Fun Gigs!

After Labor Day the Open Mic scene started up again, and there are many venues to consider to try out new material... while I was at SAMW (Summer Acoustic Music Week, I had the great pleasure of singing with my good friends Amy Lohman, Liz Buchanan, and Brad Meyer, who backed me up on my Student Concert song, the 50s classic "Twilight Time", which was the most fun to work on and perform. I also backed up Brad Meyer on "Take a message to Mary". We reprised those songs at the Lincoln Library Open Mic in September, and at the Rockport Peace Festival to great acclaim from the audiences. 

Since then I had a solo gig in Marlborough at the CoffeeLoft, suggested to me by my friend and wonderful singer-songwriter Jon McAuliffe. That gig was wonderful. The venue is perfect for an intimate performance with an audience that actually listens! Amy Lohman and I shared the hour time slot. I backed her on some of her wonderful songs and she reciprocated on mine. I hope we get an opportunity to perform there again soon. If I say so myself, our voices blend wonderfully...

Summer has been really quiet... other than a return gig in June at a retirement center, NewBridge, a retirement community in Dedham, MA, which was enjoyable to perform and judging from comments afterwards, enjoyable for the audience as well. Paul Lee did the honors on the beautiful grand piano, and occasional harmony. The set list was a departure for me: primarily old cover songs from the 30s, 40s and 50s, and which were songs I have heard growing up and beyond, in other words, old favorites.

The Singer-Songwriter gig at the Somerville Armory (5/14/11) was very enjoyable... sharing the stage with the inimitable Michael Troy, Perry Desmond-Davies and Chuck Williams, was an honor and a pleasure, besides being initially nerve-wracking for me, as it was the first gig in many years that I've done armed only with my guitar, and no supporting band. Kudos to the organizer, John Fuzek of RI, who puts on monthly singer-songwriter shows at this very warm and intimate venue.

Meanwhile I am looking for gigs, preferably the paying kind.

The gig at NewBridge, a retirement community in Dedham, MA, (12/4/10) was a most pleasant and unusual gig... accompanied by Paul Lee (grand piano, keyboard, electric bass & ukulele) and Hector Hambides (tenor and soprano saxophones, flute and bongos), who helped me present an unusual set of songs. We enjoyed ourselves and so did they... I would really like to do this kind of venue again!

The feature at The Emerson Umbrella was magical... I was warmed up, in the zone, and the guys were playing very, very  well! The set zipped past and I received some wonderful comments and compliments afterwards. A big thank you to Ellen Schmidt and the sound guys who helped us pull it all together for a memorable show! 

Our Feature at TCAN on October 25th was a great pleasure. Playing on a big stage with Eric, Paul and Hector in a venue that is perfect for listening was very enjoyable. Many Thanks to Phil & Trish Knudsen the wonderful hosts and to the audience and players that attended that Monday Night!

Mel Green and his Expanded Band featured at the Lincoln Library Open Mic on the 13th of September... this was their first gig as a quintet, and it all went down very well. There was a lot of love out there, and the feeling was mutual. Looking forward to the others coming up soon. See the calendar for more dates, if you missed this one.

“A delightful set – wonderful songs and arrangements. Bravo!” Ellen Schmidt

"I was there, it was a great set and the singing was sublime. No one wanted you to stop." Randall Kromm

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