The Last "Christmas Concert"

Last night I took my seat in the Fairport High School Auditorium for the last holiday concert one of my children will ever perform in, and it was a sad moment. As I listened to the groups before Caroline's, I thought back to every Christmas "concert" the kids had ever performed in going right back to their kindergarten performances. You haven't experienced the true joy of the holiday season until you've seen a multitude of five-year-olds "singing" to "Up on the Rooftop" all the while looking to teachers for word cues. The cutest thing ever.

Each year the choirs and bands/orchestras got better and better. There were a few clunkers in each concert, but that adds to the charm. Last night had some real high points - especially for me. The boys choir performed that Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters version of White Christmas that I find so much fun. And, I love the a cappella choir that my daughter has been in the last few years, and they did not disappoint - three really fun songs, done very well, including one with kazoos. It's not Christmas without kazoos, right? The Polyphonic Choir and the FHS Orchestra performed Shubert's Mass No. 2 in G Major. It was quite lovely and intricate and very well done. The Hallelujah Chorus was great--all alumni, teachers and anyone else who wanted to were invited up to sing along. It looked like many of the folks who went bravely forth had not performed that tune in many years. But somehow it was absolutely beautiful.

I'm going to try very hard to make it to the annual jazz holiday concert that the FHS jazz band, directed by Bill Tiberio, puts on during the last day of classes before Christmas break. The kids work so hard to fill the auditorium with lights and decorations - it always looks fantastic and very Christmas-y, and the musicians are totally into the fun of the performance. It's fabulous! Hopefully, I'll be able to break away from work for a bit that day to enjoy it since this is my baby's last year there. Sniffle.

Also, the 12th of December is the Bill Welch Band's "Love Was Born" Christmas concert at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church at 7:30. Don't miss it.

yours in music,
Tracy

Christmastime . . . Music . . . Memories

Christmastime is the part of the year where I can immerse myself in my "inner child" and really enjoy it. The lights, the music, the food, the mood - hell, I still believe in Santa. I mean, I know that some fat man in a red suit is not going to enter my house through my non-existent chimney (though it would be nice to find an unexpected surprise in the toe of my stocking), but I truly believe in "Christmas miracles." (Most) people get nicer - perhaps feeling remorse for their ill will or bad behavior of the past year, or they might feel compassion for people in any kind of need--emotional, physical, psychological, financial--and act on those feelings. That can truly be a miracle.

Anyway, music. I've been listening to my XM satellite radio in the car, and there are multiple holiday stations. So many of the songs put me in a different place. I find myself a child again listening to Burl Ives, Dean Martin, Frank, Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme (her squeals of pleasure? during "Sleigh Ride" occur after every crack of the whip - makes you think . . . but I digress), Bing Crosby, Gene Autry - I grew up listening to those songs on the "hi-fi" in the living room. Then there are the Carpenters and other voices from the '60s and '70s that I remember hearing in the background of every Christmas of my youth. Next, I hear the music of the late '80s, the '90s and beyond when "rock stars" started putting out Christmas albums or appearing on compilations. I worked at Barnes & Noble from 1996 to 2005, and I treated myself to at least two Christmas albums every year. The memories of loading all six slots in the van's disc changer with Christmas music right after Thanksgiving, and having the whole family sing along with Sting's version of "I Saw Three Ships" as we drove around town looking at Christmas light displays remains such a precious memory; putting a "holiday greeting" on our phone's answering machine either by recording a song from the stereo or by having the whole family sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is, sadly, something I haven't done for the past few Christmases; playing any one of my "Celtic Christmas" CDs softly Christmas morning is a tradition I continue and is the perfect way to ease into the beauty of December 25th; learning new songs each year to sing with the Spiritus Christi Gospel Choir at Christmas Eve Mass is something that I'm not doing this year for the first time since 2004. I miss that. I miss the family sing-alongs, too. Music is key to every part of my life, but no more important than it is at Christmastime.

Much of the music I listened to as a kid went along with the movies I watched, like "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "The Little Drummer Boy," "Charlie Brown's Christmas," Frosty the Snowman," and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" every year. "Santa Claus is . . . " was my all time favorite; Charlie Brown made me sad, and Rudolph's trip to the "Island of Misfit Toys" had an impact on me that I didn't realize until much later in my life.

My first husband, Michael, introduced me to "It's a Wonderful Life" which I had (gasp!) never even heard of, but grew to love as well as "Miracle on 34th Street" (the original) which I still love so much. My second husband introduced me to all the schmaltzy 1940s and '50s Christmas movies like "Bells of St. Mary's," "Bishop's Wife, "Holiday Inn," "Christmas in Connecticut," " and "White Christmas." I did sleep through most of these every time we watched them, but there was tradition in that. And, I've loved almost every iteration of "A Christmas Carol," NOT just because it's one of my dad's favorites.

My radio dial, my iTunes, and my Pandora have been tuned to Christmas music since the weekend before Thanksgiving, and that's where they'll stay until New Year's Day. It's just part of who I am; part of the girl who still believes in Santa.

Christmas love and wishes to you in music and beyond,
Tracy

Parents' Weekend . . .

Gone to Parents' Weekend at my son's school this past weekend. There was no music. There were, of course, plenty of adult video stores along the way, but I've already explored that in a previous post. Anyway, good times with Drew . . . including a huge hike with small boulder scrambling, crossing creeks on logs (and I was never good at balance beam), and thorns. All in all, though, it was a beautiful day and a lovely workout. I thought my knees were "broken," but they are working fine today! I realized how good I felt all the while (and after) I was able to spread my wings in the "great outdoors." I realized how much more of that I need in my daily life. In fact, I think I might go and take the dog for a short walk right now.

Music next weekend . . .

yours,
Tracy

Strathallan Last Night.

Met Mike Melito in person last night - he's been a MySpace friend for a while now. That's weird thing, I guess, being "friends" with someone you've never met. Anyway, he was very nice, and I enjoyed his playing. The group was good - Bill Dobbins, Mike Kaupa, Mike Melito and others. Sadly, I was wiped out from the week, and the lovely wine I had earlier at Rooney's didn't help to keep me alert. Otherwise, we would have stayed for another set. The Strath was crowded, and what a diverse crowd it was! Good for them; I hope they keep that up. Rochester needs that.

Tonight is that gig in Fairport with the Bill Tiberio Band. Hope to see some of you there.

yours in music,
Tracy

No one comments anymore . . .

Is it because I hadn't written in forever, and no one is reading it anymore? Could be.

Trying to think if I have anything interesting to say . . . Oh, yes, I do. Joe and Bill are playing this weekend! On Saturday night at Minerva DeLand School in Fairport will be the annual Fairport High School Jazz Charity Concert. Since Bill has ceased to involve me in the press releases, (since I'm so busy in my new position at work, and I don't have the time to give it the attention it warrants) I don't know all the details, but the school jazz bands start at 6:00 pm and the featured guests (Bill Tiberio Band - Bill, Joe, Phil Lake, Geoff Smith, Scott Bradley) might be on as early at 7:00 or so. Be there. It'll be cool.

All for now . . .

yours in music,
Tracy

Now here's the job for me! Check out the link.

http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=76616761&aid=51533415-14108&WT.mc_n=MKT000351

Unfortunately, it's in Las Vegas. So, I guess I'm going to have to pass. But how COOL would that be? Now if it were a couple of years from now and the location was Nashville or NYC, well, I'd be applying for that one.

There's been boatloads of music around here lately, and I am happy to say that I was able to see and hear some of it. Joe and I took Caroline and a couple of her friends - Loreal and Melanie - to the Rochester Indie Fest. They loved it, and they are just about the right demographic. It was an interesting and diverse crowd age-wise. There weren't as many kids as I thought there would be, and there were more people my age or even, (gasp!), older. Local artists, Mint Jam rocked the house (as expected) and Julia Nunes delighted the crowd with her voice talents and her ukelele. Gregory Paul was interesting in a dark and morose kind of way. Jodie Shaw was kind of cool. My daughter was one of the throng at the merchandise table where she purchased several CDs and a Julia Nunes t-shirt. All-in-all, RiF 2008 was a successful launch, I would say.

And I have to pat myself on the back just a little bit because I was the one who suggested Mint Jam and Julia Nunes to the three gentlemen producing this festival-Ned Corman, George Daddis and Steven Gates. Just a little pat; I mean, if you don't pat yourself on the back every once in a while, who's going to do it?

Sorry it's been so long. Oh well.

yours in music,
Tracy

Po' Boys Brass Band at Hi Fidelity was great!

Take four trombones, one sousaphone, a guitar and drums; mix them together, and you get some amazing, monster trombone sound. Well, actually you get Po' Boys Brass Band, and they are amazing! It's rock, funk, blues--electric trombone???--and always a powerhouse sound.

Check them out on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/poboysbrassband and check them out live at a gig. You'll love it.

On another note, next Saturday, the 27th, be at Starry Nights Cafe for the Bill Welch Band. It's a nice, intimate setting to hear some beautiful music played with heart and soul. From 8 - 11, come enjoy the tunes, coffee, wine, and yummy food--especially the chocolate chip cookies!

October 3rd at the Landing in Fairport--come out and hear five hugely talented musicians--Bill Tiberio, Joe Chiappone, Phil Lake, Geoff Smith and Scott Bradley playing their kind of jazz. The Landing is not known for its jazz shows--The New Bill Tiberio Band will show them what they've been missing. Let's be there in big numbers to show them some love and support.

Yours in music,
Tracy

Saturday Night at Abilene

Abilene Bar and Lounge on Liberty Pole Way is a place that I have been wanting to try out for a while! I loved it! Here's the link: http://www.abilenebarandlounge.com/Home.html

It was slammin' on a Saturday night. In Rochester!!! That's a big deal as far as I'm concerned. Carol and the Impalas were playing--Alex Cestra was on guitar. They sounded good. It was a little country for me; but I WAS in a place called Abilene, after all!

