On September 13, 2015, REO Speedwagon‘s friend, band mate, and creative collaborator, Gary Richrath unexpectedly passed away. Best known as lead guitar player for the band, Richrath joined the band in the early years, and wrote, produced, and played along side the band members until 1989 when he ventured out in a solo career.
Best known for his “Riding The Storm Out” and “Take It On The Run”, this guitar player’s solos were highlights in these and numerous other songs the band released over the years. In 1989, Richrath ventured out on his own and in 1992 released his only solo album Only The Strong Survive.
In 2013, Richrath once again joined the band at “Rock To The Rescue”, a benefit to raise money for those effected by the tornadoes in Illinois that year. Calling in a favor from his golf buddy, Larry The Cable Guy, Richrath and Dan (real name) headed to Illinois to join the group and several others to raise money to help those in need while their communities were rebuilt. Joining the band on stage for the encore of “Riding The Storm Out”, the crowd went crazy and hairs stood on end as a moment that those there will never forget.
Gary Richrath will forever be revered as one of the greatest guitar players in the business, an amazing songwriter, and his fans, friends, and family will miss him.
The feathery, jazz-infused voice of Yankee Blood singer/bassist Ruth Kelly, supported by guitarist/vocalist James Karp and drummer Adam Verone, filled downtown Funk ‘n Waffles Thursday, September 3, with a lighthearted yet full sound that would never suggest they were short a keyboardist. A healthy crowd had gathered even before Yankee Blood got the show started, who were opening for local band Grayak. All three musicians casually donning t-shirts and jeans, the lazy, bluesy feel of their second song, “Sioux City” got the crowd swaying in an almost dream-like state.
They performed a brand new song titled “Savage,” which will be included on their EP coming out in October. The track started off as a slow rock number, but carried out a heavy instrumental buildup with head bang worthy beats. The egg crate stuffed into the bass drum quivered in approval. After their performance of “Blue Eyed Lover,” Kelly divulged how she normally plays the tune on upright bass, but winged it (very successfully) on her red lacquered Gretsch hollow-body electric bass.
Yankee Blood’s second to last song, “Beekeeper,” will also be featured on their EP. Kelly made sure to alert the crowd of Karp’s ironic fear of bees before adding that once the EP is out, copies will be distributed with jars of honey. Her witty quips between songs revealed an endearing and sharp sense of humor, painting the trio as the sort of people that would be fun to hang out with and share a few beers. Softly crooning the line “I want someone to love,” during “Beekeeper,” followed a theme present in several Yankee Blood songs concerning an honest yearning to share such tenderness with someone.
The five members of Grayak, who had been mingling in the crowd during Yankee Blood’s set, coalesced on stage to commence part two of the evening’s entertainment. Frontman Phil Grajko, sporting suspenders and a metal canteen slung across his torso, looked ready to embark on an intense musical expedition. Thinking logically, he opted to set the canteen by his feet rather than trying to rock it while simultaneously playing guitar. With Hannah Grajko assisting on vocals, Brendan Gosson on fiddle and mandolin, Blake Propst on upright bass and Tyler Dattmore on drums, they opened their set with a bouncy, optimistic tune titled “Seek It Still.” It describes a personal quest of persistence and determination to find truth and meaning in the world even if the path is rough.
The song functioned as a fitting kickoff for Grayak, a project which Grajko has been nurturing for quite some time, often playing solo, but finally able to showcase with a full ensemble. The crowd, heavily speckled with friends and fans whom have seen Grajko develop and transform his musical repertoire over the years, welcomed the distinctive guitar/fiddle intro to “Have a Beautiful Now,” quickly getting into a flowy dance groove and happily singing along to a song many audience members share a personal connection to.
The more reggae-style instrumentation during “Maya” provided a slight divergence and nice addition to the folk-centered genre Grayak largely falls under. The playful fiddle part literally chases the lyrics “I run, I run, I run…” adding an intriguing audio element that emphasizes the vocals. Before beginning “Together” Grajko announced, as he always does, “This is a love song but it’s also sort of about the apocalypse.” The introduction usually provokes people to smile and possibly feel slightly confused. After the song concluded, Grajko noted his musical troupe has only been playing together for a few weeks, adding to the impressiveness of their collaboration. The band polished off their set with Grayak’s title track, “Made of Light.” Opening with a low-key bass solo, the lyrics speak to the connectedness of humankind. It slowly builds with up-tempo guitar and runaway fiddle parts that might make someone wish they were standing in a breezy meadow on a warm summer’s day.
A few weeks ago I shared with you Part 1 of a two part interview with legendary keyboardist, and original founding member of REO Speedwagon, Neal Doughty. As REO rolls into town again this weekend, September 12, 2015 to the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca, NY, it only seemed fitting to share the remainder of our conversation as a prelude to their upcoming show so that you could appreciate a backstory of their musical journey to today. Over a 48 year career, this group found a way to share their stories through their music, lyrics, and performances capturing the attention of generations of fans.
Before I pick up where I left off, let me recap for you a bit. A lifelong fan of this group, I couldn’t help but gush a little as I spoke with Neal about their beginnings in Illinois at the University of Illinois, some of their earlier gigs when they started out, their work on albums, the progression in song writing from their earlier works to those songs that brought them the most attention during the 1980’s, as well as how they have managed all these years keeping audiences coming back, all while not killing each other on the road.
Touring non stop since their inception, Neal’s analogy of how they have developed into an old married couple, seem spot on as these five men have gone through the highs and lows together for most of their adult lives, and have withstood all that the music industry has thrown their way while staying true to their sound. You could say they’ve ridden “…The Storm Out”. See what I did there? Okay those REO Speedwagon fans will definitely get that pun. Not familiar with the band yet, please take a moment to visit Part 1 if you haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet, then come back here so I can fill you in on where we left off of this amazing conversation Neal and I shared.
Kathy Stockbridge (KS): You have had the chance to do some pretty amazing gigs over the years. Talk to me a little about your time at “Live Aid”.
Neal Doughty (ND): That was kind of unreal almost because everybody was there. We played very early in the morning, which we weren’t used to anyways, just getting up that early made it surreal. Then we get to the show, and back stage is every famous musician in the world walking around back there. People we idolized. It was so hectic too, because they were getting bands set up. They had a revolving stage where there was never a break between bands. We had our two hits songs ready to go, we climbed up on stage while it was still turned around away from the crowd, and they said “okay, as soon as the stage rotates into view, start playing”. They had some technical glitches with the thing and as I began playing “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, nothing was coming out of the piano. So I stopped. Come to find out it was coming out to the feed that was going on television but we weren’t hearing it. So you hear me start the intro to “Can’t Fight This Feeling” twice, because the first time I wasn’t hearing it at all. I looked over to our monitor guy and go “you ready?”, then I start playing it again, and then this time I could hear it. So if you watch that old tape from Live Aid you’ll see me play about 2 bars of “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, then stop and go “are you ready?” The sound literally was not coming to the band at all.
