Monday, May 24, 2010

Danny Hull Newsletter: Musically This Week Vol XII, No 37

Hullo friends.  This week...

Tuesday, 5/25 at Bobby McGee's 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Paradigm Shift
Gerry Youngmann, organ    Melvin Henderson, guitar     your host, drum set
Now we're getting funky.   Critics make their money writing about music.  And there's value in that.  Most of can learn something from a more experienced set of ears.  What do you listen for?  What is the meter?  Do you hear the harmony?  What makes one genre distinct from another?  Words help - when they're honest and truthful.  But the best judge will be you.  Do you like what you hear?  Does it move you?  Does it brighten your moment?  Do you want to hear more?  To that end, I'm going to direct you to www.paradigmshiftjazz.com. 

 Click on the music link and hear for yourself what Gerry & Melvin are capable of, and the company they keep.  Then come out and witness the music in the moment from two spirited, creative, and funky guys.  Bobby McGee's in the Maple Ridge Plaza, Sweet Home & Maple Roads.  Tina, Jyl, Magan, steady Billy & quiet Mike - good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

Saturday, 5/29 at Bobby McGee's     8:00 - 11:00
Ben Baia, Jr - vocals     Pat Georger - piano     Jack Kulp - bass     your correspondent - drum set
Our Saturday night dinner and dancing theme is starting to catch on.  Once the word gets out and people know where they can go for a good meal at a fair price, and relax to the standards and the Great American Songbook, the audience comes out, and comes back again.  This week Benny is the feature.  We are making an effort to bring back the artists that the diners and dancers love, and at once keep things fresh.  And Benny's book provides exactly that:  tunes you know, music that speaks to moments in your personal past, and material too that perks your ears and stirs the rhythm in your soul.  Keep us in mind should you plan to reward your work week effort with a Saturday evening of music and good company.  A Manhattan night at a Buffalo price...

Tuesdays at Bobby McGee's     7:00 - 10:00


6/1 Miles Tucker
6/15 Dave & Cameron Kayne
6/22 Matt Blanchard
7/20 Chris Dempsey & Bruce Johnstone

Fridays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
5/28 Paulie Briandi All Star Band
6/4 Intuition
6/11 Gregg Juke & the Mighty No Stars
6/18 Swing & Blues Dance with Patti Parks & Band


links...


So we thank you...
In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.
 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer



Health,

Hope,
and Peace.
dan
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Danny Hull's Newsletter: Musically This Week Vol XII, No 35

Hullo friends.  This week...

Tuesday, 5/11 at Bobby McGee's 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Mark Wolfram, trumpet     Chris Ziemba, piano     Geoff Saunders, bass     your host, drum set

You may not know Mark Wolfram.  He's only done our gig once, back at our venerable former location.  But like his chosen sidemen for this week, Mark has an Eastman pedigree.  And that's usually enough.  Of the long list of Eastman students who have done our gig, not one has failed to rise to the occasion.  In fact, I'm looking forward to hearing the next crop of young lions being tamed and nurtured by the seasoned teachers at the Eastman jazz school. Mark is a graduate now, plying a living in the real world, and keeping his chops up.  

Please stop in to hear the future of the music, and help us keep it alive in the present.  Bobby McGee's in the Maple Ridge Plaza, Sweet Home & Maple Roads.  Tina, Jyl, Magan, steady Billy & quiet Mike - good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

Friday, 5/14 at Bobby McGee's     8:00 - 11:00
JJ Moscato and Blue Avenue

JJ is a locally renown blues artist, whose chosen instrument, though not uncommon in the jazz realm, is slightly atypical in a genre dominated by the guitar.  JJ plays piano.  And at Bobby McGee's, thanks to the good people at Hamburg Music, we've got a 6 foot grand of the acoustic variety.  No electric keyboards for JJ this week, so come hear the real thing on the real thing.


Tuesdays at Bobby McGee's     7:00 - 10:00

5/18 Bruce Johnstone
5/25 Paradigm Shift
6/1 Miles Tucker
6/15 Dave & Cameron Kayne
6/22 Matt Blanchard
7/20 Chris Dempsey & Bruce Johnstone

Fridays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
5/21 Soul Invaders (9:00 - midnight)
5/28 Paulie Briandi All Star Band
6/4 Intuition
6/11 Gregg Juke & the Mighty No Stars
6/18 Swing & Blues Dance with Patti Parks & Band


Saturdays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
5/15 Kathy Carr
5/22 Barbara Jean
5/29 Ben Baia, Jr

links...




And still blessed am I...
A mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled.
 - Emily Dickinson

Health,

Hope,
and Peace.
dan
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Monday, April 26, 2010

Danny Hull's Newsletter: Musically This Week Vol XII, No 33

Hullo friends.  This week...

