SJFS 2014 Night 2 recap April 24, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.3 comments
Jay Rowe‘s twelfth annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concert resumed on Saturday night with a packed house. They were in for a wild night.
Kevin McCabe welcomed the house, or audience, at approximately 8PM:
The first song of the night was by select members of the West Shore Middle School Band. Twelve hours earlier on Facebook, the band’s teacher, Bob Nunno, let me know that some of his students would be opening the show. I told him that was great and I looked forward to seeing them. Pictures from their song can be found in the set list below.
The band for the rest of the night consisted of Jay Rowe on keyboards:
Trever Somerville on drums:
…and Steve Scales on percussion:
SET LIST
1. Clocks (Coldplay cover)
Musicians: Select members of the West Shore Middle School Band, under the direction of Mr. Bob Nunno (who also played keyboard)
Applause:
Like the previous night, Kevin returned to the stage to introduce Jay and his band. Jay welcomed the audience…:
…then played the first song of the main show, the second song overall:
2. Pleasure Island (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: “Laugh Out Loud,” 2001
Featured musician: Jay Rowe (keyboards)
3. George Can’t Dance (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: “Catwalk,” 1994 (Special EFX album)
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar), Nelson Rangell (alto sax)
4. Till the End of Time (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: “Genesis,” 2013 (Chieli Minucci & Special EFX album)
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar), Nelson Rangell (alto sax)
5. Point of Departure (Nelson Rangell)
Originally heard on: “Red” and “Blue” (upcoming albums) (1/30/15 UPDATE: “Red” and “Blue” are available for download this Sunday, February 1.)
Featured musician: Nelson Rangell (alto sax)
6. Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from The Godfather)*/Slammin’ (Nick Colionne)
Originally heard on: “Influences,” 2014
Featured musician: Nick Colionne (electric guitar)
*-Jay’s intro tune for Nick
7. Melting Into You (Nick Colionne)
Originally heard on: “No Limits,” 2008
Featured musicians: Nick Colionne (vocals/electric guitar), Marion Meadows (soprano sax) (walked on mid-song)
8. The Lift (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: “Body Rhythm,” 1995
Featured musician: Marion Meadows (soprano sax)
Marion and Jay co-wrote this song, the last track on “Body Rhythm,” which featured both them and Dave Anderson.
9. My Cherie Amour (Marion Meadows; Stevie Wonder cover)
Originally heard on: “Body Rhythm,” 1995
Featured musicians: Timmy Maia (vocals), Marion Meadows (soprano sax), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)
10. Blue Lagoon (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: “Genesis,” 2013 (Chieli Minucci & Special EFX album)
Featured musician: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)
11. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (The Allman Brothers Band cover)
Featured musicians: Caitlin Kalafus (drums), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)
12. Children’s Games (Nelson Rangell; Antonio Carlos Jobim cover)
Originally heard on: “Red” and “Blue” (upcoming albums) (1/30/15 UPDATE: “Red” and “Blue” are available for download this Sunday, February 1.)
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (whistling/piccolo/vocals/claps), Musician (acoustic guitar)
When I spoke to Jay in February, I wondered what Nelson’s whistle song would be this year. This was a pleasant surprise, and the second year in a row where Nelson covered a Jobim tune.
13. Rainbow Seeker (Nelson Rangell; Joe Sample cover)
Originally heard on: “Far Away Day,” 2000
Featured musician: Nelson Rangell (flute)
14 (Finale). James Brown Tribute
Featured musicians: Everyone, led by Nick Colionne (vocals)
Now for various pictures of each musician, beginning with Jay Rowe:
Dave Anderson:
Trever Somerville:
Steve Scales:
Chieli Minucci:
Electric guitar:
Acoustic guitar on “Children’s Games”:
Nelson Rangell:
Alto sax:
Flute:
Piccolo:
Percussion via Steve’s chimes:
Vocals and claps:
“Nelson Rangell, ladies and gentlemen!”:
Nick Colionne:
Guitar:
Vocals:
Marion Meadows:
Timmy Maia:
Caitlin Kalafus:
This was Caitlin’s first appearance at SJFS in six years.
To be blunt, she rocked!
The audience agreed.