KS: That had to be the most amazing experience though just being there in front of that audience.
ND: Oh yeah. They were telling us there were about 1 billion people watching us on television. Then when I hit the first note of our biggest song, and nothing comes out…guess that shows whether it’s 1 billion or a crowd of 1 person, you never know when something will go wrong. It’s actually scarier playing in front of a smaller crowd where you know people in the crowd. When it’s 1 billion people and they are watching on tv, that’s not REAL from where you are sitting. Of course, the 100,000 people sitting there live, well that made us a little nervous. After a while, you feed off the nervousness though. I usually play best when I’m really nervous. Which doesn’t happen often any more. I’ve done this enough now, that I’m probably going to make it through the song. We just recently played on Jimmy Kimmel with Imagine Dragons. He does this band name mashup, where we were dubbed Imagine REO Speed Dragons. That was “live” television, and in those situations you can fix something I believe up to one hour before it airs in New York, but we didn’t have to with this performance.
KS: Wow, that had to be the best. I just covered them and they are such an energetic band, that loves to play to their fans. That had to be one hell of a mashup.
ND: They were the greatest guys to work with, with so much respect for us. It was nice to have a band that hot, selling out the Forum tonight, at the peak of their career, wanting to be on tv with us. We get there and they feel the same way, they were think how do we get to be on tv with them? It was mutual respect from the minute we met each other. It went great. We did “Roll With The Changes” and we changed the beginning of it to sound a little more like an Imagine Dragons song. They have those jungle drums going…
KS: Yes they are very percussion heavy in their sound, where you guys are very heavy guitar and keyboards.
ND: We let them start the song with their big drums and then we went into “Roll With The Changes”. It was very interesting. Then we watched them play five songs on Kimmel’s outdoor stage, and they were just great. But it was so nice of a feeling for a relative new, very hot band, to be doing something with us on nationwide television, that I want to add we worked up that afternoon together.
KS: You’re being very modest I must say. You guys are legendary.
ND: I’ll accept that in the sense that yes, everybody’s heard of us. When you’re around this long…
KS: You are a legendary band, highly respected, during the 70’s and 80’s you were “THE” band to see live. So I do believe that Imagine Dragons probably grew up, like I did listening to you.
ND: Oh yes, they acted as though they were really impressed to be playing with us. We sometimes forget, as we have become very down to earth about the whole thing. We feel lucky to still be doing this, we’re pretty nice guys, and actually we are pretty modest about the whole thing. We’ve just been doing it so long that when we walk out on stage and there are 10,000 people there we say “Bless their hearts, they are still showing up”. It’s just so gratifying to feel that respect. We’ve been together so long and people will still show up by the thousands to see us play. It’s really a heartwarming feeling. Then when you have the hottest band in the country meet you and their star struck…sometimes we just forget. I’ve never thought of myself as some sort of rock star. When I’m home, I’m building a roof on the patio. People come over and see that I’m just a regular guy. Yep. Regular guy that lucked into a GREAT job!!
KS: So glad you did.
ND: The first ten years, there were a lot of moments where I thought, I should have stayed in college. Where I would be sitting on a rock by the ocean saying, “what have I done”? People would walk by and go, “are you okay buddy?”. I would say, “yeah, I just think I screwed up my life, that’s all”.
KS: In 2013, being from the Midwest myself, storms and tornadoes are unfortunately common place for the area, and due to the storms that devastated that area, you coordinated “Rock To The Rescue.” Can you tell us a little about what that was all about?
ND: That was an amazing experience where everybody we called to play this show said “heck yeah, I’ll be there”. The storms happened very close to where Gary Richrath, our guitar player, grew up, in Peoria, Illinois. Bruce, our bass player lives down in Florida and plays golf with Larry The Cable Guy, or Dan (his real name). He is a really nice guy, who volunteered to MC the whole thing. Every band we called, and most of them were from Illinois, said yes it was amazing as we threw together things so fast. Not only having Gary come up and play with us on a song or two our great friends from these Illinois based bands, like Styx and Survivor, are great buddies. Cheap Trick wanted to make it but they couldn’t do it due to their schedule, but they would have been there had things worked out as we had all hoped. These are all bands that have been our friends for decades. So to have them all in one building was amazing in itself. Back stage was like a high school reunion catching up with each other. Then having Dan go out there, MC and telling jokes, while not charging us a penny. He actually does stuff like that all the time. His showing up made the show all fit together seamlessly with no confusion between bands. It was old home week for a great cause.
We actually took the tour bus out to the neighborhood that was hit the worst and it was unbelievable. It was as though you were looking at special effects in a movie scene. As far as you could see, every house was down, furniture was in the trees, no leaves left on the trees, cars overturned and wrecked vehicles. It was like a spectacular scene from a science fiction movie, only it was really there. You can’t imagine the power of nature until you visit a scene where nature has destroyed everything for miles. And there are people who are suppose to be living there. You see a teddy bear lying in the gutter and you think, gosh that’s some childs teddy bear. Their house isn’t even there any more, but their teddy bear is there. So you think, someone has to help all these people. There is progress occurring already getting everything rebuilt, but it will take years before it goes back to the way it was. Basically we raised half of a million dollars to help take care of the people during their transitional time. You of course will not build a town with a half of million dollars, but for those whose houses blew down, you can give them some help. That was the purpose of the fundraising. We knew we couldn’t rebuild the town. Once again it was a heart warmer event as all your buddies from all the years just go “We’ll be there tomorrow”.
This job never gets boring, but then when something like that happens, it reaffirms that “man I’m never going to stop doing this”. People even ask if we get tired of playing the same songs. We say “Are you kidding me? Nobody gets to have this kind of life.
KS: Well again I want to commend you on what you did for those folks. The following year after this project you were once again out on the road together with the band Chicago. Talk to me a little about that tour.
ND: That’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had on stage. Chicago and REO started the same year, in Illinois, and until then we had never played together. Right when our band first started, their first album came out and it was a masterpiece. While living in Los Angeles, Robert Lamm, who is a songwriter, keyboard player, and one of the singers lived only two houses away from me. We used to come over to each other house and we had still never played together. We were neighbors thirty years ago and finally had a chance to play together recently. The promoters were wondering if the two groups would be able to mesh up correctly, and it just turned out so well. We each did our own shorter set, then we came out for an encore where we did three of each bands biggest hits with everybody on stage.
