Lisa Hilton at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall: The one I almost saw January 9, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Successful trips to Lisa Hilton performances: June 2011, January 2014, January 2015, January 2016, January 2018, January 2019
This site has been quiet since my recap of Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber just before Christmas. I would have had a recap of Lisa Hilton‘s annual Weill Recital Hall show on January 9, but circumstances beyond my control before showtime prevented me from seeing it. It was very disappointing. The worst part is I began drafting the recap in advance. I’ve been sitting on the draft for weeks, opting not to delete it. Now, you get to see how the recap would have gone:
Thursday marked the sixth time in the last seven years that I saw Lisa Hilton and Friends perform at Carnegie Hall‘s Weill Recital Hall.
It was my second show in three weeks, having seen Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber at The Iridium on December 19. That was a mainly electric performance. Lisa and her friends performed acoustically in Weill Recital Hall’s natural sound system.
Lisa’s friends were JD Allen on tenor saxophone, Luques Curtis on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums.
Together, they mostly played music from Lisa’s latest album, Chalkboard Destiny. The album’s message is that we don’t have predetermined fates. We can make our own paths. That doesn’t keep me from regretting the paths I haven’t taken in my life, but I digress.
If I only knew the words I wrote would ring true that night.
It was cold on the platform at Wantagh’s LIRR station, but bearable with no wind. The 5:55 train was on time and my section of the railcar was quiet. I arrived at Penn Station at 6:56. I wasn’t going to attempt subway trains from Woodside this time. …
The show began at 8:??. As I said, Lisa, JD, Luques, and Rudy mostly played music from Chalkboard Destiny, except where noted:
(Describe songs)
After the show, I gathered my belongings and met Lisa in the lobby where we caught up with each other and posed for our usual pic:
“Our usual pic” would have gone here.
I took the C train back to Penn Station and the 10:?? Babylon train back to Wantagh.
That’s as far as the draft went. I would have added to it on Friday and published it Saturday, but my chalkboard destiny didn’t call for that.
The impetus for bringing this draft to light is a newsletter Lisa e-mailed on Monday night. The subject was “Behind the scenes at Carnegie Hall.” It led with this photo by professional photographer Ryan Nava:
Here’s what followed:
Are you curious what it’s like to perform at Carnegie Hall?
One thing for sure is that it was a LOT easier the sixth time than it was the first time, especially with an enthusiastic audience, so this year was my favorite year so far. The fact that I had friends JD, Luques, and Rudy all there this year just warmed my heart – we really have been playing together a while and it’s just getting better for us.
OK, back to the question, what is it like to play there? Every room has a unique energy, as well as advantages and disadvantages – but these days, I only perform in rooms that I like. Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall has perfect acoustics and an amazing 9′ Steinway D, so that’s way up there in the advantages category for a pianist, of course, since I only get to play a piano like that maybe 2-3 times a year at best. Just imagine my favorite thing to do – playing the piano – on one of the finest instruments in the entire country. It’s like a Ferrari to me – a high-performance vehicle – that’s what it’s like! You can see the piano practically overwhelms the stage – it’s huge – the big “engine” has longer strings with the ability for a greater range of sound, as well as dynamics. So, I get to enjoy the thrill of the sonic beauty, the easy “touch” which allows quickness and clarity, but I also try and “milk” the room and piano with contrast in volume – playing very, very softly as well as really pretty loud, all magnified naturally by the design of the room, so no microphones are needed. That’s definitely cool. I also like that it’s a “treat” for most of us to go to Carnegie Hall, so there are positive expectations with the audience. The room and stage are very pretty and live up to those expectations – lots of chandeliers all around – and I like being a part of a special experience. As an artist, I like playing up to those advantages – so yes, the room is inspiring.
OK, what’s it like to play Carnegie Hall?
It’s absolutely soooo much fun! We had an awesome time! I think we’ll be back January 10, 2021!
That would be a Saturday, a first for Lisa at Weill.
Below Lisa’s commentary was a collage of Ryan Nava’s photography with the Chalkboard Destiny artwork in the center:
I hope I’m able to redeem myself next year. Redemption is always sweet. Thank you to Lisa, not just for your explanatory newsletter, but for your understanding.
I’ll conclude this post with last year’s “usual pic”:
11/18 UPDATE: There will be no redemption in 2021. Due to the ongoing pandemic, Carnegie Hall canceled the show (per Lisa’s latest blog post).
Mike Stern & Jeff Lorber Fusion at The Iridium December 22, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Theatre, Travel, Weather.1 comment so far
I made my fourth trip to The Iridium Jazz Club on Thursday night to see Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber Fusion perform. Not only was it the last show of their four-night engagement at The Iridium, but also the last show of their tour.
I bought my preferred seating ticket on October 1, four days after the release of Eleven, Mike and Jeff’s collaborative album. Before Thursday, I had seen Jeff, a keyboardist, and his Fusion bandmate Jimmy Haslip, bass, three times each. For Jeff, my first time was the first night of Smooth Jazz for Scholars in 2014, followed two months later by the Fusion’s appearance at Blue Note, and 19 months after that, I saw them at Birdland. Obviously, two of the three times I’d seen Jimmy was those two Jeff Lorber Fusion shows, but I also saw him with Yellowjackets in 2006. (He left the band about five years later.)
This was my first time seeing Mike Stern, as well as his wife Leni (“Lainie”), also a guitarist, and drummer Dennis Chambers.
It was very cold as I stood on the platform at Wantagh LIRR station just before 6:00, and the gusty winds didn’t help. I was only up there a few minutes because the ticket office was unlocked, which was only slightly warmer, but it was a tough few minutes.
I thoroughly enjoyed Eleven, which I’ve listened to several times since September 27, including during the train ride to Penn Station.
Once at Penn, I took the E train to 50th Street. The station let out at 51st and 8th Avenue, so I had to walk a block east to Broadway to get to The Iridium. It was 7:05 when I arrived.
I initially stood on a small line outside the entrance, not realizing that preferred seating ticket holders could go in before 7:30. When one such ticket holder showed up, I acknowledged my mistake and walked down the stairs inside where ticket holders were let in one at a time. Unfortunately, there was a draft from the front door constantly opening and closing. It was a relief once I entered the venue itself.
The host seated me at a table by the stage, but I felt uncomfortable with the lack of space between chairs. So, I was reseated at a small table facing the left side of the stage that had two chairs on opposite sides. That was much better.
From the menu, I picked Pasta Bolognese which came with a couple of slices of bread; delicious.
The TVs cycled through upcoming bands until 8:30 arrived. Showtime.
The energetic and gregarious Mike Stern led the way on guitar:
Jeff Lorber played a pair of Yamaha Montage 8 synthesizers:
Jimmy Haslip on bass:
I color corrected Jimmy’s pictures because they were too blue and red.
Dennis Chambers on drums:
…and for seven of the nine songs, Leni Stern, Mike’s wife, on additional guitars. She played ngoni on the first tune, “Like a Thief” from her Sabani album, which she also sang:
…and electric guitar:
The happy couple:
Five of the nine songs in the set were from Eleven:
- Motor City
- Jones Street
- Nu Som
- Runner
- Slow Change
Wide shots from the end of “Motor City”:
The end of “Jones Street”:
“Slow Change,” the finale, was my favorite on the album and my favorite Thursday night, ending in an extended jam:
The end of the song:
Mike asked if we wanted one more. Of course we did.
The encore was a Jimi Hendrix cover sung by Mike – “Look Over Yonder”:
With that, the set and the tour were complete.
Before bundling up for the trek back to Penn Station, I met and greeted Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber. I spoke to Jeff more than Mike, reminiscing about the last time I saw the Fusion play in 2016 with Andy Snitzer on saxophone and Lionel Cordew on drums. We talked about what they were up to lately. Lionel was in the audience for one of Wednesday’s sets. I didn’t get to say much to Mike before we posed for a picture:
Mike didn’t realize I wanted both of them in the shot, but I’m satisfied with how it came out.
Just as I was about to leave, I noticed Jimmy Haslip walk by. We spoke briefly and posed for a pic:
The set ran longer than I thought it would, so I didn’t have much time to get to Penn Station for the 10:45 train to Babylon, which would arrive in Wantagh an hour later. Not wanting to look for a subway line to ride to Penn, I ran and walked 17 blocks. I was on the train with a minute to spare. Thanks to the double whammy of two shows at Madison Square Garden – Andrea Bocelli in the arena and Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before in the Hulu Theater – the train was standing room only! Not a single car offered relief. I learned this from one of the passengers I stood next to in the car. The situation was initially frustrating, but everyone in my end of the car bonded through conversation about where they’d been, which led to other topics. Once the train reached Rockville Centre, the crowd began to thin. 15 minutes later, I was in Wantagh. By midnight, I was home in bed.
I had a wonderful time. Thanks to Mike, Jeff, Leni, Jimmy, and Dennis for 90 minutes of musical bliss.
Whether or not you’ve seen Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber Fusion in person, Eleven is a must. It even has a horn section.
2019 LIU Post & WCWP Homecoming Weekend October 21, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Football, History, Internet, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Military, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Radio, Sports, Travel, Video, Weather.2 comments
Other recaps: 2008, 2009, WCWP 50th Anniversary (2011), 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022
Another WCWP Homecoming Weekend has come and gone at LIU Post. This is a recap of all three days of the campus radio station’s alumni-hosted block of programming, including coverage of the LIU Sharks‘ Homecoming game against the Saint Francis Red Flash.
Before the proper recap, an explanation about what’s changed since last year. Starting with the fall 2019 semester, Long Island University athletics for the Brooklyn and Post campuses have merged, which means one color set, one team name, and one big move to NCAA Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision). The LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and LIU Post Pioneers are now, collectively, the LIU Sharks. Now, the recap.