On to wide shots. First up, “George Can’t Dance”:
“Till the End of Time”:
During “Melting Into You”…:
…and after:
“The Lift”:
During “My Cherie Amour”…:
…and after:
“In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”:
“Children’s Games”:
Steve and Trever’s “Rainbow Seeker” duet:
The wild finale (isn’t it always?): Nick’s tribute to James Brown:
“Yeah!”:
“Ha-haaaa!”:
Nick: “Here we go! Can I count it off?!” Nelson: “Count it off!”
“1, 2, 3, ‘ey!”
Time to go into the audience:
(singing): “What about you?!”: (4/27 UPDATE: Or as it’s spelled on “Influences,” “Whatta ‘Bout You?”)
What about Jay’s mother-in-law?:
Meanwhile, back on stage:
Caitlin briefly returned to drums…:
…and Timmy took over percussion:
No tribute to James Brown would be complete without the cape routine:
Jay wrapped it up:
“See you all next year!”
Bob Nunno was sitting near where I set up. So, we spoke for a few minutes after the show. Then, I had my girlfriend take our picture:
Putting together these recaps is a labor of love. From capturing to editing to uploading to writing, it’s a long and trying process. When I left the Parsons Complex on Saturday night, I contemplated not going again. But that would be crazy. I love Smooth Jazz for Scholars. For two days out of the year, Milford is my home. I am grateful to Jay and everyone involved each year for putting on what I consider the Super Bowl of contemporary jazz.
I’ll be back, and I hope you, the reader (if you’re into this genre), make plans to come, too. Thank you for reading, and to quote Jay, see you all next year!
SJFS 2014 Night 1 recap April 23, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
For eight years, I’ve traveled to Milford, Connecticut, for Jay Rowe‘s Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concert. This is the first year that has taken place on Easter weekend. My original plan was to only come to this first night – Friday, April 18. But when I spoke to Jay between sets at Jeff Kashiwa’s Houndstooth Pub show in February, he convinced me to come to both nights. I’m glad I did. I’ll recap the second night in a separate post, but let’s focus on the first night.
The night began just after 8PM with an introduction from Kevin McCabe:
The first song of the night was by select members of the Foran High School Jazz Ensemble. Pictures from that song can be found in the set list below.
As for the main band, you had SJFS founder Jay Rowe on keyboards:
Dave Anderson on bass:
Trever Somerville on drums:
Steve Scales on percussion:
…and for nine songs, Rohn Lawrence on guitar:
SET LIST
1. Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band cover)
Featured musicians: Foran “Average High School Ensemble,” as they called themselves
Applause:
After the ensemble performed, Kevin McCabe returned to the stage to resume his introduction, then he tossed to Jay Rowe:
2. Rosemary’s Tune (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: “Live at Daniel Street,” 2011
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
3. Just a Natural Thang (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: “True,” 2006
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
4. Going in Circles (Steve Cole; The Friends of Distinction cover)
Originally heard on: “Pulse,” 2013
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
5. The Music Inside (Chuck Loeb)
Originally heard on: “The Music Inside,” 1996
Featured musicians: Chuck Loeb (guitar)
6. Hacienda (Jeff Lorber)
Originally heard on: “Hacienda,” 2013 (Jeff Lorber Fusion album)
Featured musicians: Jeff Lorber (keyboard), Steve Cole (tenor sax), Chuck Loeb (guitar)
7. Tune 88 (Jeff Lorber)
Originally heard on: “Water Sign,” 1979 (Jeff Lorber Fusion album)
Featured musicians: Jeff Lorber (keyboard), Chuck Loeb (guitar), Rohn Lawrence (guitar), Kim Waters (alto sax)
8. Waterfall (Kim Waters)
Originally heard on: “Someone to Love You,” 2002
Featured musicians: Kim Waters (alto sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
9. In the House (Kim Waters)
Originally heard on: “From the Heart,” 2001
Featured musicians: Kim Waters (alto sax), Chuck Loeb (guitar), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
10. With You All the Way/All ‘n All (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: “Pulse,” 2013
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
11. Silver Lining (Chuck Loeb)
Originally heard on: “Silhouette,” 2013
Featured musicians: Chuck Loeb (guitar), Jeff Lorber (keyboard)
12. Silhouette (Chuck Loeb)
Originally heard on: “Silhouette,” 2013
Featured musicians: Chuck Loeb (guitar), Jeff Lorber (keyboard)
13. Red Wine and You (Kim Waters)
Originally heard on: “My Loves,” 2013
Featured musicians: Kim Waters (alto sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
14. Confirmation (Charlie Parker cover)
Keyboard duet: Jay Rowe, Jeff Lorber
15 (Finale). Toad’s Place (Jeff Lorber)
Originally heard on: “Water Sign,” 1979 (Jeff Lorber Fusion album)
Featured musicians: Everyone
Let’s move on to various pictures of each musician.