KS: Wow that must have been so spectacular with the horns accompanying you on your songs too.
ND: Someone asked me what it sounded like when REO and Chicago played together? I said…like Chicago, (as he laughs). Because those horns are such a distinctive part of their sound. Playing “Keep On Lovin’ You” with a horn section or “Roll With The Changes” with all the horn mix playing…well by the second or third night of that tour I was laughing out loud on stage because it sounded so good. They are all great guys and and wonderful musicians and we had such respect for each other that we just hit it right off instantly and I really hope we get to do that again. They felt the same, that we gotta do this again. We don’t want to do it exactly the same the next year, so we’ll wait a few years but we definitely want to do that again. Because that worked out way better than any of us thought. I think every show was virtually a sell out.
KS: I want to truly thank you Neal for doing this interview with NYS Music. As I mentioned to you before, I’ve been a huge fan for so many years, and this truly has been a highlight in my career.
As I basked in an afterglow of “Wow, I just interviewed Neal Doughty, one of the founding members of the my favorite band of all time”. If you were to ask me who was my favorite band of all time was, I would hands down say REO Speedwagon. They represented so much more to me than just a musical group. The immediately bring me back to my school days, with dear friends, and a place I hold dear to my heart, Illinois. Their earlier music was compelling and audioritoially moving. A huge keyboard lover, their keyboard solos paired with guitar riffs captured my heart and from “157 Riverside Avenue” to “Time For Me To Fly”, to “In Your Letter”, they had my complete and total attention and dedication for the moment I first heard them.
Written in 1968 by Kevin Cronin, “Ballad of Illinois Opry” would not be recorded until 1996 on their Building The Bridge album. This song emulates everything special about REO Speedwagon; how they continue to pay homage to their Midwest roots, how they saw their dreams of one day being on the big stage and never lost focus of that dream, and of course that classic rock and roll sound of guitar solos, strong keyboards, and stellar vocals, that we all fell in love all those years ago while standing in a horrific Midwest storm cheering for them to return to the stage.
The humility this man possessed still today when talking about his career, totally touched my heart. My favorite musicians are those that connect with their audience. Whether it’s on stage…a gesture to a fan who wants a meet & greet, or how they engage the audience and their fans while performing. Truly he didn’t think of himself as a superstar of any sort, and my clearly unprofessional means of gushing had to be apparent throughout the interview. And the fact he was touch and bewildered by reactions of others to him and his band mates was refreshing. To me it was a sign he was in it for the music, not for the fame. Fame came and stays because of the other. To him REO still was a group of friends from college in rural Champaign, Illinois just jamming and making the music they loved.
Ending our conversation as we could have continued to talk for a good long time past what we had, I was nervous and didn’t want to over stay my welcome. It was okay because I knew that although I didn’t get to cover one show here locally, I would be traveling to the beautiful Niagara Falls area to take in the show there, and once again relive all those wonderful moments I had shared with family, friends, and days gone by.
As the 2015 Great New York State Fair approaches opening day, the lineup has ironed out nicely for the week. Although a slow start, we have some award-winning musicians and comedians coming to the Grandstands, while Chevy Court once again will draw in record crowds for their free concert series. With record-breaking crowds last year, it is anticipated to repeat and exceed these records with the $1 day once again on Labor Day and now $3 Thursdays added to the lineup.
With Special Days and Events Planned all week-long, there is bound to be fun in store for you and your family and friends at the 2015 Great New York State Fair
Opening Day / Governor’s Day, Thursday, August 27th, $3 Thursday
Chevy Court
2pm – Everclear
8pm – Rick Springfield
Grandstands
7:30pm – Eric Church, with special guest The Cadillac Three
Pride Day/Law Enforcement Day/New Americans Day, Friday, August 28, 2015
Dairy Day, Senior Citizen’s Day, Monday, August 31, 2015
Chevy Court
2pm – Bowzer
8pm – Cole Swindell
Fire & Rescue Day, Beef Day, Senior Citizen’s Day, Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Chevy Court
2pm – Oak Ridge Boys
8pm – Joe Nichols
Women’s Day, Wade Shows, Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Chevy Court
2pm – Salt N Pepa
8pm – Snoop Dog
Armed Forces Day, $3 Thursday, September 3, 2015
Chevy Court
2pm – Echosmith
8pm – Jason DeRulo
Grandstands
7:30pm – Patti LaBelle
Six Nations Day, Student’s Day, Saturday, September 4, 2015
Chevy Court
2pm -The Ripcords
8pm – Fifth Harmony
Grange Day, Saturday, September 5, 2015
Chevy Court
2pm – Sawyer Fredericks with Josh Batstone & Amanda Lee Peers 8pm – The Jacksons
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Chevy Court
2pm – R5
8pm – The Steve Miller Band
Labor Day, Summer Send Off “Dollar Day”, Monday, September 7th
Chevy Court
6pm – Nick Jonas
Immediately Followed By Fireworks
With thirteen new rides joining the Midway, you’ll find something to excite everyone from those preschool youngster to those young at heart. Special rates are available for pre-sale tickets as well as specials on individual days. Take a peek at those new rides added and specials offered on the nysfair.org site here.
When it comes to the most diverse offering of culinary delights, you only have to visit the Great NY State Fair to get everything from fan favorites of chocolate milk to fried anything. In addition to the many food vendors, throughout the entire grounds you can find some of NY State’s finest culinary eats offered and wineries galore.
Last year’s attendees asked for some healthier options, and this year your request was answered. Make sure to find the new vegan/vegetarian stand, Strong Hearts Café, in the International building. The acclaimed vegan/vegetarian restaurant brings its signature focus on great taste to the Fair. Everything on the menu is 100% vegan and 1000% delicious. There you’ll find in addition to entrees, their non-dairy milkshakes, which will include a new flavor especially for the Fair. Although they’ve brought the deep fryer, it’s solely for their Vegan Wings. In addition to our vegan vendor, a new gluten-free vendor will also be joining the Fair, so make sure to check them out for the healthier fare at the fair.
Whether it’s healthier choices or the fair favorites, meals can be on the fly or planned ahead by visiting the sites new food finder app. Just type in the type of food you would like, and viola’ your route will be planned.
