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SJFS 2026 Night 2 recap May 14, 2026

Posted by Mike C. in Education, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, smooth jazz, Sports, Thoroughbred, Travel, TV, Video, Weather.
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Continued from night 1 recap

Saturday, May 2, was night 2 of the 23rd anniversary Smooth Jazz for Scholars, hosted by keyboardist Jay Rowe in his hometown of Milford, Connecticut, benefiting the Milford Public Schools music department.

Much of the day was spent at Hilton Garden Inn, whether hanging out in my room or mingling in the lobby. I’d seen night 1 headliner Steve Oliver when I arrived Friday afternoon. On Saturday, I said quick hellos to Althea René and Steve Cole, who were among the night 2 headliners. I also saw fellow photographer Kat Gilraine, Mark and Phyllis Abrams, Rob and Melanie Hoogenboom, and Billy Okumu. At Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the site of Smooth Jazz for Scholars (within Parsons Complex), I saw Jay Dobbins, Judy Raphael, Steve Lewis, Jay Rowe’s wife Deborah, and his mother Mia DiStasi. I made a new acquaintance after the show, which I’ll get to when the time comes.

I left for the auditorium right after watching Golden Tempo make history at the 152nd Kentucky Derby at the restaurant in the hotel lobby. (Watch Larry Collmus call the race for NBC.)

It was another 7:20 arrival, and this was my gear down in the orchestra pit:

I arrived at the same time for a set that began at the same time: promptly at 8PM. That’s when Kevin McCabe of JumpStart Jazz Productions bid us good evening.

Saturday’s student openers were the full Joseph A. Foran High School Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jessica Turner.

Trumpet player Max Vicarelli led a great arrangement of “Feels So Good” by the late flugelhorn player Chuck Mangione.

Kevin McCabe returned to introduce the headliners and house band, led by Smooth Jazz for Scholars music director and founder Jay Rowe.

Jay’s opening remarks

Jay on his front-facing keyboards:

Saturday’s headliners were the aforementioned Steve Cole on tenor sax (and jokes):

Chieli Minucci on electric guitar:

…and acoustic guitar:

The aforementioned Althea René on flute:

…and Alex Bugnon on keyboards:

The house band accompanying Jay Rowe and the headliners was made up of Steve Scales on percussion:

Trever Somerville on drums:

Andy Abel on guitar:

…and Dave Anderson on bass:

SET LIST
1. The Next Step (Jay Rowe) (also played on night 1)
2026 single
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Andy Abel (guitar)

2. City Groove (Jay Rowe)
2023 single
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Andy Abel (guitar), Steve Scales (percussion)

3. Just Another Love Thing (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: Groove Reflections (2021)
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Steve Cole (tenor sax)

I love (no pun intended) the “Linus and Lucy” phrases Jay threw into his solos.

4. Attitude (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: Without a Doubt (2023)
Featured musician: Steve Cole (tenor sax)

5. Time & Space (Althea René)
Originally heard on: 18 Karat (2025)
Featured musician: Althea René (flute)

6. Life on Mars (Althea René) (Dexter Wansel cover)
Originally heard on: Flawsome (2019)
Featured musicians: Althea René (flute, “flute talk”), Andy Abel (guitar), Jay Rowe (keyboards), Dave Anderson (bass), Trever Somerville (drums)

7. Daybreak (Special EFX)
Originally heard on: Global Village (1992)
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (acoustic/electric guitars), Althea René (flute), Jay Rowe (keyboards)

8. Mystical Remedies/Mystical (Special EFX)
Originally heard on: Modern Manners (1985), Sweet Surrender (2007)
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar), Steve Cole (tenor sax)

9. Sweet Sticky Thing (Alex Bugnon) (Ohio Players cover)
Originally heard on: This Time Around (1993)
Featured musician: Alex Bugnon (keyboards)
Jay Rowe did not play.

10. Night Groove (Alex Bugnon)
Originally heard on: Soul Purpose (2001)
Featured musician: Alex Bugnon (keyboards)
Jay Rowe did not play.

