Acoustic Alchemy at Iridium on my 35th birthday November 20, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Food, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Other Acoustic Alchemy recaps: June 2008, October 2010, June 2012
11/24 UPDATE: I forgot to note that this trip to see Acoustic Alchemy at the Iridium came ten years to the date after seeing Yellowjackets at Birdland on my 25th birthday. I referenced that trip back in April.
Thursday night, on my 35th birthday, I took a trip to the Iridium in Manhattan’s Theater District to see British contemporary jazz band Acoustic Alchemy perform. It was my first time back at the venue since October 2012, one week before Hurricane Sandy.
Following Chieli Minucci and Special EFX at the Long Beach Jazz Festival in September, I learned through fellow audience members that Acoustic Alchemy would be playing at the Iridium two months later, on November 17 and 18, to close out their U.S. tour. My birthday falls on the 17th, so I bought a ticket for that night. There were two shows each night, at 8:30 and 10:30. As usual, I chose the early show.
Since I would be on my own at the Iridium, birthday dinner and ice cream cake with my family was moved up to Wednesday night. My parents, sister, and I ate dinner at Margarita’s Cafe, a Mexican restaurant in North Wantagh:
Ice cream cake was waiting back at home:
We usually get Carvel cakes, but this one was from Friendly’s. It tasted just as good.
I spent much of my 35th birthday afternoon responding to “Happy Birthday” wishes on Facebook. One of my friends, radio personality Don Tandler, quipped in his wish that I’m no longer in the young demographic, which is 18 to 34. I got a chuckle out of that.
At about 4:10, I took an extended walk from my Wantagh Woods home, to make up for not running, to the Wantagh LIRR station and bought an off peak round trip ticket for Penn Station. I boarded the 4:59 train and arrived an hour later. I responded to more birthday wishes on the train.
I was told the Iridium door wasn’t opened until 7:30, which meant I had a lot of time to kill. Rather than take the 1 Subway train to West 50th Street, I walked all the way from Penn Station to the club.
The walk took twenty minutes. I stood outside for about ten minutes before figuring out I could wait inside at the bottom of the stairwell.
I was first in line.
Once staff began letting ticket holders in, a few minutes before 7:30, I chose a seat at a center table right by the stage.
While waiting for the set to start, I took a picture of the monitor as this upcoming event image was on screen:
8:30 arrived and the show began. The image below was posted to Acoustic Alchemy’s Facebook page a few minutes in:
You can see me, camera in hand, right by the stage. You’ll also notice the stage has been renovated since my last visit.
Acoustic Alchemy was made up of Miles Gilderdale on electric guitar:
…and acoustic guitar:
“The Detroit Shuffle” vocal medley:
Filling in for Greg Carmichael was Nate Najar – a native of St. Petersburg, Florida – on acoustic guitar:
Rounding out the band was Gary Grainger – out of Baltimore, Maryland – on bass:
Vocalizing on “One for Shorty”:
Gary’s brother Greg on drums:
…and Fred White on keyboards:
There were ten songs on the set list:
1. Homecoming
Originally heard on: Reference Point, 1990; Arcanum, 1996; Live in London, 2014
2. Overnight Sleeper
Originally heard on: Natural Elements, 1988; Live in London, 2014
3. Mr. Chow
Originally heard on: Red Dust & Spanish Lace, 1987; Arcanum, 1996
4. The Detroit Shuffle
Originally heard on: American/English, 2005
5. One for Shorty
Originally heard on: Roseland, 2011; Live in London, 2014
6. Clear Air for Miles
Originally heard on: Back on the Case, 1991
7. Ariane
Originally heard on: Blue Chip, 1989; Live in London, 2014
8. The Beautiful Game
Originally heard on: The Beautiful Game, 2000; Sounds of St. Lucia, 2003; Live in London, 2014
9. Catalina Kiss
Originally heard on: Blue Chip, 1989; Arcanum, 1996
10 (Finale). Kidstuff
Originally heard on: The Beautiful Game, 2000
Here are wide shots, starting with Miles’s high notes on “The Detroit Shuffle”:
The finale – “Kidstuff”:
The last note:
“Thanks so much, guys!”:
There was a meet-and-greet after the show. I let Fred White know on Facebook, in the days leading up to Thursday, that I was coming, so he was happy to see me. The feeling was mutual. It was also nice to see Gary Grainger, who I first discovered through his appearances – and Greg’s, as well – on many Ken Navarro albums. I had a female audience member take our picture:
My camera’s lens focused on the wall rather than us, which happened in a few attempts at a picture the night before at Margarita’s. Since time was short, I didn’t have that audience member take us again. I told Fred, “I’ll get it in editing.”
Thank you to Miles, Nate, Gary, Greg, and Fred for their musical 35th birthday present. I had a blast.
And thank you to everyone that passed along birthday wishes the day before, on, the day after, two days after, and even three days after my birthday.
