Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 14

Hello friends.  This week...

Tuesday, 12/11 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Chuck Buffamonte, guitar    Bobby Jones, piano     Cameron Kayne, bass     your host, drum set   

There’s only one Dave Schiavone.  How do you replace him?  And why would you want to?  You don’t, but we have found a solution.  Dave has to reschedule, probably to a Tuesday in February.  We’ll let you know.  But rather than ask another saxophonist to replace the irreplaceable, we’ve gone another way.  Here’s the scenario: You already have Bobby Jones booked, and you don’t want to change that.  So what other Buffalo-based world-class musician do you call upon?  Who is an intriguing choice?  One who can hang with Jones, bring the same energy, an equal feel, a unique sound, and a musical persona to a challenging situation?  We got lucky.  Chuck Buffamonte to the rescue...  I’ve always felt that Chuck is one of the most musical guys I know, and I love having him on the gig.  With Chuck, it starts with his feel.  And his phrasing.  His sound.  And his keen musical awareness of the space between the notes.  This is going to be a great night.  Nobody likes to lose a Dave Schiavone, but when your home town is resplendent with world-class musical artists, you’ve got options.  So please join us.  Hear what happens when a Bobby Jones & a Chuck Buffamonte come to play.  The Iris Restaurant - in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst.  831-3271.  Good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

Wednesday, 12/12 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 9:30

Buffalo Brass open rehearsal

If you can rehearse a band twice a month for a year, and you keep the same personnel, good things can happen.  The musicians start to relax.  The sound comes together.  The sections blend.  And the leader/arranger/composer?  He goes off the deep end.  Phil is so excited about the possibilities for this band that he is now writing through-composed pieces:  jazz inspired tone poems and musical reflections of scenery and photos of a distant land.  Thankfully we’ve got Dennis Tribuzzi playing lead.  Holding this band together while Phil works us through his inspirations in 7 or 5, while shifting tempos, rhythms and genres in mid-piece, or sitting silently through a 4 bar rest while we all hope to re-enter together has me grateful for Dennis at every rehearsal.  Think I’m kidding?  Come hear for yourself.  No cover.

next Tuesday, 12/18 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Sein Oh, piano     Bruce Johnstone, baritone saxophone     Cameron Kayne, bass     your host, drum set

upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...

Tuesday, 1/8/2013 Barbara Jean

Tuesday, 1/22/2013 Doug Stone

Tuesday, 2/5 3 Brothers & a Distant Cousin

Tuesday, 4/23 Western New York Jazz Orchestra

links...

www.mapleentertainment.com/

www.hamburgmusic.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

Grateful for Dennis...

The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision.  You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.

 - Theodore Hesburgh

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

and Friendships.

dan

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 12

Hello friends.  This week...

Tuesday, 11/27 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Russ Carere, Jr - saxophone     Matt Michaud - guitar     Greg Piontek - bass     your host - drum set

From the beginning of this 14 year jazz experiment, Russ Carere has been on my first-call list.  Highly respected, a seasoned woodwind specialist (and guitarist!), and a veteran of the renown Amherst Saxophone Quartet, Russ is a link in a family tradition that extends from Buffalo to Atlanta.  But now when speaking of Russ, we are constrained to add an important qualification: that of “Sr”.  If traditions are to continue, youth must ascend.  To that end, we are proud to introduce Russ Carere, Jr to our Iris audience this week, and offer the Carere family tradition yet another voice.  By coincidence, Russ, Jr just concluded his own Tuesday jazz experiment, that being a six month run at another venue.  But now that he’s taken a teaching position he’s being a bit judicious about his weeknight playing schedule.  Advantage: Iris.  So join us?  Help us welcome Russ, Jr to our Iris family, and honor the Carere family tradition of inspired musical excellence.  The Iris Restaurant - in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst.  831-3271.  Good music, good food, good people, world-class artists, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

Wednesday, 11/28 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 9:30

Buffalo Brass open rehearsal

You're invited.  A no-cover charge, up-close and personal perspective of the inner workings of a big band rehearsal...  We are not a "reading band".  You will not hear us play an arrangement, and then go on to the next one with no regard for balance, blend, attack, or dynamics.  Most of our charts were written by Phil Sims, and he's a fussy guy.  He likes to hear the music the way it was originally conceived, which is why this biweekly reunion is referred to as a "rehearsal".  That's what we do.  We rehearse.  We start.  We're cut-off.  We're corrected.  And we try it again.  And hopefully, upon repeated efforts, the result is musical.  You're invited to judge for yourself.

next Tuesday, 12/4 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Mike Kaupa, trumpet     Nick Weiser, piano     Wayne Moose, bass     your host, drum set  

upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...