We start with Jay Rowe:
A call and response with Chuck Loeb on “The Music Inside”:
Dave Anderson:
Trever Somerville:
Steve Scales:
Prompting the audience to clap during “Waterfall”:
Rohn Lawrence:
I love when he creeps up the fingerboard.
I love this, too:
Steve Cole:
Chuck Loeb:
Chuck worked scat into his “In the House” solo:
Kim Waters:
Kim briefly switched to keyboard – Jeff Lorber’s keyboard – during his “In the House” solo:
Jeff Lorber:
On to wide shots, beginning with “Rosemary’s Tune”:
“Going in Circles”:
“Hacienda”:
“Tune 88”:
“In the House”:
“Confirmation,” a duet by Jay and Jeff:
The finale – “Toad’s Place”:
The first night of Smooth Jazz for Scholars was in the books. Jay gave it up one more time for all performers.
Afterward, I had brief conversations with Steve Cole, Chuck Loeb, Kim Waters, and Jeff Lorber. I also got pictures with three of them, starting with Jeff:
Then Kim:
And Chuck:
There were more musical thrills on the second night. Click here to see.
One year with iPhone April 11, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Health, Internet, Media, News, Personal, Phone, Photography, Radio, Sports, Technology, Travel, TV.add a comment
A year ago yesterday, I boarded the iPhone bandwagon by switching from an LG enV3, which I had for 3 1/2 years, to an iPhone 5. When I’m not texting or making a phone call, it’s a great alternative for internet access. My workouts with the Nike Running app have gone further than I was going in my first iPhone post last July. I’ve gone as far as 5.35 miles in one workout and broke 100 miles for the month of March.
When I need to comparison shop, I use shopping apps. When I want to listen to the radio, I have the TuneIn app. I’ve downloaded apps for several networks, network affiliates, and cable channels.
But I still wish the internal hard drive was bigger; maybe with the next iPhone.
Jeff Kashiwa at Houndstooth Pub February 19, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Travel, Weather.add a comment
I had a social doubleheader last Saturday. By afternoon, I was at my friends’ twin daughters’ first birthday party in Hempstead:
By night, I was at Houndstooth Pub in Manhattan to see saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa perform. I almost didn’t go because of the snow that had developed late in the afternoon. I was afraid to venture out because I thought we were in for up six inches of snow. Instead, we only got two. So, after much deliberation, including a declaration that I wouldn’t go, I decided I would go.
There was nearly an inch snow on the ground when my mother drove me down to Wantagh LIRR station at 5:15. The station platform looked like a pretzel as it was covered in rock salt. The result was a slushy coating that I trudged through as I walked in the light snow to the far end of the platform where only one person was standing. Everyone else huddled by the stairs and escalator. It was a quiet ride inside my railcar, but sparks flashed outside as the train rode the snow-covered rails. I had 40 minutes to kill before Houndstooth’s lower bar was open, so I stopped at Famous Famiglia two blocks south for a slice of pizza. With five minutes to go, I resumed the walk up to Houndstooth and made my way inside. I ordered chicken fingers and steak fries, then waited for the show to start.
Shows usually begin at 8:00, but Jeff Kashiwa’s began ten minutes early. Jeff played tenor saxophone…
…and EWI (“E-wee”) (electronic wind instrument):
Jay Rowe was on keyboards:
Dave Anderson on bass:
…and Trever Somerville on drums:
The set list featured six songs, a break, and six more songs:
1. Givin’ In
Originally heard on: “Walk A Mile,” 1997
2. Blue Jeans
Originally heard on: “Play,” 2007
3. Could It Be I’m Falling In Love (The Spinners cover)
Originally heard on: “Remember Catalina,” 1995
4. When It Feels Good
Originally heard on: “Back in the Day,” 2009
5. A Quiet Goodbye (preceded by Jay Rowe’s intro)
Originally heard on: “Simple Truth,” 2002
6. Hot Tin Roof
Originally heard on: “Let It Ride,” 2012
BREAK
7. Let It Ride
Originally heard on: “Let It Ride,” 2012
Played with multiple loops on Jeff’s iPhone app
8. Well, You Needn’t (Thelonious Monk cover)
9. Once Again
Originally heard on: “Play,” 2007
10. Canon in D (Johann Pachelbel)
Jeff’s iPhone app was used again for an echo effect
11. Movin’ Up
Originally heard on: “Play,” 2007
12. Hyde Park (The “Ah, Oooh” Song)
Originally heard on: “Another Door Opens,” 2000
Jeff played tenor sax on #1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12; alto sax on #3, 4, 5, and 8; and EWI on #10 and part of #11.
