Friday, April 27, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XIV, No 33
Hello friends. How was your summer? Guess we've got some left-over winter coming... Just what you get for taking your snow tires off before May 1st... But if you'd like to sit inside in warmth and comfort while mother nature takes one last whack at us for the season, I can make a recommendation as to where might be a good place...
Tuesday, 4/24/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Clay Jenkins, trumpet John Hasselback, trombone Lisa Hasselback, piano Jeff Campbell, bass your host, drum set
What a tribute to John's and Lisa's musicianship... By now, most of you know how I book this gig. I simply invite a guest artist to both lead the band and choose the sidemen. So who does Clay Jenkins call? Clay, who is regularly found in the company of the best musicians on the planet (think Joe LaBarbera, Bob Sheppard, Bill Cunliffe, Alan Pasqua, Harold Danko, The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Lyle Mays, Peter Erskine, Dr. John, Eric Reed, John LaBarbera, Pat LaBarbera, Billy Childs, Lennie Niehaus, Kurt Elling, Diana Krall...) invites John & Lisa Hasselback. It's common knowledge that Clay is a sweetheart. Everyone who has had the pleasure will tell you that he is one of the most sincere and humble musicians on the scene. With his easy manner and obvious joy for playing, the bandstand becomes a place of affection, swing, and creative energy. But nice guy or not, he won't call you if the music suffers. John & Lisa are beloved in the jazz community, as much for who they are as for their world-class musicianship, qualities not lost on Clay Jenkins. Please join us. The Iris Restaurant, in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst. Good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.
next Tuesday, 5/1/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Dr. Dick Judelsohn Memorial Jazz Tribute
Bruce Eaton, Master of Ceremonies
Featuring vocalists Laurie Bordonaro, Janice Mitchell & Colleen Williams trombonist Phil Sims pianists Jim Beishline, Ronnie Corsaro, Bobby Jones & Michael T. Jones guitarists Warren Stirtzinger & Stu Weissman bassists Buddy Fadale & Wayne Moose drummers Pat Hulsman & your host
upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...
Tuesday, 5/8 Jeff Hackworth
Friday, 5/11 Bill Dobbins
Tuesday, 5/15 Bob Sneider
Tuesday, 5/22 Steve Davis
Tuesday, 5/29 John Whitney
Tuesday, 6/5 Fred Stone
Tuesday, 6/19 Barbara Jean
Tuesday, 7/3 Ron Corsaro & the Upstate Express
Tuesday, 7/24 Laurie Bordonaro
Tuesday, 7/31 Bill Todd
Tuesday, 8/7 Larry Covelli
Tuesday, 8/14 Don Menza
Tuesday, 8/21 Kenny Kuriscak & Tim Clarke
Recommended...
Saturday, 4/28 at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Auditorium 8:00
Donald Harrison, alto saxophone Detroit Brooks, guitar Zaccai Curtis, piano Max Moran, bass Joe Dyson, drum set
In the words of Bruce Eaton himself, this is going to be a fantastic evening of New Orleans roots-based modern jazz. Described as a musical category unto himself, alto saxophonist and “Big Easy” cultural warrior Donald Harrison is a proven master of many genres of American music: cutting-edge, modern New York jazz; driving and smooth “Nouveau Swing”; and straight-up New Orleans funky, second-line rhythms. Since first appearing on the international jazz scene in the 1980s alongside Terence Blanchard in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Harrison has been heard with icons such as Miles Davis, Ron Carter, Dr. John, and Lena Horne. He has also led his own influential groups which have served as incubators for artists like Christian McBride, Cyrus Chestnut, and Esperanza Spalding.
Aspects of Harrison’s life and music have been chronicled in David Simon’s groundbreaking HBO series Treme, with Harrison appearing as himself and serving as music consultant on the project. As an evacuee and survivor of Hurricane Katrina, Harrison also appears in Spike Lee’s HBO special When the Levees Broke A pre-concert film by Royce Osborn, All on a Mardi Gras Day, will begin at 7 pm.
This concert has been made possible, in part, through the generous support of The Weissman Family Foundation. Tickets are $25 for Albright-Knox Art Gallery Members and $29 for non-members and can be purchased at the Gallery’s Admissions Desk or online at www.albrightknox.org/
links...
In music, and in life...
We shall not cease from exploration.
And the end of our exploring
Shall be to return to where we started
And know the place for the first time.
- T.S. Eliot
And the end of our exploring
Shall be to return to where we started
And know the place for the first time.