Jeff Dunham at Carnegie Hall October 22, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Hockey, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Phone, Photography, Politics, Sports, Travel, TV, Video, Weather.Tags: Achmed, Bubba J, Carnegie Hall, Jeff Dunham, Peanut, Walter
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(10/26 UPDATE: I have censored the few curse words that were in the recap.)
(10/23 NOTE: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Jeff’s show ran “about 70 minutes.” I have corrected that to read “2 hours and 13 minutes.”)
I was in Manhattan for the second night in a row yesterday. Thursday, I was down in Greenwich Village to see the Chick Corea Elektric Band. Yesterday, I was uptown at Carnegie Hall to see ventriloquist and comedian Jeff Dunham. Pictures weren’t allowed during the show, which was part of Jeff’s Perfectly Unbalanced Tour, but I took my plenty before and after. I had to use my iPhone 6 because mobile devices were all that were allowed.
This was my fourth time at Carnegie Hall, but the first time in the Stern Auditorium. My previous three trips were to see pianist Lisa Hilton in the intimate Weill Recital Hall.
Jeff Dunham and his crew made their way to Carnegie at around 4:30. Jeff posted live video of the walk to Facebook:
About an hour after that streaming video, I left the house for the Wantagh LIRR station. It was the last day of a warm and humid air mass. Nonetheless, like Thursday night, I wore my green spring squall jacket in case of rain. There was nary a drop; only fog and mist when I returned six hours later. There had been rain earlier in the day, but while I waited for the 5:59 train for Penn Station, Wantagh was in between rain bands. The band to the east must have been intense because there were impressive cumulonimbus clouds:
Low cumulus clouds set in starting in Queens, appearing dark against the setting sun.
There were New York Islanders fans on the train through Jamaica. They changed there for the Atlantic Terminal train to Barclays Center where the Islanders went on to beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-2.
The train arrived at Penn Station at 6:55. From there, I took the E train to West 53rd Street and walked four blocks to Carnegie Hall.
Once there, the crowd had to wait until 7:30 for the Stern Auditorium doors to open. After getting a bottle of water, I got to my balcony seat. Trivia, social media posts, and pictures were shown on the monitor:
The ceiling:
There was a welcome announcement at 8:03 following by three intro videos at 8:06. Since they’re from Jeff’s YouTube channel, I’ve included them below:
After an auto-tune montage, the show officially began at 8:16. The voice of Achmed the Dead Terrorist announced Jeff and he walked on stage. I looked at him on the monitor most of the time since I was so high up.
I took ten pages of notes in a 7 x 5 notebook. Below are some of those notes. I’ll try not to give too much away.
Jeff’s opening act:
- Informal election vote: Hillary – cheers, Donald – more cheers
- Why he’s a ventriloquist
- Family – daughters, Audrey, twin boys
- How Jeff and Audrey found out they were having twins, Jack and James
- The twins’ birth
- Changing diapers in NICU
- Breastfeeding
- Baby pictures – meme photo (“I CAME OUT OF YOUR WHAT???”), then actual photos: their first birthday, Jeff holding them like dumbbells, at Disneyland
- Left stage, came back
- Videotaping show to include message to sons when they’re older
After the opening act, it was time to open the boxes and bring out the characters. Walter came first:
- “Oh, shut the hell up! (mocking laugh)”
- Joke about New Jersey
- How do you get to Carnegie Hall? “Uber.”
- Joke about auditorium appearance
- Sick of election garbage – doesn’t like either candidate – like going in for colonoscopy
- Cut to a video:
- Plug for Jeff’s YouTube channel – about to reach one million subscribers
- Another video:
- “You know, folks tell me that I should run for president”
- Wife
- Life after death
- “If Trump becomes president, José’ll be out of the show” (a reference to José Jalapeño on a Stick)
- Being an older parent
- “Say good night, Walter.” “Thanks, everybody!”
Before bringing out the next character, Jeff announced that his next special will be taped in Dublin, Ireland, in May for Netflix. It will debut in August. The theme will be family. Jeff found out he is of Irish descent. To that end, a new character he tried out at Carnegie Hall was an Irish baby he was trying to get adopted:
- Big head
- Adult voice with brogue
- Influenced by the other characters (“I keel you” from Achmed)
- Much smarter than apparent age
- Cursing (from Peanut)
- Mother gave him up for adoption
- Vaccination/shots – “Gin, rum, vodka”
- Can’t walk, but can pub crawl
- “All the drunks just think I’m a leprechaun”
- “And that’s the new baby!”
Bubba J:
- “I’m doin’ pretty good!”
- “…watchin’ NASCAR and drinkin’ beer”
- Twins
- Wife
- Running for president
- “Press the flesh”
- Debate/da bait, defense/da fence, Syria/Siri
- Fracking: “Me and the wife are down to once a month”
- “Say good night, Bubba J”
Peanut:
- “Dat’s goooooooooood!”