Two days in advance, I scheduled an Uber pickup at my house on Friday at 10AM. The driver was prompt, parking at the curb. With my equipment in tow, I hopped in the backseat and the drive began. I was dropped off at the Abrams Communications Building, home to WCWP, at 10:28. I set down my equipment and set up my laptop in studio 3 on one of the computer tables. After visiting the campus bookstore in Hillwood Commons, I returned to the station and set up the tripod, camcorder, and shotgun mic in studio 4. I was going to record the first show of Homecoming Weekend: Art Beltrone’s PostScripts talk show. Back by my laptop, I connected a portable radio tuned to 88.1 FM to an audio recorder and began recording at 11:50. Then, I walked into studio 4 and waited for PostScripts to begin.
To my left was this banner:
The Long Island University colors are blue for Brooklyn and gold for Post. As you’ll see in the Saturday pictures, the campus’s green signs were all painted sky blue.
Show time:
Art’s first guest was Joan Yonke, the LIU Post Campus Director of Employer and Alumni Engagement (I accidentally left out the “Employer and” part in the show video):
Art’s next guests were Jeff Kroll, who engineered the show…:
…and his wife Pat, who coordinated the guests:
After playing the Krolls’ (and the Yonkes’) wedding song, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli, a milestone was acknowledged:
Exactly 58 years ago – October 18, 1961, at 12:15 PM – WCWP signed on as an AM carrier current station. Art Beltrone was the first student voice ever heard on its air. In honor of the occasion, the sign-on was played at 12:15 in 2019.
Art listened fondly:
When the first non-student voice, Dennis Sullivan, tossed back to Art on the tape, Jeff cued Art in the present:
Following “Hello, Dolly!” by Louis Armstrong, Bill Mozer dropped by:
Jeff Kroll joined in the conversation:
For the last hour, Art spoke to fellow alumni and Vietnam Veterans, Jack Cassidy and Mike Padula:
Jack Cassidy:
Mike Padula:
Art, Jack, and Mike also spoke to guests over the phone, including John LiBretto, Jim Harley, and Ron Zappardino. I had to leave studio 4 at 1:30 to set up for my show, Instrumental Invasion with Mike Chimeri, in studio 2.
Here are portions of PostScripts, some of which were photographed above:
When 2PM came, Art handed off to me, I played a legal ID, and began my show. I thanked Art and all of his guests, then played my first song: “Flash Back Friday” by bassist Julian Vaughn, guitarist Nick Colionne‘s nephew.
As the song played, I went back into studio 4 to take a picture of Jack Cassidy, Jeff Kroll, Art Beltrone, and Mike Padula:
While my second song, “Illuminate” by Steve Oliver, was playing, Pat Kroll took the obligatory photo of me at the board in studio 2:
There was also time for Art’s friend Ed Keller to take our picture:
The show proceeded from there with little to no hiccups. Here were my surroundings:
During my show, Bill Mozer moved the livestream webcam from studio 4 to 2. We spoke while I was off mic. One of the liners I played was of Dan Ingram, legendary New York DJ and commercial voice talent, while visiting the station in 1968. Back then, the university was known as C.W. Post College. The liner went like this:
Hi there, Kemosabe. This is Big Dan Ingram. Whenever I’m on the Merriweather campus, and my bosses in New York don’t know about it, I always listen to WCWP, at 88.1, in Brookville, New York. Love it.
“Merriweather” referred to Marjorie Merriweather Post.
Bill, who worked with Dan at WABC, remarked that he was never “on the Merriweather campus” – besides that day – so he therefore never listened to the station. I replied that he was humoring the students that recorded him.
Bobby Guthenberg, a.k.a. Bobby G., complimented my playlist on Facebook, and my friend Ryan Grabow texted me after I played “Silver Arrows” by the Rippingtons. When he would appear on The Mike Chimeri Show 15 years ago, he’d always say “a ripping good time” whenever I played a Ripps song. Coincidentally, the next song I played was “Dear Friend” by Patrick Bradley, a fitting title.
Before I knew it, I was signing off and playing my last song: “Nu Som” by Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber Fusion.
Here is the show aircheck…:
Direct link
…transitions, with the aforementioned Dan Ingram liner…:
Direct link
…and the video:
Jeff Jensen was next at 4PM:
Here are a couple of his talk breaks:
I headed home just before 5:00 and was home half an hour later. After editing the airchecks that you heard above, day 1 was complete.
I started my Saturday by editing videos, synced with the aircheck audio, and photos. Then, I got ready to return to LIU Post. While waiting to turn onto Northern Boulevard, I took out my camera so I could photograph what once was green and now is blue.
It was 1:05 when I turned into the campus’s east gate:
MyWCWP, which was WebRadio WCWP when I was a student, was renamed The Wave:
The Wave is also the name of a Southern California radio station that used to play smooth jazz: 94.7 The Wave. Since I’m not on this Wave, there’s no smooth or contemporary jazz to be found.
During the second quarter of the Sharks’ Homecoming game against Saint Francis, I walked over to Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium to take in some of the action:
I was given media access, which allowed me to go up to the press box…at least at first. Saint Francis did not bring a crew to broadcast the game, but LIU did, from the roof. To get there, you had to climb this ladder:
Jeff Kroll (right) and Neil Marks (left) called the game:
A view from the top:
Considering the Sharks were winless coming into the game and were unlikely to score while I was on the roof, I left after I took the above pictures. Before I left, I had Pat Kroll take a photo of me:
2:25 PM UPDATE: Jeff informed that the NEC (Northeastern Conference) had a room in the press box for the video feed and conference announcers. He added:
The video equipment is also used for all play reviews. Cameras manned by WCWP students! Ours was the only radio broadcast of the game.
The walk back to WCWP:
Pioneer Lane is now Shark Street:
The Sharks fell to 0-6, blown out by the Saint Francis Red Flash 30-0. It was 9-0 after three quarters, but SFU exploded for 21 points in the first six minutes of the fourth. Factoring in the Pioneers past, this was the team’s first loss on Homecoming since 2011. It was also the first loss Jeff and Neil called since the Pioneers lost to the Iona College Gaels 9-2 in 1989.
Air traffic was moderate and a couple of planes were low enough for me to get high resolution crops. This is a DHL plane:
I think this might be Alitalia:
After the dust had settled on the Sharks’ loss, studio host John Zoni ran the “highlights”…:
…and listed the scores elsewhere in the NEC:
Due to a lung infection early in the week, Bernie Bernard was unable to make it up from Florida. Bobby G. and Mike Riccio expanded their show to fill in for her. Due to the short length of the football game, the show began at 3:45, 45 minutes early.
Bobby flew solo while Mike was in transit:
Hanging out in the studio were Jay and Arlene Elzweig…:
…and Jett Lightning, who I wanted to get a picture with:
I would pose for more pictures later.
Mike Riccio arrived in time for Bernie Bernard to call in:
Wanting to be a part of the call, I got on my knees by Bobby’s mic, holding up a Rick Wakeman CD at one point:
Once Mike was at the controls, the playlist turned to artists that appeared at Woodstock:
I came on at one point to promote the rest of the weekend, including my second Instrumental Invasion that would air at 2AM:
The big WCWP Hall of Fame announcement was set for 6:00. Before then, I went outside to the barbecue for a burger and hot dog, and some cookies for dessert.
Then, I got to meet fellow alumni Joel Mahan and Jerry Reilly, posing here with Bill Mozer:
I was so glad to see M.J. Lonardo and K.J. Mills:
M.J. complimented me on my running, which I had been writing about on Facebook, with a few milestone posts on Twitter and Instagram.
2019 WCWP Hall of Fame inductee Pete Bellotti made the announcement:
Here’s how things looked on the livestream webcam during this segment (courtesy of Ted David):
The 2020 inductees are…:
Alan Seltzer and Christina Kay!
I stood in front of the camcorder and applauded the inductees:
With the announcement complete, I began to pack up for home, but not before taking the obligatory shot of Mike and Bobby:
John Zoni’s postgame and the segments from Mike and Bobby’s show can all be seen here:
Me with John Zoni:
Dan Cox:
I owe my career in radio to Dan. He was my Broadcasting 4 professor in the spring of 2001 and recommended me to then-station manager Judy Cramer the following semester. A few weeks later, on October 5, I was on the air for the first time.
Bill Mozer:
…and Pete Bellotti:
Joel Mahan wanted a photo with Pete, as well:
The last pic of the weekend for me was Bill Mozer and Alan Boritz, who followed Mike and Bobby at 10PM:
Bill photographed the weekend with his own DSLR camera. Via the WCWP Alumni Association Facebook group, here are his photos – with “no film in the camera” – starting with John Zoni during his 6PM show on Friday:
Jay Mirabile and Pete Bellotti during Friday’s 10PM DFK Show:
The picture was taken with Jay’s phone, but Bill cropped it.
On Saturday, it’s Art Beltrone and Jay Elzweig:
Grandfather Rock Chris MacIntosh:
Pat Kroll and Lew Scharfberg:
And at the mic for his 10PM show, Alan Boritz:
From midnight to 4AM, WCWP had the one-two punch of Strictly Jazz with Hank Neimark, John LiBretto, and Rita Sands – which they recorded in late August – and the second Instrumental Invasion with Mike Chimeri – which I recorded at home back on September 26. It was chocolate and peanut butter back to back. In SiriusXM parlance, they were Real Jazz, I was Watercolors. Hank told the aforementioned Facebook group he was listening to the station, including his own show, from Greece, expressing what a thrill it was.
Here is the aircheck for Strictly Jazz…
Direct link
…and Instrumental Invasion:
Direct link
And of course, the latter show’s transitions…:
Direct link
I try to work in as many of the notes I write on my playlists as I can, but some notes stay on the paper.
