One of the Hudson Valley’s hottest nights for blues in 2015 took place this last week as Joe Louis Walker paid special tribute to the King with the help of Jay Geils and some newly inducted members of the NY Blues Hall of Fame at Paramount Hudson Valley.
A different kind of induction ceremony kicked off the evening, one far from a yawn-filled series of speeches. With Michael Packer at the helm, an all-star cast joined together on stage to do a five-song opening set with members of this group inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame between songs. For a group of musicians who may have only had limited time rehearsing with each other, the sound was solid and energizing. The inductees this year included Michael Falzarano (guitarist for Hot Tuna and New Riders of the Purple Sage), Rick Knapp (bassist for Walter Trout and Jimmy Thackery), Juma Sultan (percussionist for Jimi Hendrix), and producer Osten Harvey Jr. (a.k.a. Easy Mo Bee).
If the roof of the Paramount wasn’t smoldering after Joe Louis Walker’s first song it wasn’t long before it was on fire. As a tribute to the late B.B. King, the setlist included several of King’s songs along with some of Walker’s originals. The set started off with “Friends” and included “Let Your Hair Down,” “She’s Got Eyes Like A Cat” and “Come Back Baby.” Aside from Walker’s incredible mastery of the blues guitar whether screaming at the 24th fret or playing slow and heavy, the rest of the talent on stage combined for an even compliment, especially Vanessa Collier’s sax solos received by standing ovations.
About halfway through the set Jay Geils joined the set, a guitarist well-rooted in the blues despite his more well-known musical persona with the J. Geils Band. Educated as an engineer, Geils took up a career in music instead and had plenty of stories to share about his start in the blues after accepting his award in a surprise induction into the NY Blues Hall of Fame including some anecdotes about Buddy Guy. In the spirit of the tribute to B.B. King, Geils did not hesitate in saying that the way today’s blues is played can be attributed to King’s style.
Before an encore, all of the performers from the induction ceremony set joined Walker and Geils for a call-and-response shuffle tune. It was a true display on stage of what lies at the base of being a musician, getting together with a bunch of others and having nothing but fun in making music. The encore brought just Walker and his band along with Geils back. Reeling on the power of the end of the set, the crowd took advantage of the Paramount’s coziness and gathered on their feet close to the stage. Possibly an unplanned encore, Walker and Geils took a moment to discuss the structure of what they were about to play. Planned or unplanned, it closed out the night with a strong finish.
As one of only four of these B.B. King tribute shows Walker and Geils were touring with, it was truly a treat to have one of their stops in the lower Hudson Valley.
Saratoga’s The Garcia Project has been regarded as an authority on the re-creation of the sounds of the Jerry Garcia Band. On Oct. 24, the band continued to celebrate their fifth anniversary at Paramount Hudson Valley in Peekskill, nearing the end of their fall tour.
Nestled close to the front of the stage rather than claiming a stake of real estate, The Garcia Project got cozy with the theater, easing into the set with “I’ll Take A Melody.” The efforts the band has put in to re-creating the performance of the Jerry Garcia Band was clear at the first note, particularly from the intonation and timbre of Mik Bondy’s guitar. To geek out on the band’s gear, check out a detailed rundown of their setups. The band’s presence was cohesive with an agility to build the performance of the songs in the same embodiment as Jerry’s band. Solos were traded between Greg Marshall (keys) and Bondy as if a conversation rather than it just being the next guy’s turn to play. Overall, the first set whetted the audience’s Garcia appetite despite being on the tame side.
On the contrary, the second set took the prize. The setbreak met a mix of conversation and praise for the authenticity of the performance, mostly from first-timers to The Garcia Project. Perhaps that was enough to re-charge the audience as plenty more were on their feet finding their own grooves during the set; although sometimes Jerry Garcia Band shows are a bit more mellow in the first set. Bondy’s guitar work was more noodley, and it was hard to tell that it wasn’t Jerry signing on “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” Throughout both sets, Kat Walkerson’s backing vocals and blithe stage presence enriched the songs as a compliment to Bondy’s vocals.
