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.