Now for pictures grouped by artist, starting with Jeff:
Jay Rowe during “Blue Jeans”:
Jay’s “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” solo:
“A Quiet Goodbye” intro:
“Well, You Needn’t” solo:
Dave Anderson’s “Well, You Needn’t” solo:
Flash pictures of drummers fail to capture the fluid movement involved. So, I took one pic without the flash:
Back to flash:
“Hyde Park (The ‘Ah, Oooh’ Song)”:
The “ah, oooh” part came from the audience, as Jeff’s direction indicates.
The view from my table:
The last note:
Jeff introduced the band one more time…
…and that was it.
Jeff and I caught up with each other during the break and I had Steve Butler take our picture:
Later in the break, I took this shot of Jeff, Trever, and Jay:
I wasn’t able to catch up with Dave until after the show. I told him that I almost didn’t come to the show, but once I knew that he, Trever, and Jay would be back Jeff up, I had to go. He really appreciated that.
I made the right decision to brave the snow and come to the show. Thank you to Jeff, Jay, Dave, Trever, manager Steve Butler, and father-and-son engineers Neal and Dale Newman for a wonderful night of music.
My trip up Super Bowl Boulevard February 14, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Broadway, Football, Media, News, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, TV, Video, Video Games, Weather.add a comment
Last Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Seattle Seahawks resoundingly defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII by the score of 43-8. It was the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
Two days before the Big Game, I headed to nearby Manhattan to walk the NFL’s Super Bowl Boulevard Engineered by GMC. The “Boulevard” spanned Broadway between West 34th and West 47th Streets. It was open to the public between Wednesday, January 29, and Saturday, February 1, the day after I was there. I had my Nikon D5100 (and two lenses) along for the walk to take pictures with.
The pictures in this post were taken outside the remote studios of ESPN, NFL Network, and FOX Sports; inside the Xbox One tent; by the Super Bowl Toboggan Run; by Extra Points, where fans could kick footballs through a goalpost; and a few other landmarks along the way.
We begin at ESPN’s studio:
The Xbox One tent:
The CNN/Bleacher Report studio:
The autograph stage:
Super Bowl Toboggan Run:
NFL Network’s studio at West 41st Street:
One block north of Super Bowl Boulevard was M&Ms World:
On the second floor, there was a massive array of tubes that contained milk chocolate, peanut, peanut butter, and pretzel M&Ms in a variety of colors. Two of the tubes had milk chocolate M&Ms in the team colors of the Seahawks and Broncos. I filled a bag of all kinds of M&Ms in all colors; 2.87 pounds worth. It took me three days to eat it all.
The FOX Sports studio at West 46th Street:
Megyn Kelly hosted her Fox News Channel show, The Kelly File, from this south-facing desk hours after I took this picture:
The north side of the studio:
A later shot of the south side:
Extra Points:
This kick was good:
When I passed by NFL Network’s studio again, Joe Montana was on set with hosts Andrew Siciliano, Willie McGinest, and Heath Evans:
Here’s how that looked on NFL Network:
And when I passed by ESPN’s studio, NFL Insiders was on:
From left to right: Bill Polian, Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter, and Suzy Kolber:
Macy’s Broadway entrance:
Macy’s West 34th Street entrance near 7th Avenue:
Once inside, I bought a Super Bowl XLVIII polo shirt, cap (second from the left above), full size football with the Seahawks and Broncos logos on it, and program.
Despite the massive crowds and back stiffness that set in after an hour and a half, I had a great time walking Super Bowl Boulevard.
Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks on winning Super Bowl XLVIII two nights later.