Unfortunately, Magick Mike Hendryx’s show didn’t run, making for the second year in a row where that’s happened to a file designated for Sunday at 4AM. Strictly Jazz reran at 6AM as scheduled.
I spent Sunday working on this post and periodically listening to WCWP. Like last year, Jay LaPrise (“la-PREE”) had the first live show of the day at 8AM. Here are his last two talk breaks:
Direct link
The ladies of Prison Break Radio, Jamie Mazzo and Sara Dorchak, were next at 10AM. Here are their first four talk breaks:
Direct link
Billy the Kid (Billy Houst) followed at noon. He was later joined by Joey C. (Joe Conte) and Big L Lou (Lou Raio). Here are talk breaks from Billy’s first hour:
Direct link
Bill Mozer photographed Billy…:
…Joey C. …:
…and Lou Raio:
Billy the Kid was followed at 2PM by Joe the Honerkamp. Here are five talk breaks from his show:
Direct link
And one picture of him by Bill Mozer:
That is his index finger, not the other one.
The last three photos in this post were taken by Pat Kroll.
At 4PM, Lew Scharfberg:
Direct link
Jeff Kroll ran the board:
6PM had a Homecoming Weekend edition of Rock ‘N’ Soul Gospel with Grandfather Rock Chris MacIntosh:
Direct link
Next to last was Alana at 8PM with The Rockin’ Sunday Show, following an introduction by Jeff Kroll:
Direct link
And turning out the lights on the 60-hour block was Jeff himself from 10PM to midnight, following Alana’s lead-in:
Direct link
I was singled out in Jeff’s credits:
Mike Chimeri! Oh, Mike, a great jazz show; in fact, two of them this weekend. And always with the pictures and the videos. Thanks so much, Mike.
Thank you, Jeff. This is a labor of love for me as I know putting together Homecoming Weekend each year is for you and Pat. If it means I have restless nights as my brain contemplates what tasks I have left to do, so be it. The fruits of my labor make it all worthwhile.
It was great catching up with my fellow alumni throughout the weekend. It warms my heart to be among you.
Thank you to those that stayed with this recap to the end. I leave with Jeff’s last words last night:
Thanks to all here at WCWP. It’s been a wonderful 2019 Homecoming Weekend. We’ll get the schedules together and see what happens a year from now. And it’ll be a new decade: 2020! Thanks for tuning in to the WCWP Homecoming Weekend.
And for posterity, the schedule:
Rob Paulsen at Strand Bookstore October 13, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Audiobooks, Books, Comedy, Health, Internet, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, TV, Weather.2 comments
I traveled to the borough of Manhattan for the second Thursday in a row. This time, my destination was the Strand Bookstore in the East Village to see voice actor Rob Paulsen discuss his new memoir, Voice Lessons: How a Couple of Ninja Turtles, Pinky, and an Animaniac Saved My Life. He was joined by his co-author Michael Fleeman, and later by Randy Rogel, the brilliant mind behind many great songs and episodes from Animaniacs and Histeria!, among other credits, and animation writer, including for Batman: The Animated Series, which I began watching on the DC Universe app and website on September 27 and will complete today.
The trip to Strand Bookstore marked my first time on the east side of Greenwich Village after a few years traveling to the West Village for performances at Blue Note. My most recent trip there was for John Scofield’s Combo 66 last November.
A nor’easter had been churning offshore since Wednesday and was supposed to push back west, giving the region rain and wind until Friday or Saturday. I woke up Thursday morning to unexpected sunshine. It turns out the rain wasn’t going to start until the afternoon. I regularly run for exercise, so I took the opportunity to get in 10.4 miles, an outdoor personal best that I would break by .1 miles only two days later.
The sun held out much longer than I thought it would and I was able to walk to the Wantagh LIRR station without needing to take Uber to avoid walking in the rain. I only had to contend with light rain for the last quarter-mile and for ten minutes on the platform. As the train proceeded west toward Penn Station, away from the nor’easter, the skies cleared. The ride was uneventful except for the sight of a Southwest Airlines plane approaching LaGuardia Airport. If only I had my camera out of my backpack.
After arriving at Penn Station, I proceeded up West 34th Street to 6th Avenue, where I went down to 34th Street-Herald Square Station and took the Q train to 14th Street-Union Square Station.
These are the sites I took in as I walked through Union Square and down to Strand:
It was 5:58 when I walked into Strand. Rob’s discussion was on the 3rd floor, the Rare Old Books floor. I walked up the stairs where a few people waited by the door until we were allowed in at 6:30. The line grew over the next half hour, but before long, the door opened and those of us that were on the guest list checked in. We were given a copy of Voice Lessons with a Post-It that had a number written on it. Mine had the number 1, which meant I was in group 1, the first to get books signed by Rob Paulsen and Michael Fleeman.
I sat in the front row, right next to Rob and Mike’s chairs. To my right, a laptop was connected to a TV for slides and a couple of videos that would be shown during the discussion:
Rob and Mike entered the room at 7:09 and the discussion began.
Rob’s brother Mike was in attendance, along with his high school friend, his agent, and a few others. Randy Rogel sat with them until the musical portion of the event. The rest of the attendees were, like me, hardcore Rob Paulsen fans.
Here are select close-ups of Rob Paulsen:
…and Michael Fleeman:
Rob and Mike discussed the structure of the book and went over its highlights.
They also talked about Rob’s signature characters, starting with Raphael from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Donatello from the 2012 series:
Carl Wheezer from The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius:
Yakko Warner on Animaniacs:
Genetically-enhanced lab mouse Pinky of Pinky and the Brain, which began as shorts on Animaniacs and were spun off into their own series:
This portion led to a reading of the book’s introduction: “Pinky Gets Bad News”:
Then, Mike introduced a pair of commercials Rob appeared in:
The first was his first role: a 1979 ad for west coast fast food chain Jack in the Box during their Fring (french fry/onion ring) campaign:
Here is that ad:
The second was the infamous “Aaron Burr” Got Milk? ad where a radio call-in contestant fails to coherently recite the correct answer because he doesn’t have milk to wash down his peanut butter sandwich:
You know the one: “Awwin Buww!” Rob voiced the radio personality, Sean Whalen played the unfortunate caller, and Michael Bay – yes, that one – was the director! Watch:
The discussion inevitably turned to Rob’s throat cancer, which he thankfully survived (knock on wood):
The stage then turned to Randy Rogel:
Referring to the sign behind him, he quipped: “I like how this is ’18 miles of books,’ and now it’s 18 miles and one inch.”
Rob explained how Randy got into showbiz:
Randy talked about when Rob told him he had cancer:
“…but the truth is, the doctor said to Rob, ‘Rob, you have a very rare form of cancer. It’s called The Rob Paulsen Cancer. And he said, ‘why me?!'”
Jokes aside, Rob and Randy were part of Animaniacs LIVE! at Joe’s Pub the night before. Unfortunately, I was unaware of the event and did not attend. For those of us that couldn’t make it, and even for some that did, we were treated to a few songs.
To the Joe’s Pub attendees, “if I had known you were gonna be here tonight, I’d have written a new song”:
Rob replied, “Not too far from the truth.”
The first song was “When You’re Traveling from Nantucket,” from Animaniacs episode 87, which focused on the concept of time:
“… The international date line’s an imaginary cleft. Today is on the right side and tomorrow’s on the left. …”
“… that it was mildly amusing, but then totally confusing, and we bet you wish we hadn’t sung at all!”
Next was a song from Histeria! episode 32, “Writers of the Purple Prose.” Chronicling the works of William Shakespeare, it’s “That’s the Story That’s Told by the Bard”:
It was a duet:
Singing of MacBeth: “… Then he kills others, it’s really quite vicious, Until in the end, he gets stabbed in the duff!”
“No, that’s wrong. By MacDuff.”
The third and final song was Randy’s first: “Yakko’s World“:
“United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru…”
“… Tunisia, Morocco, Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Djibouti, Botswana-aaaaa, …”
“…Crete, Mauritania, then Transylvania, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Malta, and Palestine, Fiji, Australia, Sudan!”
Michael Fleeman returned for Q&A:
Rob and Mike fielded four questions:
And that was it!
“Thank you, guys. Randy! Mike Fleeman!”
With the discussion complete, it was time to sign. While waiting in the group 1, I passed by a Remington Standard 10 typewriter:
I had Andrew, a Strand employee, take a picture of me with Rob and Mike:
Both of them signed my copy, Mike first and Rob second. Thinking ahead, Mike wrote:
To Mike,
What he said
(arrow pointing up)
Mike
Rob signed with a variant on Yakko’s “Helloooo, Nurse!” catchphrase:
Hellooo, Mike!
Rob Paulsen
I told Rob we were friends on Facebook and that I’d met him two years ago at New York Comic Con. He instantly remembered.
I said my goodbyes and went back to my chair, but before I packed up and headed back to Penn Station, I got to meet Randy Rogel:
I told him I loved his music and his Emmy-winning writing work for Batman. He liked that, looking back fondly.
Within ten minutes, I was at 14th Street-Union Square Station and back aboard the Q for 34th Street-Herald Square. Unfortunately, power disruptions on the Broadway corridor delayed the ride. We were stuck on the center track at 23rd Street Station for about five minutes, though it felt longer. At Penn Station, I bought a frozen yogurt to eat on the ride back to Wantagh. Since I missed the 8:56 Babylon branch train, I’d have to wait until 9:31. But as I stood by a timetable waiting for a track number for the 9:31, I noticed there was a 9:13 Babylon train. It didn’t stop at Wantagh, but did stop one hamlet west in Bellmore. So, I took that and was picked up in Bellmore. The forecast of rain didn’t pan out. That light rain I encountered earlier in the day was the extent of it. Once I was home, I unpacked and went to sleep.
