Global Events

Accounts from Lynn Olson

E-mail Lynn

Front Row, Center by Lynn

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Jack Prybylski, Out of the Box CD Release Party

Spaghettini, Seal Beach, CA

Saxophone: Jack Prybylski

Keyboard: Tom Zink

Guitar: Craig Sharmat

Bass: David Levray

Drums: Winston Butts

Special guests: Blake Aaron, Greg Vail

The minute I walked in the door, I felt the energy. I arrived in time for a little warm up and it went something like this;

Drummer Winston Butts~

“A little less boom, a little more smack.”

Music Director, Q~

“That’s what I’m all about!”

The up-and-running energy of Jack Prybylski was contagious to say the least. A few back slaps and a healthy dose of band camaraderie were exchanged.

“How ya doin’?”, “What’s up?”, “Y’all good?” filled the air.

Headliner, sax man, Jack Prybylski~

“Can we bring the lights up a little bit?”

Q~

“One second.”

An intimate Jack pre-show pow wow~

“It’s an honor and pleasure playing with you guys. Just have fun!” I smiled at their jokes about forgiving each other for any musical mistakes that might occur during the performance. Their stage energy was smooth-as-silk. They clicked.

Drummer Winston Butts~

“One, two, three.”

Jack~

“Good evening, everyone. Thanks, for coming to my CD release party.

This first one is off my CD called Head Hunter.”

Jack fired up his deep, throaty sax and offered up the tune, Head Hunter. The crisp, clear trillin’ of sexy, saxy Jack started tonight’s jazz ball rolling. Keyboardist Tom Zink revealed his chops while the strings cats were head bobbin’ and drummer Winston Butts thumped his riffs. The true spirit of jazz took hold.

Jack~

“Thank you, very much! This one is the title track off my previous CD. It’s entitled, Window Shopping.”

Jack spoke to Greg Vail in the audience~

“You’d better get your horn, later Bro!”

The cut was a smooth, mellow glide on Jack’s soprano sax. His soul-piercing notes delivered an almost-indescribable experience. This guy can blow!

Jack~

“I want to say hello to Mr. Craig Sharmat!”

As they continued to play, the corner of my eye snagged a Jack hip wiggle as he cradled his sax watching guitarist Craig Sharmat’s solo. We were all in awe as Craig showed us what he was made of.

Jack~

“Here you go, here’s Tom Zink!”

Zink exploded with a foot stompin’ keyboard solo, then it was back to Jack in the sax zone. The man’s got the ‘it factor’! What more can I say? Stage-presence-personified describes Prybylski to a tee. Their finale included the beautiful music of Mr. Grover Washington.

Prybylski~

“Thank you, very much! So, you’re diggin’ that Grover Washington thing at the end? No??? At least Blake liked the Grover.”

Guitarist Blake Aaron (audience member)~

“Yeah!”

Jack~

“We’re gonna do a little Grover thing called Winelight.”

Jack hit it, nailed it and flew me to the moon with this one! They did Grover proud. Waiters were dancing and the crowd were loving it! Guitarist Craig Sharmat squeezed out an off-the-hook twang and the audience went nuts. He handed it off to Keyboardist, Tom Zink who earned a triple wow! A little magic anyone. Zink was amazing! The boys were all kickin’ it tonight! Tom volleyed it back to front stage, center, on-fire, sexy, saxy Jackzy. The man wailed on the sax, then took it down to sultry. Again, the crowd went crazy.

JP~

“Thank you. Another one off the CD is called Three Cats. I only have one at home!” he joked. Drummer Winston Butts shined his lovelight on this tune.

Jack~

“Are there any Duran, Duran fans in the audience? We’re gonna play one of their tunes. We’re gonna do some songs off the new CD, Out of The Box. This is the Duran tune, Save a Prayer.” Jack was back on soprano with his rock-solid vibe. The band was in sync. The tune was just, plain good.

Prybylski~

“Feel free after you’re done eating to get up and dance. On the table and chairs, please! This is another song off the Out of The Box CD. This is entitled, Hoodoo.” The guys carried it home to ‘mama’ once again!

Jack~

“Thank you, very much! Another song which is off the CD, available tonight.”

