Phil Sims: Jazz Happenings

Hello, everyone,

I hope everyone is well, and given that it's time to shop for turkeys, presents, and trimmings...

 ...wow...

...yes, we now own one (Pier One, if you need it), and yes, we do spend our money wisely, and, clearly, any way we see fit...

here's hoping there is time remaining to allow yourself be entertained, either by this missive from afar, or in person, here in town. On the home front, "All-them-leaves" are finally corralled, Home depot has been absolutely ransacked as we spruce up the new place, and my good friend, Pat Georger, from Hamburg Music, did an awesome job tuning our "new" piano that sounded like a hundred honky-tonks and a bevy of banjos duking it out before he made the scene. Dave Sypos (our expert Allentown piano tuner), we miss you (and all of our A-town friends), we hope you are well, and we hope to see you soon. Things appear to be coming together out here in West Seneca (which we are loving, by the way).

Before getting into the music, I'd like to send out a hello and heart-felt thanks to all the folks at KSLN. Last week, Cindy moved on from her associate post at the sizable downtown law firm that inhabits the refurbished Calumet Building, and after our wonderful five days off together, she has taken up her new post in the banking and investing sector (yesterday was her first day). While we're both excited for this great new opportunity, for me it will be weird not stopping down to Chip/Frank for "coffee Mondays" (which really could be any day) and seeing so many familiar, smiling faces, while always being greeted so warmly by good friends. Thanks to Pat K, Judy, Tim, all the equities and partners, associates, and of course, the entire staff for everything you have done for us. I hesitate to name too many names because this email will go on and on (big firm), or I'll miss someone. So, from the "coolest person ever" to the "chocolate bar gal", to the "the cookie lady" (food not required to be considered a good friend!), and everyone else, we will miss you, but we hope to see you very soon.

On to the weekly entertainment, now.

Tuesday, November 19th Cindy Sims and the Buffalo State Philharmonia Community Orchestra in concert at Rockwell Hall. 7:30PM

OK, she's not exactly the guest soloist (yet!)... (and the dogs are not yet orchestra-trained), but she's in the French horn section! 

Handel's Water Music Suite, Saint-Saens' Suite Algerienne, Godard Suite for Flute and Orchestra, Bizet's Carmen Suite No. 1, and Grieg's Sigurd Jorsalfar make for quite a heady program of totally-not-jazz music! Consider it an extreme palette cleanser for the jazz courses to come. Expertly and enthusiastically conducted by our dear friend, Paul Ferington.

Thursday, November 21st The Carol McLaughlin Big Band rehearses at the Historic Colored Musicians Club (Broadway and Michigan) 8:30PM

Historic Colored Musicians Club

Although it appears we are rehearsing in a small anti-room, and sax-man Jim Riggi looks like he's wearing a fur-lined flak jacket, I assure you there is ample room for guests, and the heat is definitely paid for, and on. Carol looks to turn up the heat on all of us with his oft-brisk tempi. Hence, I cannot guarantee there will be no flak! Ring the buzzer, climb the stairs, and blend in to a significant part of Buffalo jazz history.

Friday, November 22nd The Katy Miner Quartet at the Historic Roycroft Inn (S. Grove St., East Aurora) 7:30PM

The Katy Miner Quartet

Katy Miner, vocals, myself, piano and trombone, Paul Zapalowski, bass, Tom Kasperek, drums

Katy is an incredible singer, smoothly presenting a wide range of styles and sounds, from Blossom Dearie, to the Beatles, to Ella, to Burt Bacharach to the Police, and beyond. Paul and TK are two of the best, period. The Roycroft is a beautiful setting, with fine food and beverages and friendly service.

Saturday, November 23rd, Myself as guest artist with Winelight at Duke's Bohemian Bar and Grill (DBGB), (Allen and Wadsworth) 6:00PM

Phil Sims

I don't have a Winelight pic, so you're stuck with me! This is a new one for me (gig, not the picture), and I'm thrilled and honored to be asked to be the guest soloist! The band kicks off around 6 or 6:30, but then I get to join them at 8PM. DBGB has a great stage, ample seating for dinner, and a nice bar in the back.

Coming...

11/30 Katy Miner Quartet at Lebros

12/4 Buffalo Brass rehearses at Milkie's

12/8 Phil Sims Quartet with Carol McLaughlin at Milkie's

12/20 Michael McNeill Octet at Pausa Art House

1/3 Heather Holden Quartet at Bacchus

much more to come!

Wishing you all a great start to the holiday season. And if you're around, or coming home to visit, Cindy and I (and the bands) hope to see you very soon.