It was a great night at Strand, and a pleasure to see Rob Paulsen again, and meet Michael Fleeman and Randy Rogel for the first time. In the days ahead, I will read Voice Lessons and simultaneously listen to the “read by the author” audiobook. I have done this in years. When I finish, I’ll write a review. Until then, thanks for reading this post.
NOTE: Strand recorded the event to add to their YouTube channel. Once added, I will update this post with their video.
10/14 UPDATE: The video is up. I’m in it, taking and checking pictures, and otherwise listening intently. Watch:
10/22 UPDATE: The day after appearing at Strand, Rob appeared on Fox Business Network anchor Liz Claman‘s eponymous podcast, Everyone Talks to Liz Claman. The episode went up a week later. You can listen to it here.
My experience at Day 1 of 2019 New York Comic Con October 5, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Art, Blu-ray, Broadway, Comedy, DVD, Internet, Media, Personal, Photography, Technology, Travel, TV, Video, Video Games, Weather.add a comment
Previous New York Comic Con recaps: 2012 Day 2, 2014 Day 1, 2017 Day 1, 2018 Day 1, 2021 Day 1
Thursday marked my fifth time at New York Comic Con, and third year in a row. It’s become tradition to attend, meet actors, and tour the show floor. NYCC is held annually inside the Javits Center in Midtown West.
I waited by my computer for about two hours back on May 5 to buy my Thursday badge. I didn’t know what guests would attend, but I found out a month later. The ones I was interested in meeting were Paul Reubens, James Arnold Taylor, Laraine Newman, Jennifer Hale, and Tom Kenny. Once again, this was my sole reason for attending because there weren’t any panels worth seeing.
One day removed from record heat, the weather that greeted me when I left my Wantagh home at 8:30 was cool and cloudy. As I stood on the LIRR station platform waiting for the 8:47 train, I briefly wished I brought gloves. Keeping with my train travel routine, I chose to sit in the first car. There were a few people seated ahead of me that were also on their way to New York Comic Con, but I didn’t want to bother them. I just listened to David Benoit and Friends and ate my protein bar with a can of orange seltzer.
The ride to Penn Station took about 45 minutes. When I exited at 8th Avenue and West 33rd Street, I greeted by persistent drizzle. It followed me all the way to the Javits Center. It took a while for the massive throng of attendees to get through security, but my search was quick and scold-less. After I was checked, I walked toward the entrance and then zipped my backpack compartments back up.
Once inside, I made my way to the autographing area:
It turns out there were two autographing areas: 1C and 1E. I was looking for Paul Reubens’ table in 1C, but he was actually in 1E. So, I walked toward there and waited in line at his table. Thank you to the staff members who aided me.
Like most 1980s children, I grew up watching Pee-wee’s Playhouse. I didn’t realize Pee-wee Herman was a character created and portrayed by Paul Reubens until the mid ’90s. That was the first time I saw Paul out of that character, on Murphy Brown.
I rediscovered Pee-wee’s Playhouse on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in 2006, then rediscovered it again ten years later on Netflix. Watching it there wasn’t enough. I had to buy the series on Blu-ray, especially for the bonus features. I sometimes find myself quoting not just Pee-wee, but other series characters like Globey, Mr. Window (particularly when I see Lynne Marie Stewart [Miss Yvonne] on TV), Jambi, Pterri, Conky, Randy, and occasionally Clocky.
So, it was a thrill to meet Paul, albeit briefly, on Thursday morning. I told him I met Phil LaMarr last year. Phil played Cowboy Curtis in the Broadway run of The Pee-wee Herman Show. I had noticed Paul was making a surprised face while posing with attendees ahead of me, so I tried to do the same:
I look more shocked than surprised, but I still like it.
I returned to 1C to meet four voice actors:
First up was James Arnold Taylor:
I discovered James through Johnny Test, but learned more about his illustrious career through his website, JAT Vlogs on his YouTube channel, and appearance on the podcast Talkin’ Toons with Rob Paulsen. I told him I liked how for his Fred Flintstone voice, he combined Alan Reed’s original portrayal with Henry Corden’s subsequent version. I also expressed my love as the voice of Fox’s Sunday primetime promos, to which he said he recorded the latest set of promos in his hotel room the night before. There was one thing I neglected to discuss. I’ve never played a Final Fantasy game, but I am aware of an infamous cutscene he voiced as Tidus in Final Fantasy X. In the cutscene, Tidus let out a loud, wooden, staccato laugh: “haaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha!” James explained that scene in a March 2016 JAT Vlog:
I chose a character collage at his table to sign, and he wrote:
Mike – You’re awesome!!
James Arnold Taylor
5:05 PM UPDATE: James recorded another promo from his hotel room yesterday, as he shared on Instagram:
After James, I moved one table to the right (his left) and spoke to Laraine Newman:
You may know Laraine from her days on Saturday Night Live, and I’ve seen a handful of sketches from that time, but I’m more familiar with her voice over work. She was Queen Jipjorulac, Mark Chang’s mother on The Fairly OddParents. Mark Chang was voiced by Rob Paulsen as an energetic surfer dude with awkward syntax (pronouncing assistance “ah-sis-TAHN-say,” for example). When Rob interviewed Laraine for Talkin’ Toons, she mentioned Histeria!, the Warner Bros. edutainment animated series they co-starred in. I was not aware of the series when it originally aired, but my curiosity was piqued after that interview. Unfortunately, unlike the other ’90s WB series, Histeria! was not yet on DVD. When it was finally released years later, I bought it, watching for the first time over the 2017 Christmas vacation. I loved it! So, it was that DVD that I brought to NYCC for Laraine to sign. She was thrilled. I told her how much I loved the show and loved her characters: Miss Information, a bubbly Southern tour guide with a penchant for getting things wrong, and Charity Bazaar, a sad girl who frequently lamented, “I’m not happy.” I said I sometimes find myself saying that in certain situations.
Laraine signed the following on my DVD:
To Mike (Heart)
Laraine Newman
Laraine and the aforementioned Paul Reubens, Lynne Stewart, and Phil LaMarr are all alumni of The Groundlings improv and sketch comedy troupe. It’s where Paul created Pee-wee Herman.
Jennifer Hale was next:
Jennifer has a wealth of video game credits, but I know her mostly for her work as Ms. Keane on The Powerpuff Girls, various characters on Johnny Bravo, and T.U.F.F. Puppy. Someday, I will play some of the games she appeared in.
As with James, I chose a collage for her to sign:
To Mike!
Jennifer Hale
And finally, Tom Kenny:
Of course, Tom is the titular character on SpongeBob SquarePants. I love that show, but also love Futurama, where Tom’s credits include the all-purpose commissioner Abner Doubledeal and Leela’s bland eye doctor boyfriend Adlai Atkins, and the aforementioned Johnny Bravo, where he played Johnny’s (Jeff Bennett) nerdy friend Carl Chryniszzswics (“cruh-SIN-uh-wits”). He was glad to hear Carl get some love at the convention, as one attendee ahead of me had a drawing of Carl. We talked about his co-star, the late Larry Drake, who voiced Pops. I even imitated Pops (“Hey, Johnny!”). Tom told me about Larry’s horror film background, which I wasn’t aware of but glad to learn. Prior to Johnny Bravo, I only knew him from L.A. Law.
I thanked Tom for taking the time to meet with everyone in line, as the line extended down to one of the panel “chutes,” requiring security to let people know which side was the panel chute and which was the line for Tom (or “SpongeBob,” as the guard said). I brought my copy of the eighth season of SpongeBob SquarePants for him to sign:
10-3-19
Mike Ahoy!
Best fishes from “SpongeBob”
Tom Kenny
Thank you to Paul, James, Laraine, Jennifer, and Tom. It was a pleasure to meet all of you. Thanks, as well, to Anissa and her eldest son James, who I met in Tom’s line. It was nice to meet you, too, and I hope we can stay in touch.
After nearly four hours in autograph land, I was ready to head for home, but not before touring parts of the show floor:
Within 20 minutes of walking the show floor, I exited the Javits Center:
25 minutes after that, I was back in Penn Station where I boarded the 3:03 Babylon-bound train, which was packed with commuters. The crowd thinned a little at Jamaica, then further at Rockville Centre, but a handful of passengers exited with me at Wantagh one hour later. I was once again in the first car, which meant that I was on the east end and exited above Beech Street. (The first car westbound is just west of Wantagh Avenue.) After walking 20 minutes in the mist, I was home.
Once inside, I unpacked and photographed my autographed merchandise and my badge (with the codes blurred out):
I hope to be back at New York Comic Con next year. In the meantime, thank you for viewing this post.
2019 Long Island Retro Gaming Expo recap August 14, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Books, Internet, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Technology, Travel, TV, Video, Video Games, Weather.Tags: bob neal, brown box, completely unnecessary podcast, coury carlson, cradle of aviation, frank cifaldi, Genesis, hardcore gaming 101, hg 101, ian ferguson, jeremy parish, kurt kalata, leonard herman, Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, long island tabletop gaming expo, marc duddleson, mega drive, microsoft, mlig, museum row, my life in gaming, NES, Nintendo, pat contri, pat the nes punk, phoenix iv, ralph baer, retronauts, retrorgb, rgb master class, rob russo, sega genesis, SNES, Super NES, Super Nintendo, the video game years, try, try4ce, ultimate nintendo, vghf, video game history foundation, xbox
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This is a long and comprehensive post, so buckle up.
Last weekend, I attended the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo for the third year in a row and my second year for both days.
John Hancock and The 8-Bit Guy weren’t at LIRGE LI Retro this year, but making return appearances were Bob Neal from RetroRGB, Jeremy Parish of Retronauts and Video Works, Kurt Kalata and Rob Russo of Hardcore Gaming 101, and video game historian and author Leonard Herman.