Tuesday, 12/11 Dave Schiavone

Tuesday, 12/18 Sein Oh

Tuesday, 1/8/2013 Barbara Jean

Tuesday, 1/22/2013 Doug Stone

links...

www.danhullmusic.com

www.mapleentertainment.com/

www.hamburgmusic.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

Perspective from the classroom...

When public schools are judged by how much art and music they have, by how many science experiments their students perform, by how much time they leave for recess and play...rather than how many tests they administer, then I will be confident that we are preparing our students for a future where they will be creative participants and makers of history.

 - Mark Naison, member New York State United Teachers

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

and Friendships.

dan

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 11

Hello friends.  This week...

Monday, 11/19 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Western New York Jazz Orchestra open rehearsal

Many of you will remember the June 2011 incarnation of this band in performance at the Iris.  You haven't forgotten if you were there - you couldn't move in the place.  Having already been familiar with Dave Kayne’s small group writing, I expected his charts to be good.  But when I listened to a recording of some of his arrangements prior to our only rehearsal I wasn’t surprised, I was stunned.  As we do with the biweekly rehearsals of the Buffalo Brass, we extend an invitation to the musically curious to come out and hang while the Western New York Jazz Orchestra tests its skills against Dave’s writing.

Tuesday, 11/20 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Mary Stahl
Bio: http://www.jvcmusic.net/marystahlbioa.html
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/love-noire/id210464253
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/marystahl3

Mary Stahl, vocals     James Vincent Calabrese, piano     Greg Piontek, bass     your host, drum set

The modern jazz vocabulary that grew out of the swing and improvisatory genius of Charlie Parker was steeped in the Great American Songbook.  Parker and his contemporaries used the 32 bar tunes written by Cole Porter and the like as a vehicle to express their rhythmic sophistication and what they were hearing both harmonically and melodically.  But what history sometimes fails to acknowledge is that those tunes had lyrics.  They were written for singers.  They were composed to tell a story musically, and to reflect the sensibilities of the times.  This week at the Iris we invite you to hear how beautifully those lyrics and emotions can be expressed.  Mary is singularly unique in that her only musical ambition is to sing the song, which to my way of thinking is what individual expression is all about.  She makes no attempts at imitation.  You won't hear her channeling her influences.  She won't draw attention from the lyric by way of some untoward vocal histrionics.  She'll sing the song, in tune, with phrasing unhurried, and an infectious feel.  Throw in the unabashed James Vincent Calabrese at the piano, and a good time is guaranteed.  Please join us.  The Iris Restaurant - in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst.  831-3271.  Good music, good food, good people, world-class artists, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

next Tuesday, 11/27 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

George Kane, guitar     Tim Clarke, trumpet, piano     Wayne Moose, bass     your host, drum set  

upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...

Tuesday, 12/4 Mike Kaupa

Tuesday, 12/11 Dave Schiavone

Tuesday, 12/18 Sein Oh

Tuesday, 1/8/2013 Barbara Jean

Tuesday, 1/22 Doug Stone

links...

www.danhullmusic.com

www.mapleentertainment.com/

www.hamburgmusic.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

http://www.jvcmusic.net/

Giving Thanks...

What we do for ourselves dies with us.  What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.

 - Albert Pine

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

and Friendships.

dan

Caldwell will play Sportsmen’s Tavern on Sunday

Jazz pianist George Caldwell Gusto - BuffaloNews.com

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121116/GUSTO/121119404

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 10

Hello everyone.  Thanks for your attention to this...