There is just about something for everyone to keep you busy throughout the day as you meander in and out of the buildings taking in everything from promotional items to best in fair for horticulture, arts, and livestock. Whether it’s shows and competitions that bring you to the fair, the food, the rides and games, or the entertainment, you are bound for a fun time.
I highly suggest you downloading the app for the NYState Fair as well as take a peek at the parking and fair maps to plan the easiest pathways in and around the activities for the most enjoyable experience. Planning ahead always helps to get the most of your action packed day as well as take advantage of all there is to be offered.
The godfather of Syracuse’s power-pop scene, Gary Frenay has released a new, full-length, solo cd titled, File Under Pop Vocal. A founding member of The Flashcubes, and Screen Test, two of the area’s most important bands in the late seventies and early eighties. Frenay is a six-time SAMMY Award winner and the first musician to be inducted into the Syracuse Music Hall of Fame twice, once as a solo artist, again as a member of The Flashcubes. A very prolific writer who honors the molds of Lennon and McCartney, Brian Wilson, Todd Rundgren and Elvis Costello, he has issued three solo albums, plus ten more by his bands and duo with fellow Flashcube and Screen Test member, Arty Lenin.
A two year project, File Under Pop Vocal is a collaboration with his longtime friend, Flashcubes drummer and producer, Tommy Allen. Tommy is producer and mixed all tracks at his NYC base, except #7 which is produced, arranged and mixed by Mark Doyle with drums recorded by Allen and #10 which is mixed by Ducky Carlisle, another Syracuse mainstay. Carlisle mastered at Ice Station Zebra in Medford MA.. Recorded in Syracuse, NYC, Boston and Tokyo, all of the songs here are by Frenay, besides #4 by Wilson/Rovell/Pamplin and #7 by Frenay/Doyle.
You can hear Tommy Allen on each track playing drums, percussion and a myriad of other instruments, plus lending background vocals. Together Frenay/Allen recruited some very big hitters to fill the vibe of each song, including the multi-talented Mark Doyle (guitars, keys, bass, etc.); guitarist Paul Carbonara (Blondie); Doug Worthington (Julian Lennon); mega-duo Pete and Maura Kennedy; Marshall Crenshaw (yes, that Marshall Crenshaw); longtime musical partner Artie Lenin; Japanese power-pop star Osamu Satoyama (Mayflowers); keyboardists Ed Vivenzio, Andy Burton (John Mayer), and Tommy Mandel (Bryan Adams); and Frenay’s son, multi-instrumentalist Nick Frenay (Nick and Noah). To get the proper individual credits, please see the actual liner notes. I’ll highlight some, but let the music talk through me for the most part.
‘Blue Topaz’ takes a big swing at the genre fence with a power-pop monster featuring a vocal hook that will make you believe Elvis is in the studio. When Frenay sings, “Let it shine for eternity, To remind us of, The way we felt on that day, I placed it on your finger, A blue topaz” and the harmonies and backing vocals soar, his voice clinches on the I in homage. It hits all of the bases with jangling guitars, a driving bass and Tommy’s pacing, this begs for the top to be down, clearing the romantic haze in a beautiful way, it’s just what happens under the spell of a muse. ‘Forgot How Good Love Feels’ follows in composition, but maybe a little earlier in the real story. It runs along at full pace, like new love does, it sprints, not wanting miss a stride. Until realization puts a shift on time and you float, slowly, in revelry. You know what I mean. ‘Our Eyes Have Voices’ is flat-out romantic and truly insightful, the strength of the topic combined with Frenay’s multiple background vocals tweaks at my influence alarm. Although I believe there is more than one influence at work on many of the tracks here, Frenay’s voice sings to them, expresses them with subtlety and individuality without waving a flag. His words and melodies move easily to the borders of his genre and reach beyond for tastes, his stories are real, it makes all of the difference. The musicianship and arrangement are pristine, distinct, clear and thoughtful. Nothing is more aurally pleasing than that.
Brian Wilson’s ‘It’s Like Heaven’ sounds like a Beach Boys/Beatles love child, played by Elvis Costello. Paul Carbonara’s slide is right out of the George Harrison play-book, Tommy’s drum sound is huge and the sweet backing vocals by Maura Kennedy and Nick Frenay carry Gary’s reading on a cloud. The production is like candy, surely the epitome of pop, and substantive of the album’s title, that continues track after track. ‘Winterview’ is a tale of reminiscence, an analogy of seasonal change and emotional cleansing. The Kennedys and Ed Vivenzio color the changes and fill the spaces so completely, along with Sam Crowes flute and Tommy’s string flourishes, they make the sadness seem palatable, though the feelings fade, they never quite go away. Frenay switches it up on ‘We Could Be Brothers’, an up-tempo power-popper that speaks to someone lost, but not forgotten. One of those meaningful people you lose track of over time, but don’t let slip your mind. Perhaps a new soul, that reminds us of an old soul. Osamu Satoyama’s guitar bites in all of the right places and Frenay’s voice exudes at the combination, his enthusiastic acoustic rhythm chimes in agreement. I can’t quite grasp it, but it’s either a high-plains western, eastern or a mix of both feels, either way it’s quite provocative.
‘It’s Your Heart’ sounds like it could’ve been written for a sixties chanteuse like Dionne Warwick, from Nick Frenay’s flugelhorn to Mark Doyle’s piano, organ, synth strings and electrics, it’s majestic like a single produced by “The Wrecking Crew.” The only track where another songwriter is co-credited, Doyle’s mix and arrangement are sublime. Gary’s voice is so emotive, his backing tracks and Riley Mahan’s layers produce all that is good in pop music; like ‘You’re Only Hurting Yourself.’ Doyle starts the string intro, Carbonara on the electric rhythm, it’s a little Philly Soul, it’s Doyle bringing the “Ambrosia” So. Cal. piano and Artie Lenin drops a perfect solo. Nick Frenay adds background vocals in a level at which I needed to consult the artist to be sure all of the voices were credited. Fantastic! Frenay’s songwriting is at once, striking and stirring, there’s an innocence with a wink, assertiveness with a smile and resolution in a nod.
‘Everything But Love’ and ‘Luckiest Man’ close out the CD in very individual ways. E.B.T. has the ring and jangle of Lenin’s 12 string and harmonies, bolstered by Tommy Mandel’s piano and organ. Then the guitars roll in, Doug Worthington and Marshall Crenshaw add individual flavor, but the bridge to the solo is unmistakably Crenshaw and Worthington gives a monstrous solo. It’s a flavor of “Pretenders”, pure pop gloss, seamless in its fab four proclamations and eighties vibe. Lucky Man finishes softly, but substantially. No rhythm section, just Frenay’s voice and acoustic, Doyle’s piano and synth strings with Nick’s flugelhorn, expressing why songwriters write, singers sing, why lovers cry. A song for his wife and muse, his dedication to love and good fortune. Written beautifully, performed in the only way it can be, truthfully.