11. Synergy (Althea René)
Originally heard on: Conspiracy Theory (2026)
Featured musician: Althea René (flute)

12. Mirage (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: Turn It Up (2016)
Featured musician: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Jay Rowe (keyboards)

13. Justice (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: Smoke and Mirrors (2021)
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Jay Rowe (keyboards)

50/50 RAFFLE ($965 pot) (won by John)

14. Spellbound (Alex Bugnon) (Joe Sample cover)
Featured musician: Alex Bugnon (keyboards)
(recycled from 2024 night 2 recap): The story behind Alex’s cover of “Spellbound” involved filling in for an ailing Joe Sample at Yoshi’s in 2013. Spellbound was the first jazz album I ever bought, in the summer of 1998.
Jay Rowe did not play.

15. Cool Summer (Special EFX)
2024 single
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (acoustic guitar), Jay Rowe (keyboards)

16 (Finale). Love and Happiness (Trever Somerville) (Al Green cover)
Featured musicians: Trever Somerville (vocals, drums), Everyone

Before I get to the bulk of the photos, I need to thank Jay Rowe for taking the time between – “Mystical Remedies” and “Sweet Sticky Thing” – to praise the work of me and my fellow photographers Kat Gilraine, Ken Combs, and Keith McDonald. Thank you so much, Jay. We’ve known each other 20 years (since May 5, 2006) and I am grateful to have you in my life. I’m equally grateful to everyone I’ve gotten to know and collaborate with at Smooth Jazz for Scholars, the WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony, and Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, just to name a few.

Now, photo galleries of each musician, beginning with Jay:

“Daybreak” solo…
“Cool Summer” solo…

Steve Cole:

Chieli Minucci on electric guitar:

Chieli on acoustic guitar:

Althea René:

Alex Bugnon:

The house band is up next, starting with Steve Scales:

Trever Somerville:

“Life on Mars” solo…

Andy Abel:

…and Dave Anderson:

Dave’s “Life on Mars” solo…

Medium shots:
Chieli Minucci and Althea René on “Daybreak”:

Chieli Minucci and Steve Cole (and Andy Abel) on “Mystical Remedies”:

“Chieli Minucci, y’all!”

Alex Bugnon, Dave Anderson, Trever Somerville on “Night Groove”:

Steve Cole and Jay Rowe on “Justice”:

Wide shots:
“The Next Step”:

“Just Another Love Thing”:

“Sweet Sticky Thing”:

End of “Night Groove”:

“Thank you!”

End of “Cool Summer”:

“Thank you. ‘Cool Summer,’ guys. It’s comin’. Here we go.”

When the time came for the 50/50 raffle, with a $965 pot, Jay Rowe pulled out the winning ticket from the bag Kevin McCabe brought to the stage:

The winner was John from Brooklyn:

As you saw in the set list and video, Trever Somerville sang for the grand finale: Al Green‘s “Love and Happiness“:

Here’s how the rest of the finale played out photographically:

The big finish to the grand finale:

Jay Rowe’s closing remarks:

All right! Give it up for Alex Bugnon, Steve Cole, Althea René, Chieli Minucci, Steve Scales, Andy Abel, Trever Somerville, Dave Anderson, [and] I’m Jay Rowe! Thank you all so much! We’ll see you outside [in the lobby]! We’re havin’ our after party at Bistro Mediterranean on Bridgeport Avenue! So, come on down and have a drink with us! Thank you so much. We’re signin’ CDs out there [in the lobby], too.

The meet-and-greet photos begin with Anita Guris of 2 The Bridge Talent and the guitar she won, signed by all the musicians (Jay, headliners, house band):

Anita and Chieli Minucci:

In addition to that Fender Squier Telecaster guitar, Anita won two gift baskets in a raffle. I may not have had any luck in raffles, but I am proud for the lucky ones, and luck was with Anita this year.

Here I am with Steve Cole:

Althea René:

Thanks to Jay Rowe’s wife Deborah, me with Jay and Chieli Minucci:

…and after I’d put my EOS R7 away, an iPhone 17 Pro selfie with Ken Combs:

I said good night to everyone, exited the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, and headed back to Hilton Garden Inn.