- (singing): “New York…..”
- “Two infants at your age, how the hell did that happen?!”
- Running gags (toward Jeff, into mic): “’cause you’re old”, “’cause you’re an a**h***”, “’cause I’m an a**h***”
- Porn riff (“chicka-chicka-wow-wow”) – baby-related dirty talk
- Caffeine zaniness – “It’s great!”, “Yes!”
- Coffee enema
- Lost a shoe – “No, dude, I found one”
- Peanut fell off and his mouth was stuck open – after a few minutes of incoherent speech (“ahh***”), Jeff closed it
- “Jeff-fa-fa”
- “Nnnnnnyeow!”
- Spoke to two men in the front row
- Hearing aid joke (pretending to cut out)
Achmed the Dead Terrorist:
- “Most beloved terrorist throughout the world”
- Achmed’s origin story – tried out Dead Osama a year after 9/11, six blocks from Ground Zero – crowd loved act – retooled as Achmed starting in Spark of Insanity
- “Greetings, American infidels!”
- Usama Bin Laden is “dead dead”
- “Do you know me, infidels?!” – cheers – “Thank you, I keel you (2x)”
- “Achhhhhmed”
- “It’s not funny!”
- “Silence! I keel you!” – cheers – “Thank you, I keel you”
- Achmed’s many kids: “…and Steve”
- Games
- Life story: “Once upon a time, (boom!). The end.”
- Presidential election
- “Oh! Bomb! Ah!”
- Questions: “Dear Achmed…” – by my count, 19 questions – Favorite breakfast cereal: “Life” – Hugh Jorgen (huge organ): “I can’t believe you fell for that!” – Legs fell off, then arms, then ribcage
After one last joke, that was it. Since it was over, I resumed photography. There was one last bit of business for Jeff: a crowd selfie with his wife Audrey.
Here’s how that selfie looked:
As you can see, balcony members weren’t in the picture, but I don’t mind.
In all, Jeff was on stage for 2 hours and 13 minutes, leaving the stage at 10:29.
I took a selfie of my own a few minutes later:
Then, I made my way down the stairs, through the lobby, and out the door. Merchandise was available in the lobby:
Rather than walk back to West 53rd Street to take the E train again, I walked to 59th Street-Columbus Circle station.
I took the 1 train back to Penn Station:
I would have taken the 11:08 LIRR train to Wantagh, but there happened to be an 11:01 express train that didn’t make local stops until Wantagh. So, I boarded that one. There were some passengers that didn’t realize it was an express and had to change at Jamaica for the later, entirely-local train. It only took 43 minutes to get to Wantagh! Now that’s what I call express! I wouldn’t have arrived until 20 minutes later had I taken 11:08 train.
Thus ended my six-hour adventure. Jeff was hilarious, as always. I wish the show was available on video so I could watch it again and again. My notes and memories will have to do until then.
While I slept, Jeff was live on Facebook as his YouTube channel surpassed one million subscribers!
Congratulations, Jeff, and thank you to fans like me for getting the channel to a million and beyond.
Chick Corea Elektric Band at Blue Note October 21, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Internet, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, Travel.3 comments
After a month away from the Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, I returned last night to see the Chick Corea Elektric Band. It was the first of two shows in two nights. Tonight, I’m going to see ventriloquist and comedian Jeff Dunham in the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. Pictures aren’t allowed, so that recap will be all words. (10/22 UPDATE: The recap of that show is now up. I was allowed to take pictures before and after, but I was still quite descriptive. Jeff’s YouTube videos and social media posts are also included in the recap.)
After the seating issue when I went to see Lee Ritenour in August, I opted for a seat further from the stage last night. It was still cramped, but my table seat was against the wall, which meant I was free to get up to take pictures without getting in anyone’s way. It was quite a workout, in addition to the 7.6 miles I ran in the afternoon. I was seated across from Phil, an avid Chick Corea fan from Vancouver, and his wife Kim. They made the time before the show worthwhile.
Now, the backstory: Pianist, keyboardist, and composer Chick Corea turned 75 back in June. In honor of this milestone, Blue Note arranged a two-month celebration/residency, which began Wednesday night with the first of five nights of the Chick Corea Elektric Band. The residency ends with Return to Forever meets Mahavishnu (Orchestra, I assume) from December 8 through 11. That show will combine half of Return to Forever, Chick and drummer Lenny White, along with Mahavishnu John McLaughlin on guitar. Victor Wooten will round out that band on bass.
The Elektric Band featured its definitive lineup, first heard on Light Years, the band’s second album, in 1987.