So I had a delicious chocolate martini, and then later I had part of a straight-up Tito's Handmade Vodka which I had been wanting to try and oh, so very smooooooooth. http://www.titos-vodka.com/titos.html

Abilene . . . I can't wait to come back. You need to have Hot Sweets play at your place, for sure!

yours in music,
Tracy

The Boys

The group shot is not the greatest because I don't have a wide-angle lens and they were so far apart, but here are the boys (Bill Tiberio Band) at the Fairport Music & Food Fest yesterday. I'll post some more of the photos when I get around to cropping and editing, but in the meantime, there is one good shot of my favorite guitarist of all time.

Yours in music,
Tracy

Here's what it says on the Glenora website . . .

August 17, 2008
JAZZ GREATS AT GLENORA - KEN NAVARRO
2:00pm - 5:00pm
Cost: 25.00
Location: 5435 Route 14, Dundee, NY 14837
Award winning contemporary jazz guitarist and composer Ken Navarro comes to Glenora along with The Bill Tiberio Group.

Of course, it's really the new Bill Tiberio Band, and the D&C blog got it all screwed up and called the Bill Tiberio Group a trio who "just released their CD, Promise Street, in February." Well, it was in February . . . of 2005. Though, what a CD it was! It has one of my all-time favorite songs on it--Why Don't You Ask. But regardless of that, this is a different group. Five awesome guys with amazing chops. You'll love them. Be there.

yours in music,
Tracy

I've heard of this happening, but . . .

never thought it would happen to me . . .

So, I heard my cell phone ring at work, and saw that I had a voice message, so I grabbed it and took it with me into the bathroom. I had to go anyway, so I though I'd kill two birds with one stone. I listened to the message on the way in, saved it, clicked "end" and then put the phone on the back of the toilet so that I could take care of the matters at hand. As I stood at the sink washing my hands, the phone rang/vibrated. Before I could get my hands dry enough to safely answer the phone, it had vibrated itself right into the freshly flushed pool that awaited below.

I could not believe how fast I had my hand in a public toilet. (Not that I put my hand in non-public toilets on a regular basis. Actually, I don't think I've ever put my hand in a toilet, public or otherwise.) Anyway, I had the phone out, dripping, and it wouldn't stop ringing and vibrating. I wiped it and "Purelled" it. I couldn't get the back off to get the battery out to make it stop ringing and vibrating. So I brought it in to my trusty, high-tech colleague Michael (who is an incredibly good sport, by the way), and he got the back off and the battery out.

I wiped it out. I actually "Purelled" the whole damned thing, inside and out. Michael suggested I leave it near my space heater to dry out. So I did. I'll leave it open all night and all day tomorrow; I'll put it in the sun somewhere. We do have sun, don't we? And hopefully it will dry out and all will be well.

This is not the first time one of my phones has gone for a swim. The phone I had prior to this one took two dips into glasses of water and lived to ring again, but then finally met its death in a cup of tea. I think it was the cream. But this phone has definitely "gone to new depths," that's for sure.

Yes, this post has had nothing to do with music. Sorry. We were in Niagara Falls from last Wednesday until last night. There is, apparently, no live music there.

This weekend, however, at Glenora there is definitely music. The New Bill Tiberio Band will be opening for Ken Navarro. Go to the Glenora website for details. I'll post more if and when I know them. Hope to see you there.

yours in music (and cell phone adventures),
Tracy

A Unexpected Jem at the Park Ave.

I was at the Park Ave. Fest yesterday, and as my heels were being clipped by one of the abundance of strollers, and later as I got my third face-full of second-hand smoke, I wondered why I even come to these festivals. I really wonder what these parents are thinking that their babies and screaming toddlers are getting out of these festivals. The single, double-wide, three-long, sport-jogger models and the wagons really clog up the streets and are hazardous to those on foot. Meanwhile, none of the kids look like they're having any fun. In fact, most just look hot and miserable.

Okay, that's my rant. But the question I kept asking myself, "Why do I keep coming to these things?" found an answer in the Po’ Boys Brass Band, of whose set I managed to catch the last three or four songs.

I saw the name on the artist list for this event, and not knowing who was in the band, I didn’t really think much about it. I did not plan to seek them out. Luckily, I happened upon them by chance. They were amazing. As soon as I saw Evan Dobbins and Nick Finzer, I realized this was not your average “New Orleans” jazz band. These are top-notch musicians playing New Orleans-style brass/funk/ROCK! Nick plays electric trombone. With a large array of effects pedals in front of him, he turned that trombone into Hendrix’ guitar. Unbelievable!

You have got to hear this band! Find them on the web at http://www.poboysbrassband.com/ and on MySpace and Facebook as well.

I am a bad bloggist.

Bloggist. Though it may not be a word, I like it better than "blogger" which sounds too much like logger (or lager--not that there's anything wrong with that--depending upon how you say it). "Bloggist" or "Blogger." It really doesn't matter as I am not much of either, lately. Work . . . life . . . stuff . . . All of it equals not much time to sit in front of my computer and subject you to my random thoughts and music musings.

As far as this past weekend goes, I do regret not getting my butt over to Corn Hill Landing to see the Mambo Kings with the RPO and, I heard, fireworks. It was a beautiful night for that. I should have been there. Also, I completely missed Boulder Fest. Though some of that music is out of my age range, I should have been there to post about it in my Insider blog. I can't believe the D&C hasn't kicked me off the Insider yet. I haven't had much to say there either. And I hate to admit it, but I might just be too old to be blogging for them.

I did get to see a few of my favorite musicians on Sunday at the Perinton Summer Fest at Perinton Park. The Bill Welch Band performed two great sets. These guys should be gigging out more often. I love them--the incomparable Bill Welch on lead vocals, keyboard and acoustic guitar; Gene Rogalski ripping it up on electric guitar; the sweet and soulful Bill Tiberio on sax; Mike Keefe keeping it real on bass; Fred Welch killing on the drum set while Tony Padilla was equally amazing on Latin percussion. What a group! And they played my all-time favorite song, Why Don't You Ask. It was a day well spent in the park. If I don't have a link for them on my blog, I will in a minute, so check them out. If they have something on their schedule you can get to, I highly recommend it.

yours in music,
Tracy

I messed up.

I missed Footnote's CD release party last night. I'm a whole week behind. I thought next week was the Tuesday in question, when, in fact, it was last night. And I missed it. And I had promised to blog about their CD release. I suck. Sorry, Footnote, I'll make it up to you. Do you have a link to buy the CD that I can put in the blog? Or a link to your website, perhaps, with some cuts to sample. I'm so sorry. Life has been having a way of getting away from me these days.

So as not to screw up again, here is a little bit I got from an email to my MySpace.

"My name is Christopher Bell, I am a singer-songwriter from Jamestown, NY. My Canoe Tour brings me into Rochester the 4th week of July with a show on the 24th at Boulder Coffee. In total its a 6 week journey on the Erie Canal and Hudson River from Buffalo to New York City."

The Boulder gig is at 8:00 pm Thursday night. I have a conflict and, once again, I cannot make it. However, you should go. You've got to give props to someone who paddles that far to play. Let me know how it is.

And Footnote guys, please forgive me.

yours in music,
Tracy

The Regulars and a short rant.

We stopped at The Landing in the village of Fairport last night to catch the relatively new band, The Regulars--Kevin Hart on guitar, Dave Tiberio playing bass, and Joe Passamonte on the drum set. Joe and Dave were also the vocalists, and they both have nice, strong voices. All accomplished musicians, they were fun to listen to, and their covers of current music were right on. There were dancers on the floor, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves--even the band! Sadly, I couldn't find a website or a MySpace for them. Guys, if you've got one, let me know.

Went to a movie in Pittsford on Friday night. We were out at 10:45. We stopped at Black & Blue because we wanted a light dinner. It was 10:50 by the time we got there. "Sorry, the kitchen is closed down and all cleaned up." Benucci's, closed. Brio--tried the door because people were in there, and it was locked at 10:55 on a Friday night! What if all we wanted was a drink? They don't want bar business at 10:55 on a Friday night? What kind of city do we live in? What a drag. Our only choice, if we wanted a nicer meal then Denny's, was Cheesecake Factory. So, CF it was, and it was pretty good, too. Thank goodness they are there, and their kitchen is open until midnight. Those crazy folks! And guess what? There were plenty of people in there eating and others came in behind us. Maybe not so crazy after all. Other restaurants should take note.

yours in music,
Tracy

Bop Fest 2

Bop Fest, in conjunction with the 26th anniversary of the Bop Shop, is happening this weekend, and boy, is it happening! I’m going to try to hit it on Saturday. Here is the lineup as it appears on the Bop Shop website: Bop Fest 2 is held in the courtyard of The Village Gate 274 N. Goodman St., located in the heart of the Neighborhood of the Arts. The event is being presented by the fine restaurants and retailers of the Village Gate and is free. Headlining Saturday’s festivities will be the Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods Bill Kirchen at 6:00pm www.myspace.com/billkirchen preceded by Nashville legend David Olney at 4:30pm www.myspace.com/davidolney. Starting off the day’s festivities will be two of our finer local bands, Krypton 88 www.krypton88.com who will kick off the show at 2:00pm, followed by an amazing new local band, The Alpine Black at 3:15pm www.myspace.com/thealpineblack. On Sunday, The Asylum Street Spankers www.theasylumstreetspankers.com will appear at 4:00pm and warming up for the Spankers at 2:00pm will be Todd Kraz and at 3:00pm The Varnish Cooks www.myspace.com/thevarnishcooks.