Tuesday, 11/13 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Tom Bronzetti CD Release Party

Tom Bronzetti, guitar     Michael T. Jones, piano     Cameron Kayne, bass     your host, drum set  

If you look under "upcoming" (below) you'll see some familiar names.  The Western New York artists have done the gig before, and they'll do it again.  They are all part of our rotation, and if you have to miss them, you know they'll be back.  But Tom Bronzetti makes the drive from Syracuse.  And if he's not touring with Jane Monheit, he's got his own projects going.  He'll be back too.  We just don't know when.  But this particular Tuesday is a special one indeed.  We are honored, because Tom has chosen our venue, among a select few, to host a CD Release Party, celebrating his first recording as a leader.  Make Someone Happy salutes nine standards and features pianist Andrew Carroll, percussionist Rick Montalbano Jr., and bassist Neal Miner.  Recorded by veteran engineer Rick Montalbano Sr, Tom's disc also welcomes guest appearances from tenor saxophonist John Rohde, vibraphonist Jimmy Johns, and Jane Monheit herself.  Rather impressive.  Here is a brief review by another veteran of the jazz scene, radio host Gene Wexler of WOKV in Jacksonville, Florida:  

Bronzetti is an intelligent, patient and dedicated guitar player. Make

Someone Happy is the culmination of years of studying and playing gigs

with some of the best musicians from Upstate New York and beyond.

Playing with his best musical friends, Bronzetti explores his talents

as far as they can go. Any jazz fan will hear the originality and

quality of his guitar playing. It’s a fantastic debut album from a

guitarist who undoubtedly has much more to come in the future.

                                         - Gene Wexler, WOKV Jacksonville, FL

Can't improve on that...  So join us if your schedule allows?  Tom will have pristine copies of his of his maiden recording available.  A personally signed copy would make for a unique addition to your collection.  Still, only at The Iris Restaurant - in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst.  831-3271.  Good music, good food, good people, world-class artists, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

Wednesday, 11/14 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 9:30

Buffalo Brass open rehearsal

Back in rehearsal mode after a brief respite, the Buffalo Brass works over Phil's arrangements.  Stop in and witness how a leader artistically organizes a big band into a unified whole.

next Tuesday, 11/20 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Mary Stahl, vocals     James Vincent Calabrese, piano     Greg Piontek, bass     your host, drum set

upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...

Tuesday, 11/27 George Kane & Tim Clarke

Tuesday, 12/4 Mike Kaupa

Tuesday, 12/11 Dave Schiavone

Tuesday, 12/18 Sein Oh

Tuesday, 1/8/2013 Barbara Jean

links...

www.danhullmusic.com

www.mapleentertainment.com/

www.hamburgmusic.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

www.tombronzetti.com/

www.myspace.com/michaeltjonespiano

Forward...

Liberty is always unfinished business.

 - American Civil Liberties Union

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

and Friendships.

dan

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 9

Hello friends.  This week...

Tuesday, 11/6 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Chuck Buffamonte, guitar     Gerry Youngman, organ     your host, drum set

Chuck came home & Gerry moved here.  The Buffalo jazz scene continues to get lucky, going all the way back to the late, great Al Tinney.  Gerry Youngman, Michael T. Jones, Tim Clarke, George Caldwell, Ed Handman, Lisa Hasselback, Pat Hulsman, Bruce Johnstone, George Jones, Wayne Moose, Wendell Rivera, John Whitney, Kelly Bucheger – all born elsewhere, all among us now.  Chuck & I were in college together, sometime before this millennium, and it was really LA that got lucky when he decided to try his coastal fortunes.  But it’s their loss now.  Simply, Chuck is one of the most musical artists I know.  Sound, feel, groove, taste: all things musical.  And Gerry’s a chameleon.  Is he an organist or is he a trumpet player?  Like so many skilled multi-instrumentalists, he’s equally both.  We’re happy he’s here.  We’re happy Chuck came home.  So join us?  Bruce Johnstone and his Fredonia Jazz Strings had the place packed last week, and we’d love to keep that vibe alive.  I’m continually reminded by listeners and musicians alike that our contribution is vital to the scene.  Needless to say, without your contribution, we’d be silent.  Thanks for your interest and your help keeping the music in the air.  Only at The Iris Restaurant - in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst.  831-3271.  Good music, good food, good people, world-class artists, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

next Tuesday, 11/13 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Tom Bronzetti CD Release Party

Tom Bronzetti, guitar     Michael T. Jones, piano     Cameron Kayne, bass     your host, drum set  

upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...

Tuesday, 11/20 Mary Stahl

Tuesday, 11/27 George Kane & Tim Clarke

Tuesday, 12/4 Mike Kaupa

Saturday, 12/8 Pat Martino

Tuesday, 12/11 Dave Schiavone

Tuesday, 12/18 Sein Oh

Tuesday, 1/8/2013 Barbara Jean

We have each a responsibility...

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.