Chick Corea played keyboards:
…piano:
…and, during the encore, keytar:
Eric Marienthal was on alto sax:
…and soprano sax:
Frank Gambale on guitar:
John Patitucci on bass:
…and Dave Weckl on drums:
The 8:00 set consisted of six songs with extended solos. The songs were:
1. Trance Dance
Originally heard on: Eye of the Beholder, 1988
2. C.T.A. (Miles Davis cover)
Originally heard on: Paint the World, 1993
3. Jocelyn – The Commander
Originally heard on: To the Stars, 2004
4. Beneath the Mask
Originally heard on: Beneath the Mask, 1991
5. Silver Temple
Originally heard on: The Chick Corea Elektric Band, 1986
6 (Encore). Got a Match?
Originally heard on: The Chick Corea Elektric Band, 1986
The encore started with an audience call and response intro. Chick would play:
…and the audience would echo:
Then, “Got a Match”:
The last note:
After the set, I briefly caught up with drummer Dave Weckl and we posed for a picture:
I had a longer conversation with saxophonist Eric Marienthal, whom I’ve seen perform many times: with the Rippingtons in 2005, David Benoit in 2006, at Smooth Jazz for Scholars in 2008, solo in 2011, and with the Jeff Lorber Fusion in 2014, my first time at the Blue Note.
Just as we were posing for a picture, bassist John Patitucci walked by and I asked if he could get in, too. He did:
I interviewed both Eric and John on The Mike Chimeri Show over a decade ago. All interviews can be heard here. (Out of self-consciousness, I haven’t listened since editing them for air.)
The Chick Corea Elektric Band put on a thrilling show last night. If you’d like to see them and get the same thrill I did, they play at 8:00 and 10:30 tonight, tomorrow night, and Sunday night.
Here is the rest of Chick’s residency schedule:
- October 26-30: For Miles
- November 2-6: Three Quartets, the Leprechaun Band
- November 9-10: Experiments in Electronica
- November 11-13: Flamenco Heart
- November 16-17: Chick Corea Big Band
- November 18-20: The Piano Duets
- November 22-23: Chick Corea & Gary Burton
- November 25-27: Origin II
- November 30-December 4: The Music of Return to Forever – Acoustic
- December 7: Chick Corea with John McLaughlin
- December 8-11: Return to Forever meets Mahavishnu
10/30 UPDATE: Highlights from all five nights of the Elektric Band at Blue Note were posted to Chick’s Facebook page:
2016 LIU Post & WCWP Homecoming, 2017 Hall of Fame Announcement October 10, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Comedy, Football, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, Sports, Travel, Video, Weather.add a comment
Other recaps: 2008, 2009, WCWP 50th Anniversary (2011), 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
Later in this recap, I share the aircheck from my pre-recorded Homecoming Weekend show that aired early yesterday morning. To see and hear my live show on Friday, click here.
After kicking off Homecoming Weekend on Friday, I returned to the campus of LIU Post for Homecoming itself.
On my way to campus, I put on WCWP, whose signal wasn’t entirely clear at first, and listened to the Post Pioneers‘ Homecoming game against the Saint Anselm Hawks. The game had begun moments earlier and it was already 14-0! As my mother turned toward the Abrams Communications Building, where WCWP is located, the Pioneers scored their third touchdown to go ahead 21-0.
When I made my way from WCWP to Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium, all part of my Homecoming Day routine, it was 35-14 with a minute to go in the first half.
Before standing by the gate adjacent to the field, I photographed the carnival rides in the parking lot:
Skies were cloudy and the air was mild and humid. There was spotty drizzle, but not enough to scare me away. (My camera isn’t weatherproof.)
Joe Szadok and Jeff Kroll, on the right end of the press box (their left), called the game for WCWP:
The series of pictures below are the touchdown to increase the Pioneers lead to 41-14, followed by the extra point that made the score 42-14:
The Pioneers would go on to rout the Hawks 63-20 (thanks to a missed extra point) and improved their record to 6-0.
On my way back to WCWP, I zoomed my camera lens to 300 mm lens as an Emirates airline jet flew low in its descent toward JFK International Airport:
The spotty drizzle intensified to a light rain shower, so I had to put my camera under my jacket for the rest of the walk back. Except for walks to and from Hillwood Commons for snacks from the vending machine, I didn’t leave WCWP until my dad picked me up an hour into Mike Riccio and Bobby G.’s radio show. More on that later.
I was pleasantly surprised to see faces from my early days at WCWP, especially Joe Manfredi, the former director of operations:
Also on hand were Billy Houst and Karen Fiorelli, who took this picture of Joe, him, me, and Jay Mirabile:
Jay is my biggest champion, always propping me up on Facebook, complimenting me and my talents.
John Zoni hosted the halftime and postgame shows:
Bernie Bernard, who once again had a show after the football game, spoke to Jeff and Joe, still in the press box, during the postgame show:
Here’s Bernie, moments into her show:
When she wasn’t playing music, she played host to a cavalcade of alumni, starting with Bobby Guthenberg, AKA Bobby G.:
Next were Jeff Kroll, fresh from the press box, and Pete Bellotti to announce the 2017 inductees to the WCWP Hall of Fame:
The 2017 inductees are Neil Marks, John LiBretto, and John March.
