I was lucky enough to get one night out this weekend. I wanted to get out Friday. There were some bands I had not seen in a while and some I have not seen at all but that was not to be.

   I heard from members of Smoking Gun that they were stiffed by the bar owners from their Friday night show. That's unfortunate and not the first time I have heard that. It matters because I intended to go to that very place on Saturday for a different show and I don't like to patronize places that pull that stuff. I was not there at the time of the negotiations but it is a common story that due to a smaller than expected turnout the band gets less than the agreed upon amount. I wonder if the possibility of a small turnout is discussed and if a different number is discussed in that event. I guess that should be included in the discussion considering that the people with the money decide in their own favor and the band gets stiffed so often when their work is the same no matter who shows up.

   Saturday I first stopped at The Village Pub to check in on Blue Matter Band at their first gig at the Lindenhurst bar. Blue Matter has had some tough luck lately finding a home for their jam which they hosted successfully for four years and are currently homeless. They also got hung up in a scheduling conflict at their last gig so I was glad to hear them playing when I arrived and the local crowd was enjoying the show. The Village Pub on Wellwood Ave. in Lindenhurst is a perfect size room and layout for a blues show. There is a stage which offers good visibility in the whole room. There's plenty of space and some tables and a warm ambience. I'd be happy to go to shows there often. Blue Matter puts on a nice couple of sets especially for a pub-like setting.

   After that I headed to Pam Betti and Jim Moran who I had not seen for a weekend show in a while and they were close as well. I like their jams and their weekend shows are always fun. It is a quintessential Long Island blues show and Pam Betti brings such a festive energy. The Jim Moran Band offers a typically Long Island grit and some guitar muscle and Tim Smith lays down some surprisingly smooth vocals.

   After a set there (I was doing a set at as many shows as I could get to) I headed to my home watering hole, Brightwaters Inn, for a belt. The bartender there, Wally, has become a friend in blues. He has a great playlist from a vast personal collection of great blues fare.  Check the place out for some music, good company and to book a gig there with your band. They are receptive to live music.

   Thanks for clicking in today. I'll be posting the new schedule in a day or so. Feel free to send me your gig information in case I  miss it in my pursuit of entertainment information and please tell your friends to stop by for a look at my live music calendar.

Happy spring.

bill

    I get to the jam at ET Quiggs, Thursday nights, only a few times a year. Every time I go there is a good cast of players and a good crowd of "blues travelers" taking it in.  This Thursday night it was even better than usual.

   John Judd, of course, was a show unto himself. His playing is a musical mosaic of meandering riffs taking you to new places as as matter of course. It is entertaining and interesting without fail.

   What is also amazing is the level of talented players that also show up and jam...not the least of which was Status Joe. The talented rock band took the stage as a group for a few songs and then Phil, lead singer and guitar player, joined in with some other awesome players. One of which was Harold Skeet (or Sheet?) on bass. Those two did a number with Judd that was absolutely magical. I think it was a Hendrix number and I was blown away.

   Other notworthy performers were Johnny Pizza who does a nice job on vocals, Jim Kolman who rocked out on a few numbers, Ralphie Santiago who does a nice job co-hosting the busy event and playing some upbeat drums, Bill Marino jumped in with some creative guitar licks, Josh Allen showed some inspiration and on and on...

   The night was dedicated to Chris, a hot handed keyboard player who is soon going to be crossing the country enroute to sunny California for a life change. There's a good move if you ask me. The quality of life out there is a few steps up when you consider weather, cost of living (yes its true), esthetics, entertainment opportunities, demographics... I'm a former left coaster and I'm sold. Don't ask why I'm here. It isn't a pretty answer but my daughter is happy here so I'm hanging for a while.

   Chris played a few tight numbers on keys last night. I'm sorry about not being able to hear more of that in the future, to be honest, but he'll be happy out west. God bless and Bon Voyage.

   There's lots of good stuff coming up this weekend and the weather is supposed to be real bad. Music will be the best idea for the next 5 days so check out my calendar and get out there and dig on some blues and live music.

   Thanks for stopping by.

bill

   Does it amaze you that we can put machines on far away planets, build satellite navigation systems, clone, create wireless internet...all these things and we cannot solve a virus; a common cold? What is that about? While I'm on the subject of human limitations why can't we solve the fossil fuel dependency either?

  Anyway, one of the points here is that I am still fighting a nasty cold and I was grounded this weekend. I get really disappointed when I have no live performance experiences to share. I have been coughing for two weeks. My chest hurts. I don't smoke cigs anymore. I take vitamins, I eat good food, I'm active, why have I been sick so much this winter and spring?

   Must be something to do with viral strains getting stronger. There's a comforting thought.

   While I ponder these complex topics I will be puitting together another schedule for the coming week and I will be getting out more next week to make up for this lame weekend. Please feel free to send me your gigs and I'd also love to play some more blues from some more local talent. Feel free to send me an mp3 or two.

   Thanks for checking in and I apologize for the lack of performance content. I'll have more for you in the coming week...assuming I figure out how to beat this virus. Be well...

bill

    I'm feeling under the weather and the weather has been so good. I guess I'm not in sync. I need some blues...