I checked out of the hotel at 10:30 AM on Sunday, May 3. Even with heavy pockets of traffic in Greenwich, and in one spot each on the Cross Island and Southern State Parkways, the ride home (as a passenger) took an hour and 38 minutes, from 10:38 AM to 12:16 PM.

Cross Island Parkway Exit 25A, Southern State Parkway East:

Southern State Parkway Exit 13N, Linden Boulevard:

That’s the last of the photos and the last of my two-part 2026 Smooth Jazz for Scholars recap. The publication of these posts, and all the videos, is the culmination of a 19-day labor of love; from the moment I entered the Roosevelt School East Room at LIU Post (for the WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony) to the moment yesterday when I clicked “save draft” one last time on the SJFS night 1 and 2 posts. Thank you for following me on this multimedia journey, and thank you to Jay Rowe, the Friday and Saturday headliners, the house band, Kevin McCabe and the JumpStart Jazz Productions crew, and all my fellow smooth jazz fans and photographers.

Like the WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony video, I dedicate this two-part recap to my uncle Scott Stephen, a Milford native, whom I lost on April 23. The bulk of my post-production was done at the computer/desk hutch that he graciously assembled back in June 2023. Uncle Scott was a very handy man, a funny man, and as avid a fisherman as my dad Bill. I will miss him dearly.

Instrumental Invasion, 5/31/23 June 1, 2023

Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Animation, Audio, Baseball, City Pop, Comedy, Dogs, Film, Health, Horse Racing, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio, Religion, Sports, Thoroughbred, TV, Video, Western, World Music.
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The May 31 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was the fifth in a row with talk breaks recorded in one day, and third in a row/fourth out of five recorded in one day. That day was April 10, 19 days after last week’s show was recorded. I got a cold a few days after that recording (March 25) and used the time to work on playlists for this show and the next two. Pickups were recorded on April 13, April 16, and May 5.

The playlist was created March 19, 22, and 26, then tweaked on April 1 to add a track from Keiko Matsui‘s Euphoria album released the day before. Annotations were written from April 3 to 5, and the talk break script was drafted April 8.

I played the lead single from Keiko’s album, “Steps on the Globe,” which prompted me to play a clip from “Moosylvania Saved,” the final Rocky and Bullwinkle story arc where the punchline was “spots on the globe.” This exchange between Fearless Leader (Bill Scott) and Boris Badenov (Paul Frees) occurred in episode one of four:

“That’s what my uncle came down with: spots on the globe.”

That talk break also had references to a pair of Mel Brooks films, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. The second segment’s second talk break referred to Ghostbusters and Steve Somers. The Schmoozer homage came when I said “The Square were schmoozing S-P-O-R-T-S,” Steve’s catchphrase at the start of some shows or hours of those shows.

There were three retreads this week:

Click here to download this week’s scoped aircheck or listen below:

See you at the WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony this Saturday.

SJFS 2017 Night 2 recap May 8, 2017

Posted by Mike C. in Horse Racing, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Phone, Photography, Sports, Thoroughbred, TV.
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2017 night 1

Keyboardist Jay Rowe‘s 15th annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit continued Saturday night with the second of two concerts. The headliners were Chieli Minucci (“key-L-e min-OO-chee”), Steve Oliver, Nelson Rangell (soft g), and Steve Cole.

I was only able to get 3 1/2 hours of sleep, although I may have gotten an hour or two more when I thought I was half asleep.

At 6:45 AM, I stretched and went down to the Hampton Inn fitness center to exercise. Running on the treadmill was tough. My body was used to the treadmill at home and I could only manage a broken 2.4 miles (meaning I took a lot of breaks) before giving up and moving on to weightlifting. (I had a better handle on the treadmill yesterday morning, running 5 miles with less breaks.)

Later in the morning, I went to the lobby to drink hot chocolate and mingle with musicians and fellow jazz fans. First, I ran into Mark Abrams and his wife Phyllis. Then, I had a long, engaging, intriguing conversation with Nelson Rangell. My mother Lisa was in on the conversation for a little while. As a went to pour my second cup of hot chocolate, I met Steve Oliver, who was pouring a cup of coffee. I told him I’d been a fan of his music since I first heard it on The Weather Channel in 2002. He was pleased to hear that.