Danny Hull: Musically This Week, Fall 2013

Hello everyone.  No big news.  I haven't found another venue for the guest artists series.  Despite missing that great gig and all of the associated personalities, I just haven't been motivated to initiate the legwork and the cold-calling.  And much to my surprise, no wealthy, jazz-enthused club owner has beat my door down and begged me to begin anew.  Go figure...

But there are a couple of things you may want to know about, the most important of which is that Bruce Eaton celebrates the 15th anniversary of his Art of Jazz Series with the Fred Hersch Trio this Saturday.  Here are the details...

Saturday, 11/2 at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery     8:00

Fred Hersch, piano     John Hébert, bass     Eric McPherson, drum set

Fred Hersch, jazz piano

 

The 2013–2014 Hunt Real Estate Art of Jazz Series will present acclaimed jazz pianist Fred Hersch and his trio at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery on Saturday, November 2, 2013, at 8 p.m.  A pre-concert conversation, “The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro,” with Art of Jazz Series Producer Bruce Eaton, will take place at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $25 for Gallery Members and $29 for non-members and can be purchased at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Admissions Desk, by calling the Gallery at 716.270.8292, or online at www.albrightknox.org/artofjazz.

Acclaimed as “one of the small handful of brilliant musicians of his generation” (DownBeat), “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz” (Vanity Fair), and “singular among the trailblazers of [his] art” (The New York Times), jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch has performed on more than one hundred recordings and collaborated with an astonishing range of artists in the worlds of jazz (Joe Henderson, Toots Thielemans, Stan Getz, Kurt Elling, Bill Frisell), classical (Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw), and Broadway (Audra McDonald).  Widely hailed for his ability to steadfastly create a unique body of original works while reinventing the standard jazz repertoire, Hersch has had numerous accomplishments, including a Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition and five Grammy nominations.  As a solo pianist he was the first artist in the seventy-five-year history of New York’s legendary Village Vanguard to play weeklong solo engagements.  Hersch was the 2012 winner of the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque in France for his Alive at the Vanguard trio recording, which features the same musicians who will be joining him for his Albright-Knox concert: bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1955, Hersch was the first openly gay, HIV-positive jazz musician of his generation. Since 1993 he has been a passionate spokesman and fundraiser for AIDS services and education. His 2010 multimedia theatrical project My Coma Dreams was based on dreams he retained after emerging from a two-month coma in the summer of 2008. The project was the subject of a much-noted extended feature in The New York Times Magazine (www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/magazine/31Hersch-t.html).

For more information on Fred Hersch, please visit www.fredhersch.com.

Now in its fifteenth season as the most successful music series of its kind in Western New York history, Art of Jazz has established the Albright-Knox Auditorium as one of the premier venues for live jazz in North America. The 2013–2014 series will continue with Tim Berne/Snakeoil (January 26, 2014, 3 p.m.), Ambrose Akinmusire (March 23, 2014, 3 p.m.), and Cécile McLorin Salvant (April 26, 2014, 8 p.m.)

And...

Friday, 11/1 at Bacchus     8:00 - 11:00

The Warren Stirtzinger Trio

Warren Stirtzinger, guitar     Wayne Moose, bass     your correspondent, drum set

This should be fun.  Bacchus is the former Calumet, 56 Chippewa, corner of Pearl.  Warren will lead the trio through his many stringed inventions, replete with his usual taste and artistry.

links...

www.albrightknox.org/artofjazz

www.fredhersch.com

www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/magazine/31Hersch-t.html

www.bacchusbuffalo.com/

Hope to see you...

dan

Phil Sims: Jazz Happenings

[10/23/2013 Update: Hello, everyone,
Well, life (and a scheduling snafu) has intervened and I find myself having to reschedule the Buffalo Brass rehearsal for this week. We will not be at Milkie's Wednesday evening, but I will reschedule the group at Milkie's within the next few weeks. I'll keep everyone posted. So sorry for the late change, we look forward to seeing you soon! ... Phil Sims]

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a great weekend. It was a wonderful mixed bag for Cindy and I. We had a great time Friday night at the Roycroft with the quartet. Saturday was off to Rome (wait for it... New York) for my grandson's 3rd birthday, andSunday, although we were dark at Milkie's, the quartet came together to start work on new material and some exciting projects. I hope to have some real interesting developments to report in the coming months.

Not for nothin', but kids's cartoons are just not what they used to be (grouchy old guy alert). I think they're missing out. I mean, what happened to classics like "Duck Season, Wabbit Season", Popeye quipping out of the corner of his mouth "I don't like your altitude", while boxing with Bluto on the wing of a plane, Bugs and Elmer doing Wagner opera, and Bullwinkle explaining to us (in Bullwinkle's Corner) how to stop a bully on the beach by opening with, "First, find a bully".

