a great time. Thank you to Bill Mozer, Dan Cox, and all those that help put together this year’s Long Island Radio & TV Day.
5/3 UPDATE: Here is the Newsday article that Jim Merritt was working on. Thanks to Ted David for bringing this to my attention on the New York Radio Message Board.
5/7 UPDATE: The aforementioned Ted David wrote the following in a separate NYRMB thread entitled “LI Radio and TV Day a success”:
By all lights, Bill Mozer’s production was a smashing success.
If you missed it and missed this past Saturday’s Newsday, here is a shot of some of the folks who attended [picture in the post]:
Sal Giangrasso, Bill Diehl, Mitch Lebe, Bill Mozer and me.
Nice time was had by all. Come on out next time!
td
Sal, Bill D., Mitch, Bill M., and Ted were pictured in Studio 4 at WCWP, the very studio where I began my radio career on October 5, 2001.
10/6 UPDATE: I had to remove the NYRMB links and find a new Newsday link because the original links led (when I clicked on them today) to error messages.
No more Sirius for me. April 18, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Personal, Radio.2 comments
Earlier tonight, I canceled my immediate family’s three subscriptions to Sirius Satellite Radio. In the four years we were subscribed to it, I rarely listened and no one else listened. So, why even waste money by subscribing to something you never listen to? That led to the cancellation tonight.
As a result, I have the following items available:
- Audiovox Sirius tuner (SIRPNP2) with docking station
- Sirius Boombox (SIRBB1); compatible with the above receiver
- Audiovox Sirius mobile dock (SIRCK1); compatible with SIRPNP1 or SIRPNP2 (above receiver), unopened
- JVC Sirius tuner (KT-SR2000); unopened
- JVC Sirius wireless FM car kit (KS-K6012); unopened
- Sirius Stiletto 10 receiver with docking station
If anyone is interested in either or all of these, leave a comment to this post or e-mail me.
4/20 UPDATE: I found someone that was interested in all the items, but what you see in this post is what I had.
Previously unposted WCWP aircheck February 9, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
Last night, in my boredom, I went to the Musicradio 77 WABC tribute site. On the homepage was an interview with Joe McCoy, the former program director at WCBS-FM. In the interview, he reflected on the former WABC personalities he hired at CBS-FM. Those personalities included Harry Harrison, Ron Lundy, Bruce Morrow (a.k.a. Cousin Brucie), and Dan Ingram.
On the page housing the interview, there was an aircheck of Dan Ingram filling in for Ron Lundy over a three-day period in January 1991. Reading the interview and listening to the aircheck made me think back to my days at WCWP, and a show I recorded in June 2005. It was an evergreen show with a Classic Top 40 theme. I hadn’t listened to it since a month or so after recording it because I was ashamed of how I sounded. I channeled Ingram and Cousin Brucie at times, but felt I sounded corny and forced.
But I’ll let you, the reader, be the judge. Here’s the aircheck:
Classic Top 40 Evergreen – June 2005
Defending Drew Carey December 17, 2008
Posted by Mike C. in Game Shows, Media, Radio, TV.add a comment
5/16/19 UPDATE: I wrote a long overdue follow up after watching Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much.
Yesterday on “The Price is Right” on CBS, a contestant named Terry Kneiss (“niece”) from Las Vegas made a perfect bid in the Showcase round and won both showcases. This was only the second time in the history of the show that a contestant bid perfectly. The other time was in the first season, 1972-1973.
For not being enthusiastic enough in announcing this milestone, host Drew Carey has been roundly criticized, especially on the internet. Other criticisms include: he bungled the situation, he can no longer be defended, he shouldn’t have been the host in the first place, bring back Bob Barker, etc.
I was going to link here to video of yesterday’s Showcase round, so you could just for yourself. But it wouldn’t load properly. Instead, click here for the full episode on CBS.com. Then, scroll ahead to 31:25 for the full round or 37:06 for the stoic reaction that’s infuriated so many people.
I am here to defend Drew. I believe he was simply in stunned disbelief and shock. Not everyone handles that situation by yelling and screaming. Drew has had the yelling, screaming reaction before, but he is far from perfect. If you want Drew to be wildly enthusiastic every time, you’re going to be disappointed. Clearly, many were disappointed by this. If you want to stop watching “The Price is Right” because Drew isn’t enthusiastic enough for your taste, it’s your choice. But there are plenty of people like me that support Drew and will continue to watch. I have been a Drew Carey fan since “The Drew Carey Show,” I became a bigger fan when he started the U.S. version of “Whose Line is it Anyway?,” and I’ve supported him on all projects since.
If you’re a fellow Drew Carey fan/supporter, you’re welcome to leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.
And congratulations to Terry. You wrote a second chapter for the history books.
12/18 UPDATE: TMZ – I can’t believe I’m linking to them – has audio of an interview with 93.1 The Party in Las Vegas.
And Paul Walsh of The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a report on Terry’s win and the “internet buzz” that followed it (and, of course, Drew Carey’s stoic reaction).
Ken Navarro interview feedback November 5, 2008
Posted by Mike C. in Interviews, Jazz, Personal, Radio.add a comment
Last night, Ken Navarro left a comment on Facebook to my picture of me and him at during the meet-and-greet following April’s Smooth Jazz for Scholars concert. Not only was he complimentary of the picture, but he had positive feedback about our October 18 interview:
FYI – I posted links to both parts of our interview on the home page of my web site and I have had a lot of emails from people telling me how much they enjoyed it. I still can’t get over how you spotted the “Try Again” intro sample showing up in “On My Way To Somewhere”. You’ve got good ears my man…
The interview was indeed posted on his homepage (screencap with circle from me below)…
…and on his media page (screencap with circle from me below):
I am so proud to learn that so many people have written to Ken expressing how much they enjoyed our interview. It makes all that work conducting the interview on September 26, editing the interview in the days that followed, and airing the final cut on October 18 worth it. Thank you very much to all of you, and once again, to Ken.
MikeChimeri.com 