 - George Jean Nathan

links...

www.danhullmusic.com

www.mapleentertainment.com/

www.hamburgmusic.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

and Friendships.

Forward,

dan

An Evening With Jackie Jocko And Joe Peters

AN EVENING WITH JACKIE JOCKO AND JOE PETERS

A short time ago you received an invitation to join us in honoring two Buffalo treasures: Jackie Jocko and Joe Peters!  There has been a change in location:  We will now be gathering at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, Two Fountain Plaza, 14201, on Sunday, October 28, 2012, at 5:30 pm to fete this remarkable duo.

This unique event will be small, intimate and, it is hoped, a surprise for our guests of honor.  An open seat will be placed at each table so that everyone can enjoy a direct dose of Jackie's and Joe's affection throughout the evening. With the help of fellow event organizer Judge Sal Martoche, arrangements have been made for a handful of public officials, along with local musicians, artists, media types, and entertainment aficionados, to join in the festivities.

If you already replied to be part of this celebration, you are on the list!  If you already sent in your check, enclosed are your tickets.  Seating is purposely limited to ensure intimacy, and the cost of the evening has been cut to the bone.  An open bar at 5:45 pm will be followed by dinner at 7:00 pm.  Dinner will include an entrée of Filet Mignon.  Please let us know three days in advance if you prefer vegetarian.  The cost will be $100.00 per person, which will enable us to remember Jackie and Joe in a meaningful way. Dress is casual.  And, valet parking service is available.

Please contact Amy Bigaj at 855-1050 to reserve your place at this can't miss event.  We look forward to seeing you on October 28^th.

David Granville                                     

Rodney Personius

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 6

Hello everyone.  Another special night...

Tuesday, 10/16 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Miles Tucker, tenor saxophone     Wayne Tucker, trumpet     George Caldwell, piano     Sabu Adeyola, bass     your host, drum set

Last week Craig Kastelnik & Patty Flaherty made the trip from Bethlehem, PA to give an inspiring performance at our weekly jazz experiment.  This Tuesday, the talent arrives via Syracuse, Brooklyn, & Clarksdale, Mississippi.  Only Sabu & I are Buffalo born.  OK, George Caldwell lives among us now, when he’s not on the road anyway.  But the Brothers Tucker have to arrange this hook-up, what with Wayne traveling from New York & Miles from Syracuse.  And still, no cover charge.  This will be an evening of contemporary music, steeped in the influences of these four remarkable musicians.  Standards will give way to a more modern concept, but a concept not bereft of melody and feel.  Miles & Wayne are twenty-somethings.  The material they bring in is influenced by the music that is inspiring them now.  And that is singular and refreshing place.  We hope you can join us.  Vinnie Lesh at the Iris has embraced our idea of contemporary music of the jazz and creative variety, even offering the club to the Buffalo Brass for our biweekly rehearsals.  When you’re with us, the art form thrives.  Thank you.  The Iris Restaurant - in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst.  831-3271.  Good music, good food, good people, world-class artists, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

Wednesday, 10/17 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 9:30

Buffalo Brass open rehearsal

We played a 100 year anniversary celebration for the Park School on 10/6 - mostly standards and straight ahead.  With that prep behind us, it's time to stretch out.  Feel free to enjoy the workout from the comfort of your table as Phil tests his musicians with some of his rather challenging arrangements.

next Tuesday, 10/23 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Nelson M. Starr - piano, guitar & vocals     Danny Ziemann, bass

upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...

Tuesday. 10/30 Bruce Johnstone with Sax & Violins

Tuesday, 11/13 Tom Bronzetti CD Release

Tuesday, 12/18 Sein Oh

links...

www.danhullmusic.com

www.mapleentertainment.com/

www.hamburgmusic.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

Perspective...

Who are we?  We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.

 - Carl Sagan

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

and Friendships.

dan

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 5

Hello everyone.  A special night indeed...