Like most of The Garcia Project’s shows, this one was a re-recreation of Dec. 3, 1977 at Hartwick College. At the start of the second set, it was announced that the performance was a re-creation of a complete show but which show wouldn’t be revealed until the encore. Hinting at clues about the era of the Jerry Garcia Band based on the stage setup, it turned into a fun, curious guessing game for the audience.
The Garcia Project gave a thoroughly enjoyable performance and experience for the crowd. Though there were a few minor differences between them and the Jerry Garcia Band, inherent to any tribute band, The Garcia Project’s attention to detail on intonation and performance structure does set them apart as an authority on Jerry Garcia.
Setlist:
Set 1: I’ll Take A Melody, Mystery Train, Mission In The Rain, Lonesome And A Long Way From Home, Catfish John, The Way You Do The Things You Do
Set 2: Let It Rock, Harder They Come, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Don’t Let Go, Tore Up Over You
Encore: (not part of the 1977 JGB set): Ramble On Rose, Cats Under the Stars, Talking About You
The weekend after Labor Day brought a wide variety of sounds to Paramount Hudson Valley in Peekskill with several NYC and Westchester-based acts both inside and outside the theater as part of their End of Summer Jam. In the week leading up to the show, weather reports were cautiously optimistic about keeping the day dry but a few heavy downpours dampened the outdoor festivities a bit. Fortunately, the music had shone through and kicked up the energy for the crowd that made it out to the free day of music.
Phineas and the Lonely Leaves
The street stage, lined with food and craft vendors that braved the intermittent rain, featured a mix of solo singer-songrwriter type acts and full bands. Acoustic sets were presented by New York Times author and musician Andy Revkin, Chloe Cannon, Rufus Rufasu, and The Godfather Johnny Giovanni. Peekskill’s own Phineas and the Lonely Leaves gave a high-spirited mix of their original and rock cover songs. Trifecta‘s set was mostly covers, but took on a stripped-down heavy blues/rock take on classic rock songs complete with some added shred-talent on guitar. The final outdoor act of the day, The New Resistants, played with a similar feel and energy to Trifecta, taking on a classic garage punk sound. A late addition to the schedule from North Carolina and familiar name to the area was the aggressive jazz trio Joy On Fire who kicked off the afternoon.
Trifecta
Kicking off the day inside was Yardsale, a brisk-paced bluegrass trio from nearby Mahopac, NY. The standout of the afternoon Gedeon Luke & The People gave the Paramount a gossip-worthy set full of driving Memphis blues and soul, Gedeon himself dancing in the aisles with the crowd. For something a little bit different, DJ Logic gave a well-mixed DJ set, though a thin crowd seemed slow to get into the set. Closing out the night was NYC’s all-instrumental progressive jam band TAUK as they make their way through a tour supporting their brand new double live album, Headroom.
Gedeon Luke
Certainly a fantastic assortment of live music, let’s hope the End of Summer jam returns next year under sunny skies with a packed house.
With Labor Day weekend just behind us, everyone seems to be scratching their heads as to where the summer went. The good news is that it’s not quite over yet and there’s another chance coming up to enjoy some great music indoors and outdoors before the leaves start to change. The Paramount Hudson Valley in Downtown Peekskill is throwing their first End of Summer Jam Festival on September 12.
The new music festival is free with music on the streets and inside the theater throughout the afternoon and evening. The festival is all about NY, bringing acts from around town and around the state.
Hitting the stage inside the Paramount will be DJ Logic (The Bronx), Gedeon Luke and The People (NYC), Yard Sale (New Paltz), and TAUK (Long Island). TAUK is hitting a handful of other spots around NY, and for more information on their shows check out NYS Music’s preview of those shows here.
Although End of Summer Jam Festival is free, there is a $5 suggested donation which will support the Paramount’s non-profit Paramount Hudson Valley Arts.
Linup:
Outside
1pm – Rufus Rufasu
2pm – Andy Revkin
3pm – Phineas & the Lonely Leaves
4pm – Chloe Cannon
5pm – Trifecta
6pm – The Godfather Johnny Giovanni
7pm – The New Resistants
Inside
2pm – Yardsale
4pm – Gedeon Luke & The People
6pm – DJ Logic
8pm – TAUK
Peekskill’s 9th annual Jazz & Blues Festival brought a phenomenal lineup of NY artists to satisfy the ears of northern Westchester’s little melting pot of culture.