Tuesday, 4/27 at Bobby McGee's 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Andy Weinzler, saxophone     Michael T. Jones, piano     Paul Zap, bass     your host, drum set
Mr. Intensity.  That would be Andy.  And that's the beautiful thing about music performance.  Persona.  I've often felt that the "express yourself" philosophy regarding jazz was a bit trite - you do have to be accomplished after all.  But you can't deny the truth.  When one plays an instrument that you have to breathe though to execute, emotion becomes the musical statement.  The notes are the vehicle.  Which takes us back to Andy - intense, passionate and fierce.  

He's neither Chu Nero nor Menza, but if you were to bottle both of those guys, would Andy emerge?  All of that emotion however would be a distraction, were it not for a sound, a conception, a command of harmony and the instrument, and an improvisatory language that each listener is free to interpret individually.  All Andy.  

So join us please, and witness Andy not as a sideman with Wendell or Phil or any of the myriad gigs he's called for, but as the singular voice he's known to be in a town renown for saxophonists.  Our mission continues only with your support...  Bobby McGee's in the Maple Ridge Plaza, Sweet Home & Maple Roads.  Tina, Jyl, Magan, steady Billy & quiet Mike - good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and always a great hang.

Friday, 4/30 at Slee Hall 7:30 p.m
Sunday, 5/2 at Slee Hall 5:00 p.m.
The Buffalo Choral Arts Society
Marcia Giambrone is the conductorial force behind the Buffalo Choral Arts Society, now concluding its 44th season.  I'm only privy to one rehearsal per concert season, but she amazes me in how she is able to coax nuance, articulation, dynamics and phrasing from a vocal ensemble so large and disparate.  Maybe that's why she's been both conductor and music director of the BCAS for 23 years!  And that ugly guy with the big smile is rather important to the proceedings as well.  John Mitton is a genius.  He seemingly can read and interpret any piece of music placed before his skilled and practiced piano hands.  This year's concert is billed as "The Sound of Spring" featuring both solo and choral adaptations of Broadway tunes, spirituals and American classics.  Surf to their site (below) to reserve your tickets.


Saturday, 5/1 at Bobby McGee's     8:00 - 11:00
Joe Rozler - piano, guitar & vocals     Wayne Moose, bass     yours truly, drum set
And here's another tribute to the rich musical legacy of our home town.  What is it about a blue collar city that produces such prodigious musical talent?  The amazing and eclectic Joe Rozler will serenade the diners and dancers at Bobby McGee's this Saturday.  Join us for a Manhattan night at a Buffalo price...

Tuesdays at Bobby McGee's     7:00 - 10:00

5/4 Russ D'Alba
5/11 Mark Wolfram
5/18 Bruce Johnstone
6/1 Miles Tucker
6/15 Dave & Cameron Kayne
6/22 Matt Blanchard
7/13 Don Menza
7/20 Chris Dempsey

Fridays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
4/30 Jazz Haircut
5/7 Joe Mahfoud
5/14 JJ Moscato & Blue Avenue
5/21 Soul Invaders (9:00 - midnight)
5/28 Gretchen Schulz & Doug Morgano
6/4 Intuition


Saturdays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
5/22 Barbara Jean
5/29 Ben Baia, Jr

links...

Today matters...
It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.
 -  B. C. Forbes



Health,

Hope,
and Peace.
dan
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Danny Hull Newsletter: Musically This Week Vol XII, No 32

Hullo friends.  This week...


Tuesday, 4/20 at Bobby McGee's 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Bobby Jones, Hammond B3     Matt Michaud, guitar     your host, drum set

Friday, 4/23 at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Bobby Jones, Hammond B3     Bobby Militello, saxophone & flute     your correspondent, drum set

There's been a change of plans.  Bobby Militello is on a gig in DC and can't get home in time for our originally scheduled Tuesday night hit.  But consider the silver lining.  We can now feature Bobby Jones at the B3 on two separate nights, and we seize the unexpected opportunity to present a rising star on guitar in a classic organ trio setting.  God bless Chu Nero.  He was the first world-class musician to discover the potential and musicality in Matt Michaud.  And now Matt is ubiquitous.  If he's unavailable locally, he's likely be on a gig in Toronto with Pat Bianchi or some other heavy-weight.  Further, the potential that Chu heard has been recognized by the seasoned ears at the Eastman School where Matt will be earning his Masters Degree this fall - on scholarship!  But Bobby Militello and Matt Michaud notwithstanding, the headliner this week is Bobby Jones.  Buffalo's Sal Azzarelli is the internationally recognized guru of the Hammond B3 organ.  And Sal has graciously offered to supply the keys and the leslie so we can feature Bobby on the instrument that brought him his renown.  Back to his roots, and the undisputed equal of another Niagara Falls native in Joey DeFrancesco, Bobby twice this week is the feature at our new and evolving music club.  And you are invited both nights.  Call for reservations at 831-3271.  Bobby McGee's - now in the Maple Ridge Plaza, Sweet Home & Maple Roads.  Tina, Jyl, Magan, steady Billy & quiet Mike - good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and still a great hang.

