April 26, 2009 - Remembering Ralph

Rochester's Music Community Remembers Ralph Ortiz
April 26 event will feature more than 70 musicians

Rochester, NY – More than 70 area musicians will come together for a nine-hour benefit concert to honor Rochester bassist Rafael "Ralph" Ortiz, who passed away February 2, 2009 after a short battle with cancer. Remembering Ralph will take place at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water Street) on Sunday, April 26 from 1 to 10 p.m., and will feature 11 bands and many guest appearances on alternating main and club stages at Water Street Music Hall. Tickets are $20 and will be available this Friday, March 20 at: WSMH, Northfield Music, House of Guitars, Record Archive, The Bop Shop, Sound Source, Abilene Bar & Lounge, Murray Street Station (Newark, NY) and Irene's Coffee & Jazz House (Geneva).

The line-up for the April 26th event will feature the following bands and special guests
(subject to change):
· Chet Catallo & the Cats, with special guests Eli Konikoff and Peter Chwazik
· Prime Time Funk, with special guests Todd East, Jeff Cosco and Trevor Neumann
· Steve Greene
· Joe Brucato
· Atlas
· Don Maracle & Dave Hanlon
· The Buddahood
· Me & the Boyz
· Po Boys Brass Band
· The Legendary Dukes
· Dan Schmitt & the Shadows
· Mint Jam

"Incredibly, Ralph played with most of the musicians participating," says Prime Time Funk co-founder and best friend, Jim Richmond. "Some he taught, and the rest are fans who wanted to play with him but never got the chance."

The event will also feature a silent auction of special items including one of Ralph's basses, guitars donated by Northfield Music and House of Guitars, and two club passes donated by the Rochester International Jazz Festival. The sale of food and concessions will also benefit the Rafael Ortiz Memorial Fund, which will help to pay medical and other family expenses as well as fund two music scholarships in Ralph's name: one for a graduating senior pursuing music studies from Ralph's alma mater, Newark High School, and the other for bass lessons at Northfield Music in Pittsford, where Ralph taught for 20 years.



www.primetimefunk.com
www.thedrumcorner.com
www.myspace.com/hotsweetsmusic

See you later, Ralph.

The rooms and hallways of Falvo Funeral Home were filled to capacity last night with people who had come to honor their friend, their teacher, their fellow musician - Rafael (Ralph) Ortiz. The shock and pain, the disbelief and sadness were palpable; but so, too, was the love, the light and the beautiful energy that Ralph brought with him everywhere.

I've been to many Hot Sweets and Prime Time Funk gigs, and I have seen and heard Ralph play dozens of times. It never gets old. He always has some way to amaze. His vocals, harmonizing with Jimmy on Sweet Baby James and others, were so sweet. At the last gig I went to, I mentioned to him how beautiful his voice was and that I hoped he'd start doing more singing. My favorite Ralph tune is Ain't No Sunshine (When She's Gone). Each time I heard it, it was better than the time before. And after the gigs, I would tell him how awesome he was, and he'd get that sheepish "aw shucks" look that was totally genuine. His humility, as he accepted my compliments (or anyone's compliments), only served to add his beauty as a person and as a musician.

The musical community, and the community as a whole, has suffered an incredible loss in the death of Ralph Ortiz. It might be that it could have been avoided if we, as a nation, honored our musicians and artists the way they should be - with a livable wage and health insurance. But that is fodder for another post.

I know that it is going to be hard for the guys who have been playing with Ralph for decades to get up on a stage and play without him. I know it will be a shock to look over to where he always stood and not find him there. And I know their hearts will be heavy for a long time. But Ralph has left a legacy of love and light and music in each of his bandmates, his students, his friends and family. He will be with us always.

Look out, angels; Rafael Ortiz is going to teach you about funk!

yours in music,
Tracy

For anyone who might still be reading . . .

Joe and I are getting ready to head out to California next week for the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show. I now have a laptop, so I plan on doing some blogging from there should I be lucky enough to hear some good music. (If the past two years are any indication, I will!) After NAMM, we are heading to San Diego where we might do a little "clubbing" and hear some music there. I will blog about anything particularly interesting. Frank Gambale is scheduled to be at the Baked Potato in LA during NAMM and Robben Ford in San Diego when we are there. Hopefully, we will see them both.

yours in music,
Tracy

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