Although I attempted to focus on the music itself, when you have so many important pieces involved, each needs to be credited somehow. The level of musicianship, song-writing and production put together here is as precise and thoughtful as any available today. The compositions are intelligent and bright, sweet and bitter, all unrestrained. Follow the links provided to hear and learn about Frenay’s past and present, I believe you’ll find them both exhilarating. Check his facebook page and his blog WE CONNECT for stories, history and anything else that may be found under File Under Pop Vocal.
Key Tracks: Blue Topaz, Winterview, You’re Only Hurting Yourself
Great music is good; great music for a cause is even greater. Just announced, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Beyoncé will play the 2015 Global Citizen Festival taking place on the Great Lawn of Central Park in the heart of Manhattan on Saturday Sept. 26.
The Global Citizen Festival is a free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The Festival is timed to coincide with the launch of the United Nations’ new Global Goals designed to fight inequality, protect our planet and end extreme poverty by 2030. The Global Citizen Festival will channel the power of hundreds of thousands of global citizens lending their voices to achieve policy and financial commitments that will shape the success of these Goals.
Mark Doyle has released a two cd live performance by his ten-piece Guitar Noir ensemble project. The material is based on his trilogy of critically acclaimed solo albums, 1999’s Guitar Noir, 2001’s Out Of The Past and the follow-up to Guitar Noir, 2011’s In Dreams: Guitar Noir ll.In Dreams is presented in its entirety on disc one and highlights of the other two cds are performed on disc two along with a few surprise gems. One November Night was performed at Onondaga Community College’s intimate new Recital Hall on November 22nd, 2014 with Jason “Jocko” Randall at the F.O.H. helm and Dan Shaw handling recording duties. Doyle produced and mixed at Near Miss Studios, Jocko mastered the final product at More Sound. The pairing of Doyle and Randall have garnered multiple SAMMY Awards for Mark Doyle and The Maniacs, Doyle’s blues/rock band.
The carefully selected ensemble draws from a list of long-time collaborators, Terry Quill on guitar (former Maniacs), Edgar Pagan-bass, Bill DiCosimo-keyboards, Joshua Dekaney-drums/Roland Pads, all of (Grupo Pagan, Mary Fahl) and a stunning string quintet comprised of Ally Brown-1st violin/section leader, Shelby Dems-1st violin, Leila Dean-2nd violin, Claire Wilcox-viola and Kate LaVerne-cello. The quintet allows Doyle to flex his multi-faceted skill base as a producer/arranger, who states, “I’ve always loved doing string arrangements for recordings, and the idea of working with live strings has long been a dream of mine. The Guitar Noir concept particularly lends itself to this idea, so seeing and hearing it all come together in concert has been very rewarding.”
Doyle’s extensive history as a guitarist, pianist, composer, producer and arranger would take another several paragraphs to cover properly. I suggest spending some time on his website, there are some excellent stories on his discography page and his bio page spells out his history in depth. You can also go back on the NYS Music website and read other pieces I’ve written for Doyle and his works with Mary Fahl.
It was as if the Recital Hall was created for a concert such as this, amazing thought and skill has created an architecturally beautiful venue that is near perfect for audiences and musicians alike. It’s plush, with comfortable seating, excellent sight-lines and the sound, the sound! I was fortunate enough to attend the concert when ‘One November Night’ was recorded, this will be a chance to give it the ultimate respect it deserves. Many fans may think it odd to sit in a theater listening to Mark Doyle perform, but Guitar Noir is a totally different animal, instrumental, atmospheric and lush. This venue is perfect for Doyle’s voluminous abilities to be exercised and the audience to lean back and follow along with the nuances.
Doyle’s love of film noir/sci-fi/horror movies influenced his thematic choices throughout the recordings highlighted here, along with the Sixties theme from Out Of The Past. This is an artist who holds the fullest respect for where he comes from, where he has been, and who influenced his path on the way there. Anyone who has attended one of his shows knows the subtlety in how he expresses them and his affection for them. I highly suggest a good pair of headphones to catch each one.
‘The Perry Mason Theme’ opens the show with all hands on deck, Doyle’s guitar playing the familiar lines that everyone of a certain age knows. It’s brighter, then it breaks into a samba-jam with Edgar Pagan and his unmistakeable smile riding a sweet groove with counterpoint provided by his rhythm section mate, Josh Dekaney. The strings swell in and out as Bill DiCosimo’s keyboard flourishes fill the air, Terry Quill’s accompanying guitar licks double, then echo and harmonize with Doyle, their interplay is and always has been magical. As previously noted, the rest of the first set is dedicated to In Dreams: Guitar Noir II in its entirety. ‘Mr. Sandman’ is dreamy and slowed down, Doyle switches from harmonics to slide to pick, emphasizing tonal changes directly into another standard ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’. While recognizable, these arrangements take on a new depth behind Doyle’s signature and accompaniments. This version is upbeat, sweet and hopeful, perhaps another chapter in his tome, written for the love of his life. Ray Davies’ ‘I Go To Sleep’ – familiar to many from the Chrissie Hynde reading – comes next in an atmospheric inversion, enough to call to memory the words; “I go to sleep, sleep. And imagine that you’re there with me. I go to sleep, sleep. And imagine that you’re there with me.”, spoken with a volume pedal and a little finger on the volume control knob on Doyle’s signature Stratocaster. The guitar solo at the end is worth the admission price alone. ‘Reve Noir (Dark Dream)’, the first of Doyle’s compositions, brings the theremin in with a haunting effect that is quickly softened by a ‘Dream A Little Dream Of Me’ homage lick. The strings are consistently perfect, performed with touch and emotion, never commanding, yet very present.