Chieli Minucci & Special EFX at The Cutting Room January 21, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
For the second time in three nights, I was in the New York City borough of Manhattan for a concert. Thursday, it was pianist Lisa Hilton at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. On Saturday, it was guitarist Chieli Minucci and his band Special EFX at The Cutting Room. Thursday was acoustic. Saturday was electronic. But each were exciting and entertaining, not to mention my first time at each venue.
The Cutting Room was one block south and five blocks east of where I exited Penn Station’s LIRR Terminal. Once there, I was directed to a room set back on the left. It was dark with most of the light coming from the stage. Most tables on facing the left side and center of the stage were full, but my girlfriend and I found an empty table close to the right end of the stage. But whatever side of the stage we were facing, we were going to be treated to great music from a legendary band, celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2014.
Special EFX was led by co-founder Chieli Minucci on electric guitar:
Jay Rowe on keyboards:
David Mann on tenor saxophone…
…soprano saxophone…
…and flute:
Jerry Brooks on bass:
And, as best I could see him from my seat, Lionel Cordew on drums:
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see much more of Jerry and Lionel from my seat. I probably could have taken shots from the right side of the stage behind the column that blocked my view, but I didn’t want to risk getting reprimanded. To make up for the lack of pictures, I’m dipping into the archives with pics of them from Special EFX’s appearance at the Long Beach Jazz Festival in September 2012.
Back on Saturday night, the band played eight songs:
1. Ballerina
Originally heard on: “Just Like Magic,” 1990
2. Courageous Cats
Originally heard on: “Jewels,” 1995 (Chieli solo album)
3. Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
Originally heard on: “Renaissance,” 1996 (Chieli solo album)
4. Crazy Eights
Originally heard on: “Genesis,” 2013
5. Till the End of Time (preceded by Jay’s intro)
Originally heard on: “Genesis,” 2013
6. Kickin’ It Hard/Spain
“Kickin’ It Hard” originally heard on: “Night Grooves,” 2003 (Chieli solo album); “Spain” is a Return to Forever cover
7. Speak to Me (preceded by Chieli’s intro)
Originally heard on: “Masterpiece,” 1999
8. Bodybeat (preceded by Chieli and Jerry’s intro duet)
Originally heard on: “Body Language,” 1995
#6 and 7 featured occasional vocalization from Chieli.
Now that you’ve seen Jerry Brooks and Lionel Cordew, here are pictures of the rest of the band, starting with Chieli Minucci:
Jay Rowe, seen here during his “Courageous Cats” solo:
It was Jay’s birthday, and Chieli had a present for him:
Jay’s “Till the End of Time” intro:
David Mann:
The last song (“Bodybeat”):
The bow:
As I wrote earlier, it was another night of great music from the legendary Chieli Minucci and Special EFX. I hope to see them again soon.
Lisa Hilton at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall January 17, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Football, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, TV, Video, Weather.add a comment
Previous recap: June 2011
Later recaps: January 2015, January 2016, January 2018, January 2019
Last night marked the second time I saw jazz pianist Lisa Hilton perform. The first time was about 2 1/2 years ago in Greenwich Village (see link above). This time, I was uptown at Carnegie Hall‘s Weill Recital Hall. It was my first time ever at Carnegie.
My journey began at around 4PM, when I left home to walk to the Wantagh LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) station for a 4:27 Penn Station-bound train. I would have taken a later train, but I wanted to be safe in case any delays popped up during my walk to the station. That’s what happened the day before when I had to take a train to Rockville Centre. But even though there were delays earlier in the day, there were none when I arrived. My trip to Penn Station was smooth sailing. No one sat near me after Freeport. It was a peaceful journey as I took in the sights while listening to my iPod, not a noisy one where I’m surrounded by chatter from people of varying ages. (The ride back was somewhat crowded, but not too noisy. And it helps to have studio headphones.)
I was in a railcar near the back of the train, which meant I needed to walk a little extra from the train to the LIRR Terminal. Once there, I had dinner at TGI Friday’s. Then, I walked up to the subway terminal and took the E train uptown to 7th Avenue and West 53rd Street. The second I emerged from the seemingly endless flights of stairs, I saw the Ed Sullivan Theater, home to the CBS late night talk show, The Late Show with David Letterman. I whipped out my Nikon D5100 and took a picture:
I was fortunate enough to attend a taping with my father back in December 2004, but that’s another story.