The afternoon started off with The Lagond All-Stars, a crew of students from the Lagond School of Music from Elmsford, NY playing mostly cover tunes of various styles with a stage presence unlike what you might expect from a group of younger musicians. Before this show, they played a few shows down in the Nashville area. Local saxophonist and NY Blues Hall of Fame member Ray Blue and his quartet took on more traditional jazz stylings, providing some nice music for those enjoying dinner in the shade of the nearby restaurants.
The evening’s pace heated up as the Latin jazz style of NYC’s all-female Cocomama, with members from all over the world, drew several dancing feet near the stage. The day was capped off by incredible performances by two NY Blues Hall of Fame artists, Johnny Feds & Friends and Slam Allen. Slam Allen’s version of Prince’s “Purple Rain” is one not to be missed.
Slam Allen and Cocomama both have new albums released this year.
Lagond All-Stars
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Ray Blue
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Cocomama
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Johnny Feds & Friends
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Everybody needs to have some fun with proper dosage of Hudson Valley rock. That’s what Joe Duraes & The Skills are all about. Rooted in the lower Hudson Valley of NY (Peekskill, to be precise), JD&TS strips down the heavily wax-coated, over-produced sounds common to today’s records to the purer elements of a four-piece rock and roll band. Their focus on performing with a cohesive energy and engaging tunes has garnered attention and brought people back to more of their shows around town.
The band didn’t quite start as a band; rather a solo act of Joe Duraes with a regular residency at the Peekskill Coffee House and a few other small gigs here and there. It was early 2014 when things finally lined up and clicked to bring together a group of talented musicians to play the songs Duraes had previously written and work on new material as a band. Currently, Joe Duraes and The Skills is Joe Duraes (guitar, vocals), Rodman del Castillo (lead guitar), Steve Geller (bass/vocals), and Kevin Hupp (drums).
The band rolled out a much stronger, tighter sound with the debut of drummer Kevin Hupp at The Winery at St. George in Mohegan Lake, NY on June 13, 2015.
Let’s hear what JD&TS had to share with NYS Music.
Steve Malinski: So Joe, what prompted you to form the band and how did it come about?
Joe Duraes: There are a couple of reasons. First because I wanted to have a band to play my songs with me. I missed having that for a long time, doing the solo gigs for a while. The other reason is I released Ebb Flow in 2013 and because that album was so well produced it just didn’t make sense for me to do all that work only to go play it solo/acoustic again. It was very necessary to get a band together for that, so people can get the full effect. I put the band together January 2014. I put a few ads on Craigslist for a drummer, bass player, and a guitar player and that’s how I found them.
SM: What are your backgrounds in music?
JD: For me, I’m really just self-taught. I started on guitar when I was 13, kind of following the footsteps of my older cousin who at the time was 18. My lessons were really listening to the records I picked up – they were my teachers. All the bands I had listened to over the years, that was my schooling. In my 20’s I was in my first band – well I was in my first band when I was 16 but we never played any gigs – Most of the bands were goth and alternative, so I kind of went through that phase. Then I stopped for about 13 years, a break for a while. I got back into it when I started writing songs again and a few of those made it to the Ebb and Flow record. So the Skills has really been like my baby for the last three years, including the recording process (even though the band has only been around for a year or so now). I was joking recently with Steve and Rodman that they were at their one-year mark and that I had to get them something – a pin or something.
Steve Geller: I’ve been a bass player for close to 30 years now, both road musician and studio musician. The most famous gig I had was with The Monkees. I’ve worked with a lot of me heroes – Pete Best (original drummer for the beatles), Ray Manzarek of The Doors, Buckethead, Jane Wiedland from The Go Go’s, just to name a few.
Rodman del Castillo: I started with a metal band – Planet Hate back in the early 90’s. From there I did my own thing in Manhattan with My Brothers Dream, kind of a typical rock thing. Did a lot of funk-rock type things and played CBGB’s a couple times. From there I went on with Elisabeth Withers, a singer who later signed with Blue Note Records. I wound up on tour with Janice Robinson – the opening act for Tina Turner on her 2000 tour. Then I came back to NY doing a blues, Hendrix type thing in the Village.