Henry Mancini’s ‘Dreamsville’, from The Music Of Peter Gunn precedes ‘Nightmare’, Artie Shaw’s “theme song”, placing dimension on this continuing dream sequence. Doyle’s guitar rises right through the middle of the mix, just on top, right between the ears, precisely where it belongs. ‘Dream Baby’, made famous by Roy Orbison, gets a slower pacing, without the country feel. Not “updated”, but a different take, a saunter of sorts, with Doyle’s slide work and picking dictating the step. The second Doyle composition, ‘Dream Tiger’, gets a bit electronic with sampling running underneath, triggers being pulled and layers upon layers of melody allowing Dekaney to hit it hard. His percussion skills and sound knowledge are flat-out amazing. The band is running at top form, ‘Darn That Dream’ is a late thirties jazz shuffle by Jimmy Van Heusen that reaches deep into Doyle’s cache of tones, throw in the strings and it could be misconstrued as his own composition. ‘Still I Dream Of It’ (Brian Wilson) and ‘In Dreams’ (Roy Orbison) finish disc one. The expression in Doyle’s guitar-voice rides along the melody lines, casually reshaping them, changing tones to define them. One last reference to history and the band is off to break, listening to a rising ovation from the sold-out audience.
The second set, or disc two, opens with ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, the Lennon/McCartney gem from Revolver that brought the Indian feel to the experimentally minded band. Guitar Noir just rolls it, the Indian undertone as a drone, Doyle voicing the vocals through his fingers, pick and whammy bar. The Jazz Crusaders’ ‘Young Rabbits’ gives each member of the ensemble some individual space while staying tight to the groove of the original. The band doesn’t mind a little jazzy, funk stuff. The Boz Scaggs feel of ‘Invitation’ is such a classic sound. The theremin pushes through in parts, Doyle just soars, and the band is so far in the pocket that you can’t see them. ‘Guitar Noir’ expresses the virtuosity Doyle haunts this song with, the hollow-body whammy gives some surfer vibe, but the synth and pad parts are updated and push just slightly. The theremin entices like an old horror movie, just enough to keep you guessing until he tosses another emotive at you. ‘Out Of The Past’ is a monster. The Indian influences, both string and percussive, paired with the precision of the guitar work and tonalities, is just majestic. These two songs are Doyle’s personal contributions to disc two. It’s understandable why they’re the title tracks from the second disc’s featured albums.
The Doors’ ‘The Crystal Ship’ is a time establishing riff that is just as strong, if not more strongly expressed through six strings. It provides the vehicle to go back, while still moving forward through Doyle’s interpretation. The Beach Boys’ ‘Warmth Of The Sun’ is read in similar terms, lush with strings and keys, the lead gently overhead. Both are so heartfelt, they’re nicely paired in the set and the ‘Surfer Girl/I Only Have Eyes For You/In My Room’ interlude is signature material for Doyle, perfectly placed and segued, setting the stage for a new song to the ensemble. ‘Jive Samba’ by Cannonball Adderly takes the slow jazz feel and uses guitar for the horns while the string ensemble echoes back to them, the bottom is unstoppable even when Doyle lights it up strong. Then, DiCosimo, Quill, Pagan and Dekaney each get several measures of solo space and their introduction to the crowd. Sometimes it’s hard to pay attention to each individual while the band plays, wanting to absorb the whole presentation, but the crowd surely showed their appreciation for each. The set ends with a Stones/Beatles mash-up, consisting of ‘Paint It Black/Eleanor Rigby’. The Caribbean rhythm intro of ‘Paint It Black’ morphs into a rocky, upbeat chorus, then transitions into a searing ‘Eleanor Rigby’ with a Chick Corea like break. DiCosimo rips another organ solo while Quill and Doyle pounce on the top, firing to a dramatic end with the audience standing and yelling for more. The encore is a seasonal piece considering the recording date. ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ and ‘The Christmas Song’ had the audience smiling wide in understanding the moment they were just a part of.
While it isn’t considered professional or appropriate to personalize reviews, in this case and several others recently, these people are my friends. I’m very fortunate to have them. I write what I write because I want to, not for money, but for the love of music, especially when it’s made by people I respect and care deeply for. Check out more of Mark Doyle’s music on his website, youtube and his band, Mark Doyle and The Maniacs’ facebook page and website. There is a rich history there that continues to grow, it should be noted and explored, please do.
Key Tracks: Out Of The Past, Dream Tiger, Guitar Noir
The annual Fly 92.3 Summer Jam hit Saratoga Performing Arts Center June 6 this year with a promising line up and beautiful day. Seven diverse yet talented acts were set to preform throughout the day with other activities going simultaneously all throughout the venue from signings to Frisbee to various venders with games and prizes for attendees. It was sure to be an all around fun day for families and young adults alike.
Jake Miller kicked off the event with a high energy and fun set that certainly appealed to the younger demographic at the show. Miller had a quite a few fans at the edge of their section hoping to get as close as possible to sing along to their favorite songs. Miller played a mix of songs off of his most recent release the EP renamed the Dazed and Confused, formerly known as Lion Heart and his full length Us Against Them. Miller’s fans happily sung along to some of their favorite songs and are undoubtedly excited for his upcoming tour this summer.
Warner Bro.’s Records’ Echosmith took the stage next with a fun—filled, high energy set with family fun on stage and in the crowd. Echosmith is comprised of Sydney Sierota and her three brothers Jamie, Noah, and Graham Sierota all of whom bring a unique element to the group dynamic. The group did a fantastic job of getting the crowd to their feet and involved in the set. The group has recently been making quite a name for themselves, even sharing the stage with Taylor Swift a few days after Summer Jam. The group’s first full length was released on Warner Bros. Records in 2013; Talking Dream was very well received and catapulted the family of young musicians into great success. They played a mix of songs off of the record throughout the set and closed out with their most well known song, “Cool Kids”. This song went double platinum in the U.S. and received a great deal of radio play due to its high success. Much like their song “Cool Kids”, their performance at SPAC was very well received by all in attendance. Echosmith are certainly a band to check out for anyone that has not heard of them before.
The next act to take the stage was the most unlike the others on the lineup, B.O.B. and yet was still well received by the crowd. B.O.B. took the stage to play portions of many well known songs including “Strange Clouds” and “Airplanes” both of which received great success with fans. He even threw t-shirts into the crowd and took a “selfie” with each section of the crowd, right, middle and left which had people up and out of their seats hoping to make his Instagram later that evening.
Walk the Moon was up next with quite a few fans extremely excited to see their set. The group has recently been making a strong name for themselves since their 2012 self titled release Walk the Moon. The group played a mix of songs off of their self titled release and their 2014 release Talking Is Hard which received even greater success than the previous release. Among the songs played during Summer Jam were the two most popular releases from these records, “Anna Sun” and “Shut Up and Dance” respectively. Walk the moon are also a band that have great potential and have already taken the stage at many well recognized events and will continue to do so in the future.