Tuesday, 10/9 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Craig Kastelnik, Hammond B3     Patty Flaherty, vocals     Chuck Buffamonte, guitar     your host, drum set

Last week in Bobby Jones, we featured one of the greatest B3 artists in the world.  This week, in Craig Kastelnik, the same compliment applies.  Hype?  Nope.  Truth.  If you remember the days at our curiously lit location when Patty & Craig drove north for their two appearances every year, you know I'm not blowing smoke.  This much we do know: There are elite musicians the world over, most of whom we don't know anything about.  There are great musicians who never achieve fame, as there are mediocre musicians who do.  Some elite musicians choose not to tour, others don't choose to test the rigors of New York City.  I mentioned last week that Bobby Jones turned down the gig with Tower of Power.  Tower of Power!  He wanted to stay here.  Craig is another such musician.  He flirted with the big stage as keyboardist for Eddie Money in his younger days.  More recently he has taken some short tours with Nina Simone's daughter (simply "Simone"), and he and Patty have also been featured with the legendary Bernard Purdie.  But though the equal of say, Joey D, neither Bobby nor Craig enjoy that kind of fame.  However, I defy the casual listener to take a blindfold test and hear the difference that said fame implies.  We invite you to join us as we celebrate a homecoming and feature another of the world's elite B3 artists.  The Iris Restaurant - in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst.  831-3271.  Good music, good food, good people, world-class artists, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

next Tuesday, 10/16 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Miles Tucker, tenor saxophone     Wayne Tucker, trumpet     George Caldwell, piano     Sabu Adeyola, bass     your host, drum set

upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...

Tuesday, 10/23 Nelson M. Starr

Tuesday. 10/30 Bruce Johnstone with Sax & Violins

Tuesday, 11/13 Tom Bronzetti CD Release

Tuesday, 12/18 Sein Oh

links...

www.danhullmusic.com

www.mapleentertainment.com/

www.hamburgmusic.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

And here we are...

I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone.

 - Christopher Columbus,  August 3, 1492

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

and Friendships.

dan

Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XV, No 4

Hello everyone.  B3 Heaven at the Iris for the next two Tuesdays...

Tuesday, 10/2 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Darcy Hepner, tenor saxophone     Bobby Jones, Hammond B3     your host, drum set

Darcy Hepner

And we can thank Darcy Hepner for getting us started.  Oh, yeah.  Who?  Best to go to www.darcyhepner.com/bio.htm for a rather impressive update, but here's a synopsis: Darcy's father, Dr. Lee Hepner, was the founder of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and a Professor of Music at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.  Darcy first came to music as a cellist, whereupon he won a scholarship to the famed Congress of Strings in Cincinnati.  Shortly after, he discovered the Beatles and the electric guitar.  "That was my recreational thing," he recalls.  "I was playing guitar and had a little band that did Blood, Sweat & Tears stuff.  But the saxophonist couldn’t play anything that I wrote, so out of frustration I just said, 'Gimme that, it can’t be that hard.'  And here we are, live at the Iris, in the company of one of the greatest B3 players in the world.  This organ trio thing was Darcy's idea.  I hope his studies with Pat La Barbera, Sonny Stitt, Lee Konitz and Bob Mintzer prepared him for his night of feature with Bobby Jones.  Or maybe his teaching experience at Berklee.  His five years with Blood, Sweat & Tears?  Or his experience on the stand with Tony Bennett, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Sergio Mendes, Henry Mancini, Mel Tormé, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, David Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, or Louie Bellson...  Jones is formidable.  But with credentials like the aforementioned, Darcy will be ready.  How about you?  Bobby Jones at the B3 should command a full house by himself.  With the addition of a world-class tenor player whose schedule rarely allows a trip to Buffalo, you might want to get there early.  The Iris Restaurant - in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst.  831-3271.  Good music, good food, good people, world-class artists, chilled spirits, and a great hang.

Wednesday, 10/3 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 9:30

Buffalo Brass open rehearsal

Phil is preparing the band for a hit this Saturday, music mostly of the straight ahead and swinging variety.  You're invited to watch and listen as Phil tunes us up.  Pretty interesting from an observer's standpoint...

Saturday, 10/6 at the Iris Restaurant     8:00 - 11:00     $7.00 at the door

Phil DiRe Buffalo Bop

Phil DiRe Buffalo Bop

Phil Di Re, tenor saxophone     Bobby Militello, alto sax & flute     Richie Merlo, trumpet & flugelhorn     John Hasselback, trombone     Matt Michaud, guitar      Wayne Moose,  bass     Lisa Hasselback, piano     Louie Marino, drum set