Kevin Hupp: In the last 15 years I’ve been producing records out of my studio and Joe came along and I was taken by his sound. We got along very well and I produced and played on his debut album. Fast forward: I’d seen him live a few times and the band sounded great. But as a producer and someone who knows the songs inside-out, something just wasn’t quite gelling. Last time I saw him live I was thinking to myself about who I could turn Joe on to the drums and I thought about it for a moment. So the next day I got a text from Joe about joining the band and we talked for a while. I thought it would be a lot of fun. Joe’s got a great live sound.
SM: Can you tell us who some of your influences are?
JD: Gosh, I’m going to start with the Beatles. It depends a lot on the decade we’re talking about as I’ve been listening to music since I was five years old. Beatles, Led Zeppelin, U2, Nirvana, Peter Murphy, Bob Mould – I always play his stuff.
SG: The Beatles of course. I grew up in the 60’s. I watched the Ed Sullivan Show the night they were first on and it changed my life. I saw McCartney with the left-handed violin shaped bass and it was all over for me – “I want to learn how to do that!”
RdC: I started off digging “Frankenstein” by Edgar Winter and that was it, I was pumped. When I was 9 my cousin asked if I could play this and I was like “no”. Also Clapton, the classic Hendrix. On into the 80’s and 90’s I was getting into the metal guys, Testament, some of the older acts. I liked to listen a lot and emulate their stuff.
KH: I’d say the one person I respect a lot is Dave Grohl because he basically came from behind the drum kit with Nirvana and now he’s one of the biggest artists out there and I love his band, what he does. Great drummer, great producer. I appreciate the mindset where a drummer can come to the front of the band and produce as well. There’s been a handful of those guys over the years.
SM: Each of you have a somewhat similar story behind joining up with Joe for the band. What can you say about that?
SG: I had been on the road non-stop for about six years and I was pretty burnt out and needed to be home. But I wanted to keep playing, not in a local classic rock cover band though. So I started answered some ads, went to some auditions. Then I saw an article in a paper on Joe and later an ad which happened to be Joe’s. We played together and knew right away that this was something that was interesting and I’d want to be involved with. It was too good not to become a part of.
RdC: I was just looking around on Craigslist and saw the ad. Joe and I spoke by phone several times and things started clicking. He mailed me the record, I liked it and started learning the stuff. There was a chemistry there.
Left to Right: Kevin Hupp, Steve Geller, Joe Duraes, Rodman del Castillo
SM: Kevin, since you already mentioned how you recently joined the band, how did you first get involved with Joe’s music before the Skills even came about?
KH: Joe was referred to me by Matt Turk, another artist in the Hudson Valley. Joe called me up and I listened to his songs. The cool thing is that Joe sounds like Joe, with a really identifiable voice and the things he brings to the songs. When you’re producing a record you look for things like that and things took off from there.
SM: And Joe, what’s the story behind Kevin joining the band in 2015?
JD: I met Kevin around 2012 when I hired him to produce ebb and flow and always wanted him in the band. I asked him several times but he politely declined because he wasn’t around. We’ve had a couple of drummers in the band and while they were good players they just weren’t the right fit for us. So we recently spoke to Kevin about going back to record in the studio again and I asked him like a hail-Mary pass and I asked him as a far-reaching question if he’d consider again joining the band. I didn’t expect in a million years for a reply but just 5 minutes later he said that he was actually thinking about that. So we talked, the four of us. I basically told him that he created the sound of the CD and that set the foundation for what became The Skills, we play those songs live. Every drummer we’ve had has basically been playing your parts so it just makes sense for you, as the creator of that rhythm and sound to be a part of the group.
SM: What’s the future looking like for Joe Duraes & The Skills?
JD: The future’s looking good now that Kevin is in the band. Kevin, being a world-class musician, drummer and producer for 35 years, brings with him a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge not just with playing drums but in music. You can be a drummer but if you’re not a musician you’re not a good drummer. We’re really looking forward to the door this will open for us. He has a lot of friends, and we have a lot of friends and it should bring us new opportunities to play bigger shows, bigger venues.