Saturday, 4/24 at Bobby McGee's     8:00 - 11:00
Sophisticated Swing
Jessica Condes, vocals     Jimmy Sansone, trumpet & vocals     Gary Dieboldt, keys & vocals     your correspondent, drum set
We've reserved Saturday date-night for our dinner, dancing and show theme, usually featuring a vocalist and a trio.  This Saturday we offer not one vocalist, but three, in a throwback tribute to swinging arrangements and influence of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.  Jessica Condes cut her vocal teeth in the jazz clubs of Manhattan, and is now the featured singer in the three part harmonies of Sophisticated Swing.  Join us for an evening of contemporary arrangements steeped in a 60's swinging style.  A New York night at a Buffalo price...

Tuesdays at Bobby McGee's     7:00 - 10:00
4/27 Andy Weinzler
5/4 Russ D'Alba
5/11 Mark Wolfram
5/18 Bruce Johnstone
6/1 Miles Tucker
6/15 Dave & Cameron Kayne
6/22 Matt Blanchard
7/13 Don Menza

Fridays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
4/30 Jazz Haircut
5/14 JJ Moscato & Blue Avenue
5/21 Soul Invaders (9:00 - midnight)
5/28 Gretchen Schulz & Doug Morgano

Saturdays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
5/8 Cheryl Ferris
5/22 Barbara Jean
5/29 Ben Baia, Jr

links...

My remodeling project...
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
 - Confucius

Health,
Hope,
and Peace.
dan
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Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Danny Hull Newsletter: Musically This Week Vol XII, No 30

Hullo friends.  This week...

Tuesday, 4/6 at Bobby McGee's 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Tim Clarke, trumpet & flugelhorn     Walter Jedermann, piano     Buddy Fadale, bass     your host, drum set
Circumstance, coincidence, and currents in the river of life...  Tim Clarke was on a gig in his native Eugene, Oregon when he learned about an employment opportunity whereby he could parlay his musical skills:  "I was playing a blues gig and the bass player happened to be an audio director for a local game company.  I found out they were looking for someone to help edit hours of dialogue for their first CD-ROM game (this was 1992!) so I submitted a resume and cassette tape of my music.  I ended up working for that company (Dynamix) for 2 1/2 years, and then went freelance in late 1994."  Enter East Aurora based Fisher-Price, another job opportunity, and Tim is now among us.  Learning a musical language well enough to improvise at a high level is challenging enough, let alone doing so on a brass instrument.  Tim has filled the void created by the departure of Jeff Jarvis, and we count our musical blessings for the coincidence that led him here.  Join us to hear an artistry born of a west coast sensibility, now unleashed on our grateful east coast ears.  Bobby McGee's - in the Maple Ridge Plaza, Sweet Home & Maple Roads.  Tina, Jyl, Magan, steady Billy & quiet Mike - good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and still a great hang.

Friday, 4/9 at Wegman's Amherst Street     6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Dave Scott, guitar     Buddy Fadale, bass     yours truly, drum set
In a guest artist series, such as the Bobby McGee's gig, a musical comfort zone can be elusive.  But with a working trio, that comfort zone can emerge.  Dave has managed to keep his trio booked on a weekly basis, and the musical results are beginning to flower.  If you're a Wegman's city shopper, maybe you'll wind your week down with us.

Saturday, 4/10 at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Colleen Williams, vocals     Bobby Jones, piano    Jim Kurzdorfer, bass     your correspondent, drum set
We are blessed to have some remarkable home grown talent here in our arts rich community.  That talent doesn't come any richer than revealed in the vocal stylings of Colleen Williams and the brilliant accompaniment and soloistic skills of Bobby Jones.  Colleen's voice is both the feature and the co-feature, considering Bobby's personally crafted arrangements, each orchestrated to fully showcase Colleen's gifted vocal skills.  Our idea at Bobby McGee's is to offer dinner and dancing for your Saturday evening date night.  Should you choose to forego the dance floor, you're welcome to simply sit and take in the show.  A Manhattan night at a Buffalo price...  Call 831-3271 for reservations.

Tuesdays at Bobby McGee's     7:00 - 10:00
4/13 John & Lisa Hasselback
4/20 Bobby Jones & Bobby Militello
4/27 Andy Weinzler
5/4 Russ D'Alba
5/11 Mark Wolfram
5/18 Bruce Johnstone
6/1 Miles Tucker
6/15 Dave & Cameron Kayne
6/22 Matt Blanchard
7/13 Don Menza

Fridays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
4/9 Barbara Sinclair & the Shadows
4/16 Sue Kinkaid, Phil LaMacchia & Ron Davis
4/30 Jazz Haircut
5/21 Soul Invaders (9:00 - midnight)

Saturdays at Bobby McGee's 8:00 - 11:00
4/17 Kathy Carr

links...

the learning curve...
Education is when you read the fine print.  Experience is what you get if you don't.
 - Pete Seeger

Health,
Hope,
and Peace.
dan
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