Debbie Reynolds - In Memoriam

So horribly tragic. Made even more tragic by the fact that her daughter passed away one day earlier. 

   The star of Singin' in the Rain, arguably the greatest movie musical ever and countless other movies. My other favorite of hers, Mother by Albert Brooks. 

May she rest in peace.

Carrie Fisher - In Memoriam

                      Although she made many movies, with Hannah and Her Sisters and When Harry Met Sally being standouts, she became an icon thanks to Star Wars. So sad to hear the news that she passed away today. Everybody that fell in love with Star Wars and grew up with it as the movie which changed their lives, will feel the same sadness. Rest in Peace.
                    

Hope Show - Count Basie Theatre 12/23/2016

     Bobby Bandiera's annual Hope Show came to the Count Basie Theatre this past week. This year proceeds went to a couple organizations including the food bank of Monmouth and Oceans Counties.

     Unlike most previous years, the main artists wound up being announced in advance; Southside Johnny, Gary U.S. Bonds, Gene Cornish of The Rascals and Frankie Previte.

      Bobby and the band were onstage for the entire show and the artists rotated for a song or two throughout the night. Frankie Previte performed a couple songs which he originally wrote which appeared in Dirty Dancing.

     Here is the setlist:

             O Holy Night - Lisa Sherman

             Bridge Over Troubled Water(Simon & Garfunkel cover) - Bobby Bandiera

             Chantilly Lace(Big Bopper cover) - Big Joe Henry

             Hungry Eyes(Eric Carmen cover) - Frankie Previte

             You're All I Need to Get By(Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell cover) - Bobby Bandiera & Kristin Cochran

             Up Where We Belong (Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes cover) - Southside Johnny & Layonne Holmes

             How Can I (The Rascals cover) - Bobby Bandiera  & Gene Cornish

             Justine(Righteous Brothers cover) - Southside Johnny & Gary U.S. Bonds

             I Don't Wanna Go Home - Southside Johnny

             Quarter to Three - Gary U.S. Bonds

             Time of My Life(Bill Medly & Jennifer Warnes Cover) - Frankie Previte & Lisa Sherman

             (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher(Jackie Wilson cover) - Gary U.S. Bonds

             Merry Christmas Baby(Otis Redding cover) - Southside Johnny

             You've Lost That Loving Feeling(Righteous Brothers cover) - Southside Johnny & Gary U.S. Bonds

              Your Precious Love(Jerry Butler cover) - Southside Johnny

              (You're My) Soul & Inspiration(Righteous Brothers cover) - Southside Johnny & Gary U.S. Bonds

               Holly Holy(Neil Diamond cover) - Bobby Bandiera

               Lonely Too Long (The Rascals cover) - Bobby Bandiera & Gene Cornish

               New Orleans -  Gary U.S. Bonds

               Good Lovin'(The Rascals cover) - Bandiera & Gene Cornish

               Talk to Me - Southside Johnny

               White Christmas - Tim McLoone & All

               All You Need Is Love(Beatles cover) - Bobby Bandiera & All     

Southside Johnny & Layonne Holmes

Gary U.S. Bonds & Southside Johnny





Big Joe Henry



Finale

In Memoriam - George Michael

                                                                   Rest in Peace

Merry Christmas

Quincy Mumford & The Reason Why - Stone Pony 12/17/2016

      Quincy Mumford's Annual Holiday concert was held at the Stone Pony this past weekend. This was the 5th straight year the benefit show has been presented, all at the Pony.

       As with the other years, the show is a benefit with proceeds going to Mary's Place By The Sea in Ocean Grove New Jersey, a respite home for women going through cancer treatment.
       As in previous years, the first half was original Quincy Mumford material, and the second half was the "Super Jam" with many local artists helping out. Quincy's band was augmented by a 4 piece horn section and backing vocalists.
       All patrons were also given a copy of Quincy's new CD, which by what was heard on Saturday will be great.

        I hope a good amount was raised for a very good cause, and that their good work will continue to be carried out.

       Here is the setlist.