Joe Duraes & The Skills are online at their website, Facebook, YouTube, and ReverbNation where you can keep up with their show schedule. Check out the gallery below of some of their 2014 performances in Peekskill, at the River Street Beat Shop in Troy, NY and of Kevin Hupp’s June 2015 debut at The Winery at St. George in Mohegan Lake, NY; but more importantly check them out live.
It seemed as though a town meeting was mustering at EMBARK@EMC as the locals, family, and friends poured in from the clammy cold street to help Fred Gillen Jr. celebrate the release of his ninth studio album Wage Love on Feb. 8. From the outside, EMBARK’s space at the Energy Movement Center is just like any other small-town storefront, that evening decked out with posters and artwork for the show and a well-placed portrait of Pete Seeger to greet folks as they came in.
The show started off with a few songs from Philadelphia based street performer, Laura Bowman, who contributed vocals to the album and joined Fred and his band (also composed of contributors to the recording) later in the evening. It was the first time for many at the show to hear Bowman but its a name they’ll remember for years to come – her beautiful dynamic singing and accompanying guitar work fueled by an engaged audience is something to not be taken for granted.
A performance like this made for an exciting and enjoyable first listen to the album through a live re-enactment of it. The CD itself is skillfully composed, and hearing it first through a live performance adds a connection with the spontaneity of Fred’s style and jest – something liner notes cannot do. The first impression of Wage Love is much more vivid than that of listening at home. Fueled by a potluck-spread of snacks and goodies, the audience fed a communal energy into the room – singing along with and becoming engaged in the music – in feedback to the lyrics, soul, and music generated from the auspices of the American flag hung on the curtains behind the band.
Joining Fred was the same crew that backed him up on the album – Laura Bowman on vocals, Paul Magliarli on drums, Matt Turk on guitar and mandolin, and Jeff Eyrich on bass.
The album itself is political yet not dreary. Fred’s style, which throughout his compositions brings a fresh sound to the traditional folk and Americana music setting, lends a net of optimism to topics (worker’s rights, war, government) that tend to sometimes stir a sense of gloom. As a token to the lesser-sung songs of the working American and undermined heroes the album starts off with “Walking Down That Freedom Highway” – written to the tune of Woodie Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” – and ends with “I Dreamed I Saw Pete Seeger” – a hymn to the unparalleled spirit we lost in 2014 sung to the air on part of “We Shall Overcome,” a staple of Seeger’s songbook.
The setlist included Wage Love from start to finish and an encore of two songs from previous albums – “This Old Car” and “Devil’s Bluff.”
Key Tracks: Killing Machine, We The People, I Dreamed I Saw Pete Seeger
The Hudson Valley’s own Fred Gillen Jr. is set to release his ninth studio album this weekend, and he’s not doing it alone.
This Sunday, February 8, Fred will be performing a CD release show at EMBARK@EMC, a cozy performance space at 925 South Street in Peekskill. Joining him will be special guest Laura Bowman, a singer-songrwriter originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, and a full band including Paul Magliari (drums), Jeff Eyrich (bass), and Matt Turk (guitar/mandolin).
Sunday’s show starts at 4:30, and the $15 entry includes a copy of Wage Love.
Fred Gillen Jr. has performed at venues large and small throughout the country, connecting with his audiences through heartfelt performances of melody and lyric embracing the tradition of folk music with his own character.
Nestled close to the front of the stage rather than claiming a stake of real estate, The Garcia Project got cozy with the theater, easing into the set with “I’ll Take A Melody.” The efforts the band has put in to re-creating the performance of the Jerry Garcia Band was clear at the first note, particularly from the intonation and timbre of Mik Bondy’s guitar. To geek out on the band’s gear, check out a 
The band didn’t quite start as a band; rather a solo act of Joe Duraes with a regular residency at the Peekskill Coffee House and a few other small gigs here and there. It was early 2014 when things finally lined up and clicked to bring together a group of talented musicians to play the songs Duraes had previously written and work on new material as a band. Currently, Joe Duraes and The Skills is Joe Duraes (guitar, vocals), Rodman del Castillo (lead guitar), Steve Geller (bass/vocals), and Kevin Hupp (drums).