Dora, Yo Gabba Gabba, Oomi Goomi, or whatever? Yikes! However, it's probably for the best, you know, gentler times. I still remember the day our mom banned us from watching the Three Stooges because my brother poked me in the eye with a stick! There's definitely a pound of dirt missing somewhere from my early days!

So we forge on to the present. Here's what's happening this week in my little jazz world. We'd love to see you.

Wednesday, October 23rd the Buffalo Brass Big Band rehearses at Milkie's on Elmwood (at Utica) 7:30PM

Just off our September bash, we get back to work on some new material, and yes, we'll go over some of the old tried and true.

Thursday, October 24th the Carol McLaughlin Big Band rehearses at the Historic Colored Musician's Club (Broadway and Michigan) 8:30PM

You'll notice an empty trumpet chair, stage left (your right) in the back row. Well, I guess someone has to get the drinks! Come enjoy one, yourself, while Carol puts us through our paces.

And folks, that's it for this week. Nothing on the weekend at all. However, Saturday night, Cindy and I have tickets to see Doc Severinson and his band at Kleinhans. No music this Sunday at Milkie's. we will be back soon, with our next guest artist. Stay tuned, and have a great week.

Danny Hull Newsletter: Milkie's no more

Hello friends.  Rather than wax enthused about our Fall line-up, I am constrained to offer this disquieting update.  The Tuesday night guest artist series at Milkie's has ended.  My thanks to those of you who have endeavored to keep our little scene alive, musicians and audience alike, but it's time to go in a new direction.  It has been a distinct honor to present this music to those who care about it, and to accompany the legions of world-class musicians who have done our gig.  I am grateful.  I'll let you know should I find another venue.  Until then, please continue to support the musicians who give so much of their soul at every turn of phrase.  With any luck, I'll be in touch...

What are the odds I'll find another venue?

Almost all Nevadans regard the (Yucca Mountain) repository as a threat to Las Vegas, a gamblers' destination that lives off tourists who are demonstrably irrational about probabilities.

 - George Will

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

Friendships,

dan

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 49

Hello friends.  A simple thank you isn't enough, but it is indeed sincere.  So thank you to Ronnie Corsaro.  Thank you Carol Calato.  Thank you to Sandra Hays and Lori Presti.  Thank you to all of the sponsors and volunteers who so unselfishly gave of their energy and their time.  The success of the incomparable Lewiston Jazz Festival is testament to the effort and the commitment of these generous souls.  What a privilege to be a part of it and to be associated with such heartfelt and caring individuals...  The greater jazz community is in your debt.

Tuesday, 8/27 at Milkie's Elmwood     

trioPAYAZZO plus 2

7:00 - 10:00

trioPAYAZZO plus 2

Harry Fackelman, saxophone     Andy Peruzzini, trumpet     Bernard Kunz, guitar     Marc Cousins, bass     your host, drum set

I have to admit I don't get it.  You've likely heard of trioPAYAZZO.  They get gigs.  They have a following.  And all this success without the services of a cooperating drummer...  What kind of world do we live in?  I look at it as a corruption of that old Nancy Reagan thing - just say no to drums.  So in the interest of all that is fair, I've forced myself on them.  Stop in if you can.  Hear the damage that one slightly miffed musician can do with an array of percussive choices.  Milkie's on Elmwood, at the intersection of West Utica & Elmwood Avenue.  882-5881

Tuesday, 9/10 at Milkie's Elmwood     7:00 - 10:00

A Jones Summit

Michael T. Jones, piano      Bobby Jones, piano     Cameron Kayne, bass     your host, drum set

Upcoming at Milkie's Elmwood

Tuesday, 9/3 (Labor Day Break)

Tuesday, 10/15 Patty Flaherty & Craig Kastelnik

links...

www.milkiesonelmwood.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

To stick my hands in the toaster...

He has to be a great drummer to be better than no drummer.

 - Chet Baker

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

Friendships,

dan

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 48

Hello friends.  A fantastic week that ends with the Lewiston Jazz Festival...

Tuesday, 8/20 at Milkie's Elmwood     7:00 - 10:00

Bobby Jones, piano     George Kane, guitar     Danny Ziemann, bass     your host, drum set

Again, a new and different quartet, this time comprised of three veterans and a 20-something - but a 20-something with enough experience to qualify as a veteran...  Always searching for ways to blend the extraordinary talent in this town and to present creative music of American roots...  Milkie's on Elmwood, at the intersection of West Utica & Elmwood Avenue.  882-5881

Wednesday, 8/21 at Milkie's Elmwood     7:15 - 9:15

Buffalo Brass open rehearsal

Back in the big chair after subbing out to play Ronnie Corsaro's gazebo gig this summer...  More accurately - the other big chair...  Dennis Tribuzzi plays a rather significant role at lead trumpet.  Acknowledged: drum set is critical in a big band.  But if Dennis is your lead player, and you're not listening to him, you have much to learn.  This is a rehearsal, not a performance - open to the public and free of charge.  We're preparing for an upcoming Sunday performance at Milkie's, and you are invited to sit ringside and learn how Phil takes 17 disparate musicians and creates a cohesive whole that swings, that hits together, and makes music as one.