Among those appearing for the first time were Frank Cifaldi of the Video Game History Foundation, Pat Contri (a.k.a. Pat the NES Punk) and Ian Ferguson of the Completely Unnecessary Podcast and The Video Game Years, and the My Life in Gaming duo of Coury Carlson and Marc “Try4ce” Duddleson (as in the Triforce from The Legend of Zelda).
The Long Island Retro Gaming Expo is held at the Cradle of Aviation Museum along Museum Row in East Garden City, as indicated by these signs I took on the way there Saturday morning:
Based on the “date taken” info of the above pic, I arrived at the museum at 10:09. Before getting in line to get inside, I photographed a historic marker:
The weather outdoors was much better this year: sunny, warm, and comfortable. You could leave the rain gear at home or in your hotel room.
While on line, I passed a trailer with arcade machines inside:
This was the only time I noticed it. I was focused on what was in the museum.
I set foot inside Cradle of Aviation half an hour after arriving:
The rest of this post is divided into four parts:
- Panels
- Meeting and Greeting
- Pictorial Tour
- Pickups
Part One: Panels
After walking around the first floor for nearly 15 minutes, I made my way into the theater planetarium for the first panel:
It was Jeremy Parish (center) along with Kurt Kalata (right) and Rob Russo (left):
Titled “Love for the Unloved,” the trio discussed several underappreciated consoles, accompanied by Powerpoint slides.
Before we see the slides, here are close-ups of Jeremy:
Kurt:
…and Rob:
A few wide shots:
The slides of underappreicated consoles:
The slide for the Bandai WonderSwan went up, but they didn’t have time to discuss it:
9/26 UPDATE: The expo’s YouTube channel has posted video of the panel:
Next to speak was…
Frank introduced himself…
…and his work with Digital Eclipse…
…before moving on to the main topic:
Frank is pictured with Kelsey Lewin, who was at Game On Expo in Phoenix, Arizona, that weekend hosting a similar panel:
The last 35 minutes of the panel were Q&A:
10/10 UPDATE: Video of the panel was posted today:
I spent the next two hours touring the exhibits, buying games from vendors, meeting and greeting Frank Cifaldi, Coury and Try, Pat and Ian, and Leonard Herman. You’ll see photographic evidence in parts two and three. I made time in between to eat a few snacks from the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Red Planet Café.
Pat and Ian had a panel after Frank’s, which you can hear in part in the latest Completely Unnecessary Podcast, starting 17 minutes in.
Then, it was on to Leonard’s panel, which was in Panel Room 2:
Leonard talked about the late Ralph Baer and Ted Dabney, and the friendships he developed with them.
After arriving on Sunday, I tried out Ralph Baer’s Brown Box with a man named Jeff:
I played poorly, but had a good time.
There were two panels that I attended on Sunday. First, the My Life in Gaming RGB Master Class:
As noted earlier, My Life in Gaming is run by Coury Carlson:
…and Marc Duddleson, better known as Try:
Coury and Try periodically ran excerpts from upcoming episodes profiling figures in the fields of video game modding, repair, and history:
Bob from RetroRGB, who was seated next to me, was included, but I kept his screenshot out of this post since he told me he didn’t like how he looked.
I found those excerpts enlightening. It put faces and voices to names I’d heard of in previous episodes. I was already familiar with Bob, Kevin, Frank, Ste, and Dan.
The excerpts can be seen in this unlisted link.
Time for Q&A:
I asked what it was like shooting the M2 documentary, seen here:
(NOTE: Unless you’re fluent in Japanese, I suggest selecting “English – Japanese Translation” in the CC [closed captioning] settings.)
More Q&A shots:
Coury made the panel available for listening here. (My attempts to embed it failed.)
After exiting the theater, Bob talked shop with fans:
10/30 UPDATE: Video of most of the panel (ending abruptly after 57 minutes) was posted today:
The second panel I went to on Sunday, my last of the weekend, was Jeremy Parish, Frank Cifaldi, and Coury Carlson:
It was like the finale of a revue where all the acts return to play together.
After introducing themselves for those that hadn’t seen their other panels, Jeremy, Frank, and Coury talked about what avenues are available for playing old video games.
Close-ups of Jeremy:
Frank:
…and Coury:
Wide shots:
Part Two: Meeting and Greeting
I caught up with Frank Cifaldi after his Saturday panel. I told him I was in a similar situation preserving photos, videos, and documents digitally. Then, Try took our picture:
After that, Frank took a picture of me with Coury and Try:
I caught up with Leonard Herman his table before his panel:
I was finally introduced to Pat Contri:
…and his colleague Ian Ferguson:
I spent a lot of time at the table shared by Coury, Try, Pat, and Ian, along with Ian’s wife Vani. I watched as fans came by to meet them and had in-depth conversations with them. The topics ranged from games to travel to video production to my running. Coury was surprised that I had run 8.8 miles early Sunday morning.
I briefly spoke to Bob Neal from RetroRGB once I got back to the table after the RGB Master Class and Try took our picture:
Following my last panel, I briefly spoke to Jeremy Parish, complimenting him on his recently-wrapped Virtual Boy Works series. After 21 proper episodes on the 22 releases (13 in North American and Japan, 9 exclusive to Japan), he posted this retrospective:
Ryan, a staff member I grew accustomed to in the theater planetarium, took a picture of me and Jeremy before I left for the weekend:
Part Three: Pictorial Tour
This is a pictorial tour through all three floors of the expo, starting on the first floor:
This game is actually part of the museum, unaffiliated with the expo:
The second floor:
Among the musical performers were the band Consoul, who played music from several video games:
At the time, they were playing the main theme from Super Mario 64. For reference, here is the original music:
…and the third floor:
Meanwhile, the Long Island Tabletop Gaming Expo was occurring on the other side of the museum:
Next year, the Tabletop Gaming Expo will be held separately on April 18.
Time to go:
A parting shot:
Part Four: Pickups
Saturday’s pickups:
Sunday’s pickups:
Yes, even these count as pickups:
Summing up in writing, the pickups were:
Nintendo Entertainment System:
- The Adventures of Bayou Billy
- American Gladitators
- Blades of Steel
- The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout
- Golf
- Gyromite
- Gradius (“GRAHDius”)
- The Legend of Kage (“KAH-ghay”)
- Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf
- Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
- R.C. Pro-Am
- Super C
- Track & Field
- Track & Field II
I played Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! at friends’ houses, but never had that version. I only had plain Punch-Out!! with Mr. Dream replacing Tyson after the licensing agreement wasn’t renewed. Now, I have the original. I don’t have R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy), but that won’t stop from using two controllers to play Gyromite. I already do it with sports games.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System:
- Gradius III
- Paperboy 2
- Pilotwings
- Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure
- Saturday Night Slammasters
- Wario’s Woods
- Zoop
I had Pilotwings 64 for the Nintendo 64, but never the original for Super NES. My sister took Wario’s Woods to her new apartment a couple of months ago, so I bought a new copy to replace it. Paperboy 2 is worth getting for the music alone, as seen in Jeremy Parish’s review last June:
Sega Genesis:
- Columns
- Dynamite Headdy
- Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker
- Paperboy
- Road Rash
- Shaq-Fu
- Super Monaco GP
- WWF Super WrestleMania
Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker was my most expensive pickup; more than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist last year. I remember Super Monaco GP in the arcade room at Baldwin Lanes. According to Joe Redifer of Game Sack, the Genesis port is better than the original. (Since I cued the video to the relevant portion, I can’t embed it.) I bought a loose cart on eBay in 2016, but I now prefer to have Genesis games in their original boxes. So, I bought one in its box on Sunday. The same goes for Columns. I bought Super WrestleMania to complement the Super NES port I’ve had since childhood. Coincidentally, today marks 30 years since the Genesis was released in North America. Last October 29 was the 30th anniversary of the initial Japanese release as the Mega Drive. And last Tuesday marked 25 years since I purchased a Genesis of my own. It was the Sega Sports bundle with a seat cushion and NFL Football ’94 Starring Joe Montana.
Microsoft Xbox:
- Tetris Worlds
I played the Game Boy Advance version a lot in the mid 2000s. I never knew it was ported to other consoles. I like to collect Tetris games for as many consoles as I can. I even bought the unlicensed Tengen arcade port for NES that predated Nintendo’s official version. It reminded me of playing the arcade machine at Kutsher’s Hotel and Country Club in March 1995.
Non-games:
- The Legend of Zelda official keychain
- My Life in Gaming pin
- My Life in Gaming sticker
- Night Trap: 25 Years Later (Blu-ray) (signed by Coury and Try)
- Pat the NES Punk, Volumes 1 to 4 (DVDs) (all signed by Pat)
- Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library: 1985-1995 (signed by Pat, Ian, and Frank)
- The Video Game History Foundation sticker
- Phoenix IV bookmark
Pat’s merchandise is available here. As with Phoenix IV last year, I will review Ultimate Nintendo when I finish reading it. And I’m enjoying Pat’s DVDs. (8/31/19 UPDATE: I enjoyed them. I watched later videos on Pat’s YouTube channel, as well as all ten episodes of The Video Game Years on Amazon Prime Video.)
This was another successful and enjoyable year at the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo. Thank you to everyone I met, met again, and bought from. Until next year.
David Benoit at My Father’s Place June 17, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, TV, Weather.add a comment
Friday night marked my second time in My Father’s Place at The Roslyn Hotel. The first time in March was to see The Rippingtons. This time, I saw one of the musicians from their first album: David Benoit. I saw David as part of Dave Koz’s 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour in December 2017 and at Smooth Jazz for Scholars in April 2018, but hadn’t seen him solo since October 2012, five days before Hurricane Sandy, at The Iridium. Furthermore, it was the first time I’d seen David on Long Island since his Christmas show at IMAC in December 2008, my last time there before it closed the following June.