- T.S. Eliot
Health,
Hope,
Dialogue,
Respect,
Tolerance,
and Friendships.
dan
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XIV, No 32
Tuesday, 4/17/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
A Benefit for Dick Griffo featuring Phil DiRe' and Buffalo Bop
Phil DiRe' & Bobby Militello, saxophones Richie Merlo, trumpet George Caldwell, piano Sabu Adeyola, bass your host, drum set
"Just be yourself". Sage advice, right? For some of us, such wisdom isn't always so easy to translate into action. For the Dick Griffo's of the world, who they are is why we love and admire them so. Neither time nor space allow, but I wish I could share the Dick Griffo testimonials I have received while planning this benefit. Our friend and colleague is a beloved man, and all because of who he is. His musicianship is admired and respected, his teaching prowess is legendary, but his generosity of spirit, his kindness, and his easy manner are legion. I mentioned the following last week, but it bears repeating: Dick Griffo is a guy who, for over 20 years, led an all ages, free-of-charge Saturday big-band rehearsal at Alder Creek Music. Even if you weren't one of his students, you were welcome. Dickie wrote the charts, and he crafted his arrangements so that everyone could play - from a child beginner to your dentist who was taking up the saxophone as a hobby. Dickie did all of this on his own time, out of the goodness of his huge heart. Now it's our turn. Dick's health insurance is not employer based. He has to make the excessive monthly payments himself. And if he's in treatment, or recovering from treatment, he can't teach. No teaching, no income. We need to make a difference. And this is where you come in. Phil DiRe' and Buffalo Bop are donating their artistry, so as to both celebrate our friend, and help him in a time of need. Others are donating items to raffle, and we'll also do a 50/50 split to supplement your cash contributions. Please join us & give what you can afford. See me or Phil DiRe', and we'll get the funds to Dick on Wednesday. With less to worry about from a financial standpoint, our friend can concentrate on his treatment. The jazz community is generous and heartfelt, and we're out to prove it. Thank you in advance. As always, we are the Iris Restaurant, in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst. Good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.
Wednesday, 4/18/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 9:30
Buffalo Brass open rehearsal
Friday, 4/20 at Wegman's Dick Road 6:00 - 8:00
John Murphy, guitar John Werick, bass your correspondent, drum set
next Tuesday, 4/24/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Clay Jenkins, trumpet John Hasselback, trombone Lisa Hasselback, piano Jeff Campbell, bass your host, drum set
upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...
Tuesday, 5/1 Dr. Dick Judelsohn Memorial Jazz Tribute
Tuesday, 5/8 Jeff Hackworth
Friday, 5/11 Bill Dobbins
Tuesday, 5/15 Bob Sneider
Tuesday, 5/22 Steve Davis
Tuesday, 5/29 John Whitney
Tuesday, 6/5 Fred Stone
Tuesday, 6/19 Barbara Jean
Tuesday, 7/3 Ron Corsaro & the Upstate Express
Tuesday, 7/24 Laurie Bordonaro
Tuesday, 7/31 Bill Todd
Tuesday, 8/7 Larry Covelli
Tuesday, 8/14 Don Menza
Tuesday, 8/21 Kenny Kuriscak
links...
Lets come together, and help...
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is part of the continent, a part of the main.
- John Donne
Health,
Hope,
Dialogue,
Respect,
Tolerance,
and Friendships.
dan
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XIV, No 30
Hello friends.
Ray Watkins...
If there was ever born a kindlier, gentler, or wiser man, I haven't met him. The greater music community lost a vintage soul last March 13, and every piano he touched lost a friend. Ray lived a full, long life, devoted to his beloved Diane. So we should not so much grieve our loss, but celebrate that those of us who knew him were so privileged. But in these times, when insult, antagonism, vulgarity, and privacy invasion are the way of pop culture, losing the true, the kind, the wise, the learned, and the good, diminishes us all. Thank you, Ray, for the immaculate tunings, for the good humor, for happily playing my piano after restoring its voice, and for your words of wisdom and friendship. You are missed, and ever shall be.
Tuesday, 4/3/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Russ D'Alba, saxophone Ronnie Corsaro, piano Wayne Moose, bass your host, drum set
Another new quartet! Three seasoned Buffalo musicians on the stand this week, and I don't recall a time we've ever worked together as a unit. That's another thing I love about this gig. Just when you think you know who likes to work with who, a really smart guy comes up with another idea. Russ D'Alba is the feature this week and it was his idea to invite Ronald & Wayne. Perfect. Ronnie, we all know and love, as not only a pianist but as a sterling arranger, composer and unparalleled contractor for the Lewiston Jazz Festival. (How he does that job I'll never know...) And Wayne, besides being among the first call bassists in town, is the conductor of the esteemed Williamsville East High School Orchestra. And that is a high profile, high pressure responsibility. And Russell? A beloved veteran of both the music and business communities in our home town... And that's what's so special about this gig. On some Tuesdays we feature the future of the music: student musicians from the Eastman school, Fredonia, or SUNY Purchase. The next week it's their teachers: Bruce Johnstone, Clay Jenkins, Bob Sneider, Jeff Campbell, Pete Malinverni. And then there's weeks like this one, with Buffalo veterans who represent the very vitality of the jazz community here at home. So come out if you can? Say hello to Russ, to Ronnie, and to Wayne. And as always, help us keep the scene alive and the music in the air. The Iris Restaurant, in the plaza at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst. Good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.
next Tuesday, 4/10/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Rick Strauss, guitar Bobby Jones, piano Danny Ziemann, bass your host, drum set
upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...