Jay Elzweig gathered by Jeff and Pete’s mic to discuss his history with WCWP and “The Original Hootenanny” show:
Jay resurrected “The Hootenanny” in a show that aired at 4AM yesterday following my show.
Bill Mozer, who had his camcorder and 4-channel portable recorder set up in Studio 2, also spoke briefly. I was diagonal from Bill’s setup and shot the pictures you’re seeing here from the same spot.
After a few songs, David Kaplan was next to speak:
He invited his daughter Alexa, a student at LIU Post, to join him at the mic.
David and Alexa gave way to more songs, then Roger Luce and Mike Schanzer (AKA Magick Mike Hendryx):
Mike had a solo segment, as well:
Unlike on Friday when he followed me, I followed him in the interview chair (via vidcaps):
Bernie’s last aircheck of the show included Jett Lightning and Wolf German, a former student of hers:
Wolf is enthusiastic and affable, and it was a pleasure to meet him. Jett agreed.
Jett stuck around for Mike Riccio and Bobby G., and Bill Mozer checked on his setup:
After the above picture, I packed up the camcorder and tripod and left Studio 2. I came back in for one final shot during Mike and Bobby’s phone interview with Chuck Taylor:
As you see, Jay Elzweig stopped by the studio before he left for the night.
When I got home, I edited pictures, selected which to post here and Facebook, and began mixing camcorder video with my recording from the FM tuner and studio board. All the while, I listened to the rest of Mike and Bobby’s show, and Bruce Leonard and John Commins after them. Here’s the final cut of the video, which I rendered and posted to YouTube yesterday afternoon:
While waiting in Studio 3 for my dad to pull into the parking lot, I had Jeff Kroll take pictures of me with Alana Leider:
…and John Zoni:
Then, I took pictures of Pat Kroll and Lew Scharfberg:
Alan Boritz and Pat Kroll:
Lew Scharfberg, Jeff Kroll, Bruce Leonard:
…and finally, Bill Mozer and Bernie Bernard:
Thus ended a busy day at LIU Post. It’s always great to catch up with alumni I know and meet alumni for the first time. It’s also great to hear the various shows throughout Homecoming Weekend. “I’m listening to the very end,” I wrote in the WCWP Alumni Association Facebook group during Jeff Kroll’s 10PM show last night. “You sound great, Jeff.”
Here’s how Jeff signed off just before midnight:
Until next year, I’ll leave you with the aircheck from the prerecorded Instrumental Invasion with Mike Chimeri that aired at 2AM yesterday:
…and the playlist.
As I noted last week, I recorded the show from home. It sounded great on the web stream, which I was awake to listen to.
2016 WCWP Homecoming Weekend, first few hours October 7, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Education, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, Video.add a comment
For the second year in a row, I was the leadoff hitter, so to speak, for the WCWP Homecoming Weekend. Instrumental Invasion with Mike Chimeri kicked things off at noon today.
I left the house just before 9:00 and took the Hicksville-Wantagh Community Shuttle to Hicksville LIRR Station. Once I got there, I had to wait a half hour for the n20H to arrive. I was at LIU Post by 10:15.
Once I got to WCWP, LIU Post’s campus radio station, I set up in Studio 2 and took a few pictures:
Eventually, noon came and the show began. After my first aircheck, I had Jeff Kroll take a picture of me at the board:
Jeff and his wife Pat were in the building during my show, as were Bruce Leonard and Magick Mike Hendryx, whose show followed mine.
I took two more pictures during the show:
Overall, I had a great show. There were a few mistakes and flubs, but that always happens in a live broadcast. Here’s how I looked and sounded during talk breaks:
And here’s how the transitions between songs sounded:
Now that you’ve heard the airchecks, and seen their video equivalent, here’s the playlist.
I’ll be back at LIU Post and WCWP tomorrow for Homecoming and the announcement of the 2017 class of the WCWP Hall of Fame.
Before we go, here are two pictures from the start of Magick Mike Hendryx’s show, engineered by Bruce Leonard, and video of his opening aircheck:
15 years in radio; two shows on WCWP next weekend October 3, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Education, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Sports.add a comment
Wednesday marks 15 years since my first radio show on Webradio WCWP, now known as MyWCWP. The maiden voyage of The Mike Chimeri Show, a contemporary jazz instrumentals show (naturally), embarked at 7PM on Friday, October 5, 2001. The first song I played was “Mountain Dance” by Dave Grusin.
Unfortunately, I didn’t think of recording the show for posterity, which I’ve done for all but one show since, but I did save the playlist:
mcs001
88 shows followed, plus another 95 after 10 months at WGBB.