Audience member~

“Wooh!”

Jack~

“A fan favorite, Down To It.”

Prybylski knocked this one out of the park. I was enamored with his ability to have fun while he plays. There’s something innocent-yet-serious about New-York-Jack’s sax style.

Jack~

“Thank you very much! Before we play I want to mention what a nice group of guys I’ve got playin’ with me tonight.” He introduced the band. “Blake, how’d you get these guys so cheap?” Prybylski quipped. The crowd roared.”Here we go, back to it. This is the title track for my first CD. It’s called Soho Strut. This track proved Jack’s ability to make a sax strut, and he did! A volley to bassist David Levray thumped a short solo before the return to Jack. Guitarist Craig Sharmat’s sassy finale rounded it out perfectly.

Jack~

“While Craig switches guitars, we’re gonna play another tune called Bright Spot.”

Craig~

“Hey, Blake, thanks for the guitar!”

Blake~

“Yeah!”

Craig~

“Cool.”

Craig and Jack teamed up for another triple wow!

Jack~

“Craig Sharmat, ladies and gentlemen!”

Jack~

“Do we have any Jeff Lorber fans out there?” Jack joked, “Well, he’s not here! Here’s a tune from the days of jazz fusion. We’re gonna feature David Levray on bass.”

Bassist Levray had a cool-cat attitude as he gifted his thick bass vibe. Jack thwacked the tune on tenor while Zink lit up the keyboard once again! Jack sauntered through the audience, shaking hands, playing and crowd pleasing. Prybylski’s charisma flooded the venue as he covered every inch of the place. Jack P., you should know you made my writing job easy with the electricity that is you. Back to Levray digging deep into the bass. He was on it! Drummer Winston Butt’s style leveled a gut-rockin’ beat.

Jack~

“We’re gonna do another one off the CD. Are there any Rod Stewart fans in the house?” Jack went on to explain a hilarious story of mistaken identity he experienced at a cantina in Reno. He was mistaken for Stewart, sending a couple of fans running more than once for register tape signatures, convinced they’d stumbled upon thee Mr. Rod Stewart. “That night in Reno is the reason Do You Think I’m Sexy is on the CD. We’re gonna take a short break.”

I set my pen down for set two, but managed a few notes. From Grover Washington to Jack’s CD cuts, the music flowed on and on…These guys really kicked up some dust. Blake Aaron rocked it, rolled it and turned it inside out. The finale with saxophonist, Greg Vail and guitarist Blake Aaron took the elevator to the top! Drummer Winston Butts, now that was one fine solo, young man!

The most poignant song of the evening was Santa Faustina. Prybylski joined his special guest Blake Aaron to share the first live performance of his mother’s favorite song since her passing. Jack’s heartfelt performance set him above, ‘just-another-sax-guy’ on this tune. I am convinced, the spirit of love from a son to his mother remains on that stage. She’s smiling and proud! Thanks, Jack!

In answer to the question Jack poses, “No, Jack, I don’t think you’re sexy, I KNOW you’re sexy! Huge thanks to Jack Prybylski and his incredible West Coast band. Their debut was off-the-chain. Thank you, most of all, for your boundless energy and true love of Jazz. Our jazzy souls were full to the brim tonight. Thanks ‘mom’…

© July 2010 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Terje Lie, Urban Vacation CD release party

Spaghettini, Seal Beach, CA

Keyboard:  Barnaby Finch

Saxophone: Terje Lie

Bass: Earnest Tibbs

Drums: Tony Moore

I arrived at Spaghettini for the Terje Lie CD release party in plenty of time for sound check, so let’s share a little banter!

Keyboardist Barnaby Finch~

“Mix wise I’m on the same blend. Lemme know if you’re getting’ feedback.”

Sound director Q~

“You could angle it a little bit.”

Terje Lie~

“You gonna check the tenor?”

Q~

“Is that level good for you? Just give me ten minutes, the lights will go up and you’re on!”