                    Soul Music

                    It's Just Love

                    Hey Morning

                    Living In Between

                    Shifted

                    Under the Covers

                    You Girl

                    Helping Hand

                    Stay

                 

                    Love & Happiness(Al Green cover)

                    Feelin' Alright(Traffic cover) w/Remember Jones

                    September(Earth, Wind & Fire cover) w/Remember Jones

                    You Make My Dreams Come True(Hall & Oates cover) w/Nick Iannelli on Vocals and Brian Gearty on bass

                    Feel Good Inc.(Gorillaz cover) w/Little Stranger

                   Mercedes Benz(Janis Joplin cover) w/Taylor Tote

                   Natural Woman(Aretha Franklin cover) w/Emily Grove

                   Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough(Michael Jackson cover)

                   I've Been Blessed(J.T. Bowen song) w/J.T. Bowen

                   (You're Love Keeps Lifting Me)Higher & Higher(Jackie Wilson cover) w/J.T. Bowen

                  Soul Power(James Brown cover) w/J.T. Bowen

                  Uptight(Stevie Wonder cover)-w/Kadesia Mohammad

                  1999(Prince cover) w/Remember Jones & J.T. Bowen

                  Let's Dance(David Bowie cover) w/Remember Jones, Michael Ghegan, J.T. Bowen

Remember Jones

Taylor Tote

 

J.T. Bowen

 

              

Rainforest Foundation Benefit Concert - Carnegie Hall 12/15/2016

         The now biennial Rainforest Foundation Benefit was held last night at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Sting is the architect of the show each year and his wife Trudie Styler is the producer.

        This years show was titled Baby It's Cold Outside. This years show featured Performances from Sting, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Idina Menzel, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Chris Botti, The Manhattan Girls Choir, Vittorio Grigolo and special guests Jennifer Nettles and Gina Gershon.

        The massive house band included musical director Narada Michael Walden and Will Lee and Felicia Collins from the CBS Orchestra(Former Band for Late Night With David Letterman).

        The show opened with an extended version of Carol of the Bells from the house band. The arrangement was reminiscent of the Trans Siberian Orchestra version. After that, the artists came out to perform, more often than not, a song and then introduce the next performer. Sadly, there were very few moments where the artists shared the stage together, which was very common in the early years of the benefits.

        Chris Botti and James Taylor did perform together after the initial opening, and Mr. Botti left after that having a performance that night at The Blue Note. Mr. Taylor once again shared the stage with Indina Menzel for Baby It's Cold Outside, and Bruce and background vocalist Lisa Fischer sang Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out together.

 

        After Bruce, Jennifer Nettles performed Do You Hear What I Hear? where all the artists joined her midway through.

        In earlier years, it was very common for one artist to share vocals or add instrumental accompaniment for another artist. It may have been limited rehearsal time which accounted for this.

        Overall it was a very good show and one for a good cause, so there is not much that you can complain about.

       Here is the setlist:

                     

              Carol of the Bells - All Star Band

              Winter Wonderland - James Taylor & Chris Botti

              Soul Cake - Sting w/Gina Gershon on juice harp

             

              Speech by Trudie Styler

             Let It Go - Idina Menzel w/Manhattan Girls Chorus

             River(Joni Mitchell cover) - James Taylor

             The Cherry Tree Carol - Sting

             Aria from Pagliacci - Vittorio Grigolo

             Empty Chair - Sting

             Nessum Dorma - Vittorio Grigolo w/Manhattan Girls Chorus

             Frosty the Snowman - Ronnie Spector

             I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Ronnie Spector

             Last Christmas(Wham cover) - Sting w/Backing Vocalists

             Christmas(Baby, Please Come Home) - Darlene Love

             Baby It's Cold Outside - James Taylor & Idina Menzel

             Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Darlene Love

             I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday(Wizzard cover) - Sting

             Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Bruce Springsteen

            Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springsteen

            Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out - Bruce Springsteen & Lisa Fischer

            Do You Hear What I Hear? - Jennifer Nettles & All

            Joy to the World - All

   

             

Chapecoense

            
                   Our hearts go out to all those who lost their lives, and to their friend and families. Rest in Peace.

ARW - Count Basie Theatre 10/26/2016

    Back in 1984 I saw my one and only Yes show at the Garden State Arts Center in New Jersey. The tour was in support of their album 90125.This was their most commercially successful album in what has been a remarkable career. Yes has gone through, and continues to go through many personnel changes.

