CD Release coming soon!
Hey all!
So, the big news is that my CD is done! It's not replicated or packaged yet, but we do (finally!) have a finished product on our hands. I'm really excited - can you tell?! The official release date is October 15, and we'll be celebrating with a run of shows. We'll be at the Metropolitan Room in NYC on October 15th at 9:30 p.m., October 22nd at 7 p.m., and October 28th at 7 p.m. Then, on October 29th, we'll be heading up to John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, NY to do the "hometown" release party! I'm hoping to have some packed houses, so mark your calendars now!
Speaking of John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, I was just there last night to see my friend Sue Matsuki in her Ella Fitzgerald show. What a great night - first of all, Sue is just such a great entertainer, and this show is such a delight. Great songs, great musicians...oh, yes - I must make special note of the musicians. Not only was my regular piano player, Richard Schacher, playing for Sue, but my dad was also playing. But this show was a little different, because in addition to playing guitar, he also played bass...and drums...and he sang! He was a regular one-man band up there, and I don't think I've ever been more impressed by his musicianship! Sure, we teased him about being boxed in on all sides by instruments, and I definitely chuckled when I saw him rockin' out on guitar while playing the high hat...but really, that takes some serious talent! Nice work, Dad! But back to Sue...she had the audience in the palm of her hand for both sets - and really brought the house down with "Mac the Knife" and a smokin' "Frim Fram Sauce." Spotted in the audience were NYC singer/pianist Ronny Whyte and songwriter Bob Levy, which was pretty cool. All in all, a terrific night!
Of course, by being at Sue's show, I missed a great night at Metrojam, back in Manhattan, which I hear went really well! I went last week and had a fantastic time, and was sorry to miss last night. For those of you who don't know what Metrojam is, it is the open mic night at my favorite club, the Metropolitan Room. I've been a few times so far, and the level of talent there has been extremely high, which makes for a highly entertaining night out. Hosted by Joe Bachana, each Metrojam promises a lineup of super-talented performers jamming with an awesome band, which is usually headed up by Marty Silver at the piano. The next Metrojam is happening on Friday, October 5th at 10:15 p.m., so mark your calendars and get your charts ready!
Speaking of open mics, I've attended Jazzaret at the Triad for the past couple of weeks and had a great time there, too! Comedy mistress Dana Lorge is the host of this one, and Barry Levitt heads things up at the piano, which is awesome. Each week, a guest vocalist does a 5-song spot, which is a really nice treat. I got to be the guest vocalist about a month ago, and this past Wednesday it was Rob Langeder, who brought the house down with his "Route 66," "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" and Frank Loesser's "Hamlet." Jazzaret occurs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. and is definitely worth checking out, if you haven't already.
That's about all the news for now...but stay tuned for more soon!
So, the big news is that my CD is done! It's not replicated or packaged yet, but we do (finally!) have a finished product on our hands. I'm really excited - can you tell?! The official release date is October 15, and we'll be celebrating with a run of shows. We'll be at the Metropolitan Room in NYC on October 15th at 9:30 p.m., October 22nd at 7 p.m., and October 28th at 7 p.m. Then, on October 29th, we'll be heading up to John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, NY to do the "hometown" release party! I'm hoping to have some packed houses, so mark your calendars now!
Speaking of John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, I was just there last night to see my friend Sue Matsuki in her Ella Fitzgerald show. What a great night - first of all, Sue is just such a great entertainer, and this show is such a delight. Great songs, great musicians...oh, yes - I must make special note of the musicians. Not only was my regular piano player, Richard Schacher, playing for Sue, but my dad was also playing. But this show was a little different, because in addition to playing guitar, he also played bass...and drums...and he sang! He was a regular one-man band up there, and I don't think I've ever been more impressed by his musicianship! Sure, we teased him about being boxed in on all sides by instruments, and I definitely chuckled when I saw him rockin' out on guitar while playing the high hat...but really, that takes some serious talent! Nice work, Dad! But back to Sue...she had the audience in the palm of her hand for both sets - and really brought the house down with "Mac the Knife" and a smokin' "Frim Fram Sauce." Spotted in the audience were NYC singer/pianist Ronny Whyte and songwriter Bob Levy, which was pretty cool. All in all, a terrific night!
Of course, by being at Sue's show, I missed a great night at Metrojam, back in Manhattan, which I hear went really well! I went last week and had a fantastic time, and was sorry to miss last night. For those of you who don't know what Metrojam is, it is the open mic night at my favorite club, the Metropolitan Room. I've been a few times so far, and the level of talent there has been extremely high, which makes for a highly entertaining night out. Hosted by Joe Bachana, each Metrojam promises a lineup of super-talented performers jamming with an awesome band, which is usually headed up by Marty Silver at the piano. The next Metrojam is happening on Friday, October 5th at 10:15 p.m., so mark your calendars and get your charts ready!
Speaking of open mics, I've attended Jazzaret at the Triad for the past couple of weeks and had a great time there, too! Comedy mistress Dana Lorge is the host of this one, and Barry Levitt heads things up at the piano, which is awesome. Each week, a guest vocalist does a 5-song spot, which is a really nice treat. I got to be the guest vocalist about a month ago, and this past Wednesday it was Rob Langeder, who brought the house down with his "Route 66," "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" and Frank Loesser's "Hamlet." Jazzaret occurs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. and is definitely worth checking out, if you haven't already.
That's about all the news for now...but stay tuned for more soon!