Ten minutes later, the lights went up and Terje Lie introduced himself wordlessly with his alto sax intro. He immediately commanded everyone’s attention with his clear, crisp sound. The band kicked in. Smooth and easy drifted to our ears as the Lie-chill began. Tony’s drumbeat clapped time with keyboards and Tibbs thumpin’ bass laid it out. Terje’s screamin’ sax walked us to a stellar keyboard solo by Barnaby Finch. The audience was fully engaged and swayin’ to the keys when Terje put his final touch on the opener, Travelers.

They transitioned seamlessly to Pier Avenue with the entire band in motion. Barnaby was a superstar on this one. He got down and very funky with the keys, then handed it off to Terje who blew it out as he paced an arched pattern on stage. Suddenly, he jazzed it up Lie-style with arched back and an eager lungful. Barnaby took a mini volley a few crazy keys, then it was back to sax with a subtle drum ending.

Terje picked up the tenor sax for Runnin’ Outta Time. Keyboardist Finch was off-the-hook on the keys again while Tony Moore clicked a synchronized drum rhythm. Earnest Tibbs slow punched a resonating bass riff. Terje jumped back in and finished off the tune splendidly.

Terje~

“Thank you so much! Thank you for listening.”

Lie proudly introduced his band and remained on tenor sax.

Terje~

“We’re gonna play a selection from the Urban Vacation CD. This first track has nothing to do with our current economic situation,” he joked. “Jeff Lorber produced it. It’s a story about dog fights and fighter pilots.”

A little Terje trillin’ started Bail Out swinging side-to-side covering the stage with his sound. Finch showed us his chops on a stellar keyboard solo while Tibbs clipped a thick thump of his bass. Then it was back to Terje for the finale sax blow.

Lie~

“Thank you so much!”

Terje opened Funk Man on tenor with a solid beat. The song immediately crawled comfortably under my skin. Barnaby started out slow on the keys, then transformed into a madman with no warning. The crowd was bobbing their heads in the jazz zone when Lie’s foot tapping sound permeated the venue and remained there until song’s end.

Terje!

“Thank you! That was another one from the new album!”

Dance on the Water opened with a rapid-fire drum beat from Tony Moore. There was nothing sleepy about this tune! Keyboardist Barnaby started some musical banter that resulted in a Finch solo that knocked my socks off. Tony remained perched behind the plex divider and hit it with zesto. He was on fire and earned a triple wow with his explosive attack. He weaved in a marching band lick that reminded me, it’s been wayyy too long since I’ve heard Tony Moore live! The crowd went nuts!

Terje~

“Yeah, that was Tony Moore, the one and only! This is something from my former album called Traveler. It’s something called Lights are Low. The cut was a dim-the-lights mood creator that left me wondering about my next candlelight dinner with champagne. Lie’s sultry sax blossomed as he slipped it to cool cat Finch. Raindrops-on-the-window pane trickled from his magic fingers.

Lie~

“Thank you!”

The last song was You. The chair dancing beat of this song had me wiggling in my jazzy front row, center seat and made me wanna dance. He wowed the crowd with his final tune of the set.

Terje~

“We’re out for a little break and we’ve got CDs! If you’re not familiar with my name it’s the Norwegian spelling. T-E-R-J-E.”

My heartfelt thanks to my Facebook friend, Terje Lie, and his band. I’m honored to finally hear you live. That was one nice hang guys!

© June 2010 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Friday, May 28, 2010

Lao Tizer and Chieli Minucci

The Baked Potato in Los Angeles, CA

Keyboard:  Lao Tizer

Guitar: Chieli Minucci (Special EFX)

Saxophone, percussion, vox: Steve Nieves

Special Guest on Guitar:  Jeffrey Marshall (Big Red)

Bass: Rufus Philpot

Drums: Raul Pineda

Wow, the Baked Potato was jazz heaven, a teeny tiny venue, with three of four dozen seats, at the most. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me or my writing that I wouldn’t be able to wait for the nine-thirty gig to start! I arrived early to feed my love of sound checks. Talk about acoustics, they were unbelievable! While I was waiting for the gig to start, I chatted briefly with an employee who shared a few secrets about the sand-filled raised stage and wood covered windows, amazing sound quality! I was told the venue started out over forty years ago as studio musician hang out.