(Sorry if the above links don’t work; as I’ve told you, I’m not “technologically enhanced” like the Steely Dan crowd was!)

I’ve wanted to see the Spankers for a long time, so I’m looking forward to that. However, I’ve also heard great things about his new local band, The Alpine Black, and I definitely want to check them out. Tom Kohn, owner of the Bop Shop, is understandably excited about this event given the success of last year’s and this great lineup. I hope the weather cooperates, and he gets the crowd that he should.

The above is a complete cut-and-paste from my Insider blog, but I wanted to be sure to get this information out in as many ways possible.

yours in music,
Tracy

Question.

Who, among the local musicians I know, has a new CD coming out before the "holiday buying season" that I need to know about? Help me out, here.

yours in music,
Tracy

Lots to say . . . no time to say it

Having the Insider version of this blog has really hampered my ability to post regularly here. And, in fact, I just posted two things on the Insider blog after having posted nothing for almost two weeks.

And I have so much to say!!! Of course, what I say here is not the same stuff that I would say there. So, that means writing two different posts, etc. And now with my new position at the A&CCGR, I am totally focusing on what is required to do a good job with that, so both blogs are being neglected a bit.

If I can't start posting regularly in both, I'm going to ditch one.

Coming up in August - a few gigs for the New Bill Tiberio Band--one at Glenora on the 17th and one at the Fairport Food & Music Fest on the 23rd as well as one the same day at Bristol Harbor--and John Hiatt is coming to Rochester on the 19th!

All for now . . .

yours in music,
Tracy

Two More Nights Spent on Jazz Street

So, last night was the night I've been looking forward to for some time. My two favorite musicians in the whole world were going to be playing together for the first time as a new band. Joe Chiappone and Bill Tiberio, who were joined by Phil Lake on drums, Geoff Smith on bass and Scott Bradley on piano and trumpet, had their debut gig at the Big Tent at this year's RIJF. They were phenomenal, and this is not a biased opinion. The crowd was on its feet at the end and asking for "just one more."

Joe's guitar solo on the opening song was absolutely on fire, and all the guys played so well together. Each had amazing solos. Some of Scott's original compositions were featured, and they were all lovely. "Return of the King" brought me to tears. The last song, John Mayer's "The Heart of Life," also got me all misty; it was just so beautiful. Joe looked like he was transported and he took me (and everyone else) with him. All these guys are amazing musicians who both know, and love, what they're doing--that's obvious. What a delight.


Photo credits go to Gene Rogalski.

Tonight, I spent a couple of hours manning the WGMC 90.1FM booth with some of the DJs at the station. It was fun to represent them and meet lots of interesting people. The music being played on the free stage tonight was really quite good and was constant. It was the Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra combo along with an occasional Frank Sinatra-type vocalist. It was enjoyable to listen to, and it sounded like they had quite an appreciative crowd.

It was cold. So cold, in fact, that I bought an RIJF pullover. It helped a lot, and it's kind of cute, too.

Don't forget, Afterglow with the Rick Holland Evan Dobbins Little Big Band goes on tonight at Tasteology. Maybe after I thaw out (if I haven't dozed off), I'll make it over there.

yours in music,
Tracy

Jazz Fest on Sunday Night

Well, I reviewed Howard Alden in my blog in the Insider, so I'm not going to repeat that here. Suffice it to say that he was fabulous, and I will definitely want to see him again.

As far as the rest of the evening goes, there was no music playing at all on the Jazz Street Stage when we were wandering around before the Alden show at the Montage. I thought some of the "scene" that IS the Jazz Fest was the constant availability of music on the streets. I wasn't hearing it last night at all. Oh, wait. There was the guy with the horn.

The Dancing Man (those who've been there know who I mean) was a little impatient for JazzKamikaze to get started so he could dance. In his trunks. (He's somewhat minimalist in his attire.) He did like my "ensemble," though, and was nice enough to tell me.

All for now . . .

yours in music,
Tracy

No Son of Rambow; Steve Greene instead!

Well, we walked into the Little a few minutes late having had a hard time finding parking because of the Jazz Fest. We just didn't plan enough time. So, as we were paying for the tickets, three heads popped up in the window behind the popcorn concessionaire--Bill Blind, Greg Wachala, and Dave Charneski--all musician friends of ours. So, we ditched the movie and joined them for the Steve Greene Trio (featuring Tina Albright) in the Little Cafe. Not a bad option at all. Steve was his ever-playful talented self, Bill and Tim kept him on the straight-and-narrow as much as humanly possible, and Tina sounded beautiful as always.

Might make it down to Abilene this afternoon to hear Hard Logic before dinner with my dad, but if not, we're headed down afterward to hear either Scofield or Howard Alden. I vote Howard. We'll see.

yours in music,
Tracy

Debut.

Yesterday was my blog's debut in the Rochester Insider Online. Yes, you read right, Rochester Music Scene (and Heard) is now running in two places--here and on the Insider. We'll see how that goes. I'm a little old for the demographic--hell, I'm old enough to be a mother to the young end of the Insider demographic. But I do get out, I do hear a variety of music, and I guess they liked what and how I write enough to take a chance on me. Either that or they're desperate! (I think I'll flatter myself and assume it's the first thing.) I'll try hard to keep up with both; the more places that I can write about our wealth of musical talent will, I hope, contribute to more people getting out and checking out the Rochester Music Scene.

I had a tour of the Little Theatre the other day; what an interesting place with such historical significance. I didn't know, or just didn't realize, that you can be a member of the Little Theatre Society. Membership fees are a big part of what keeps this theatre going AND growing. I think I'm going to join. I found out that one of the member benefits is that you can reserve the balcony for a movie at Little One, and that seems like a rather romantic idea!

Speaking of the Little, I think I'm going to bring Joe down there tonight to see Son of Rambow. I heard it was phenomenal. I will let you know.

yours in music (and stuff),
Tracy

Lucky me . . .

Just as I arrived at Canal Days and made my way through the throngs down to the parking lot behind Lickety Splits on the canal, I figured out that Mint Jam was just about ready to go on. I love this group. The leader of the band, Gabe Condon, is all of 16 or 17 years old, but plays with talent, finesse and personality far beyond his years. His band also includes his brother, Matt, on bass and Ray DeSalvo on drums. These kids kick ass.

Their schedule of upcoming shows is on their MySpace to which I have a link on the right hand side of my blog. Their covers include tunes by Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Clapton to name a few. And their original material is absolutely amazing--mature and based on a solid foundation of the classics. Check them out; you won't be sorry.

Got to meet Sean Jefferson of The Mad Jazz Lab (again, check out the link to their MySpace), and I can't wait to see this group. They'll be at the Jazz Fest on a night that I am working at the 90.1 WGMC booth, so I will be sure to catch them. Sean was filling in on drums with the Bill Tiberio Group (Bill, Mel Henderson, Jerry Youngman) at the Gazebo today. BTG sounded great, as usual, even though they were melting. They played one of my favorites, Since I Fell For You, and it was a beautiful as ever. I haven't heard them in a while--everyone was on top of his game, and Jerry has a new keyboard. It's candy-apple red, and it sounds great.

Off to recuperate from the heat.

yours in music,
Tracy

Rockin' This World 'Til the Day They Die.

Go see Young@Heart at the Little Theatre-- a documentary film about a choir with an average age of 80 who rock out with songs from Sonic Youth and Coldplay as well as punk, R&B and more. These folks are fearless and beautiful and what I hope I am at that age. Check it out.

This weekend is Fairport Canal Days. There'll be music all around, so I think I'm going to blow off all the chores I have to do and get out of this hot house and meander on down there to scope it all out. Besides, there's cotton candy. How can I resist?

yours in music,
Tracy

Olives and Peter Geyer--Two Restaurants to Note

This weekend found me at Olives at 50 State Street in Pittsford and Peter Geyer Steakhouse at the Brookwood Inn, Bushnell's Basin.

Caroline and I had dinner at Olives on Saturday night. It's a tiny little "Greek taverna" in the lower level of a yellow house just inside the entrance to Northfield Commons and the whole "Schoen Place Experience." I've ordered takeout from there before--Greek salads and rice pudding--but had never been seated and enjoyed the ambience. It's decorated in such a way that you might feel like you have been transported to a little cafe in Santorini. This is not a "Greek diner" or family restaurant. The server answered all questions we had about the menu. Caroline ordered a small Greek salad and one of their thin-crust pizzas with artichoke hearts, peppers, garlic and Greek cheese. She raved! I ordered a special of the evening--vegetable moussaka--which came with a side salad. It was absolutely delicious. Caroline finished out the meal by eating half of the biggest baklava I have ever seen. She had to take half of that, as well as half of the pizza, home. She ate both the next day which is simply unheard of! That alone is evidence that Olives is a special place.

Sunday night, I took Joe to Peter Geyer's for his birthday dinner (finally!), and we had another wonderful meal there. I love the atmosphere--it is both "clubby" and romantic at the same time. The design is Arts & Crafts inspired--very Frank Lloyd Wright--and I love that look.

The waiter, Don, was professional, yet friendly. Joe ordered a Caesar salad which had crunchy little cheesy delicious bits on it and the rib-eye. I ordered the filet mignon. Both steaks were done exactly as we had ordered them. We had a delicious bottle of wine--a Francis Ford Coppola Claret--and a lovely apple pie with ice cream for dessert. Don was kind enough to serve it with a candle for Joe's birthday. Everything was delicious, and though Peter Geyer's is a somewhat expensive treat, it felt totally worth it.

So, two delicious dinners at two very nice restaurants two nights in a row--quite a feat, I think!

yours in music (and food),
Tracy

This One's Not Completely About Music . . .