   Well it was Wednesday night last night. I know that because today my head is hurting but I have some fond, however vague,  images that could not have been from a dream. That happens on Thursdays for some reason. Today they were of a place called St. James Tavern. I've never been there and coincidentally there was a show there last night with Jim Moran Band and Pamela Betti. I guess that's where I was.

   I remember hearing some good Jeff Beck guitar licks and some Zepplin vocals and some Betti vocals...some full throttle Betti vocals as a matter of fact. The ambitious blond had a certain glow last night. Maybe it was the new location.

   The new Moran/Betti Wednesday jam has just moved to the cozy tavern in St.James and there was a warm, receptive audience. It will be an "every other" Wednesday night affair. It was a good Wednesday night show. There was a guest guitar player named "Tyler" who wailed on a couple of tunes. He was a young son-of-a-gun. I'd like to catch more of Tyler. Paul Bassi played some bass with him. He/they did a nice job on a couple of tunes. Moran's keyboard player, Pete Antonio,  pulled off a tight vocal number, Zepplin I think. There was a nice variety of performances....even some Van Morrison. Thanks Jim and Tim. I am glad I stuck it out even with a touch of a bug. I may have postponed the healing process but it was worth it.

    Stay tuned for some discussion of the good stuff this weekend and thanks for stopping by music fans.

bill

 

    One thing that promotes creativity is changing the casts and combinations of players. I caught two such circumstances this weekend.

   Friday night I went to Lefty's to hear Jim Kolman with Tim Smith and whomever else might show up. It turned out to be Derek Hensley on drums who always adds a smart beat and a shy vocalist with a decent voice and a name that escaped me. The boys, "My Two Cents", made some rock and roll happen. Kolman, with some prolific guitar and Smith, a smooth bassman and vocalist add up to some good experience and they had some good moments. Hensley adds some hep stylings. There is the genesis of quite a bit more...with all those guys have under their belts. Stay tuned...I'm sure.

   Saturday night was another late start for me but luckily there was a show at The Viking. The Dare Ya Band made a rare appearance and, speaking of combinations, they had as guest Joe Vicino.

   I am only familiar with the present cast of Dare Ya Band (post "Luke") and I have liked them from the first time I heard them. Johnny Dunn on bass, CJ Callari on vocals and guitar, Adam Tese on sax make some original sounding blues with some clever writing and an almost theatrically tinged performance.  It is an original sound and I've missed that stuff. It's been a while since I heard the crisp Callari vocals and guitar with the Dunn bass and Tese sax. It's a distinct sound and I hope they continue to create with it.

   I know it may not be new in these parts but hearing Joe Vicino with them was new to me and it was really good guitar stuff. The man can play! He has those deep RnR roots and a muscular style that was prettied up by the stylings of Dare Ya. It was a nice setting for a slick guitar. They could create some cool stuff with that piece too.

   My two-night weekend took me all the way to 2-something in the am on Saturday night and I was full. I can't ask for much more in a weekend. I got to explore some new collaborations, some old ones and I got to just sit and listen to some good electric guitar and blues. That works for me.

   Thanks ya'll.

bill

    Wednesday nights have changed. I used to have a place near home to go for a nice friendly jam and if there was something special going on I would go elsewhere and I could always go back to my "home jam" on the quieter nights.

   That ended a few months back and I have been searching the Long Island nights for Wednesday night blues. A few weeks ago I hit Patchogue and I caught some good stuff at The Brickhouse and Sam Taylor across the street at Bobbique's. That is a good destination but I get out late and that town quits early for me on a Wednesday night (11:30 ish).

   After that I tried the new jam at Katies of Smithtown with Jim Moran Band and Pam Betti. The first time I was there it was a packed house and a dynamite jam. I figured I would have that even though it was a bit of a drive if I'm having a belt of Stoli or two. I went back a few weeks later, on a quieter Wed. night, and I was told the situation was tenuous. I guess some owners have to pack the place every time or they don't want to host. That's not gonna fly for a jam host. The presence of patrons is not predictable on a weekly basis. The cumulative attraction is what matters and I'm sure just about every other place on Long Island would kill for that combination on a long term basis. 

   This just in...Jim Moran Band and Pam Betti will now be jamming at St. James Tavern, Wednesday night 8-12. Great news.

   This past Wednesday night I decided to make the trek to RVC for the Dave Patrick jam at Reflections. The other options are dwindling so the drive becomes necessary. That's a helluva jam and it was worth the drive.

   Donnie Celenza on guitar is enough to attract me but the cast there is amazing. I arrived to a jazzy combination playing Killer Joe. (a jazz standard I am told). Donnie C on axe, Steve Adelson (not sure of the spelling) on the Chapman stick (a stringed centipede on steroids), Donnie Donable on drums and "Fred" on keys. That was one smooth number and every little combination of players thereafter played some litttle gems with dynamite players like Dave Patrick, Popa G, a nice harp player, some good vocalists... great night of music!