I miss the days of having a weekly show, which I haven’t had since Evening Jazz on 88.1 WCWP in 2010, but I’m proud to have a show each Homecoming Weekend. Like last year, however, I will have two shows on Homecoming Weekend, and at the same times. The shows will bear the name Instrumental Invasion with Mike Chimeri.
The first show kicks off the weekend, live on Friday, October 7, at noon Eastern. I pre-recorded the second show two weeks ago from home and it will air early Sunday, October 9, at 2AM Eastern.
The live show will consist of all but three songs from albums released this year. The other three songs are from last year. Among the artists you’ll hear are Chuck Loeb, Yellowjackets, Richard Elliot, and Gerald Albright.
The pre-recorded show is a 50-year music journey, running from 1966 through 2016. Expect to hear Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Chet Atkins, David Benoit, Acoustic Alchemy, and plenty more.
Both shows can be heard locally on 88.1 FM, and worldwide at WCWP.org and on the TuneIn app.
In between, I can be found at LIU Post on Homecoming Day itself – Saturday, October 8. I’ll mostly be at the Abrams Communications Building, home of WCWP, but I plan on dropping by the Pioneers’ football game against Saint Anselm College, their 2014 Homecoming opponent.
Later in the afternoon, the 2017 class of the WCWP Hall of Fame will be announced. I always look forward to the announcement, and then the ceremony itself each spring.
I hope you’ll be listening to WCWP all Homecoming Weekend long. I’m honored to get the ball rolling again this year. Jeff Kroll wraps the weekend up at 10PM on October 9.
Shelly Peiken book discussion and signing September 25, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Books, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, Travel.add a comment
Back in March, I wrote about my experience reading songwriter and Freeport native Shelly Peiken‘s (“PIE-kin”) book, Confessions of a Serial Songwriter. I was hoping for an opportunity to meet her in person the next time there was a book signing in New York City or here on Long Island. Over the summer, that opportunity came to be as Shelly invited me and her fellow Facebook friends to an event on Friday night at Turn of the Corkscrew Books & Wine in Rockville Centre, not too far from the LIRR station. I proudly committed to going, as did many other friends from her youth in Freeport. That includes my mother Lisa, who grew up within walking distance of Shelly.
My original itinerary to get to Turn of the Corkscrew was similar to the previous Friday’s journey to Long Beach for the Long Beach Jazz Festival. The only difference is I would eat an early dinner at home before leaving for the Wantagh LIRR station where I would take the 5:59 train. Mom would meet up with me in RVC, as it’s colloquially known, coming from work in Freeport. That never happened because Mom decided to come home first so we could go together. We did, leaving the house at about 5:50. We arrived a half hour later. Shelly wasn’t due to speak until 7:00, but I always like to be early so I can get a prime seat.
After having a can of diet ginger ale and two chocolate chip cookies, I took these preliminary pictures:
Shelly arrived on time, hugging my mother Lisa on the way to the podium:
For about an hour, Shelly read excerpts from Confessions of a Serial Songwriter…
…and sang a few of her songs:
The songs were:
“Bitch” – #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Meredith Brooks in 1997
“Almost Doesn’t Count” – #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Brandy in 1999; #19 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for Mark Wills in 2000
“Human on the Inside” – #59 in Australia for the Divinyls in 1996; #30 on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart for the Pretenders (as “Human”) in 1999
“Who You Are” – #8 on the UK Singles chart for Jessie J in 2011
Mom loved “Almost Doesn’t Count.” “That’s very pretty,” she complimented after the last chord. “Thank you, Lisa,” Shelly cheerfully replied. Mom added, “It’s my kind of song.”
Shelly also admitted she’s working on an audiobook version of Confessions. I can’t wait to hear it.
After Shelly’s friend Suzan Koç took a group picture of her with all of us in the first few rows, it was time for the signing portion of the night. I had my copy ready and Mom bought a copy, too.
She wrote the following in my copy:
Mike –
I love that you came
Nice to meet you in person
Shelly
I couldn’t agree more.
Here’s what she wrote in Mom’s copy:
Lisa –
I cried when I saw your face
Shelly
Aww.
As the crowd thinned out, all that remained were Shelly and her friends. They sat, reminisced, and looked at childhood pictures, for a half hour. I sat with them and took it all in.
Before sitting down, Shelly gathered them for a picture:
From left to right, there’s Linda, Lisa, Celeste, Shelly, Lisa, and Peggy.
Thank you again, Shelly. I had a wonderful time, and I know (friends) did, too. Tell Suzan it was nice to meet her, too. And thank you, also, to Carol Hoenig and Peggy Zieran, the co-owners of Turn of the Corkscrew.
Kerry Kearney Band, Special EFX at Long Beach Jazz Festival 2016 September 19, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
On Friday, for the first time in four years, I came to the second day of the four-day Long Beach (NY) Jazz Festival. This was the festival’s 14th year and the sixth year I’ve attended.