I'll meet you there?  My gig with the Buffalo Brass this Saturday goes till 8:00.  Tear down, load up, and head straight to the Iris for Phil DiRe's latest concept, "The Power of Eight".  I can't wait to hear Louie Marino hold this band together and navigate it through the myriad of textures, solos, rhythms, meters, and concepts.  Louie is the patriarch of drummers in Buffalo.  No drummer brings more experience, more swing, or more creative soloing to the music.  Sticks, brushes, mallets, any meter, any tempo, any bag...  And when you hear Louie solo, you hear music - not a bunch of drums regaled by blunt force.  You hear music.  In the hands of a master like Louie, the melody and the form are all there for the ear, rendered by the primal instrument of the human spirit.  The rest of the band isn't bad either - not a bad idea by Phil to invite a beloved and rather well known alto player to round out the sax section.  And to complete the horn section Phil has recruited John Hasselback, who himself is not only seasoned soloist, but a walking jazz encyclopedia, and Richie Merlo, whose round sound blends ideally with John's.  "The Power of Eight" adds two chord contributors whose harmonic concepts provide a lush foundation for each soloist's improvisational adventure.  Matt Michaud's musicality has caught the attention of both Phil and Bobby Militello.  And Lisa?  Lisa just hears it all.  She is simply the kind of pianist that can be called upon for any musical responsibility.  She'll massage a singer through any standard, in any key.  She'll read, she'll solo, and she'll swing.  And who did Phil trust to anchor this band, with its rather intimidating roster of musical heavyweights?  Wayne Moose is a guy who not only lays it down, but is a bassist with a rare gift: Wayne's solos are at once rhythmically inventive and melodic - not an easy endeavor on an unwieldy instrument that is bigger than most defensive linemen.  Thus "The Power of Eight".  At eight.  This Saturday at the Iris.

next Tuesday, 10/9 at the Iris Restaurant     7:30 - 10:30

Craig Kastelnik, Hammond B3     Patty Flaherty, vocals     Chuck Buffamonte, guitar     your host, drum set

upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...

Tuesday, 10/16 Miles & Wayne Tucker

Tuesday, 10/23 Nelson M. Starr

Tuesday. 10/30 Bruce Johnstone with Sax & Violins

Tuesday, 11/13 Tom Bronzetti CD Release

Tuesday, 12/18 Sein Oh

links...

www.danhullmusic.com

www.mapleentertainment.com/

www.hamburgmusic.com/

www.BuffaloLiveJazz.com

www.darcyhepner.com/bio.htm

How rich?

People say (Romney's) too rich and out of touch.  I've tried to point out that he has many homes without elevators.

 - Conservative columnist David Brooks

Health,

Hope,

Dialogue,

Respect,

Tolerance,

and Friendships.

dan

Buffalo News Club Watch: Statler City sets the mood

http://www.buffnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120921/GUSTO/120929910/1031

Statler City sets the mood you want, with cocktail jazz and a downstairs disco

BY BRENDA ALESII

SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

On a hot and steamy Friday, we escaped the heat and walked into the beautifully restored downtown Buffalo icon now rechristened as Statler City. Relief from the oppressive humidity came in more ways than one: While it was refreshingly air-conditioned throughout the lobby and the downstairs disco, the cool factor started the moment we heard cocktail piano jazz, the kind of atmosphere music that is culled from the Great American Songbook - Cole Porter, George Gershwin, movie themes that recall Fred Astaire dancing on the silver screen.

Pianist Howard Goldman, looking dapper in his dark suit and matching eyeglasses, clearly enjoys what he's doing as he kibitzes with guests entering the Statler. Some are dressed to the nines as they head to wedding receptions, others are there to sit around Goldman's piano and chat him up, while others make a beeline to the nearby Lobby Bar and downstairs Rendezvous disco.

While my husband, Dan, headed to the Lobby Bar for a refreshing Tanqueray and tonic, I sat with Jim and Ryan, who enjoyed a "front row seat" encircling the piano. Jim and his wife come to the Statler from Tonawanda every Friday to enjoy the relaxed vibe. "This place puts me in a different mood," said Jim, cradling a gin and tonic. "I love the style here, the way it makes you feel like you're transported to a different time. In fact, it's the only time I wear a tie."

Next to Jim sat Ryan, a self-proclaimed beer enthusiast from the city who has become a big fan of Goldman's and the Lobby Bar since it opened earlier this year. As he quaffed a $5 Sam Adams Octoberfest, Ryan said he especially enjoys the food, local craft beer selection and timeless feel of the place.