What an exciting night, Chieli’s debut at the ‘Potato’. For me, the place was reminiscent of the forty-five or so person capacity, Lowville Bistro gig I recently attended in Canada after the awards. There’s nothing like hearing live music in a living room atmosphere!

Here’s a snip of sound check chatter:

“How long of a fill do you wanna play? A bar or two beats, at the end of the bass solo we’re gonna have a false ending.”

Lao Tizer and company pounced on stage.

Lao:

            “You gotta clap louder than that if you’re gonna get Philpot to stand up! I’d like to welcome you to the Baked Potato. I’d like to introduce you to a good friend of mine, Mr. Chieli Minucci. We’re gonna play a tune called, Cruise Control.

Chieli hit it and he was on fire, WOW. Steve Nieves nailed a stellar sax solo rolling us straight to jazz euphoria! Nieves nailed the snare drum with the sax still hanging around his neck. His ‘it’ factor in full bloom! Back to Chieli on guitar, what an opener! Steve hopped back on congas, and off-the chain was he! The band chemistry turned the place inside out. Lao closed his eyes and gave it up on his stellar solo. Steve was back at it on sax when Lao popped one hand up in the air signaling a sax-guitar, back-to-back solo by Steve and Chieli. Talk about a jam, these two had an incredible volley going on while the band was rockin’ it full speed ahead.

Chieli:

            “It’s really good to be here with Lao! I’m from a group called Special EFX. We have a new CD called Without You.”

Lao:

            “This is the first time Chieli’s played here or been here! This one is called, Fire and Ice.”

They took a little Latin flavor a long way on this one! Steve threw a few hot peppers into his percussion rhythm and glowed in the dark on this tune. Every band member was in bliss, all eyes closed, blissfully emanating their jazz! Raul offered a fiery drum solo and reinvented his back corner of the stage. The crowd loved him! He passed it off to Lao on keys, who got down with his bad self, Tizer-style! Steve offered up some congas and lead us straight to Chieli on his well-worn black acoustic guitar. Another wow goes to Minucci for an amazing solo!

Lao:

            “The secret is red beans and rice—and you can play drums like that! I wanna bring up my good buddy Jeff Marshall. He’s kinda become a mainstay here at the ‘Potato’. This song is called, Uptown.”

Jeff Marshall (Big Red) turned it out on guitar. Steve brought out the tenor sax, scooted up to Lao and what a jam it was! Steve was blowin’ like crazy as a lead-in to Lao’s awesome solo. A nice slice of Rufus Philpot on bass rounded out this great song perfectly!

Lao:

            “Please, give it up for Steve on sax and Rufus Philpot on bass! This is the title track called, Diversified. We call this kind of music world fusion.”

Steve and Lao were on vocals, when Nieves picked up a set of car keys—and developed a unique percussion vibe, clever! Chieli gifted us some insanely good electric guitar. I can’t believe the talent on the spud stage tonight! Lao ended the cut with one hand in the air.

Lao:

            “Hey Chieli, you wanna hold up my CD?” He joked, “Rufus, can you sing on this one?”

Rufus quipped:

            “I can’t work under these conditions!” He walked off stage chuckling to himself. The audience belly laughed.

Lao:

            “This is off the second CD and its called Touch The Sky. We produced it in New York with Jeff Kollman, who is not with us tonight. He’s in Hawaii! Again, this tune is called Touch the Sky.”

Lao reintroduced the band before they came together for an amazing jazzy vibe with awesome vocals. Every one of them sparkled! Lao ended it with his swanky keyboard and the light percussion of Steve Nieves.

Chieli exclaimed:

            “Lao Tizer!”

Lao:

            “Steve Nieves and Chieli Minucci on vocals! As soon as the good ole boy is ready, we’ll get started on St. Stephens Green.”

Steve came in on soprano sax with an alto hanging from his neck. Rufus on bass joined the band, thumpin’ and bumpin. Steve edged up to Lao and immediately entered the Nieves-Tizer Zone. Chieli was electric on electric. We had a hot potato at the potato on this cut! Triple wow, again guys! Steve was still lit up on sax and made his way back to the Steve-Lao duo. They were smokin’! What a crazy jam. The house was on its side! Nieves energy was unplugged! He volleyed from alto to soprano, mixing it up with Minucci for an unforgettable finale.