I arrived at My Father’s Place at 6:30, entering from The Roslyn Hotel lobby and taking the elevator down to the lower level where it and 1221 at MFP are situated. The hostess recommended a table in the center. Considering the way the piano, bass, and drums were arranged, I opted for that table. I ate a cheeseburger and french fries, then waited for 8:00 to come.
Once again, there was an opening comedy act: Sherry Davey:
I was familiar with Sherry’s work, having seen her on an episode of NickMom Night Out, a signature show when Nick Jr. aired a late night programming block for adults. Sherry lives in nearby Port Washington and she incorporated many local references into her set. She also talked about getting remarried, online dating, millennials, her daughters, her nephew, her parents, and living with heart disease. I noticed in her website bio that one of her daughters is autistic. I’m on the spectrum myself, diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome 20 years ago. That could be why I’m so passionate about the music of David Benoit and other artists that I’m into.
After 20 minutes, Sherry’s set was over and it was time for the David Benoit Trio.
David led the trio on piano…:
…with Roberto Vally on bass:
…and Merrick native Dan Schnelle on drums:
Including the encore, the set ran 73 minutes. Here’s what they played:
1. Every Step of the Way
Originally heard on: Every Step of the Way (1988), The Steinway Sessions (2017)
2. Só Danço Samba
Originally heard on: So Nice! (with Marc Antoine) (2017)
3. Sienna Step
Originally heard on: David Benoit and Friends (coming later in 2019)
4. Vernazza
Originally heard on: David Benoit and Friends (coming later in 2019)
5. Kei’s Song
Originally heard on: Freedom at Midnight (1987), Conversation (2012) (as “Kei’s Song Redux”), The Steinway Sessions (2017)
6. Waiting for Spring
Originally heard on: Waiting for Spring (1989)
7. Dad’s Room
Originally heard on: Professional Dreamer (1999), The Steinway Sessions (2017)
8. If I Were a Bell
Originally heard on: Heroes (2008) (bonus track on Japan release; not worth importing unless you don’t have the U.S. release)
9. Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Originally heard on: Waiting for Spring (1989)
10. Beat Street
Originally heard on: Full Circle (2006)
11. Strange Meadowlark/Blue Rondo a La Turk (Dave Brubeck medley)
Originally heard on: Digits (1983), The Steinway Sessions (2017); Heroes (2008)
12. Freedom at Midnight
Originally heard on: Freedom at Midnight (1987), Earthglow (2010) (subtitled “The Schroeder Variations”)
13 (Encore). Linus and Lucy
Originally heard on: This Side Up (1985), Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown! (1989), Here’s to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years! (2000), The Steinway Sessions (2017)
I can’t wait to hear how “Sienna Step” and “Vernazza” sound on the new album when it comes out, likely by September. I will definitely play something from it on my Homecoming Weekend show in October. In the meantime, I’m falling in love with The Steinway Sessions.
Now, for groups of pictures of each band member, starting with David Benoit:
Roberto Vally:
…and Dan Schnelle:
The end of the encore:
I hung out in the lobby for about 15 minutes, mingling with David, Roberto, and Dan. Dan introduced David to his mother and grandparents. That was when I learned he was originally from Merrick. I perked up, telling them I grew up and live nearby in Wantagh.
Roberto asked me to send him the pictures I took of him, which I did on Saturday, including this one:
Two guys from the South Shore:
Lastly, me and David:
On the subject of his song “Dad’s Room,” I told him how much I enjoyed “Secret Love” on Waiting for Spring, which was a duet with his father Bob on rhythm electric guitar. He appreciated that, picking up on the story he told during the set of how that album was recorded in one day for budgetary reasons.
I had a great watching David, Roberto, and Dan perform. Thanks to all of you. Thanks also to Sherry Davey for relatable jokes and hilarious impressions.
Witnessing the final round of the 2019 PGA Championship May 21, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Golf, Internet, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, TV, Video, Weather.2 comments
For the fourth year in a row, I attended at least one PGA Tour event; and for the third time in the last four years, I attended a round of a major golf tournament. Three years ago, it was the second round of the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Last year, the third round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Sunday, I attended the final round of the PGA Championship (final leaderboard) at Bethpage State Park’s Black Golf Course, Bethpage Black for short. The Black previously hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open.
The 101st PGA Championship was the first to be played in May, after decades in which it was held in August and served as the last major of the season. Now, it’s the second. That means CBS holds the broadcast rights to the first two majors of the year, with Fox carrying the U.S. Open and NBC televising the Open Championship.
Bethpage State Park and its courses are only 15 minutes away from my Wantagh home, but going there for the PGA Championship by car required driving south to Jones Beach State Park parking field 3 or 4 for general parking:
My dad and I were directed to field 4:
From there, a shuttle bus took us east on Ocean Parkway, north on Wantagh Parkway to Exit W6, east on Merrick Road, north on the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway (NY 135), east on Merritts Road (after exiting at a special ramp), and finally to the terminal outside Bethpage Black. We arrived at 12:30, two hours and five minutes before Brooks Koepka (“KEP-ka”), the 54-hole leader by seven shots, was to tee off:
The sun broke through the clouds for the first few hours, but the clouds eventually won out.
The USGA calls their shop the Merchandise Pavilion; the PGA calls it The PGA Shops:
Having already purchased a cap and short-sleeve shirt, the latter of which I wore on the second night of Smooth Jazz for Scholars, and not wanted to lug a bag of merchandise all day, I waited until we left in the evening to get anything.
The defending champion, and, I hoped, the repeat champion:
The range:
Among those practicing were Lucas Bjerregaard, Erik Van Rooyen, and Rickie Fowler.
The obligatory photo op:
The practice green and media center:
The bridge to the range:
The bridge from the 18th green:
Another practice green:
Phil Mickelson walking up the bridge after his final round:
He shot 76 for the second consecutive round, finishing at +12.
The 1:05 group: Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open Champion…:
…and Lucas Bjerregaard:
The Lucases both shot 73 and finished at +3.
The electronic leaderboard/TV monitor:
The 1st fairway:
The 1st green:
I stood by the 2nd tee to watch three groups come by:
First, another group where the pair share a first name: Danny Lee:
…and Danny Willett, 2016 Masters Champion:
The Dannys both shot 77, with Lee finishing at +6 and Willett +7.
The Goodyear Blimp provided aerial coverage early on:
But cloud cover forced it to ground.
The second group I saw at 2 was Rickie Fowler:
…and Sung Kang, who won the AT&T Byron Nelson tournament the week before:
Fowler shot 77 to finish at +6, while Kang fared a little better: 72 to finish even-par.
The third was Jordan Spieth, who won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 and Open Championship in 2017:
…and Erik Van Rooyen:
Van Rooyen’s tee shot was way left:
Here’s where it ended up:
The 2nd fairway:
The 2nd green:
Spieth was one stroke better than yesterday, 71, ending up at -2. Van Rooyen shot 73 and finished at +1.
The 3rd tee:
The 3rd green and 4th tee:
The 4th fairway:
After that, I started to get hot – that’ll teach me to wear a jacket – and didn’t feel like walking the entire course. So, I headed for the 18th green. Along the way, I saw the 13th green:
14th tee:
14th green:
Back across Round Swamp Road, the 16th green grandstand:
15th tee:
16th green:
Somewhere in the distance is the 17th tee:
The 17th green and its grandstands:
The 18th tee:
18th fairway, which didn’t see many balls this round:
The 18th green and grandstands:
The TNT/CBS broadcast tower, overlooking the 18th fairway and green:
Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo called the action from 2:00 to 7:00. Spoiler alert: the championship ended on time, meaning 60 Minutes started on time.
The 18th fairway, seen from the greenside bunker:
Matt Kuchar after shooting 69:
He was one of a handful players under par for the round. He finished +1 for the championship.
After stopping at the adjacent concession stand for lunch/dinner, Dad and I returned to our spot by the greenside bunker:
We stayed there to the end. The stiff breezes cooled me off to the point where I put my jacket back on.
Between groups, the leaderboard would switch to the CBS feed (no audio). We watched as Brooks Koepka’s seven-shot lead almost evaporated, mainly due to four straight bogeys from 11 to 14, and Dustin Johnson, two groups ahead, drew closer, with five birdies and only one bogey through 15 holes. Even though I’ve rooted against players myself, I was startled that the fans around me, behind me by the ropes and up in the stands, were cheering Koepka’s demise. I like D.J., I even saw him triumph over Jordan Spieth in The Northern Trust two years ago, but I wanted Koepka to finish what he started. I’ve seen collapses in other sports, and the 2012 Ryder Cup, and I don’t like them. When Dustin Johnson faltered himself with bogeys at 16 and 17, I shook my head in affirmation and pumped my fist, not that anyone noticed. “Take that, fans,” I thought. But the fans cheered again when D.J. saved par at 18, chanting “D.J.! D.J.!” They cheered more as Brooks Koepka missed a short par putt at 17.
We’ll get to Koepka’s 18th hole in a bit. But first, here are some of the players that came before him, starting with Rory McIlroy, the 2012 and 2014 PGA Champion, as well as the 2011 U.S. Open Champion and 2014 Champion Golfer of the Year (winner of the Open Championship):
Like Matt Kuchar, McIlroy shot under par 69 and finished at +1.
When I went back to the concession stand for a chocolate chip cookie, I noticed there was another course map, smaller than the one by the entrance:
Back at the green, the Lucases, Glover and Bjerregaard:
One hole earlier, at 17, Bjerregaard made a hole in one while Glover chipped in for birdie from the bunker! I heard the roar, but didn’t know what it was until I saw on the leaderboard/monitor. It turns out my friend, guitarist and vocalist Matt Marshak, was there and saw both shots! How exciting!
Back at 18, Danny Lee in the bunker:
Rickie Fowler:
Jordan Spieth:
Dustin Johnson:
“D.J.! D.J.!”:
He finished with a 69, -6 for the championship. Spoiler again, Koepka survived 18 to win by two.