I was there to see Chieli Minucci and Special EFX, but was treated to blues by the Kerry Kearney Band beforehand.
Despite running 7.6 miles earlier in the afternoon, I walked a mile and a half to the Wantagh LIRR station just before 4:00. I waited for the 4:27 westbound train, which I took to Lynbrook. Then, I switched platforms to board the Long Beach train. I took the same two trains four years ago.
After I arrived in Long Beach, I walked to Brixx & Barley for a pasta dinner. I had eaten there with my parents and sister on Mother’s Day after we walked the Long Beach Boardwalk.
Unfortunately, there was still a lot of time before the Long Beach Public Library was opened to patrons. So, I walked to the nearby Starbucks and treated myself to dessert. There were only a few people outside the library when I left, but a crowd had gathered when I returned. I was still able to get a front row seat when the doors opened at 6:45.
The Kerry Kearney Band went on just after 7:00.
Here’s Kerry in action:
The rest of Kerry’s band was David Cohen on piano:
Gerry Sorrento on bass:
Mario Stiano on drums:
…and Nydia “Liberty” Mata on percussion:
I saw Nydia perform with Alan Bates at the 2008 festival, and she played the steel drums during cocktail hour at my friends Jenni and Clemente’s wedding reception a few weeks after the 2011 festival.
The band was also joined by Victor Poretz on harmonica:
…and Charlie on trombone:
A few wide shots:
The last note:
The set lasted about an hour. A half hour later, it was time for Chieli Minucci and Special EFX.
As with the Kerry Kearney Band, Special EFX was introduced by Steve Adelson, Long Beach Jazz Festival founder and Chapman Stick player:
Chieli played electric guitar:
…and acoustic guitar:
Jay Rowe was on keyboards:
Jerry Brooks on bass:
Joel Rosenblatt on drums:
…and Antoine Silverman on violin:
As always the set list was a mix of Special EFX tunes and Chieli’s solo work. Here’s the list:
1. Courageous Cats
Originally heard on: Jewels (Chieli), 1995
2. Dance on the Delta
Originally heard on: Yet to be released album
3. Crazy Eights
Originally heard on: Genesis, 2013
4. Daybreak
Originally heard on: Global Village, 1992
5. Speak to Me
Originally heard on: Masterpiece, 1999
6. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (Allman Brothers Band cover)
7. Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers (Stevie Wonder cover; based on Jeff Beck version)
Originally heard on: Renaissance (Chieli), 1996
8. Kickin’ It Hard
Originally heard on: Night Grooves (Chieli), 2003
Antoine Silverman did not perform on #1 and #7.
Various shots of Chieli Minucci:
Jay Rowe:
Jerry Brooks:
Joel Rosenblatt:
Antoine Silverman:
Wide shots:
After the last note:
The bow:
With that, my night was complete. It was great to be back at the Long Beach Jazz Festival. I hope to be there again next year.
Joe Falco Documentary September 10, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Fire, History, News, Personal, Video.add a comment
Five years ago, I posted my 9/11 experience, via a written summary of a portfolio I submitted in college a few months after 9/11. Two years after that summary, for my senior project, my dad Bill and I interviewed Joe Falco, an FDNY firefighter who survived the collapse of the World Trade Center’s South Tower. I never posted it to YouTube until tonight. Here is the resulting documentary, with pictures added two years later:
Two days at The Barclays August 30, 2016
Posted by Mike C. in Golf, Internet, Media, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, TV, Video, Weather.add a comment
I spent Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the third and final round of The Barclays, the first event of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs. This year, as in 2012, the host venue was Bethpage Black, the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Bethpage/Farmingdale.
One day after acquiring tickets to the second round of the PGA Championship, my dad Bill ordered tickets for the third round of The Barclays. About a week before we were to go, Dad won complimentary tickets to the final round. Our weekend was set.
This was the tournament’s 50th year. It began in 1967 as the Westchester Classic. This was also the last year it was sponsored by Barclays. Starting next year, when the tournament will be at nearby Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, it will be known as The Northern Trust. As a result, the tournament that was called the Northern Trust Open, held in February at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, will become the Genesis Open.
For the third round on Saturday, Dad and I left the house at 11:30 and drove to Nassau Coliseum for general parking. From there, a shuttle bus drove us to Bethpage Black.
All pictures both days were taken on my iPhone 6.