The first part is about my son. He left early this morning, 6:00 AM to be precise, to spend the summer working at a climbing ranch in Jackson, Wyoming. We left him at the airport after seeing that he got successfully through security. I went back home and went back to bed. At about 10:45, he called to tell me that he was safely in Atlanta and that he'd eaten lunch and was "playing on the moving sidewalks." Yes, he is almost 20. Anyway, late in the day I was awaiting a call from him to let me know that he had gotten into Jackson. I received a text; he was in safe and sound and a couple of minutes early. Great!! A little bit later, I got a phone call asking me to get the ranch's phone number off of the website since his manager was not at the airport to pick him up as he was supposed to be, nor was he answering his phone. Not great!!! Just what I'd been worrying about. Well, one of the many things, anyway. I gave him the number and asked him to call me and let me know what was going on. At 6:45, he texted me and said that he was in a cab on the way to the ranch. I told him to make sure the cabbie waited--how did I even know if the manager was there? I waited. And waited. No calls. No texts.

So, fast-forward a couple of hours and consider how many scenarios have played through my head. My son walking alone in the dark on a deserted road in the Grand Teton National Park. No food, no water, robbed of all his money by the corrupt cabbie . . . you name it, I thought of it.

Finally, about 9:30, I got the phone call. He was fine. The manager thought he was coming tomorrow; that's why he wasn't at the airport to pick him up. Good God. Anyway, Drew had eaten and everything was "cool." I said, ""Could you have called me a little earlier; I was completely freaking out!" Apparently, the cell phone reception in the Grand Tetons is spotty, at best. Maybe a landline? All I know is that I wouldn't have slept all night long if I didn't know that he was safe and sound at the Ranch.

Now about the music. Drew came home from school with all sorts of "new" music on his laptop--Steely Dan being the favorite! He was amazed (and a bit jealous) that I was going to see them later this summer. He made me a "Car Mix" that has a lot of Steely Dan on it as well as Pink Floyd and some other old stuff (Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Derek & the Dominos, as well as Cake, Derek Trucks and Piers Faccini). He also gave me several of the mixes that he made for the Rock Wall at school. I will have him with me, at least musically, all summer. He also gave me the Joe Jackson CD that I asked him for--it's got a DVD, too! I was very happy. What I've heard of it so far is as great as I expected it to be.

That's all for now.

yours in music,
Tracy

Another Shot of Testosterone, Thanks!

Iron Man! Wow, way more fun than I thought it would be and much more of a "guy flick" than I normally go to see. But, you know, Joe wanted to go. How could I refuse that face? It was actually quite enjoyable and, amazingly, another "action film" during which I did NOT fall asleep!

And Robert Downey, Jr. . . . need I say more? Love him!! And Gwyneth--another favorite, even if she does name her kid after a fruit. Jeff Bridges, evil and two-faced as all get out. And, wow, a little on the heavy side. The music score was perfect; and I love Jon Favreau who directed and played a small part in the film. Check it out.

That's all for now.

yours in music,
Tracy

Wednesday Night/Thursday Morning at the Theater

Saw the midnight show of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls the other night/morning. I haven't been to a midnight movie since the days of Rocky Horror and only a couple of times then. Since my kids were going with their dad and his wife and their kids, and I was invited, and Joe was very excited about the prospect, I decided to forget the fact that I was going to be exhausted the next day and go along. Besides, I figured, I could sleep on Joe's shoulder like I did during the Bourne Ultimatum.

But no! It was a very entertaining and action-packed movie with character interest. It was great fun! And yes, I am still exhausted!

It was my Joe's birthday yesterday. I joined his family for cake. It's hard to really celebrate a birthday in the middle of the work week--especially when you're tired from a midnight movie!! I'm planning on taking him to Peter Geyer's Steakhouse since we had such a great meal there the last time we went, but that's a place for a leisurely Saturday night.

Andy Bey is in town this weekend for the Exodus to Jazz series; I'd love to see him at that rather than at the Jazz Fest. Evan Dobbins told me I'd like him, but I think tonight I am going to need to just chill and get to bed early. I hope a lot of people go. I'd like to hear about it.

yours in music,
Tracy

Allan Holdsworth at the German House

I bought the Allan Holdsworth tickets for Joe for Valentine's Day, and we saw him last night. I am glad to report that Joe loved the show. All the guitar players there, and there were a ton, were in awe.

For me, every tune sounded the same. If not for the applause, I wouldn't have known when one ended and the next started. There was no melody. Every once and a while I'd catch a little, tiny one but then it would be gone in an instant.

The musicians were extremely talented and passionate--that I could recognize and appreciate. That's pretty much all I have to say about that!

Oh, but there is one more thing. I have to say that standing up and clapping and whistling and hooting at an empty stage while the band decides whether or not to come back and grace us with an encore is getting to be very old and very annoying. Though we did it for Tommy Emmanuel, he was very quick to come back out. These guys took their time coming back for both one-song encores. It was just annoying.

There. There's my rant for the day!

yours in music,
Tracy

TicketMaster Saga Parts II and III

Part II
Well, Thursday after having received no reply (other than "We received your email inquiry and will get back to you . . .") from TicketMaster, I called and got Sharonna on the phone. She was very nice and assured me that she could help with the situation. This she started to do, but we came to a standstill when I did not have the correct credit card with me. I was calling from work, and I try not to carry any credit cards with me so that I don't spend any money that I don't really have. So I was going to have to call back.

Part III
I called this afternoon and got Peter. After retelling my story, once again he assured me that he could help me. I was put on hold several times when he had to go consult with a supervisor because my "account was flagged" or this or that. Finally, he came back and said that he would email me the tickets and I could print them myself. Somehow in all of this, my account was supposedly credited for my VIP parking pass, so I had no pass. He could only reissue a regular parking pass. Why, you say? I don't know; he never did explain. He was nice enough to say that he would call me again in 30 minutes to see if I had received his email which should take no more than 20 minutes. He was good as his word, called back, but there was no email. Hmm. He didn't know why, and now there were even more "flags on the account." I was getting very tense and nervous. After putting me on hold and returning several times, he said that he had successfully emailed my tickets and (regular) parking pass. He promised to call me back again in 30 minutes to see if I'd received it.

In the meantime, I was on the phone with Joe, and I was telling him all about it and how nervous I was. I decided to peek at my email to see if the message with the tickets and pass had arrived. Imagine my surprise when I found that they had!!! I printed them successfully. Yay!! Peter, good to his word, called me back again, and I was happy to tell him that all was well. Next time I order tickets via TicketMaster, I think I will choose the "print-your-own" fast ticket option right from the get-go and not risk having them lost/stolen/damaged!

I have to say I am very grateful to TicketMaster Peter for getting this all straightened out.

All is well in music,
Tracy

Steve Greene Trio + Tina Albright = Beautiful Music

I was lucky enough to be at the Friday Jazz at Immanuel Series last night to hear The Steve Greene Trio and Tina Albright. The "trio" usually does include Tina (making it a quatro, I guess), but tonight it was billed differently.

No matter how they want to bill this group, it always adds up to the same thing: beautiful, enjoyable and interesting. Tonight I heard Tina do three songs that I've never heard her sing, two of which I've never even heard--When a Blossom Falls, which was utterly heartfelt and stirringly beautiful and Duke's Place (or Take Me to Duke's Place) which was kind of dark, seductive and a little sad. Tina tells a story with every song, and not everyone can do that. She is an exemplary vocalist.

I have been listening to Steve Greene for over a decade, and he has a sound that is completely his own; I would know it anywhere. Though I can always recognize it, his sound is indescribable for me (which is a rare thing), but totally delightful. He puts a twist on every tune. His version of Fly Me to the Moon was sort of Latin and very different and totally Steve.

Two words for Dave Arenius' bass playing: excellent and eclectic. I always think of the bassist as a support person, kind of holding things together. Dave holds it together well, and can improv with the best of them. He did a solo tune that was totally cool that everyone seemed to love. Whether using his fingers, the bow or the tip of the bow, Dave gets a cool sound out of that bass.

I decided to use the above photo even though it is not Bill Blind with Tina, Steve and Dave. I don't know who that man is though I have seen him play with the Trio at the Little. Unfortunately, I don't have the ability to "photoshop" Bill in. So sorry, Bill. Bill Blind's drumming is understated, yet it's an integral part of every tune, and it's perfect. I also heard him playing the piano while Steve was getting set up. It was the theme from the Flintstones, but it was very well done! Another support position, the drums often get ignored unless the drummer is not good or is too loud. Bill Blind is just right.

When you put these four wonderful musicians together, the beautiful music is guaranteed. They do play out at the Little Theatre and other venues--look for them. You will love them.

yours in music
Tracy

My Friends Need a Drummer . . .

The Beat Beggars http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=332146583 (their MySpace) need a drummer. If anyone out there who reads this is a drummer, or knows a drummer, hit them up on their MySpace. Check 'em out.

No time to call TicketMaster today because work was fiercely busy, and I had to leave a little early because my TV was, potentially, on fire, about to blow up, or just smoking and dying. Anyway, my daughter was freaked out. And now the house stinks of that "electric fire" kind of smell. Lovely.

I stopped at Tasteology tonight for dinner because my daughter and I were at the eye doctor's office in that plaza. Chef Russell whipped up some sweet potato bisque. We got to sample it. I wish it had been after the dinner because it was almost dessert. It was luscious. Dinner was great, too, with my Shrimp Romesco and Caroline's veggie burger--much better than your average veggie burger. The Little Big Band was there, being awesome. Talk it up, folks, talk it up.

That's all for now.

yours in music,
Tracy

Thus Begins My Ticketmaster Saga . . .