Saturday, 8/24 at the Lewiston Jazz Festival

Main Stage 12:00 - 1:30

Mike Kaupa Quintet

Mike Kaupa, trumpet     Bruce Johnstone, baritone saxophone     Chris Ziemba, piano     Buddy Fadale, bass     yours truly, drum set

Don't sit home Tuesday night in favor of this weekend's Lewiston Jazz Festival.  Do both.  At Milkie's Elmwood we offer an intimate setting where the listener can get up-close-and-personal with the music and the performers.  But as a veteran of every Lewiston Jazz Fest since its inception, I can't offer enough praise and encouragement.  Shall we start with the fact that it's free?  Free?  Really?  Have you checked out the schedule?  Another Niagara Frontier embarrassment of riches...  Ronnie Corsaro, Carol Calato, Hannah Hays, and the generous sponsors who labor for this event for an entire year should all be enshrined.  If the summer has to end, this is the way to end it.

Frontier House     5:30 - 7:30

Bob Sneider, guitar     Bobby Jones, piano     Danny Vitale, bass     your correspondent, drum set

And speaking of new-to-us quartets, Bobby Jones has never had the pleasure of playing music with Rochester's Danny Vitale.  Wait till he feels that pulse...

next Tuesday, 8/27 at Milkie's Elmwood     7:00 - 10:00

trioPAYAZZO plus 2

Harry Fackelman, saxophone     Andy Peruzzini, trumpet     Bernard Kunz, guitar     Marc Cousins, bass     your host, drum set

Upcoming at Milkie's Elmwood

Tuesday, 10/15 Patty Flaherty & Craig Kastelnik

links...

www.milkiesonelmwood.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

http://www.lewistonjazz.com/

So come out and share it with us...

What we play is life.

 - Louis Armstrong

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

Friendships,

dan

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 47

Hello friends.  For your consideration...

Tuesday, 8/13 at Milkie's Elmwood     7:00 - 10:00

Tim Clarke, trumpet     Kenny Kuriscak, saxophones     George Caldwell, piano     Cameron Kayne, bass     your host, drum set

I think we have yet another new quintet offering, never before presented to a discerning audience.  Amazing how that can happen, especially considering that the local jazz community of musicians, who for the most part all know each other, can still find different ways to connect and share in their musical explorations.  So explore we shall.  We talked about arranging a rehearsal, but that's as far as it got - talk.  Newly configured, we'll bring our musical and physical roots to bear, and test the limits of a collective creativity.  Tim Clarke arrived in Buffalo from Eugene, Oregon by way of a demanding position at Fisher Price.  George Caldwell was coaxed here from New York City and Clarksdale, Mississippi by way of love and marriage.  Kenny, Cameron, and I are all Niagara Frontier born and raised.  No matter one's roots, the music transcends geography.  We'll convene this Tuesday, and we'll play.  We hope you'll join us.  Milkie's on Elmwood, at the intersection of West Utica & Elmwood Avenue.  882-5881

Wednesday, 8/14 at the Hennepin Gazebo, Lewiston  

Ronnie Corsaro - piano & arrangements 

   7:00 - 9:00

The Upstate Express

Ronnie Corsaro - piano & arrangements     Tim Clarke - trumpet     Ricky Fleming - trombone     Russ D'Alba & Kenny Kuriscak - saxophones     Wayne Moose - bass     yours truly - drum set

This will be the season finale for the Upstate Express.  Thanks to Ronnie Corsaro for securing the funding and for inviting me to be a part of it.  It has been a privilege a to play his charts with this group of guys.  Hopefully the tradition will continue next summer and for many summers to follow.

next Tuesday, 8/20 at Milkie's Elmwood     7:00 - 10:00

Bobby Jones, piano     George Kane, guitar     Danny Ziemann, bass     your host, drum set

Upcoming at Milkie's Elmwood

Tuesday, 8/27 trioPAYAZZO plus 2

Tuesday, 10/15 Patty Flaherty & Craig Kastelnik

links...

www.milkiesonelmwood.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

http://phattlippz.blogspot.com/

www.georgecaldwelljazz.com/

as is Tuesday's quintet...

History is an intricate web of timing, people, circumstances, and serendipity.

 - Don Rittner

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

Friendships,

dan