The practice green and media center:
The 1st tee:
The 1st fairway:
We stopped at the 18th fairway to watch Phil Mickelson and Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose finish their round:
This was back by the 1st tee:
The 1st green:
The 4th tee:
We stopped at the concession tent by the 5th green and 12th fairway, then watched the last seven pairings at the 5th green:
Those pairings were:
Jim Herman and Jhonattan Vegas
Ricky Barnes and J.B. Holmes
Martin Laird and Harold Varner III
Jason Day and Adam Hadwin
Jordan Spieth and Sean O’Hair
Rickie Fowler and Ryan Moore
Patrick Reed (36-hole leader) and Emiliano Grillo
The MetLife Blimp:
After watching Blayne Barber and Jason Kokrak at the 12th green, Dad and I made our way to the 13th green:
We stood in the sun at first, then moved to the shade (seen above). We watched Barber and Kokrak, Ryan Palmer and Kevin Chappell, and then the seven pairings I listed earlier. As the leader and challengers approached, we saw Billy Kratzert, Dottie Pepper, and Peter Kostis from CBS Sports. Also passing by were course reporters from PGA Tour Radio, NHK (Japan), and Sky Sports.
After Reed and Grillo, Dad and I walked back toward the clubhouse.
The jib by the 14th green:
A closer look:
The 15th tee:
We stopped at the crosswalk by the 17th tee as Jason Day and Adam Hadwin teed off.
We stopped in the shop to buy a shirt, then took the shuttle back to Nassau Coliseum.
Rickie Fowler (-9) took the lead from Patrick Reed (-8) going into the final round. Here are highlights of the third round, which concluded while we were in transit.
For the final round on Sunday, Dad and I left for the Coliseum at noon. The shuttle we took arrived at Bethpage Black before 1:00.
Our first stop after arriving was the practice range, which was adjacent to the Yellow Course:
At the range were Adam Scott, Patrick Reed, Kevin Streelman, Justin Thomas, Emiliano Grillo, and Rickie Fowler.
Then, we walked toward the 18th green.
Me and the infamous warning sign:
Our plan was to sit in the grandstand above the green until play concluded, but that didn’t pan out. I’m glad it didn’t.
We watched the four pairings start their rounds at the 1st tee:
The four pairings:
Kevin Streelman and Gary Woodland
Emiliano Grillo and Justin Thomas
Adam Scott and Martin Laird
Rickie Fowler and Patrick Reed
Fowler and Reed waiting to tee off:
After a brief stop in the Mastercard Club, Dad and I walked to the concession area by the 14th hole. On the way there, we passed Brandt Snedeker and Brian Harman as they made their way to the 17th tee. People were high fiving Sneds, and I tried to get in on the action, but he didn’t see my hand. Oh, well.
After hot dogs and soda, we returned to our spot at the 13th green:
As you can see, the hole was moved.
We watched the last 14 pairings come through. In addition to the four I listed earlier, there were also:
Brian Stuard and Jim Furyk
Billy Horschel and Rory McIlroy
Brendan Steele and Chez Reavie
Sean O’Hair and Charl Schwartzel
Ricky Barnes and Jordan Spieth
Jason Dufner and Blayne Barber
Ryan Moore and Kevin Kisner
Jason Kokrak and Ryan Palmer
Dustin Johnson and Jamie Lovemark
Jason Day and Tony Finau
Occasionally, photographers and TV cameramen set up in front of us. On a personal note, my dad’s friend joined us at the green for a little while.
Day parred 13, but made a 71-foot putt for birdie at 15.
When Fowler and Reed came to the green, volunteers strictly enforced the no-camera-or-phone policy. I put my iPhone back in its holster and didn’t touch it until they holed out. By this time, Fowler had faltered and Reed regained the lead. That lead would grow to three shots, but he won by one (-9).
Dad and I made another stop at the concessions by 14. While there, we ran into my friend Mike and his wife Laurie.
The jib also made an appearance:
Then, we walked to the grandstand by the 17th green for the last two pairings:
The view was spectacular:
As we approached the 18th tee, we ran into Mike and Laurie again. After Reed and Fowler teed off, we walked adjacent to fairway.
We stayed until the last putt:
The 18th green at the moment Reed putt for bogey to win by one shot:
The moment Peter Kostis interviewed Reed:
We walked closer to the green for the trophy presentation (not televised), which came after Reed signed his scorecard.
Dottie Pepper hosted the presentation:
Reed’s win, the fifth of his career, earned him a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
On the way back to the shuttle, we passed by the 1st tee of the Red Course:
And we saw Rickie Fowler signing autographs by the practice green:
With that, we exited and boarded the shuttle:
I expect to do as the sign said and return next year at Glen Oaks for The Northern Trust.
I will update this post after the Tour Championship with the FedExCup Champion. Until then, I leave you with post-tournament links:
Final round highlights
Patrick Reed news conference
Shots of the week
Final round photo gallery
Associated Press story
Helen Ross: Teamwork leads to success
Winner’s Bag: Patrick Reed, The Barclays
9/25 UPDATE: Rory McIlory won.
8/15/21 UPDATE: The PGA Tour will be replacing this tournament, renamed The Northern Trust, with the FedEx Cup Championship. That means this year’s tournament, the 55th, will be the last.
MikeChimeri.com 