Luke List:
List had a rough day after three rounds under par. He shot 74 to finish at -1.
And that brings us to Brooks Koepka. His tee shot landed in the fescue left of the fairway:
His second shot landed back in the fairway.
After checking the distance…:
…he laid up and landed on the green, 12 feet from the hole:
The fans changed their allegiance to Koepka as he walked up to his ball:
After playing partner Harold Varner III putted out, an unfortunate 81 for him and +6 finish, Koepka putt from 12 feet:
…and made it:
As Jim Nantz said on TV, “It’s a Koepka coronation!” “Coronation” was the word I had hoped for after Saturday. Despite shooting a 74, his only round over par, he was crowned repeat PGA Champion.
Here’s how it looked on CBS:
I couldn’t see the trophy presentation from where I was:
Unfortunately, no one could hear it, either. Whoever was in charge of the speakers didn’t feed into the CBS audio. Only the TV audience heard Bill Macatee as he announced Rob Labritz was the low-scoring club professional, heard PGA of America President Suzy Whaley introduce Brooks Koepka as he returned to the green to receive the Wanamaker Trophy, and heard Koepka fielding Macatee’s questions. Fans in the grandstands cried “we can’t hear you!” and words to that effect. They cheered when it seemed like they were supposed to: when Labritz waved and Koepka raised the trophy. This could be why I’m unable to find video of the presentation online. This video has excerpts at the beginning, but that’s all we get. Otherwise, I have to consult my DVR, as I did yesterday morning.
5/26 UPDATE: One week later, the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship was played upstate, at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, televised on Golf Channel and NBC. Ken Tanigawa won by one shot. This time, the crowd at 18 was able to hear the trophy presentation hosted by Steve Sands. Oak Hill will host the regular PGA in 2023, as it did in 2013, 2003, and 1980. It first hosted the Senior PGA in 2008.
With no sign that the presentation would be redone for the fans, Dad and I headed for the exit:
Future PGA Championship sites:
Along the way, we went into The PGA Shops:
I had to get a commemorative 18th hole flag, as I had done for the two U.S. Opens. Yesterday morning, I unwrapped it and put it on my bedroom wall:
It replaced the flag from the 2009 U.S. Open:
…which replaced the one from 2002:
That one developed creases from being folded up for ten years.
Back at the Black, it was time to go:
With my iPhone’s battery at 10%, I turned it off for the shuttle bus ride back to Jones Beach. I charged it in the car on the way home and back in my room once I got home.
Bethpage Black’s next big event will be the 2024 Ryder Cup. The last thing I’d like to hear that Sunday, whether in person or on TV, is the “Olé” song, indicating Europe won again. (9/21/20 UPDATE: It will be held in 2025 after the 2020 Ryder Cup was postponed to 2021, moving all subsequent Ryder Cups back to odd-numbered years and the Presidents Cup back to even-numbered years.)
I’m so glad that Brooks Koepka held on to win the 101st PGA Championship. It’s his fourth major victory in the last eight he’s played. The win returned him to #1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. And he’s undefeated on Long Island, having won his second U.S. Open last year at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton. Congratulations, Brooksie! (9/21/20 UPDATE: BK is a better nickname.)
Will Koepka get the three-peat at Pebble Beach next month? Will Dustin Johnson redeem himself after losing the lead in the final round the last time the U.S. Open was at Pebble? We’ll see.
6/16 UPDATE: Neither happened. Gary Woodland won by three shots over Koepka to win his first major.
Until then, I’ll leave you with videos…:
Todd Lewis’s interview with Brooks Koepka for Golf Channel
…and articles:
Mike Lopresti, PGA.com: Big-Game Brooks Koepka Goes Wire to Wire for First Repeat PGA Championship Since Tiger Woods
Ryan Lavner, Golf Channel: Little brother no more: Koepka sends message staring down DJ at the PGA
ESPN: Koepka struggles, holds off Johnson for PGA win
Kyle Porter, CBS Sports: Brooks Koepka finds his edge, exuding toughness in fourth major win
Greg Logan, Newsday: Brooks Koepka holds on to win at Bethpage Black despite struggling in final round
Hank Gola, New York Daily News: Brooks Koepka wins PGA Championship overcoming difficult course, hostile crowd
Mark Cannizzaro, New York Post: How Brooks Koepka avoided epic PGA Championship choke job
2019 WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony May 14, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Football, Internet, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, Sports, Travel, TV, Video, Weather.add a comment
Other Hall of Fame ceremony recaps: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020-21, 2022, 2023
Video of the ceremony can be found at the end of this post.
The eighth annual WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony was held Saturday afternoon in the Goldsmith Atrium at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of LIU Post. As you can see above, this year’s inductees were Lew Scharfberg, Fred Gaudelli, and Pete Bellotti.
The ceremony began at 1:10 with an introduction by WCWP Director of Broadcasting Dan Cox…:
…and a video narrated by Bernie Bernard, who was inducted in 2013:
This picture taken during a dissolve was a happy accident because it looks like Lew and Jeff Kroll, the Master of Ceremonies, are pointing at Pete:
Jeff at the mic as M.C.:
Dan had the honor of introducing two of the three inductees. First, was Pete Bellotti, currently of CBS Sports Radio:
Before Jeff’s interview and remembrances from the audience, Pete gave a speech:
Jay Mirabile had an interesting story:
Joe Manfredi, Director of Operations while Pete was a student, was complimentary:
Pete even acknowledged me when referencing the music I provided and hours of co-hosting for WCWP’s live broadcast from Bar Beach Park (now North Hempstead Beach Park) in 2006:
I was about 90 pounds heavier at the time, as I co-hosted with Eli W. Sen:
“It was a fun experience”:
Lew Scharfberg was next, following Jeff’s introduction:
Among Lew’s stories in his speech were the teletype bell ringing frantically on August 16, 1977, as news broke that Elvis Presley had died, and learning of the Dome Auditorium roof collapse during the Blizzard of 1978.
Bill Mozer misremembered one anecdote…:
…and had to be corrected by Dan:
He accurately recalled another:
Neil Marks ribbed Lew, leading to an impassioned defense…:
…but was also complimentary:
Dan Cox chimed in:
The obligatory camcorder shot to use as a cover photo for my YouTube channel:
…and the obligatory alternate perspective:
Lew’s son Dan gave a moving speech:
I told him afterward, “you’re a good son.”
Last up was Fred Gaudelli, who is the executive producer of Sunday Night Football for NBC Sports:
Fred had plenty of stories from his days at C.W. Post, working his way up through ESPN, introducing what became the 1st and 10 line, producing Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football.
At one point, Dan played a clip of Fred calling a furious comeback by the Post Pioneers against James Madison in 1981:
They rallied from 21 points down with two minutes to play, winning 37-36.
Jeff’s closing remarks:
I want to thank everyone for being here today. That’ll do it. That’s it for the 2019 WCWP Hall of Fame induction. Thank you, folks.
Photo ops, starting with the three inductees:
The three inductees with Dan Cox, Bill Mozer (2013), and Jeff Kroll (2015):
Pete and his wife Bridget:
Pete with Dan Cox and Joe Manfredi:
…and me:
The early-to-mid-2000s era of WCWP:
The Scharfbergs:
Dan quickly introduced me to Fred before he left, and took a picture of us:
I posed with him 16 years earlier after he and fellow alum Dan Reagan (“Reegan”) spoke to the broadcasting class I was in:
My parting shot was of Pat and Jeff Kroll:
Pat was inducted last year along with Muffet Provost and John Commins.
Jeff was kind enough to drive me home. We had an interesting conversation along the way, and he recognized my driveway from all the times I’d photographed it after shoveling snow. (Here’s one example.)
Congratulations to Pete Bellotti, Lew Scharfberg, and Fred Gaudelli, the 2019 class of the WCWP Hall of Fame.
Here is the video:
Thanks to Dan Cox for providing the introductory video and highlights of Fred’s play-by-play. My video was shot on a Panasonic HC-V770 camcorder with a Takstar SGC-598 shotgun mic. I periodically switched to my Tascam DR-03 recording from the platform to fill gaps between raw video files and compensate for panning to the audience.
SJFS 2019 Night 2 recap April 29, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Food, Golf, Internet, Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, Weather.add a comment
The 17th annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars run by keyboardist Jay Rowe resumed on Saturday night with the second of two concerts. The headliners were Brian Simpson, Eric Darius, Jessy J, back for the second year in a row, and Steve Oliver, back for the second time in three years.
I could only manage about four hours of sleep early Saturday morning, but it felt like more than that. I got out of bed at 5:45 AM and began my exercises and pre-run stretches. Then, I headed down to the West Haven Best Western‘s fitness center to run 42 minutes on the treadmill. I had to enter my weight in kilograms and speed in kilometers per hour. It’s a good thing I had a converter on my phone. As has been the case semi-regularly since January, I did not take any breaks. It was 42 minutes in a row. That was all I needed to reach my monthly mileage goal of 150 miles.
After free weight exercises, I showered and changed into a second t-shirt and pair of shorts. Then, I brought my laptop and portable hard drive down to the lobby. While guests came in for breakfast, I was fine with a cup of tea. I’d have preferred hot chocolate, but it’s only served in the winter. Two hours later, I went back to my room and finished editing. My parents texted me from across the hall to ask if I’d like to eat a late breakfast at the nearby Denny’s. I agreed. We also ate at Denny’s the morning after SJFS in 2009 when we stayed at the adjacent Hampton Inn.
As with Sally’s yesterday, I took a few pictures at Denny’s:
The weather was better on Saturday: partly to mostly cloudy, but dry. I was underdressed, though. A t-shirt and shorts were the wrong things to wear. It’s a good thing I had my spring jacket.