This past Saturday, I realized that the tickets I ordered on April 26 for the July 11 Steely Dan show at CMAC have not yet arrived. I did get an email on the 28th that my tickets had "printed." But it didn't say anything about having been mailed. It did occur to me on Saturday that I was pretty sure I had elected 3-day post, so where were they?

I searched through my mounds of mail (mostly junk) to no avail. I went back to the email and somehow figured out that my tickets had been sent UPS instead of USPS. I have always received my tickets via regular mail, so this was my first surprise. My second surprise was that in clicking on the tracking links, I found out that my "package" had been delivered to the "side door" on the 30th! Of April! Well, both my daughter and I have been in and out of both of the doors to my house and neither one of us ever saw any kind of "package." Not in between the doors, not under the mat, nothing.

So, I clicked on the email link to report "lost, stolen or damaged" tickets and read a general blurb that said something like "It will be at the discretion of Ticketmaster whether or not to reissue your tickets." Well, I'm freaking, right, because that's over $200 worth of tickets (two), but the worst part is that they were for Joe's birthday. I will be crushed if they won't reissue them.

So I was thinking more and more about this. If they were on my porch, under my mat or something, and they blew away, then there's some kind of an envelope out there with my name and address on it, and no one has returned it to me. That's very troublesome. Someone out there has my tickets for my seats and my "VIP" parking permit. So, now what? I'll be on the phone with Ticketmaster today. I hope they will make this right. I'll keep you posted in the next installment of the "Ticketmaster Saga."

yours in music,
Tracy

Guitarist, Bassist, Percussionist, Vocalist, Comedian - Tommy Emmanuel

What a show! Tommy Emmanuel is gifted in so many ways--his musicianship is incomparable, but he also has incredible heart and personality - in addition to a great sense of humor. He was two solid hours of top-notch entertainment. The smile never left my face.

He played the guitar, but the way HE played it, the instrument was also bass and drum as well. He sang, cracked jokes (some better than others), and told stories of his life that were very touching and made him all the more real to us.

I can't even begin to figure out just how many tunes he did, I loved all of them but one. There was a Beatles' medley that was great, and he also played his very first recorded arrangement of Michelle. The songs that were covers, were very original in his arrangement. His own songs were exquisite as well. It was very telling that at least half, if not more than half, of the audience was musicians--mostly guitar players. Good ones. Like my Joe, Kinloch Nelson, Bob Pickert and many others who Joe knew or knew of as musicians.

Tommy's from Australia, and he wrote this one song, Initiation, about an aboriginal youth's "walkabout" (like a vision quest, I believe) and the music was very, well, aboriginal and primitive. It was beautiful in its own right, but it was long and the effects were extremely loud. So loud, in fact, that the guy in front of me had his hands over his ears. Even though I didn't like that one tune, I could still appreciate the talent. Every sound--whether it was the ocean, an animal's keening, drums, a didgeridoo or wind was being made by him on that guitar. It was pretty spectacular.

The only downside was that the guy in front of me had the biggest head (he was a really big guy to begin with) that I have ever seen. I could see the stage on the left of his head, but that meant I couldn't lean right, toward Joe, and I had Mr. Personal Space Invader on my left. We were thigh-to-thigh, shoulder-to-shoulder for most of the show. Joe and I are going to see Allan Holdsworth at the German House next weekend, and I will keep that experience in mind when choosing seats and try to get an aisle.

I'll be wanting to see Tommy Emmanuel the next time he comes to town again, that's for sure. You should, too.

yours in music,
Tracy

Tommy Emmanuel Tonight at the German House

I am looking forward to seeing/hearing one of Joe's favorites. Maybe I'll see you there!

yours in music (and very short posts)
Tracy

Words instead of music

So, I'm writing about words, today, instead of music. This is because I haven't been out to hear any music this weekend, but I did hear some words on Thursday night. I was at the U of R for the Salman Rushdie/Umberto Eco reading and book talk. It was quite interesting since I knew nothing about Eco and almost nothing about Rushdie. All I knew about Rushdie was what everyone knows--there was a fatwa issued by Ayatollha Ruholla Khomeini for his death after the Satanic Verses was released. I had no idea that he was a novelist--for some reason, I thought he wrote non-fiction.

Anyway, the reading and talk was part of the Open Letter press (a part of the U of R) and the PEN Voices series. I happen to know the director of the Open Letter press (a publisher of books in translation), Chad Post, who is married to my friend Christy Post of the Arts & Cultural Council. Thus, I had VIP tickets. Very nice.

Anyway, when we got there Thursday night, there were all sorts of men in suits with those things in their ears that attach via a coiled wire to something somewhere else. Secret Service or whatever. Actually, Christy told me Friday, there were men from Homeland Security there. They were protecting Chad. Apparently, it's usually the editor or publisher who is targeted for violence when Rushdie is in town. Chad appeared very calm for someone in that situation when he welcomed and introduced his guests. Joanna Scott was the moderator of the program. Rushdie and Eco read from their works. I am ready to go out and buy Rushdie's latest - The Enchantress of Florence - and Drew wants Foucault's Pendulum by Eco. I really thought Eco was "cute" and brilliant and witty even though I had a hard time understanding him through his heavy Italian accent. At one point, when Rushdie was talking about the ease of editing in this computer age, Rushdie mentioned that he used a Mac; Eco jumped in with "I'm a PC." But then he qualified, "I refuse VISTA!" It was pretty funny.

So, no music for me this weekend, just intellectual stuff. Makes me realize how very much I have to learn in this world.

That's all for now.

yours in music and words,
Tracy

Okay, that was cool . . .

And I forgot to tell you - I met a reporter from the D&C on Monday night at the Future of Music event, and she (Anna) said she "reads my blog every day." WOW! I was shocked and delighted. Too bad I don't have anything interesting to say today.

Well, there is the fact that I listened to NPR on Friday afternoon on my way to Charlotte to interview an artist for an article I'm writing for Metropolitan magazine. Anyway, Joe Jackson was on with David Dye. Whoa. I'm having a deja vu episode. I feel I've written this before, but I've looked at the last two entries and it's not there. So, onward. Joe Jackson has a new CD entitled Rain. It sounds absolutely fabulous, and I want it! I think I'm going to ask my son to get it for me for Mother's Day. We'll see how that goes.

I think this link will get you to the right page to listen to last Friday's show and hear the tunes that he performed. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89937753

So cool. I'm going to email my son right now!

yours in music,
Tracy

Future of Music Event - Yesterday

Thanks to all of you local musicians who came out to "get schooled" by the folks at the Future of Music Coalition. I hope you all learned something new. I heard from several of you that you thought it was a highly relevant program. That makes me happy.

I learned something at one of the breakout sessions. Musicians like to send their CDs off to local bloggers to review. I'm thinking . . . BRING 'EM ON! Seriously, I've been emailed to come and review bands, I sure wouldn't mind reviewing CDs. If anyone so desires, just shoot me a comment with an email address and I'll tell you where to mail them. Or, perhaps you have files that can be attached to an email--I learned at the FMC event that this is quite possibly the way to do it. So . . . let me know!

Please check out my MySpace at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=70839910 because you will find that many of the artists on my "friend list" have music clips. I so enjoy hearing them. I wish I could figure out how to have a running playlist of all of them. If anyone knows how I can do this, please let me know!

Joe plays this weekend in Newark. Yeah. Newark. He'll be back in the city next weekend. I believe Hot Sweets will be at Woody's on Friday night the 9th from 6:00 to 10:00.

yours in music,
Tracy

Future of Music Event on Monday, April 28 at RMSC

The Future of Music Coalition is partnering with the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester and the AFM to present a workshop on highly relevant topics to musicians and others in the music industry.

This program is free, and there will be food! Registration starts at 2:30 at the Rochester Museum and Science Center on Monday, April 28. The program runs until 8:30. You don't need to pre-register, and you can arrive or leave at any time--whatever works for your schedule.

By using the link below, you can go directly to the Future of Music Coalition's website and see what is on the program. I urge you to check it out. I think you will find it useful.

http://www.futureofmusic.org/events/newyork08/index.cfm

I'm on the program (somewhere) to be speaking about the benefits of being a member of our organization, and I will be at a breakout table discussing NYS/ACCGR funding opportunities as well.

Please join us.

yours in music,
Tracy

Fay Victor Ensemble at BopArts Concert Series

If you don't know it already, I'm a little pedestrian in my tastes when it comes to jazz. So, last night's concert in the BopArts series was a bit of a stretch for me. Some of it was simply beyond my capacity, but it was apparent that it was not beyond the rest of the crowd's. There was much head-bobbing and quiet smiling going on in the group of 30 or so who braved the elements and left their homes last night. (Yes, I know it was a gorgeous night--where was everyone?)

There were musicians and musical "types" there. When I see them, especially my friend Greg Bell, I take notice of their expressions and ask about how they are experiencing the music. Head-bobbing and smiling . . .

The ensemble is a vocalist, Fay Victor, with a rich, deep, resonant voice. I appreciated the beauty of it, but I couldn't help wishing she would sing a "real" song. Her phrasing was adventurous; sometimes startling. She was, really, quite amazing. Her band consists of Swedish guitarist (now NYC resident) Anders Nilsson who has played with Sabir Mateen, Daniel Carter, Ras Moshe and many others. Bassist is Bop Shop semi-regular Ken Filiano, who appeared here earlier this month with Taylor Ho Bynum’s group. On drums is Michael T.A. Thompson who played here a few years back as a member of Sabir Mateen’s ensemble.