Next to take the stage was All Time Low fresh off of their Future Hearts Tour which closed out the prior week and had sold out the last three nights long with other nights throughout the tour so a large crowd was nothing new for the four piece pop- punk band from Baltimore, MD. They started off their 45 minute set with “Satellites” off of their new record, Future Hearts, which was released on Hopeless Records this year. Over 80,000 copies of this record were sold the first week, which made Future Hearts the most successful record for both All Time Low and Hopeless Records. It was also the band’s third time reaching #1 on the Billboard Rock Albums Chart. Their nine song setlist consisted of a mix of songs off of their more recent albums including Nothing Personal (2009), Don’t Panic (2012) and Future Hearts (2015). “Stella,” “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)” and “Weightless” were played off of Nothing Personal. None of these songs making the setlist would come as any great surprise to avid All Time Low fans however, “Therapy” not making the cut was quite a surprise for many in the crowd as it is one of the more sober, slow songs that has become a staple for the group over the years. “Kids in the Dark,” the first single off of their new record and “Somethings Gotta Give,” the second single off of Future Hearts were the only other songs played off of the record which left “Missing You” off the list. With yet another one of the groups few serious songs that have become staples not making the cut it would seem as though the group decided on keeping a faster—paced set for the family friendly event. This would be in keeping with the severely toned down antics the group usually brings to the stage. Jokes often stray into slightly crude, teenage boyish humor and based off of lead guitarist Jack Barakat’s joke about what he was allowed to say on stage it would seem as if they had been instructed to keep everything family friendly. During “Kids in the Dark” Barakat took off and left the stage to run through the audience and play the entire song up at the soundboard which certainly got a rise out of the crowd. They closed out their set with “Dear Maria, Count Me In” off of their 2007 release So Wrong, It’s Right. It is by far one of their most popular songs which is why it comes as no great surprise that the avid fans that were clearly here for All Time Low were singing along passionately, and those new to the group seemed to really enjoy the song as well as the entire performance. After All Time Low closed out their set they were scheduled to have a signing which lead to a mass exodus from the seats to line up to meet the group. After their set it was clear that many in the audience had come to see All Time Low in particular based off the sing along that had been most of their set and the abundance of people who left after the set and signing were over.
Charli XCX was up next and certainly captivated the interests of the young girls in attendance with her performance. She took the stage alongside her two female guitar players in high heels and dresses ready to put on an interesting and enjoyable set. Charli XCX is most known for her part in “I Love It” by Icona Pop and “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea, however she has been doing great things on her own including opening up for Katy Perry on the European leg of her Prismatic Tour earlier this year.
When it was time for the last performer to take the stage he was greeted with a very warm, hometown welcome. Sawyer Fredericks certainly knew how to draw a crowd, especially here. Fredericks recently won the popular TV show, The Voice, on NBC. This was his first time taking the stage in the area since that phenomenal victory, so it was a bit of a celebratory performance as well as a wonderful welcome home. Being from the area the chance to play at such a fantastic venue and summer event, let alone headline it was certainly something very special to Fredericks, who took the stage with an enormous smiled painted on his face. That smile did not fade all throughout the evening as he clearly was having as amazing of a time as those in the crowd were. He opened up his set with two of his own songs both of which were extremely well received and already loved by the crowd as the majority sung along happily. Lighters and phone lights lit up the orchestra seating and were scattered throughout the lawn for Fredericks’ second song, which made for a stunning sight to see. This young man has an outstanding voice and very charismatic personality; it would have been impossible not to enjoy his set! Signs were held up all throughout the set and t-shirts were proudly worn all day expressing individual’s (and family’s) support of Fredericks during The Voice and going forward from that victory. It was clear the area is quite proud of the young man from their hometown who has worked so hard to achieve his dream and will continue to support him going forward. Although Fredericks is not yet signed to a label with the support he has received and will continue to have, he will continue to make his hometown supporters proud and will certainly grow as a musician in the upcoming months.
With a lineup of talented and engaging artists, a beautiful day, and the hard work of so many this years Fly 92.3 Summer Jam was a huge success. The event was a fun-filled event for the whole family and undoubtedly left attendees looking forward to next year’s show.
The third event at CMAC’s 2015 Summer Concert Series, Ed Sheeran was what I would refer to as a winning musical trifecta wrapped in a “Lego House.” With the combination of stellar weather + stellar crowd + stellar music, CMAC couldn’t have planned it any better. This show sold out it’s 15,000 capacity within a 24 hour period of time as just one of several great shows planned for the series, the summer sure has kicked off with a bang.
Ed Sheeran – CMAC
As the long and winding crowds made their way in to take their seats, it was apparent that Ed Sheeran’s music held mass appeal to multiple generations. In a matter of minutes the green grassy area up above on the lawn filled in that you couldn’t see a blade of grass anywhere. Yes there were crazed teenagers everywhere sporting “X” t-shirts, carrying signs, and even letters to spell out ED! There were also adults of all kinds, and trust me they were not there just because their daughters needed rides. They too danced and sang along the entire night.
Opening the evening was the UK sensation Rixton. The energy level of these four young men blew me away. Was totally impressed by their musical talent and their showmanship. They had the crowd at hello. I’ve seen numerous opening acts prime an audience for the main show over the course of my career, however they were one song in and the audience was on their feet dancing and singing along. Amazing. With Jake Roche on vocals, Charley Bagnall on lead guitar and vocals, Danny Wilkin on keyboards, bass, and vocals and Lewi Morgan laying down the beat on drums, their energy levels were contagious. Singing hits from their recently released album, Let The Road, they engaged the audience by pitting section vs. section, pointing out audience members, and just rousing everyone out of the seats. It was fun to watch and even more fun to photograph.
Ed Sheeran – CMAC
With a quick set change, Ed Sheeran took the stage. A man, a guitar, some platforms, two mics, and a loop pedal. That’s all this amazing musician needed to put on a show that blew the roof off the place. This young man’s musical abilities astound me. He played non-stop, gave more than 110% on each song and was the whole band rolled into one. His writing ability and ability to mesh melodies together and sing/rap them seamlessly blew my mind.
Ed Sheeran – CMAC
As he sang, his eyes were closed feeling everything from within and projecting out to the audience where they took hold of it and became part of the show. The entire audience sang along, waved their arms, flashed their cell phones and became as immersed as he was in each and every number. One audience member was so emerged she stormed the stage to see him. Ed so graciously agreed to take a selfie prior to her being escorted out. His kindness and love for his fans is well known as he takes the time to join one fan recently on stage at a local mall while she performed his cover of “Thinking Out Loud.”