Tuesday, 4/17 Phil DiRe' & Buffalo Bop
Tuesday, 4/24 Clay Jenkins
Tuesday, 5/1 Dr. Dick Judelsohn Memorial Jazz Tribute
Tuesday, 5/8 Jeff Hackworth
Friday, 5/11 Bill Dobbins
Tuesday, 5/15 Bob Sneider
Tuesday, 5/22 Steve Davis
Tuesday, 5/29 John Whitney
Tuesday, 6/5 Fred Stone
Tuesday, 6/19 Barbara Jean
Tuesday, 7/31 Bill Todd
Tuesday, 8/14 Don Menza
links...
It's April Fools Day. Don't buy the left handed screwdriver...
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.
- Bill Cosby
Health,
Hope,
Dialogue,
Respect,
Tolerance,
and Friendships.
dan
Monday, March 19, 2012
Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XIV, No 28
Hello everyone. 10:00 Monday night... By this time tomorrow we'll be playing our second set...
Tuesday, 3/20/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Mary Stahl, vocals Jim Calabrese, piano Buddy Fadale, bass your host, drum set
But Mary doesn't need a lot of hype. We're just hopeful that the word got out: Gusto, social media, whatever, however. Were it not for this economy, Buffalo's First Lady of Song would be holding down a steady gig somewhere and her public would know where to find her. In the meantime we're keeping the music in the air, and the artists before their audience. If it's too late to make plans, be spontaneous. Join us. Remind Mary how much she's missed. Celebrate the Great American Songbook that in Buffalo, only Mary truly owns. The Iris Restaurant - at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst. Good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.
Wednesday, 3/21/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 9:30
Phil Sims & the Buffalo Brass - open rehearsal
You're invited. Hear Phil put the band through its paces, sight reading new charts and perfecting others. It's almost a gig, except we get to work through some of Phil's challenging arrangements, and there's an audience that is witness to every mistake and musical failing. Kind of keeps you humble... No cover, no minimum. Just come out and hang.
Saturday, 3/24 at Lebros 8:30 - 11:30
George Kane, guitar John Murphy, guitar John Werick, bass your correspondent, drum set
What are you doing Saturday? George Kane has already told me that we won't be doing much of their classic Natural Elements material, which leaves me entirely intrigued. And if you're someone who just can't hang on a Tuesday for whatever reason (morning alarms, day jobs, bowling...), come out and say hello dammit! Jack is behind the bar & he pours a mean black & tan...
next Tuesday, 3/27/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Chuck Buffamonte, guitar Gerry Youngman, organ your host, drum set
upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...
Tuesday, 4/3 Russ D'Alba
Tuesday, 4/10 Rick Strauss
Tuesday, 4/17 Phil DiRe' & Buffalo Bop
Tuesday, 4/24 Clay Jenkins
Tuesday, 5/1 Dr. Dick Judelsohn Memorial Jazz Tribute
Tuesday, 5/8 Jeff Hackworth
Friday, 5/11 Bill Dobbins
Tuesday, 5/15 Bob Sneider
Tuesday, 5/22 Steve Davis
Tuesday, 5/29 John Whitney
Tuesday, 6/19 Barbara Jean
Tuesday, 7/31 Bill Todd
Tuesday, 8/14 Don Menza
links...
A right wing to die for...
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, is a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, spending the sweat of workers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Health,
Hope,
Dialogue,
Respect,
Tolerance,
Friendships,
dan
Monday, March 12, 2012
Danny Hull: Musically This Week Vol XIV, No 27
Hello everyone. This week...
Dave Schiavone, saxophone & flute Matt Michaud, guitar Danny Ziemann, bass your host, drum set
Dave Schiavone is among a handful of musicians who, despite an international reputation, still lives in his home town because he chooses to - that is when he's not in Europe. Some regional musicians, our friend Clay Jenkins for example, maintain a career of a bicoastal nature, splitting teaching & performance responsibilities between here & LA. Dave Schiavone's career is literally bi-continental. When Dave hasn't returned a call or an email within a day or two, I know he's in Germany. But he's home this week, and we've scheduled this special night in order to accommodate his travels and European life style. As a way to challenge himself, Dave's chosen sidemen this week are not those of his working Buffalo quartet. Guitarist Matt Michaud and bassist Danny Ziemann, both Eastman students, are showing up on everyone's list lately, and with them on the gig we are featuring an untested quartet new to our Savvy & Informed audience. Still keeping it fresh after 13 years... So join us if you can. Take in a little Spring-like weather and dig the moments of your life. We are the Iris Restaurant - at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst. Good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.