They were hot . . . in a very avant garde, jazzy kind of way. If the lights had been dim, I would have felt like I was in a subterranean jazz bar in New York City . . . one of the cool kids.

yours in music,
Tracy

Yay Me! And Bill, Bill, Paul, Fred . . .

I got an email the other day from the folks at the Rochester International Jazz Fest saying that the first 250 people to respond were going to win one year subscriptions to Downbeat Magazine. Well, it was the last thing in my inbox, so I knew it hadn't been there too long, but I didn't hold out too much hope as I followed the simple directions and hit "send." Then, this morning, I received notice that amazingly enough, I was the 11th responder! (After Paul Harris, who was number 7!) I saw so many names that I recognized from one place or another, like friends from the local music world--Bill Tiberio, Bill Ribas, Fred Stone, John Castronova . . . members of the Arts Council or just names I recognized from around town. What a cool thing. I was surprised and delighted to be a winner. Congratulations to all and thanks to RIJF and Downbeat Magazine!

Yours in music,
Tracy

Oh, and one more thing . . . though not about music.

So, I looked at the front of my house the other day, and I was surprised to see that my flowers had been yanked out of their beds and replaced with shrubbery. I rent, so I imagine the "landlord's helper" took it upon himself/themselves to decide that the flowers I had planted were unimportant and messy. I hadn't "groomed" the beds. It just stopped being winter this week, for crying out loud. Well, these folks have time on their hands and probably figured they were doing me a "favor."

However . . . those plants were really the only thing that connected me to this place that I live in . . . that I don't really like. I will be happy to say goodbye to it when I finally find a house. But in the meantime, I had transplanted some mini-carnations from my old house three years ago when I moved in. They were kind of important to me. Last Easter, Joe gave me a beautiful pink daisy that I planted in that same bed. That daisy did nothing all last summer, then suddenly in the fall, grew massive and bloomed again in October--huge, deep pink blooms. I loved it. I also had a clematis that I had bought the first summer I lived here. It was really tiny, but I tied string to the trellis that was on the other porch, and eventually it climbed up, and each summer became bigger, taller and stronger. It was a beautiful plant with big, deep purple blossoms.

All gone. No ask. Just yank. It makes me kind of sad. It was the only thing that was "me" having to do with this house. The mini-carnations linked me to my past--the good memories of the smell wafting up from the garden into my son's room and us smelling it when I put him to bed at night. The clematis was sort of my "regrowth" when I moved into this place. It was new; I was new. It was fragile and needed the help of the strings and the trellis. I was fragile and needed the help of my friends and my family. The daisy represented my here and now--my happiness, and the love of Joe in my life. They were happy little flowers, and I would have taken them with me when I moved.

I had to vent. I'm sorry to do it here since it has nothing whatsoever to do with music, but here it is.

Speaking of music, I think I'm going to put some on right now. Today at Starbucks--I know, I know; don't give me any grief--I bought a 2-CD disc called The Grammys - 50th Anniversary Collection. There's some good stuff on there. I didn't realize that "The Girl From Ipanema" (Stan Getz with Astrud Gilberto and Joao Gilberto) got a Grammy. Bobby Darin, for Mack the Knife, too! BB King, The Thrill is Gone; Otis Redding, (Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay; John Mayer, Gravity (which has special meaning for me); The Police, Every Breath You Take; Alison Krauss, Down to the River to Pray (love to sing that one); Tony Bennett, I Left My Heart in San Francisco; Culture Club, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me (REALLY???!!!); among others. So, I think I'll pop that in and forget about my missing flora.

yours in music (and other stuff),
Tracy

How COULD I have forgotten . . .

"Comic Book Tracy" seemed to be appropriate enough for this post.

On our way home after dinner on Friday night, Joe and I stopped at Lappy's in East Rochester to see our friend Dan Schmitt (and his Shadows) dish up some blues. An excellent group of musicians and an obvious local favorite, Dan and the gang had the dance floor filled with swinging, twirling and dipping duos the whole time we were there. It was exactly the kind of music that, in another lifetime, I would have been dancing to all night long. Now, I am quite content to sit back, relax, listen and appreciate both the music and the show on the dance floor.

Apparently, Lappy's used to be Taylor's. Joe thought so, anyway. It seems quite possible given the leopard print carpeting, the red walls, and the dim lighting. It appeared be quite the place to "meet and greet" for the over-40ish (or so) crowd. Let's just say it was an interesting place, and one in which I was quite happy to be with my Joe and not on my own.

Well, that's about it for me for this weekend. I'm hoping to get to see Cyrus Chestnut next Friday night--and if the stars and planets are in the right alignment, then maybe I'll just see you there!

yours in music,
Tracy

More great music and food . . .

Back to Tasteology tonight for a dinner with my friend, Diane. Joe had a "private gig" in Geneva, so I was on my own. It was my pleasure to introduce Diane to the culinary delights offered up by the staff at Tasteology as well as the wonderful music provided by six of the ten players in the Rick Holland Evan Dobbins Little Big Band. Let me tell you, even at six, the "little" band's sound was damn big! Once again, I cannot stress enough the quality of the musicianship of these guys. They are not to be missed. The food, too, was excellent. I had the "pasta" Romanescu (sp?). Instead of the whole wheat pasta, I opted for the spaghetti squash, and it was delightful. Diane had the Aegean Escape roti wrap (also with shrimp) which she said was excellent. The great food and excellent music deserved more customers there, but those who were there were appreciative.

I really wanted to hit the Little Cafe afterward to see the Steve Green Trio with Tina, but we were whipped and it was already 10:00 when we left Tasteology. The Trio was only playing to 10:30. There's always next weekend, I guess. Or maybe the White Hots on Monday?

Last night was Kinloch at Bodhi's, but by the time Joe and I finished dinner, we just couldn't drag ourselves out. Fridays are tough. It's a long week, and it's hard to rally if you've actually gotten home and had dinner. I know we'll get there someday, because Kinloch is a friend of Joe's, I think, and I know Joe would like to see him play.

That's all for now!

yours in music,
Tracy

Back at Tasteology on Monday night.

Just a quick note. GET OFF YOUR BUTTS! GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSES! And come on down to Tasteology on Monday nights to see the biggest little big band around! The Rick Holland-Evan Dobbins Little Big Band is booked for a while at Tasteology on Monday nights. The quartet starts around 7:30 or so and the Little Big Band starts about 8:30. Don't miss this.

We have venues. Venues that are willing to host music. We need to support these venues to keep them alive and well. We have bands. Bands with amazing talent. We have to support these talented musicians or they are going to go elsewhere. This scares me. I worry that our fair city will someday be silent. We get a hundred thousand-plus people out for the Jazz Fest. For one week. Can't we get 50 people out at each show at each venue to see our fabulous local musicians every week for the rest of the year? Let's not lose this beautiful gift that Rochester has, okay?

Yours in music,
Tracy

Music at the Market - South Wedge Farmers Market

Who would have guessed?! I got an invitation to come sing at Music at the Market at the South Wedge Farmers Market. (I guess that's because they haven't actually heard me sing, yet!) Anyway, I'm putting the link to their flier down below because a fair number of musicians do read this blog, and they might be interested. Please let me know if it works out for you!

http://www.swfarmersmarket.org/participate/musicians/

yours in music,
Tracy

Sunday Session with Ruth Elaine . . .

Just as I tuned in to WRUR's Sunday Session with Ruth Elaine, I heard a beautiful version of Misty with a B3 purring, understated drums and a very Joe-like guitarist. I was loving it and starting to get, well . . . misty . . . when suddenly, dead air. Eventually, Ruth Elaine (what a unique DJ style this woman has) came back on and mentioned the obviously chronic technical difficulties they were having this evening and moved on to the Oscar Peterson trio at the BlueNote. That's jazz, I guess.

Speaking of jazz, I am very excited to see that Cyrus Chestnut (who I saw with Cassandra Wilson last May at said BlueNote) is coming to town in a couple of weeks. I was hoping to see him again--actually, I was hoping he'd be at the Jazz Fest, but this might be better. He'll be at Exodus to Jazz at the Clarion; I'm assuming he'll be playing a lengthier set than what they can usually offer during the Jazz Fest. I'm hoping to get tickets and see this warm, wonderful pianist.

Oh my. Is Ruth Elaine offering up another version of Misty to make up? Oh, no. Something else--very similar intro. It was nice, but it was no Misty.

Saw the Steve Greene trio sans Tina Albright last night at the Little Cafe. Tina was at home sick; we were bummed. Kristen Shiner McGuire filled in on vocals. She has a completely different sound--albeit very nice and very jazzy--than Tina; but I was in a Tina mood. Speaking of the Little Cafe, you know, the acoustics in the bathroom are so sweet. I can't help but sing when I'm in there. Last night, my choice was Georgia on My Mind. I sounded great!!! If only I could always sound like that.

Having a great time with my MySpace. I send out friend requests, and people respond "NO WAY." Just kidding. They've all let me be their friend, and I'm getting friend requests from people who have found me out there. It's pretty cool. Now, if I can just learn how to download some music . . . any helpers out there?

yours in music,
Tracy

Finally buckled.

I made a MySpace.

I think this might be the link: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=70839910 (Well, it's a "copy and paste in your browser" kind of a link. It worked, though, I tried it.)

People that I'm "friend requesting" are being nice enough to respond. Thank you!

yours in music,
Tracy

Elevators . . . you just never know who you might meet!

So, this morning as I was entering the elevator in the Crowne Plaza in beautiful downtown Albany, two guys had been talking as they waited for the elevator, and one got on with me. He said, "Well, that's life when you're living on a tour bus." Well, of course this begs the question, "You're living on a tour bus?" And that's how I met Yonrico Scott, the drummer for the Derek Trucks band. In our conversation of less than a minute, I found out that Derek Trucks is on tour with Santana, and they are playing in Albany tomorrow night. Too bad for me that I am home in Rochester now and will miss it. I do believe the tour buses that I saw parked outside the hotel when I left today must have been theirs.