In addition to his outstanding performance, his visual production was top notch projecting animations and videography of Ed (with some amazing special effects) as he performed behind him on stage side screens. The moments matched the music perfectly and the show was an auditory and visual celebration. So glad I was there to celebrate with him. Okay CMAC, this show will be a hard one to follow. Can’t wait to see what’s in store next. Stay tune readers for our next show from CMAC.
Setlist: I’m a Mess, Lego House, Don’t/Loyal/No Diggity/Nina, Drunk, Take It Back/Superstition/Ain’t No Sunshine, Photograph, Bloodstream, Tenerife Sea, Thinking Out Loud, Feeling Good/I See Fire, I Was Made to Love Her (Stevie Wonder cover), The A Team, Give Me Love
Saturday was one of the best days at Mountain Jam 2015 with endless blue skies, electric green Catskills and another day full of incredible music to ponder. The thousands of festival goers happily greeted the day, feeling recharged as they hiked up the mountain with arms full of drinks, blankets, chairs and sunscreen.
It’s a brilliant concept to have vendors walking thru the music area, dragging coolers of cheap water and Gatorade, ensuring the best policy to rage is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
One of the most charming acts of the afternoon was Benjamin Booker, who brought an earthy back roads set on the West Stage with his sincere loud whisper of a voice. The violin and mandolin added a bluegrass tinge as Booker wailed on his guitar for a dirty rockabilly feel.
A light-hearted, upbeat island ambiance grew from the East Stage and climbed up Hunter Mountain as Rusted Root performed their worldly jams reminiscent of the 1990s. Michael Glabicki nearly broke his strings as he beat the hell out of his guitar and Patrick Norman laid out deep bass bombs. The music is a light mixture of Alice and Chains set in the Outback with a cowbell and washboard. It was Rusted Root’s first time at Mountain Jam and they were eager to share music from their latest album with “Save Me.” It was a new age funky groove with high vocals from Liz Berlin, a heavy percussion solo and frog-in-throat vocal effect from Glabicki. The set ended with their top hit, “Send Me on My Way,” that got the whole mountain stomping before casually coming down with an acoustic serenade.
Texas native, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, dominated the West Stage. Performing with a drummer and bass player for most of the set, Graves was left alone for a few songs to be the one-man band he is infamous for. The trio gave off a high energy, down home fun as they jumped with rodeo flair all over the stage. Rebelution brought the West Coast vibe with their swells of brass, beach like melodies and layers of hip hop. An enthusiastic traditional reggae sound with skater park boundless horn peaks. The Rasta atmosphere blazed thru the day as The Wailers awakened the crowd with deeply rooted, rock steady reggae. They performed Bob Marley classics such as “Is This Love?”, “Could You Be Loved?” and “Stir it Up,” spreading island vibes all over the mountain and feeding off the crowd’s radiating appreciation. Festival partner and veteran, Warren Haynes took center stage for a second night with his band, Govt Mule. After the previous night of Dark Side of the Mule, many were looking forward to a set of original Mule tunes that as in the tradition of the festival. One of the highlights of the set was a nostalgic “Million Miles From Yesterday” with special sit ins from Elaine Caswell and Machan Taylor plus a Stevie Wonder’s cover of “Superstition”.
Once the sun went down under the mountain, the temperature significantly dropped causing many to immediately layer up and wrap themselves in each other in hopes to keep warm. The clear night sky revealed hundreds of stars and the captivating color changing forest surrounding the festival grounds. As bitter cold as it was, the sight was breathtaking. Headliner of the night, The Black Keys packed a heated set as drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist Dan Auerbach threw down a hard-hitting rock and roll session. The duo was joined by Richard Swift and John Wood for to create a powerful violent surge of solos that blew the roof off the East Stage. Carney and Auerbach shine best as a duo, proving all you need is a drum kit and guitar to move mountains. Thrashing about the stage with a soul-absorbing sound, it’s no wonder that the Black Keys are considered rock giants, having earned multiple Grammy Awards and platinum albums. The crowd screamed along with dusty garage favorites “Lonely Boy” and “Howlin’ For You,” soaking up the raw talent before them.
The Main Lodge served as a great refuge for the hour set break for those eager to warm up with a full bar, plenty of table seating and an art gallery featuring show posters and photography. Arc Iris took over the Healey Hall with eccentric girl next door pop with a twist of sorcery plus an impressive stand-up electric bassist. The Budos Band closed out the Hall with heavy metal horns and dark ska, sound beckoning the crowd closer to the small stage with big band momentum.
Big Gigantic was one of the top acts of the night with the heavy EDM tunes pumping out classic hip hop mashups with new school flavor. They are closest thing the festival saw to a rave, with hurtling glow sticks and peaks of bass drops that kept security on their toes. The electronic duo from Colorado featured Jeremy Salken pounding the hell out of his drums and Dominic Lalli doing his best Kenny G jazz saxophone work while jamming on his laptop, cranking out funky bass. The final day of Mountain Jam approaches with a buzzing lineup of Lake Street Dive, Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers, returning act Michael Franti & Spearhead plus headliners Alabama Shakes. Stay tuned for our Sunday Recap of the festival with closing thoughts on the 11th annual Mountain Jam.
A two year project, File Under Pop Vocal is a collaboration with his longtime friend, Flashcubes drummer and producer, Tommy Allen. Tommy is producer and mixed all tracks at his NYC base, except #7 which is produced, arranged and mixed by Mark Doyle with drums recorded by Allen and #10 which is mixed by Ducky Carlisle, another Syracuse mainstay. Carlisle mastered at Ice Station Zebra in Medford MA.. Recorded in Syracuse, NYC, Boston and Tokyo, all of the songs here are by Frenay, besides #4 by Wilson/Rovell/Pamplin and #7 by Frenay/Doyle.
VIP tickets are available for 
The carefully selected ensemble draws from a list of long-time collaborators, Terry Quill on guitar (former Maniacs), Edgar Pagan-bass, Bill DiCosimo-keyboards, Joshua Dekaney-drums/Roland Pads, all of (Grupo Pagan, Mary Fahl) and a stunning string quintet comprised of Ally Brown-1st violin/section leader, Shelby Dems-1st violin, Leila Dean-2nd violin, Claire Wilcox-viola and Kate LaVerne-cello. The quintet allows Doyle to flex his multi-faceted skill base as a producer/arranger, who states, “I’ve always loved doing string arrangements for recordings, and the idea of working with live strings has long been a dream of mine. The Guitar Noir concept particularly lends itself to this idea, so seeing and hearing it all come together in concert has been very rewarding.”