I arrived at Carnegie Hall just before 7PM. Since photography wasn’t allowed during Lisa’s performance, these outside pictures will have to do:
Thinking that the time when the doors to the hall are opened was the time to go inside, I waited outside the Weill Recital Hall entrance for 15 minutes. Two couples went inside while I was waiting. Finally, I opened the door and asked if I was allowed to come in. Of course, I was. I got my ticket, went up to the lounge adjacent to the hall, and waited for the hall doors to open.
According to my watch, I took my seat at 7:42. The Weill Recital Hall was not what I was expecting. It was an intimate hall with one row of orchestra seats, where I sat, and a balcony behind them. There were three chandeliers on the ceiling; my seat was between two of them.
The hall was completely acoustic. There were no speakers, no engineer, no amplification, nothing of the kind. I was in for a unique experience.
Lisa entered at 8:06, joined by Ben Street on upright acoustic bass and Billy Hart on drums. Lisa played a Steinway & Sons piano.
The set primarily featured music from her upcoming album, Kaleidoscope. Here’s what the set looked like:
1. Kaleidoscope
2. Whispered Confessions – This one was my favorite.
3. Midnight Mania
4. Bach/Basie/Bird: Boogie Blues Bop
5. Sunny Side Up
6. Blue Horizon
7. Stepping Into Paradise – This was a solo piano piece. Ben and Billy left the stage and took a break. They returned for the rest of the set.
8. Getaway – This was another favorite.
9. Subway
10. When It Rains
11. Evening Song
12. So This Is Love
“Getaway” and “Evening Song” are from Getaway (2013). “Subway” and “When It Rains” are from American Impressions (2012). “So This Is Love” is from My Favorite Things (2005).
“Getaway” was first performed on Seduction (1997) and in a slightly slower tempo on In the Mood for Jazz (2003). “Evening Song” also debuted on Seduction. “Stepping Into Paradise” originated on Getaway.
After the show, I caught up with Lisa in the lounge, and even got to meet her daughter Fiona. Fiona was nice enough to take our picture:
My original plan for returning to Penn Station involving taking the M7 MTA New York City Bus back to 34th Street and walking to the LIRR Terminal from there. But when I got to the bus stop, I had a clear view of Times Square. I could see the Jumbotron, which still had up the “2014” sign, complete with the New Year’s ball frozen in place above it. Forget the bus, I thought. I’m walking back and taking pictures. And I did:
42nd Street Subway Station:
My last two pictures of the night came at the LIRR Terminal entrance:
I initially boarded the wrong train: an express that didn’t stop at Wantagh. Luckily, I was able to grab all my belongings quickly and exit the train (thanks to the doors not closing right away). I quickly found the right train on a different track and barely boarded that one in time. I was bound for home, capping a memorable night. I opened my eyes and ears to a new experience and I enjoyed it. Thank you, Lisa, Ben, and Billy.
Matt Marshak at Houndstooth Pub: 2013 edition November 19, 2013
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
Other Matt Marshak show recaps: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015
For the second year in a row, Matt Marshak performed at Houndstooth Pub on the weekend of my birthday. Last year, the show was on my 31st birthday; this year, it was the night before my 32nd.
Matt was on guitar:
Etienne Lytle on keyboards, who was also part of Steve Cole’s band five weeks earlier:
…and Carl Anderson on drums:
The show was engineered by Neal Newman:
With the help of his son Dale:
SET LIST
SET 1
1. Cadillac Kid
2. Down in Delaware
3. A Silent Knowing
4. Time for Takeoff
5. Listen to the Music (The Doobie Brothers cover)
6. Sanibel
7. Funkology
8. I Will Be With You
SET 2
9. Put It Where You Want It (The Crusaders cover)
10. Feelin’ It
11. Hold the Line (Toto cover; Matt had a more jazzy arrangement than Toto’s original version)
12. I’m On Fire (Bruce Springsteen cover)
13. Wind Chill Factor
14. You’ve Been Had (Kenny Harris’ song)
15. Kiss (Prince and The Revolution cover)
16. Sleepwalk (Santo & Johnny cover, notably covered by Larry Carlton)
As I’ve started to do in recent show recaps, most of the pictures below are grouped by artist.
Kenny Harris:
Etienne Lytle:
Carl Anderson, during his “Sanibel” solo:
The blur was intentional. I wanted to show the rapid movement involved in Carl’s drumming.