Last night as I sat in the hotel restaurant awaiting bad pizza, I wrote about the rest of my weekend of music. On Saturday night at Woody's on Monroe Avenue, Joe Chiappone and the usual suspects played, and they were hot! Joe had hurt his back and didn't think that he'd be playing too great, but he was smokin'. There was a very appreciative crowd--college age and beyond . . . dancers and others. There was a very large number of some of the other premier musicians around town--Kevin Hart and Joe Passamonte were the first two people I saw. From that point on, there were players from Rochester Brass & Electric, Boys Lie, Me & the Boyz, Tina Albright, Dave Charneski, Steve Greene, and even Jeff Cosco. He sat in for one tune, singing Ain't No Sunshine (When She's Gone) - on which Ralph Ortiz always shines. Dave Marinelli played keyboards on a couple of tunes including my favorite of one of his own very Latin arrangements of Summertime.

Overall, it was a very lively and fun night at Woody's. I'm sure they will be anxious to have Hot Sweets back soon.

Speaking of Summertime . . . as I was driving to Albany on Tuesday afternoon, I heard Tina Albright singing her rendition of that tune with the White Hots on 90.1 - her voice is unmistakably rich and beautiful.

So, "on the road again . . . " and with time to think about things. I was on the NYS Thruway and there was, therefore, nothing as interesting to look at (as far as scenery goes) as what I see on my way to PA. Really, all I saw were dormant trees and grasses, farms with derelict equipment, cows, and the little towns and cities that dot the Thruway. Towns with manufacturing plants that look empty or sparsely staffed. There is always a church that stands out - bright cross on top or whitewashed shingles that sparkle. Well, that sounds slightly more interesting that I had thought originally. Still, kind of a snoozer of a ride.

Are we in the "Rust Belt?" It kind of looks like that - even more so than on my route to Carlisle, PA. It makes me sad. I think of what were the "glory days" of these towns - probably in the '50s or '60s. Maybe even the '70s were good to the areas as well. But now . . . well.

As I drove into the center of downtown Albany, the sun was shining on the State House. It was beautiful, actually. Albany was hopping at 6:00 p.m. on a Tuesday evening. It's not like downtown Rochester (so sad for us). I was smack dab in the middle of downtown, and there were tons of restaurants - clearly busy. There were lots of people walking around the streets - business people. In the Crowne Plaza, the Pub was pretty crowded with business people at the bar at 8:30. There was Senator Robach having dinner with a colleague. You know, I thought I saw Jim Alesi earlier. Maybe all those "suits" were political types. Boy, I wish this conference had take place a few weeks ago when the whole Spitzer brou-ha-ha was going on. Now THAT would have been fun!

yours in music (and other stuff)
Tracy

Amazing Grace and Complete Mastery

Friday night was spent at Roberts Wesleyan (nice aud) enjoying Victor Wooten and his band. WOW. Phenomenal musicians and really great people.

Highlights: Victor's solo. Alone on-stage, Victor and his bass. He started with Norwegian Wood, moved through many songs that were familiar but I cannot name on to Chopsticks and Heart & Soul, Night in Tunisia, wound his way through Misty and ended up with Amazing Grace. An appropriate song to end on, I thought, and an apt phrase with which to describe Victor Wooten since he has That in spades. Joe had two different words that he used to describe Victor's playing . . . "complete mastery." He said he's never heard anyone play the bass with the complete mastery of the instrument that Victor has.

In addition to the amazing Victor, he had a female vocalist with a deep, rich voice and her own special Grace; a keyboardist who was "just filling in" on the tour but who sounded like he'd been playing with them forever; Victor's brother on guitar; a bass "tech" who also plays (and he really PLAYS) on another bass; and this amazing drummer, Derico Watson, who played a tune that was recorded on the new disc (Palmystery) with three drummers--but he did it all himself live. And with light-up drumsticks! Very cool.

On top of the great show (about 2.5 hours), the band members were waiting outside the venue to sign the merchandise, ticket stubs, basses, whatever, that people wanted signed. I bought a t-shirt for Drew and Victor's book, The Music Lesson, for Caroline and Joe bought Palmystery. I had the book and CD signed by everyone. They were all so gracious and lovely. I will definitely want to see them when they come to town again, and I strongly encourage all of you to see them, too.

yours in music,
Tracy

Monday . . . Tasteology . . . Little Big Band . . . What a way to start the week!

I received a phone message yesterday from Chris at Tasteology inviting me to come and review the Rick Holland-Evan Dobbins Little Big Band who were to be playing at his restaurant last night. His message came shortly after I had received a call from one of the players, Fred Stone, in that same band about something else. It was a sign, I thought; and never being one to turn down an invitation (or ignore a sign), I decided to take my daughter to dinner. I figured I'd review the band and the restaurant at the same time.

I've seen the Rick Holland-Evan Dobbins Little Big Band once before at Hi Fidelity at last year's RIJF. I loved them. While they are "little" in size as compared to a standard big band, they have a huge sound which comes at you in layers with rich textures and beautiful flow. Hmm. Sounds like a description of a dress, I know, but that's how I heard their music. Complex, crisp--each player right on the mark--I could have listened to them all night. My only criticism was that they seemed to need a little time between each song to "talk amongst themselves" and figure out what the next song would be. (I do not remember that from the last time I saw them.) On the upside, that was the only time you could talk to your dining partner if you so chose.

I think the band is playing there every Monday night in April with Evan's dad, Bill Dobbins, sitting in every other week. I will definitely be going back. I couldn't stay for the entire time because my daughter, who also enjoyed the band very much, had homework. I will go back in a couple of weeks, and if they are at the RIJF this year, I will definitely be going to see them. FYI, though the music had started when I got there at 7:30, it was a small combo from the band which was perfect for the dinner hour. The entire Little Big Band came on about 8:30.

The room is very live and that means that the sound of the band is loud and everywhere. For me, that's not a bad thing. When I go to hear a band, that's what I'm there for. If I want to have a quiet dinner with conversation, I don't go where there's live music. I loved, loved, loved that the owner, Tom Chapple and his staff were not telling the band to "turn down." If a club/restaurant hires a band to perform live music, then they shouldn't be shushing them. I've seen it happen time and time again. It drives me crazy.

Tasteology started, according to Tom, as a counter service concept restaurant (think Panera). Within three weeks of opening, and in answer to customer suggestions, they reopened as a full-service restaurant. Additional customer suggestions were incorporated as well--a large selection of "green" wines and live music three nights a week and more "guy food." They have a TV studio kitchen where they offer cooking classes and tape cooking shows for Time Warner On Demand Channel 111. There was actually a class in session last night, and it happened to be all men!

When I got there, I told the host that I'd been invited to review the band by Chris, but he didn't seem to know who Chris was. He did know the owner, though, and said he'd send him over to our table. Well, the host was enjoying only his second day on the job, and not only did he not send the owner, he never sent a server either. I was getting impatient when Tom stopped at our table on his "rounds." I always love seeing an owner or manager circulating throughout the dining room checking on his patrons. It shows a higher level of commitment to customer service. I also saw him washing glasses at the bar at the end of the night--very "hands-on" so to speak.

Tom was very attentive, told me the evolution of the restaurant, got us a server and made sure there was still lobster ravioli in the kitchen! I tried the Parducci pinot grigio (their house by-the-glass green wine). Tasteology serves only "green" wines which are eco-friendly wines produced in specific ways. Go to their website http://www.tasteology.net for a more detailed explanation. The wine was bright, not too fruity and dry enough for me to enjoy very much. I had the lobster ravioli which was delicious, spicy, and fresh with chunks of tomato and green onions. Caroline had the Cali Club roti wrap and loved it. We tried two of the petite desserts, and they are the perfect finishing touch.

Tasteology is a great concept--good, fresh food; lovely atmosphere; and live music. It really doesn't get any better than that for me. I will be back.

yours in music (and food!)
Tracy

Bill Welch Band at Hi Fidelity

Okay, this photo is not from last night, but it is representative of three of the players in the Bill Welch Band--Bill Welch on the left, Bill Tiberio on the right and Gene Rogalski, center. I don't have a photo of Fred Welch or Mike Keefe--I'll get one next time. This is a band that, as I've said before, just keeps getting better and better. They played to a packed house for over two and a half hours without a break last night, and each tune was better than the one before. I love these guys and think they are one of the best bands in Rochester.

And this morning, very early, Bill Welch was performing more beautiful music at our church. Once a month he has a little group that provides the music for the 7:30am Mass. There's about eight of us or so, men and women, usually; but this month, it was "Guy Sunday" and the boys rocked the house with some beautiful harmonies and bluegrass a la O Brother Where Art Thou. Paul Harris, Paul Sanderson, Rich Russell, Chip Milligan, Dan Gilmartin and newcomer Mike Curry joined him. It was lovely.

That's all for now.

yours in music,
Tracy

Merchants Grill on a Thursday night.

I met my mom and dad at the Merchants Grill last night to have a drink for my dad's birthday. I picked that place (not my favorite, by the way) because it's very close to their house and because a woman I know through my work, Brenda Barber, was singing there. She invited me to come and hear her solo act. She also sings with a "party band" but this deal is just her singing to backing tracks.

She had a huge voice--rich, deep, bluesy--really beautiful. I'd prefer to hear her with a real band backing her, but that's me. I bet she'd sound great with a little jazz trio behind her--all torchy and seductive--but she'd be good with a hard rocking blues band, too.