Saturday, 3/17 at Olean High School 7:30
Sunday, 3/18 at The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford 3:00
The Southern Tier Symphony
John Whitney, Music Director
John Whitney should weigh 100 pounds, his body of work being what it is. Here's the nutshell curriculum vitae: After leaving the University of Central Florida to return to New York, John accepted the orchestra director position at Olean High School. Now get this: He moves his family & an entire household 950 miles, finds and buys a new house, sets up said house, commences his new position, and in his "spare" time? He creates, out of nothing, the Southern Tier Symphony! Just shaking my head here... How does anyone do that? How do you create an orchestra? By yourself? In Olean, NY? You have to recruit a Board of Directors. You have to raise money. And where do you get 65 musicians? You're in Olean! Simply amazing. Now in its 9th season, the Southern Tier Symphony presents their American Stage Pops Concert next weekend. And of the 10 compositions on the program, John has arranged five! Brilliant. For tickets and directions to either venue, go to www.southerntiersymphony.
next Tuesday, 3/20/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Mary Stahl, vocals Jim Calabrese, piano Buddy Fadale, bass your host, drum set
upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...
Tuesday, 3/27 Chuck Buffamonte
Tuesday, 4/3 Russ D'Alba
Tuesday, 4/10 Rick Strauss
Tuesday, 4/17 Phil DiRe' & Buffalo Bop
Tuesday, 4/24 Clay Jenkins
Tuesday, 5/1 Dr. Dick Judelsohn Memorial Jazz Tribute
Tuesday, 5/8 Jeff Hackworth
Friday, 5/11 Bill Dobbins
Tuesday, 5/15 Bob Sneider
Tuesday, 5/22 Steve Davis
Tuesday, 5/29 John Whitney
Tuesday, 6/19 Barbara Jean
Tuesday, 7/31 Bill Todd
Tuesday, 8/14 Don Menza
links...
Only an hour earlier now...
Time is what prevents everything from happening at once.
- John Archibald Wheeler
Health,
Hope,
Dialogue,
Respect,
Tolerance,
Friendships,
dan
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Danny Hull Newsletter: Musically This Week Vol XIV, No 26
Hello everyone. This week...
Tuesday, 3/6/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Russ Carere, saxophone & flute Matt Michaud, guitar Dave Siegfried, bass your host, drum set
The Carere family name lives proudly among the other esteemed jazz families in Buffalo: Fadale, Schuman, Paladino, Georger, Willis, Kayne, Starr, Hasselback, Kipler, Azarello. (Who'd I leave out?) The tradition continues this week. The programming is up to Russ Sr, but expect to hear not only our featured guest in his featured role, but also the ascending Russ Carere, Jr. This is going to be a great night not only for the music, but for the celebration. Family reunions are a gas. But when you can invite your extended family - those of us in the jazz community - and celebrate your son, his development, and his responsibility with the family name, you've got a night to remember. Can you join us? Be a part of that extended jazz community, commemorate Russ and his family, and hear the future in the company of his biggest influence. We are the Iris Restaurant - at the intersection of Maple & Sweet Home Roads in Amherst. Good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang.
Wednesday, 3/7 at the Iris 7:30 - 9:30
Buffalo Brass open rehearsal
"Open rehearsal" means you're invited. We'll start, we'll stop, we'll stutter, and we may even play a few arrangements straight through. The Buffalo Brass is back, and we're working on developing a signature sound and cohesive feel to compliment a deserved big band identity.
next Tuesday, 3/13/2012 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Dave Schiavone, saxophone & flute Matt Michaud, guitar Danny Ziemann, bass your host, drum set
upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...
Tuesday, 3/20 Wendell Rivera
Tuesday, 4/3 Russ D'Alba
Tuesday, 4/10 Rick Strauss
Tuesday, 4/17 Phil DiRe' & Buffalo Bop
Tuesday, 4/24 Clay Jenkins
Tuesday, 5/1 Dr. Dick Judelsohn Memorial Jazz Tribute
Friday, 5/11 Bill Dobbins
Tuesday, 5/15 Bob Sneider
Tuesday, 5/29 John Whitney
Tuesday, 6/19 Barbara Jean
Tuesday, 8/14 Don Menza
links...
Set your priorities...
We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1957
Health,
Hope,
Dialogue,
Respect,
Tolerance,
Friendships,
dan
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