Matt & Kenny performing back-to-back on “I Will Be with You”:
Matt & Kenny’s “Feelin’ It” vocal break:
Matt’s “I’m On Fire” vocal:
“Kiss”:
For this song, Matt and the band were joined by guest vocalist Anastasia Rene:
“Sleepwalk”:
At one point, Matt left the stage and played his way through the audience:
He returned to the stage for the end:
Between sets, Matt and I posted for this picture:
After the second set, I took pics with Carl Anderson:
I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present than the two hours of music I saw on Saturday night. Thanks to Matt, Kenny, Etienne, Carl, Anastasia, Neal, Dale, and to Steve Butler.
Steve Cole at Houndstooth Pub recap 2 October 14, 2013
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
Previous recap: November 2011
Saturday night marked my first visit to Houndstooth Pub, a few blocks north of Penn Station, since my birthday last November. I was there to see saxophonist Steve Cole, whom I last saw perform two Novembers ago (see link above). The show was a release party for his new album, Pulse.
The fun began just after 8PM.
Steve’s saxophone of choice was tenor:
Etienne Lytle played keyboards:
SET LIST
SET 1
1. Off Broadway (NY LA, 2003)
2. So Into You (Between Us, 2000)
3. Curtis (True, 2006)
4. Thursday (Spin, 2005)
5. Angel (Sarah McLachlan cover) (Moonlight, 2011)
6. Do Your Thing (Pulse, 2013)
SET 2
7. Just A Natural Thang (True, 2006)
8. With You All The Way (Pulse, 2013)
9. Undun (The Guess Who cover) (Moonlight, 2011)
10. The Way You Look Tonight (Fred Astaire cover)
11. Sugar (Stanley Turrentine cover)
12. Bounce (True, 2006)
13. (Encore jam)
Most of the pictures below are grouped by artist.
Naturally, we start with Steve:
Etienne Lytle:
Bernard Davis:
Wide shot during “Do Your Thing”:
The last note of “Sugar”:
Shots from the finale (“Bounce”) and encore:
That’s it!
Between sets and after the second set, I caught up with Steve.
This picture is from after the second set:
Thank you to Steve, Etienne, Dave, Bernard, and to Steve Butler. It was another fun few hours at Houndstooth.
I’ll be back there on November 16 to see Matt Marshak.
MikeChimeri.com 
2013 in review December 31, 2013
Posted by Mike C. in Art, Audio, Commentary, Film, Health, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, New Age, News, Personal, Phone, Photography, Radio, Technology, Travel, Weather.add a comment
The following is an excerpt of an end-of-year post WordPress created for MikeChimeri.com. Scroll down for my editorial.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
Click here to see the complete report.
2013 was the first full year for the WordPress version of MikeChimeri.com. April was a transformative month that saw my upgrade from a Nikon D3100 camera to a D5100, and finally join iPhone nation. I upgraded from an LG enV3 to an Apple iPhone 5. (I ended up giving my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 to someone very special.) A week after those two upgrades, I documented the 2013 WCWP Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. A week after that, I was in Milford, Connecticut, for the first two-night Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concert series. April also marked five years since The Mike Chimeri Blog was launched; MikeChimeri.com launched in May 2005, seven years before merging with the blog.
In addition to some new contemporary jazz releases, I broadened my musical horizons by adding Return to Forever, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, and various Christmas compilations to my collection. I posted more expressway and parkway pictures. I spent most of the summer scanning old 35mm pictures and recording cassettes and microcassettes to one of my hard drives. I returned to LIU Post and WCWP in October for my annual Homecoming Weekend Show and Homecoming itself. I attended Charlie Fillizola’s art exhibit at Wantagh Public Library. And besides SJFS, I attended concerts in August, October, and November.
I didn’t mention this in any post, but there was one dark spot in 2013: the loss of my paternal grandmother, Marilyn “Mazz” Chimeri (née Garing), in early July. She was the last of my grandparents remaining after I lost my maternal grandparents, Lennie and Arthur Rose, in June and November 2010, and my paternal grandfather, Carmen Chimeri, in December 2011. I miss them dearly, but feel lucky to have known them for as long as I did. I love you all.
I hope for the best in 2014, not only for myself, but for each and every one of you visiting this site. Have a happy and healthy new year.