The problem for me was that my parents actually wanted to converse! Brenda's voice alone was loud, but it was her backing tracks that were killing me. Too, too loud. If the music could have been turned down a few hundred decibels and I was alone, I would have enjoyed it very much. As I said, her voice was great, she had "stage presence" and she was giving her all on every tune. I'm sure she's a blast with the party band.

As usual people all around were yakking away. I know that I could not stand up in front of a bunch of people and sing my heart out knowing that no one was listening. Well, not no one. There were people here and there who, I believe, came specifically to hear her. And as the night went on, there were fewer dinner groups and fewer barflies and more people listening. I'd definitely go see her again.

I received an email from a local musician--a bassist--who is looking for a blues or jazz band to play with. I've mentioned it to one friend who may be interested, and I'm putting it out there for anyone to comment and let me know if they are looking.

The Bill Welch Band, one of my favorites, is playing from 7:00 to 9:00 this Saturday night at Hi Fidelity. I don't want to miss that show. They are an amazing group of musicians who just keep getting better and better. Hope to see you there!

yours in music,
Tracy

PA Road Trip

Well, another exciting adventure to Pennsylvania, home of the Amish, their quilts, their candles and a porn shop every 10 miles or so. In fact, you are not five minutes across the border before you come to the one that always has the best marquee signs out front. We look forward to them every trip. Adult Gift Shop, Adult Video Store (or Superstore as the case may be), Gentlemen's Club, Mustang Sally's (I kid you not.) - whatever they want to call them, they're all over. It does make us laugh. I thought I'd share. (Photos courtesy of Caroline.)

yours in music (and other stuff)

Here's what I sent to the D & C

Bet it doesn't get in.

"Saturday afternoon, I sat at the Eastman Theatre listening to high-school age students who sounded like professional musicians. Where were you?

These were students chosen for their superior talent from throughout all the school districts in our county. Much like the high school athletes who make it to the Section V playoffs or the high school cheerleaders who make it to the Section V cheer-off, these are the best of the best, the cream of the crop. Unlike the athletes or the cheerleaders, these kids performed their talents without benefit of any press coverage.


The guest conductor of the orchestra, Mr. Gerard Floriano of Mercury Opera, made a point of this when he first began their part of the program. This is a sad fact here in Rochester. Rochester print and television media is there to cover the athletes and cheerleaders, but no one bothers to give the students who excel in the music programs any recognition.

Any one (or more) of these young people may very well be the stars of the future whose brilliance would shine a bit on their hometown of Rochester. Too bad there won't be any newspaper clippings to show from where they came.

What a shame."

All-County Senior High Music Festival . . .

Saturday afternoon, I sat at the Eastman Theatre listening to high-school age students who sounded like professional musicians. They were students chosen for their superior talent from throughout all the school districts in our county. Much like the high school athletes who make it to the Section V playoffs or the high school cheerleaders who make it to the Section V cheer-off, these are the best of the best, the cream of the crop. Unlike the athletes or the cheerleaders, these kids performed their talents without benefit of any press coverage.

The guest conductor of the orchestra, Mr. Gerard Floriano of Mercury Opera, made a point of this when he first began their part of the program. This is a sad fact here in Rochester. The athletes and cheerleaders get the press and the students who excel in the music programs do not get recognized.

What a shame.

Yours in music,
Tracy

And now, back to the music . . .

Friday night at the Village Rock Cafe in beautiful, downtown East Rochester, and there was a bar fight even before the band got started! I figured it was going to be an interesting night. It turned into a night in which each of the "boys" was totally on his game. Jimmy was great on vocals and played that sax for all he was worth; Todd was, as always, soulful and fun on the keyboards, Dave authoritatively set the tone on the drumset; Ralph Ortiz was even more phenomenal on Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone then he was the first time I heard him play it--the beautiful Bo Leopard bass became a percussive force to be reckoned with; and Joe, well what he was making that guitar do all night long was sweet, sexy, and smokin'!

The crowd got bigger and was very appreciative. The good news was that the crowd wasn't all "the usual suspects" drinking, talking, and not listening. This crowd included musicians from several different bands--some I know, and some I don't. Dave and John from Northside Johnny were there, Emmet, Chris and Tina from Me & the Boyz were there, and a few assorted others--all of whom were blown away by Hot Sweets. This is a band that needs more gigs and better venues!

I think Joe and I are going to go to see Northside Johnny at JW Quimby's tonight. I'm looking forward to it.

There, is that better Uncle Wally . . . all music today!

yours in music,
Tracy

Vantage Point

If you love movies with car chases, simple betrayal, a little bait and switch, explosions, gunshots in crowded areas--and did I say car chases--you'll love Vantage Point! It was some good escapist fun.

yours in music (and other stuff)
Tracy

So I'm thinking about adding new content . . .

Just wondering about whether or not I should add other types of writing to this blog. Since I'm not seeing live music seven nights a week to be able to constantly report back on that (I'm hardly seeing it once a week regularly right now), I'm wondering if it's time to just write about other things as well.

I don't mean, necessarily, personal rantings and ramblings (like the one I posted about forwards) all the time, either. I just think it would be an obvious complement to Rochester Music Scene (And Heard) to talk about the "Rochester Scene in General" every once in a while. Perhaps some restaurant reviews--I eat in the city much of the time for all meals; talk about city revitalization; talk about activities in the city.

I need to start checking out some of the resources we have here, and then I can talk about them. For instance, I haven't been on the First Fridays Art Gallery Bus Tour; haven't been to the Public Market in ages; haven't ever been to Artisan Works or Second Saturdays at Anderson Alley. I was recently at the MAG to see the quilt exhibit because Joe's sister has a piece in it; and I enjoyed poking through much of the art on the second floor - especially the medieval and renaissance pieces. We listened to a classical choral concert accompanied by a cellist and the 700-year-old organ.

So, maybe I should start writing about these treasures of Rochester (there'll always be a rant here or there, too) when I actually participate in them. What do you think?

yours in music (primarily),
Tracy

Met Dave Spinner last night

Dave was playing with Maggie Mullens at Brio; we stopped in for a late dinner and only caught the short last set. He's a good keyboardist--I'd like to hear him again sometime. I think he's going to be there with a quartet, maybe next weekend. We'll check it out if we can.

The Bill Welch Band, one of my faves, is playing at Hi Fidelity on Saturday the 29th of March from 7:00 - 9:00; hopefully, we'll be able to make that show. They never fail to please. Also, on the 14th, the spring series of Friday Jazz at Immanuel kicks off with Mambo Kings. I'd like to make that show; I haven't seen them for a few years, and Dick Delaney is my daughter's piano teacher.

Joe and I went to see "In Bruges" on Friday night; I'm sure he wishes we'd gone to hear music. It was slow, but kind of a "thinking man's movie" about two hit men who are holed up "waiting for instructions" in this beautiful medieval city. It would be better as a rental, I think, because then you could nap in the comfort of your own home during the slower parts!

That's all for now.

yours in music,
Tracy

So, this has nothing to do with music.

Forwards. I hate them. Well, that's a bit of an overstatement. I like some of them. I've gotten a few good ones in my day. I would say the percentage of good forwards to bad ones is 1:100. And my mom is one of the biggest culprits of bad forwards. She'll send me the ones that say, basically, "Multiply the number you picked in question four by the number of hours you sleep every night and then by the number of meals you eat every day, and forward this email to that many people OR SOMETHING VERY BAD WILL HAPPEN TO YOU!" I hate that! Most times, I just don't open stuff that comes from her and a few other notorious forwarders, but when curiosity gets the best of me (or I just mistakenly open something), then I usually just hit "reply all" and hope that takes care of the jinx.

Thank you for letting me vent.

Oh, and on the music front, Scott Regan was back at Open Tunings on 88.5 this morning. Happiness.

Yours in music,
t

I must be getting old 'cuz . . .

I just watched (probably the last person on the face of the earth) the Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck thing on YouTube. I guess it's funny, though I must admit Sarah and Jimmy are only slightly familiar. I did enjoy the assembly of stars in the Kimmel rebuttal all singing in a "We Are The World" type of situation. I don't know, though. I'm thinking, what's the point? That's when I realized . . . I must be getting old.

On the morning ride into work, I usually listen to NPR on 88.5 and then, because I'm usually running at least a few minutes behind, I hear the first few minutes of Open Tunings with Scott Regan. I really like that show. Today, Scott wasn't there and the guy who was filling in had some interesting taste in music. If this morning was the first time I'd ever heard it, I wouldn't tune in again. Can't wait for Scott to be back.

So I switched over to my other favorite station 90.1, and that is one that never disappoints. So, basically, the best two stations in town are both reliant on member support. Let's get the dollars out there, shall we? Quality music programming is hard to come by, we have to support it if we want to have the opportunity to hear diverse, excellent music. 88.5 comes out of the University of Rochester and 90.1 out of the Greece Central School District. These local folks putting on top quality music need our support--listen and give.

So, it's almost time for me to run out and torture my voice coach. She is a patient, encouraging and helpful young woman. TTFN.

yours in music,
Tracy

And the crowd went wild . . .

Prime Time, baby, that's what was going on last night! The boys were in top form and that handsome lead guitarist, Joe Chiappone, was leading them there. The horns, holy cow! Vince Ercolamento had some crazy solos, and the last one was just phenomenal. How his head did not explode, I'll never know. Ronnie Leigh can sustain a note longer than one would think humanly possible. And when I talked with him about it after the show, he said, "Oh, I had to cut that one short." Wow.

The house was standing-room-only and the crowd was loving PTF. There were lots of dancers hitting the dance floor. We even got an encore out of the band. It was that good. I hope to hear them playing out at clubs more than they have been, and I hope with Joe playing that sweet guitar.

yours in music,
Tracy