Inside the spacious, luxurious Lobby Bar, we were greeted by Michael, a competent and friendly barkeep who has been serving customers since it opened on New Year's Eve. When asked what a typical crowd is like, he said it is an "amazing mix of 21- to 71-year-old folks who have a discerning palate." Among the more popular drinks is a Muddled Old Fashioned for $8. While Dan worked on his second T & T, I enjoyed a luscious pinot noir. Everywhere we looked, we noticed interesting and classic touches, ranging from dimly lit areas, leather chairs and sofa, a shiny shuffle board that runs down the middle of the back of the bar, and monkey lamps adorning the bar. Michael said the "Ellsworth's Special" is a popular lighter fare bar menu selection. For just $2.50, one can have a choice of beef on weck, chicken tenders or a basket of tater tots.

As we were perusing the menu, I heard someone call my name. My friend, Maureen, and her husband, Vince, were enjoying drinks a few seats down at the bar. Maureen had a Rusty Chain microbrew; Vince was quickly downing a Pyramid beer. We decided to join them downstairs at the Rendezvous, especially after we heard there was a free 40-foot buffet during Friday happy hour that includes carving stations, pasta and salads made from the folks at the Buffalo Chophouse, another of Statler owner Mark Croce's properties.

Disco classics blared loudly, the dance floor was filling up and the high-energy nightclub was getting busy. As we polished off our food and had another round of drinks, the four of us marveled at the fabulous renovations of this legendary building. Maureen noted how she and Vince, West Seneca residents, have been advocates of the city's entertainment venues for a long time. "We've been downtown fans before it was cool," she said.

I'll drink to that!

See Mike Jones at Iris, October 26th.

For Immediate Release: September 20, 2011

Press Contact: Bruce Eaton (716) 807-6011

Jazz Piano Virtuoso Mike Jones from The Penn & Teller Show to Make Rare Solo Performance at Iris Restaurant on Friday, October 26th

Virtuoso jazz pianist and Buffalo native Mike Jones will take a night off from performing with The Penn & Teller Show in Las Vegas to make a rare solo appearance.  The performance will take place in the new Iris Restaurant, 4224 Maple Road (Maple Ridge Plaza located on the corner of Maple and Sweet Home Rd.), Amherst, NY on Friday, October 26, 2012 with two sets beginning at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $20 at the door.  For dinner reservations or more information contact Iris at (716) 831-3271 or visit www.irisrestaurantbuffalo.com.

Heralded for “the most remarkable pure technique of any piano player working in jazz today” by noted critic Neil Tesser, Mike Jones is “the great living Mainstream Monster of jazz piano” (Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News).  After attending the Berkee School of Music the 1980s and playing in some of the East Coast's most notable clubs, Jones headed west.  Since 2002 he has served as musical director and opening act (joined by recent Celebrity Apprentice star Penn Jillette on bass) for The Penn & Teller Show in Las Vegas, playing to nearly two million people in recent years and recording a series of highly-regarded CDs for Hank O’Neal’s Chiarascuro label.  His most recent release Chicago Trio 2010 documents performance at Chicago's legendary Green Mill Jazz Club and is available for free download at http://www.jonesjazz.com.  

With an outward appearance perhaps more appropriate for a heavy-metal musician than someone who has “quietly established himself as the successor to the stupefyingly virtuostic Oscar Peterson” (Neil Tesser), Mike Jones has always followed his own internal musical path, eschewing the latest jazz flavor-of-the-month for immersion in the jazz piano tradition stretching from Fats Waller and Art Tatum to the two-fisted wizardry of his mentor, the late Dave McKenna . As a jazz pianist, "Jones commands a lavish arsenal of formidable weapons: the rumbling bass lines of an Erroll Garner or Dave McKenna, the meteoric right-hand phrasings of an Art Tatum or Bud Powell, the awesome chops of an Oscar Peterson or McCoy Tyner, the natural rhythmic swing of a Hampton Hawes or Horace Silver, the unerring taste and sensitivity of a Kenny Barron, Hank Jones or Bill Evans" (Jack Bowers, Cadence).  Drawing on the Great American Songbook, his performances showcase his "colossal technique, enormous repertoire and heightened sense of style" (Howard Reich, The Chicago Tribune). 

Iris Restaurant is located in the Maple Entertainment Complex along with The Library, a pub featuring 50 craft beers and a great pub-style menu. Also in the complex is The Forvm, a concert venue/banquet facility with state of the art sound and lighting which is available for private parties and room rentals.