     On October 26, an offshoot of Yes came to the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank New Jersey. What is unique about this  band ARW, is that it includes 3 of the most influential members of Yes,
     The band consists of keyboard whiz Rick Wakeman, glorious cape and all, Trevor Rabin on guitar, who helped bring Yes their biggest commercial success, and the unique voice of Yes, Jon Anderson.
      This lineup made in possible for them to touch on music from their early prog rock days to their later more poppier albums, and also a cut from the Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe album,
       The band was rounded out with Lee Pomeroy on bass and Louis Molino III on drums, both remarkable musicians.
       What is kind of amazing is that there are more members of Yes in ARW than are currently in Yes. ARW sounded great and seemed to be having a great time. Jon Anderson's voice has aged remarkably well, and Trevor Rabin's guitar playing has seemed to have gotten better through the years, if that is possible, Rick Wakeman is, well, Rick Wakeman.
        Sadly, the sound mix was a little off at first but improved from Lift Me Up on.
        Here's hoping ARW continues to perform and maybe even record some new music,
        Here is the setlist:

            Cinema
            Perpetual Change
            Hold On
            I've Seen All Good People
            Drum Solo/Lift Me Up
            Happy Birthday-Sung for Jon Anderson
            And You and I
            Rhythm of Love
            Heart of the Sunrise
            Changes
            Long Distance Runaround
            The Fish(Schindleria Praematurus)

            The Meeting(Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe song)
            Awaken
            Owner of a Lonely Heart


            Roundabout                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Jon & Rick

Trevor Rabin

Happy Halloween

                                        Happy Halloween  

Gene Wilder - In Memoriam

                                                                      Rest in Peace

Paul McCartney - Citizen's Bank Park 7/12/2016

         I was fortunate to see the legendary Paul McCartney at the Citizen's Bank Field in Philadelphia the other night.
         The only other time I was able to see Mr. McCartney was back in 2002 on his Driving Rain tour. To this day, it still holds up as my favorite concert. To see an artist and one song after another think, "my God, he wrote this one too", is a pretty remarkable feeling. At that show, as with this recent show also, he touched on solo work, Wings classics and Beatles classics, of course. This time around he did 8 Beatles songs he he did not do the last time I saw him, and between the two shows he touched only the tip of the iceberg.
          14 years on from that last show, his voice shows a little sign of age, but overall he still sounds great. I did notice a little strain in his voice around 90 minutes into the show, but he still sounded incredibly good, especially given the fact that he is 74 years old.Of course if i did not know he was 74 years old, I
would never know it by looking and listening to him. He could come out, play a 2 hour show and most people would be very satisfied. Instead, he played for 2 hours and 45 minutes, and I never felt he was phoning in his performance.
          As with the other time I got to see him, although his setlist remains pretty much unchanged from show to show, and his onstage banter probably is the same night to night, I never feel as if he is going through the motions. He seems genuine from the moment he walks on the stage, and has an endless amount of charisma. And he does come across as truly grateful for the support of his fans.
          The concert consisted on many Beatles classics, some of the more popular ones and a few deep cuts, a few Wings classics and even the first song he had recorded with one of the first bands he was in,The Quarrymen.
           And during a section where people were brought up the show signs they made up, a young couple got engaged. Paul was happy to let the guy propose saying " I don't mind, this has nothing to do with me".
           Prior to the show, a DJ kept the crowd entertained with a mix of Beatles and Wings songs, some by McCartney and the Beatles and some by other artists. Here is a rundown of those songs;Dizzy Miss Lizzie/Jet/Live & Let Die outro/Rocky Raccoon/I'm Down/Rock N Roll Music/Come Together/Why Don't We Do It In the Road/Uncle Albert/Polythene Pam/Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band/Memphis Tennessee/Her Bulldog/I'm a Man/Say Say Say/Revolution/Juniors Farm.
            And then an amazing concert by one of the greatest of all time. I can say that I was as grateful as I was the last time I got to see him live. Long may he play.