While my parents spent the afternoon at Mohegan Sun, I edited pictures from Friday night, chose the ones to include in the recap, uploaded them to the website, and placed them in the rough draft. When I was finally finished, I killed some time walking from Hampton Inn to a couple of stores on Boston Post Road (U.S. 1). I didn’t buy anything, but at least I passed time before dinner.

When my parents returned, we drove up Boston Post Road to the Olive Garden in Orange. I ate minestrone and cheese ravioli with meat sauce. Delicious.

It was 7:15 when we arrived at Veterans Memorial Auditorium back in Milford. I watched a replay of the Kentucky Derby on my iPhone since I forgot about the race. Always Dreaming won by 2 3/4 lengths.

At 8:00, the dream of Saturday night’s concert became a reality. Kevin McCabe of Jumpstart Jazz got things started with a welcome and thank yous:

After Kevin introduced Jay Rowe’s house band, he introduced Jay himself. His band was made up of Rohn Lawrence on electric guitar, Dave Anderson on bass, Trever Somerville on drums, and Steve Scales – who graduated from the University of Bridgeport earlier in the day – on percussion.

We’ll get to pictures of the band and headliners after you see the…

SET LIST
1. Smooth Ride (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: Smooth Ride (2016)
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Rohn Lawrence (electric guitar)

2. Daybreak (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: Global Village (Special EFX) (1992)
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (acoustic/electric guitar), Steve Oliver (acoustic guitar, vocals)

3. High Noon (Steve Oliver)
Originally heard on: Positive Energy (2002)
Featured musicians: Steve Oliver (acoustic guitar, vocals), Chieli Minucci (acoustic guitar)

4. Lavish (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: Deep as the Night (Special EFX) (2017)
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (acoustic/electric guitar), Nelson Rangell (alto sax)

5. Vonetta (Nelson Rangell; Earl Klugh cover)
Originally heard on: Soul to Souls (2006)
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (flute), Chieli Minucci (acoustic guitar)

6. Another Star (Nelson Rangell; Stevie Wonder cover)
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)

7. Turning Night Into Day (Nelson Rangell)
Originally heard on: Turning Night Into Day (1997)
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Steve Cole (tenor sax), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)

8. Thursday (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: Spin (2005)
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar), Steve Oliver (electric guitar), Rohn Lawrence (electric guitar)

9. Going in Circles (Steve Cole; Friends of Distinction cover)
Originally heard on: Pulse (2013)
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (electric guitar)

10. Chips and Salsa (Steve Oliver)
Originally heard on: 3D (2004)
Featured musicians: Steve Oliver (acoustic guitar, vocals), Chieli Minucci (acoustic guitar, vocals)

11. Sunlight Within (Steve Oliver)
Originally heard on: Global Kiss (2010)
Featured musician: Steve Oliver (acoustic guitar, vocals)

12. Mirage (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: Turn It Up (2016)
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Nelson Rangell (flute), Rohn Lawrence (electric guitar)

13. Sonora (Nelson Rangell; Hampton Hawes cover)
Originally heard on: Destiny (1995) (alto sax); My American Songbook, Vol. 1 (2005)
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (whistling/piccolo), Steve Oliver (acoustic guitar), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)

14. Katy’s Groove (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: Smooth Ride (2016)
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards); Foran High School Advanced Vocal Ensemble, directed by Theresa Voss

15 (Finale). Cruise Control (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: Butterfly (Special EFX) (2001)
Featured musicians: Everyone

Here are the pictures, starting with Jay Rowe:

The end-of-solo glide:

Rohn Lawrence:

Dave Anderson:

Trever Somerville:

Steve Scales:

Chieli Minucci on electric guitar:

Acoustic guitar:

Steve Oliver on acoustic guitar:

“Guitar symphony orchestra” intro to “Chips and Salsa”:

“Olé!”:

Electric guitar:

Vocals:

Nelson Rangell on alto sax:

Flute:

Chimes, at the beginning of “Sonora”:

Whistling on “Sonora”:

Piccolo:

Back to whistling:

Steve Cole:

Steve Oliver and Chieli:

“Tayyy-yo!”:

Chieli and Nelson:

Steve Cole and Nelson:

Nelson, Steve Cole, Chieli:

Steve Cole’s “wall of guitar” for “Thursday”:

The Foran High School Advanced Vocal Ensemble, directed by Theresa Voss, vocalized on “Katy’s Groove”:

The finale: “Cruise Control”:

Jay had many people to thank, but Rohn wanted to thank Jay:

With that, the 15th annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars was complete.