The menu had an option to make your own Grand Slam breakfast. I chose two buttermilk pancakes, a buttermilk biscuit, hash browns, and two sausage links.
I grabbed a picture when I was down to the pancakes:
Back at the hotel, I showered again and worked on the rough drafts for this post and the one before it.
Eventually, the time came to drive to Veterans Memorial Auditorium at the Parsons Government Complex in Milford.
Jay Rowe’s mother Mia DiStasi was the last person I saw Friday night and the first I saw Saturday.
Kevin McCabe welcomed the audience one minute before 8:00:
Then, the Foran High School Jazz Ensemble, led by Jessica Turner, came on stage:
They performed two songs. First, a Gordon Goodwin composition, which I haven’t heard on any Big Phat Band album, called “Tweet Fatigue”:
…and Doc Severinsen’s arrangement of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust” for The Tonight Show Band:
Five minutes later, musical director Jay Rowe and his band took the stage.
As usual, Jay played keyboards:
He was backed up by Trever Somerville on drums:
Unfortunately, that was only one of two pictures I got of Trever, but you can see him in other pics.
On his birthday, Steve Scales on percussion:
Dave Anderson on bass:
…and on 11 of the 15 songs, Rohn Lawrence on guitar:
The headliners were Steve Oliver on guitar and vocals:
Jessy J on tenor saxophone:
Brian Simpson on keyboard:
…and keytar:
…and Eric Darius on alto sax and occasional vocals:
SET LIST
1. There She Goes (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: Upcoming album
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Steve Oliver (guitar, vocals)
2. High Noon (Steve Oliver)
Originally heard on: Positive Energy (2002)
Featured musician: Steve Oliver (guitar, vocals)
3. Illuminate (Steve Oliver)
Originally heard on: Illuminate (2018)
Featured musician: Steve Oliver (guitar, vocals)
4. Tequila Moon (Jessy J)
Originally heard on: Tequila Moon (2008), Live at Yoshi’s 10 Year Anniversary Special (2018)
Featured musicians: Jessy J (tenor sax), Steve Oliver (guitar)
5. All I Want (Jessy J)
Originally heard on: Live at Yoshi’s 10 Year Anniversary Special (2018)
Featured musician: Jessy J (tenor sax)
6. Just What You Need (Brian Simpson)
Originally heard on: Just What You Need (2013)
Featured musician: Brian Simpson (keyboard)
7. Persuasion (Brian Simpson)
Originally heard on: Persuasion (2016)
Featured musicians: Brian Simpson (keyboard), Eric Darius (alto sax)
8. Breakin’ Thru (Eric Darius)
Originally heard on: Breakin’ Thru (2018)
Featured musician: Eric Darius (alto sax)
9. L.O.V.E. (Eric Darius)
Originally heard on: Breakin’ Thru (2018)
Featured musician: Eric Darius (alto sax)
L.O.V.E. is Eric’s marital acronym for “living our vows every day.”
10. The Tango Boy (Jessy J)
Originally heard on: My One and Only One (2015), Live at Yoshi’s 10 Year Anniversary Special (2018)
Featured musicians: Jessy J (tenor sax), Brian Simpson (keytar), Jay Rowe (keyboards)
11. Chips and Salsa (Steve Oliver)
Originally heard on: 3D (2004)
Featured musicians: Steve Oliver (guitar, vocals), Brian Simpson (keyboard), Jay Rowe (keyboards)
12. Saturday Cool (Brian Simpson)
Originally heard on: It’s All Good (2005)
Featured musician: Brian Simpson (keyboard, keytar)
13. Love is the Answer (Todd Rundgren composition for his band Utopia)
Featured musicians: Foran High School Advanced Ensemble Chorus (directed by Theresa Voss), Eric Darius (alto sax), Jay Rowe (keyboards)
14. Night on the Town (Eric Darius)
Originally heard on: Night on the Town (2004)
Featured musician: Eric Darius (alto sax, vocals)
15 (Finale). Happy (Eric Darius) (Pharrell Williams cover)
Originally heard on: Retro Forward (2014)
Featured musicians: Everyone
Jay did not play on Brian’s three songs.
The first group of pictures by artist is for Steve Oliver:
Guitar symphony orchestra:
Vocals:
Audience sing-a-long:
Steve started “Chips and Salsa” in the audience:
Along the way, he prompted them to shout “¡Olé!”
Back on stage…:
“Where’s the party?”:
“Ohhhhh-oh! Sing!”:
They did:
There was more to echo after that:
Including complicated vocalise:
Their effort passed muster: “Aw, you’re hired. You’re comin’ on the road with us.”
Jessy J:
Brian Simpson on keyboard:
…and keytar:
Eric Darius:
Eric prompted the audience to wave their phones’ flashlights at the start of “L.O.V.E.”:
… What this light represents tonight is unity ’cause we are all united, and most importantly, this light represents love, L.O.V.E.
In the middle of the song, after sitting on the end of the stage:
…he walked down to them, high-fiving some along the way:
Back on stage:
Big finish:
“Love you, Milford!”:
During “Night on the Town,” more audience participation: “Ooh-ooh!”:
“Now, somebody scream!”:
He returned to the audience for “Night on the Town”:
As Eric made his way to the other side, I smiled for my camcorder, then panned right when I got back in position:
Back on stage:
Jay Rowe:
The end-of-solo glide:
The second Trever Somerville pic:
Steve Scales:
Dave Anderson during his “Saturday Cool” duet:
Rohn Lawrence’s “Breakin’ Thru” solo:
Jessy and Jay:
Jessy and Steve:
Rohn and Jessy (and Trever):
I just missed his wolf whistle riff.
Eric and Brian:
Rohn and Eric:
Jessy and Brian:
Brian and Jay’s Jessy J-sanctioned keyboard competition:
I call it a draw.
“Brian Simpson! Jay Rowe!”:
Brian and Dave:
“Love is the Answer,” with the Foran High School Advanced Vocal Ensemble, directed by Theresa Voss:
The finale: “Happy”:
“Oh!” “Yeah!”:
Eric named all performers…:
“I’m Eric Darius! We love you! God bless! Thank you!”:
Air Darius:
That’s it!
A selfie for Brian’s Facebook page:
Here’s how it looked:
Jay brought up the rest of the band for a group bow:
That marked the end of the 17th year of Smooth Jazz for Scholars.
What a fantastic night! And what a workout! The health app on my iPhone says I took thousands of steps both nights. I was cold in my short-sleeve shirt when I arrived both nights, but I was hot when the house lights came up and the stage was struck. That’s a workout.
During the show I once again caught up with my photography colleagues Ron Hancox, Keith McDonald, and Bill. Before and after, I spoke to Jay Dobbins and John and Barbara again. Afterward, I saw my friends Kelly and Jen.
Kelly was nice enough to take pictures during the meet-and-greet. First, Brian Simpson:
Next, Jessy J:
Jessy asked what I’d been up to since last year. I gave her the highlights, including my cousin David’s wedding down in Miami. Jessy’s 8-month-old son is also named David.
Then, Steve Oliver:
Seconds before Kelly took the above picture, she said she loved “Chips and Salsa” and Steve proceeded to vocalize. That cracked me up. Before that, he noticed the 2019 PGA Championship shirt I was wearing. I told him I’d be going to the final round at Bethpage Black golf course in a few weeks. I added that I wore the 2018 U.S. Open shirt that I got ahead of that tournament, held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton. I said I arrived at the course for the third round at about the time Phil Mickelson moved his ball on the 13th green while it was still rolling. Getting back to music, after Kelly took our picture, I told Steve I was glad he played “Illuminate” because it made me think of the late Chuck Loeb, who played SJFS five years ago. We both miss him, and I know anyone else that followed his music misses him, too.
5/6 UPDATE: My friend John Caramagna took a candid shot of the above moment from another angle:
Finally, I met Eric Darius:
I told him I liked his energy, bouncing around the stage so fast. I didn’t realize he was pointing at me when we posed, just as I didn’t know Matt Marshak’s expression last year. I would have pointed back. Eric said it was because “you’re the man.” I told him he was the man and thanked him for a great night of music.
Kelly and Jen were waiting outside to take me back to West Haven, but I had to say hi to Dolly Moye before I left. I saw her dancing in the right aisle both nights, but didn’t get to talk to her on Friday.
On the ride back to Best Western, Kelly and Jen shared stories from their union’s strike against Stop & Shop earlier in the month. I was glad to be with them.
I went right to sleep after returning to my room. Once again, I could only manage a few hours of sleep. I woke up around 4:45 AM and started going through photos from the night before. I weeded out the poor quality shots, pausing periodically to do push-ups and jumping jacks. I noticed the dawn sky outside my 7th floor window, which had a southeast exposure, and broke out my camera:
20 minutes later, the sun was in view:
Another 10 minutes passed and I took my last sunrise pic:
I could also see Long Island Sound and the north shore of either Miller Place, Rocky Point, Shoreham, or Wading River, based on Google Maps:
I put my camera away and went down to the fitness center to lift weights. Then, I went back to my room to start editing Saturday’s pictures, shower, and pack up.
Checkout was at 11:00, so with everything else packed, I packed up my laptop and proceeded to the lobby. My parents and I left the hotel at 11:10. As we pulled out of the parking lot, the England Dan and John Ford Coley version of “Love is the Answer” was playing on SiriusXM 70s on 7, which was running the April 28, 1979, episode of Casey Kasem’s American Top 40.
Just like last year, an hour and 40 minutes later, even with a heavy pocket of traffic in Stamford, we were home. Traffic is always lighter getting home late Sunday morning than it is going to New Haven County on Friday afternoon. I finished editing half a mile from my house.
I put the finishing touches on the two recaps today. Thank you for reading and viewing along with me, and thank you to everyone I encountered while in Milford and West Haven. Until next year, so long.
MikeChimeri.com 