                           Setlist

       Hard Days Night(Beatles song)
       Save Us
       Can't Buy Me Love(Beatles Song)
       Letting Go(Wings song)
       Temporary Secretary
       Let Me Roll It(Wings song) / Foxy Lady(Jimi Hendrix cover) outro
       I've Got a Feeling(Beatles song)
       My Valentine
       Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five(Wings song)
       Here,There and Everywhere(Beatles song)
       Maybe I'm Amazed
       We Can Work it Out(Beatles song)
       In Spite of All the Danger(Quarrymen song)
       You Won't See Me(Beatles song)
       Love Me Do(Beatles song)
       And I Love Her(Beatles song)
       Blackbird(Beatles song)
       Here Today
       Queenie Eye
       New
       The Fool on the Hill(Beatles song)
       Lady Madonna(Beatles song)
       FourFiveSeconds
       Eleanor Rigby(Beatles song)
       Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite(Beatles song)
       Something(Beatles song)
       Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da(Beatles song)
       Band on the Run(Wings song)
       Back in the USSR(Beatles song)
       Let it Be(Beatles song)
       Live and Let Die(Wings song)
       Hey Jude(Beatles song)

       Yesterday(Beatles song)
       Hi Hi Hi(Wings song)
       Birthday(Beatles song)
       Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End(Beatles song)

     

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

   

European champions

One Last Time

                                                            Well, actually two.

                                   

                            Farewell to Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Ariana Debose & Leslie Odom Jr.

In Memoriam - Prince

 
    It seems like every other post I put up this year is a tribute to someone who has passed away. Too many. Way too many.
  Prince, like may that have died this year, wasn't just a great musician, but an innovator. Like David Bowie earlier this year, there will never be another person who comes close to what he was able to accomplish.
                                                                     Rest in Peace

In Memoriam - Merle Haggard

                                                           Pledge Allegiance to The Hag

The Music of David Bowie-Carnegie Hall 3/31/2016

          Carnegie Hall was the sight of the first night of two tributes to David Bowie.
          After selling out, a second night was added at Radio City Music Hall the following night, with a similar artist roster.
           The original show was part of the annual "Music Of" series that pays tribute to a different artist each year. Last year David Byrne was honored.
            Sadly, Mr. Bowie passed away the same day tickets went on sale for this show.
            This years show seemed to look better on paper than in its execution. I love David Bowie's music, love Carnegie Hall, and a fan of many of the artists who performed, but had a couple issues with the show overall.
             The performance in all were very good, a few being pretty remarkable, but found the sound to be possibly the worst I have ever heard at Carnegie Hall. Possibly it was the section I was in, but found the sound very muffled. All of the artist introductions were very muffled. The best sounding performances were the ones with minimal instrumentation. I do know that acoustic performances tend to sound better there, but I have seen many shows where full bands have performed and the sound was better.
              The highlights, for me, were Betty Lavette performing It Ain't Easy, Michael Stipe and Karen Nelson performing Ashes to Ashes, and The Flaming Lips doing Life on Mars?
               Holy Holy were the back up band, when needed. The band included of Woody Woodmansey and Tony Visconti, both longtime Bowie collaborators, as well as vocalist Glenn Gregory from Heaven 17.

               Here is the setlist:

                                Suffragette City - Cyndi Lauper
                                The Width of a Circle - Holy Holy
                                Soul Love - Robyn Hitchcock
                                Always Crashing in the Same Car - Laurie Anderson
                                Breaking Glass - Eugene Hutz & Sergey Ryabtsev of Gogol Bordello
                                Starman - Debbie Harry
                                The Man Who Sold the World - Joseph Arthur
                                Word on a Wing - The Mountain Goats w/Robyn Hitchcock
                                Ashes to Ashes - Michael Stipe & Karen Nelson
                                Quicksand - J Mascis w/Sean Lennon
                                It Ain't Easy - Betty Lavette
                                Rebel Rebel - Perry Farrell
                                Five Years - Cat Power
                                Let's Dance - Ann Wilson
                                Cactus - Pixies
                                All the Young Dudes - Rickie Lee Jones
                                Heroes - Jakob Dylan
                                Life on Mars? - The Flaming Lips
                                Space Oddity - Choir! Choir! Choir! & All Artists