   Reflections, located on Sunrise Highway in Rockville Center (south side) has just the right vibe, a good location and a good host. The number of quality musicians is tireless. They were still playing when we left around 2am and that's appreciated! That's a cool event. Next time maybe I can convince someone else to drive. Maybe we can even get a Wednesday night van with a driver. We could recruit some more blues ho's to chip in. Imagine that one. lol.  By the end of the night it could get ugly on that bus but it might not be a bad idea. Any takers?

   So the weekend is coming. There's lots of good stuff out there. C'mon out and take in some live music... and feel the love.

   Thanks again for stopping by.

bill

  

    I get asked on occasion what I do on my blog. It is not clear to many what my perspective is. The content on my site was first perceived as criticism and review. Sometimes it is but that is not the intent. I have said many times that I am not a musician. I have limited musical ability and little skill. I can strum out a few songs with a uke and there are two songs that I know of that I could eek out vocally with a karaoke machine feeding me the lines...and it may have some soul but it ain't pretty. Given such limited understanding of the machinations of music I do not try to criticize musicians for their music.

   I consider BiLLfOoLeRy.CoM an artistic endeavor. I interpret what I experience from the perspective of an artist, not a musician. My mission, if you want to call it that, is to bring the local music scene to the local suburbanites. My calendar and my descriptions are to peak the interest of  lay people who would enjoy the local music if they realized where it is, who it is and how accessible it is.  I have respect for everyone who is getting paid to perform music. Some of it "moves" me more than others. I have found that blues has more resonance than other genre's but many artists make meaningful music to me outside of strict blues styles. I do have an ear (and only one) for voices.

   I am aware that some possess more talent and experience than others but I try not to demean the "second tier" and other players. Often I cannot get to the main events and I need to go out and hear some music and expression.  I am grateful for the players that go out there and play every week and make themselves accessible. They are expressing, creating on some level, practicing, sharing and usually making decent music. By choosing to perform they also choose to be among others and that is an influence as well. Performers share a lot. It is commendable and it is good for the human climate.

      I also enjoy the process of writing to people. Blogs (web logs) are online journals. This is my journal of my experience which I choose to share. I choose to visit live performance. Music became a powerful influence on me about a decade ago so I pursue it. I write as I live. I am learning more about the historical references of the music and that will, no doubt, improve my readability among musicians and thats great. But the point is to share my experiences with everyone...not just musicians. Music is not just for musicians.

   Having said all that, and thanks for reading this far, I love the hell out of the music of Andy Aledort and The Groove Kings. I caught them last night at The Viking for a set. I would love to have been able to make a night of sitting there and listening to every chord AA plays and his band puts together. But sometimes weekends are for family. Go figure.  

   Aledort and the GK's excel at the genre of electric guitar blues. Aledort really gets the music he is playing. I am almost as moved by his interpretations of Hendrix and others as I am by the Hendrix CD's that I play over and over. The advantage of hearing him live helps of course. His players like DiMeo on keys are really good too. It is a great show at a local venue.

   It was a good weekend even if I didn't get many full shows. C&B, Aledort and The Groove Kings...we're pretty lucky to have this stuff in our own little neighborhood clubs...not to mention the divas and the horn players and the funk bands.

   Get out there and take it in...and thanks for stopping by.

bill

   Finally! I got to go to more than one show on a weekend night. It wasn't quite what I expected but I had a good night of music and company.

   C & B Blues Revue, the very young and very talented guitar monsters were @ Giacomo Jacks with Ralphie Santiago beaming behind the drums. As usual Giacomo's had an enthusiatic and friendly crowd and the C&B boys delivered the goods.

   It seems every song is a showcase for the hands of Pat Russo and the humble and capable bassman Dave Swanson. Every song has some moments of mesmerizing guitar grandeur. The forces of the agility of youth, the gift of talent and heart of a blues traveler blend together and the magic carpet leaves the ground for moments of flight. Not only do C&B Blues Revue feast on Hendrix, SRV and some current sounds but they make their own statements with the likes of Slow Stepping and A Letter and a Rose. Check that stuff out music fans!

   There was a full slate of fresh names out there Friday night so we caught two quality sets there and moved westward as my friend was beckoned home to Nassau. Unfortunately we arrived at Cafe Oasis to find that The Way of the Groove was not going to be seen or heard. Scheduling conflicts happen. At least we caught some fun sounds of reggae and rock although either the band had no name or the few people I asked were also wondering what happened to WOG.

   Originally I had hoped to check in on Sweaty Betty at Brightwaters Inn on the way home but by the time we finally hit the road at two-something AM  I figured the night was done. Ms. Betty must be sweaty from all the work she has been doing. That band stays busy and I have been just missing them for weeks. It ain't easy hearing everything...but I try.

   Tonight, Saturday, the amazing Andy Aledort and The Groove Kings are at The Viking. There are a number of cool shows out there. I will be very lucky to get out again but I'll be trying (begging). Do the same. There is great music here on Lawngisland and it's all over the place and the musicians, the music venues and your sanity all need your attention.

   Enjoy...and thanks again for stopping by.

bill