I had another engaging conversation with Nelson the following morning as I began editing pictures. I finished editing them on the drive home, which only took an hour and a half. Until next year, Milford.

I suggest a Triple Crown retool June 8, 2014

Posted by Mike C. in Horse Racing, Media, Music, Personal, Sports, Thoroughbred, TV.
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After what transpired at yesterday’s Belmont Stakes, next year will mark 37 years since the last Triple Crown winner – Affirmed.  Since then, thoroughbred racing has had close call after close call after close call, as three-year-old horses will win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, but fall short at Belmont.  It doesn’t happen every year, but it’s still heartbreaking and frustrating.  I suggest the Triple Crown format be retooled.  Before I explain how, there is a backstory.

I first became aware of the Triple Crown races in 1997.  That year, Silver Charm was the unlucky horse to lose at Belmont Park in Elmont.  Then there was Real Quiet a year later.  He barely lost to Victory Gallop.  The year after that, Charismatic fell short.  Three years later, there was another three-year stretch of horses to win the first two legs and fall short: War Emblem, Funny Cide, and Smarty Jones.  In 2008, there was Big Brown.  He came up far short at Belmont.  In 2012, I’ll Have Another was scratched the day before the race!

That brings us to this year and California Chrome.  I was at a second birthday party and watched the Kentucky Derby on TV, like I always do.  His win gave me an opportunity to allude to the Mamas and the Papas hit, “California Dreamin’.”  The announcers on TV did the same.  Two weeks later, I was in an Italian restaurant as the Preakness Stakes was run.  The sound was off on the TV ahead of my booth, but the closed-captioning was on.  When California Chrome won that, I knew we were in for another three weeks of hype that would only be followed by heartbreak.  When you see the same thing play out over many years, you know what to expect.

On Facebook, I floated a ridiculous idea:

If California Chrome wins the Belmont Stakes, thereby winning the Triple Crown, NBC should send a check for $36 to each Nielsen household tuned to them during the race. That would be one dollar for each year since the last Triple Crown winner: Affirmed in 1978.

In the comment thread, I amended that to $3.60, but perhaps 36 cents would have made even more sense.

I floated that idea because I knew California Chrome would lose.  I would have loved for him to win, which turned into thinking he actually would win.  So, as I watched the Belmont Stakes on my iPhone yesterday at another restaurant, I closed the NBC Sports Live Extra app in frustration after Larry Collmus said in the home stretch that there wouldn’t be a Triple Crown winner this year.  I don’t even know who won and don’t care.

Now for my suggestion: Horses that win the Kentucky Derby should not be allowed to run the Preakness Stakes.  That will avoid future heartbreaking Belmont Stakes.  If they can’t run in the Preakness, they can’t possibly win it to set up Triple Crown talk.

It’s another ridiculous suggestion, I’m sure, and one that is born out of sour grapes, but I would love to see it happen.  The days of Triple Crown winners ended in 1978.  I don’t see it ever happening again.

6/9 UPDATE: A rebuttal by Jeff Kroll:

These ideas for change are generally coming from the generation that has not seen a “Triple Crown” win.  Those of us who were around in the ’70s and saw 3 of them know it’s special, and that it can happen.  It will take a very special horse and a lot of luck.  The winning time yesterday on a fast track was still 4 1/2 seconds slower than Secratariat’s world-record 2.24 Flat in 1973.  This group of horses is just not that “special.”

They’re certainly special enough to win two legs, but unfortunately not all three.  I wish I was alive to see Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed win.  Archived video is all I’ve had to go on, particularly of Secretariat’s dominant Belmont win that Jeff mentioned.

6/6/15 UPDATE: This year was finally the year! American Pharoah won the Triple Crown!