Lao:

“Steve Nieves! Chieli Minucci! We’re gonna play one more song, then we’ll take a short break. But, we’ll be back! I wanna welcome ‘Big Red’ back to the stage. Remember, we have CDs for sale!” He pointed proudly, “Our merch table is right here! This is called It Is What It Is.”

Chieli hooked us up with some insanely good electric while Steve blew a little tenor. Raul added his licks to a brilliant solo by Rufus Philpot. There’s nothing like the thick thump of a great bass player wriggling under your skin! Minucci and Jeff ‘Big Red’ Marshall volleyed back and forth while Lao led the pack front, center. Screamin’ guitars eased into the finale with a studio-session vibe. Lao popped one hand into the air signaling an almost-end, just as Steve hit the tenor sax. Lao reintroduced the band and said, “We’ll be back in just a little bit. Stick around and we’ll be back in just a few!”

Second Set:

Chieli:

            “How’s everybody doing, alright? How about Lao Tizer?!”

Lao:

            “Chieli’s traveled the furthest, from New York!”

Rufus:

            “He doesn’t get out much, but he’s a great chap! He almost leads a normal life!”

Lao:

            “Who says we never give him the mic again?! This is a tune of Chieli’s called Body Heat.”

I set my pen down for the second set. From Body Heat, Olivas Adobe to Hui Hou, these guys kicked it out! We had a ‘Potato’ party goin’ with full-audience claps, solos to-die-for and some unforgettable jazz-crazy moments. Thanks guys, for a cozy, jazzy night I will not soon forget!

© May 2010 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Saturday, April 4, 2010

Grant Geissman, The Cool Man Cool Band

Spaghettini:  Seal Beach, CA

Guitar: Grant Geissman

Upright Bass: Kevin Axt

Piano:  Emelio Palame

Woodwinds: Brian Scanlon

Drums: Ray Brinker

“Okay, let’s do it!”Grant said. “Thank you very much, and welcome to Spaghettini! We gave everyone a CD.”

Their opener was, ‘Say That’ (Cool Man Cool CD). Grant and The Cool Man Cool Band definitely have the ‘it’ factor. The audience was engaged from moment one.

Grant said.

“Thank you so much! Here’s a tune from it called, ‘What’s the Story’ (Cool Man Cool CD).”

Geissman’s smooth, natural guitar says, come along for a ride, let me play for you. I snuggled up to his at-ease style as it blanketed my front row, center seat with warm and cozy jazz. Brian Scanlon’s flute solo instantly pleased the crowd as he slipped it to Emelio Palame for a smooth chill.

Grant said.

“Thank you, so much! We’d like to play the title track from the CD you have on your tables. It’s called, ‘Cool Man Cool’. I had the pleasure of inviting Chuck Mangione and Chick Corea to play on this tune. Tonight, Brian will be playing the part of Chuck Mangione and Emelio will be playing for Chick Corea,” he quipped.

The guys kicked it up, all were in the zone and so were we!

Grant asked.

            “Are we havin’ fun so far? I’ve been writing for the show, Two and a Half Men. I co-wrote the theme, but they only play cuts that are either twenty-two seconds long or six seconds long. I kind thought that isn’t long enough, so I wrote a bridge for it, an extended jazz version. And, we want to play it right now.”

This song carried it home to mama for me! Emelio’s piano was stellar and the Brian’s finale on soprano sax blew it out of the water.

Grant concluded.

            “So, there you have the long version of ‘Two and a Half Men Theme Song aka My Cool Uncle Charlie’. Here’s a tune on the album which we were able to get the legendary Tom Scott to play. It’s called, ‘Chicken Shack Jack’.”

Grant rocked it out on this one! This guy’s really got some chops! Brian’s solo on tenor sax was amazing, truly amazing. Some genius surfaced on this tune!

Grant joked.

            “Pizza order number forty-seven is ready!” Grant chuckled as he reached for his grandfather’s banjo. “I wanted to write a song I could play on my grandfather’s banjo.”

The song was appropriately named, ‘My Grandfather’s Banjo’ (Say That CD). “Stand back, these things are loud!” he warned as he hit the strings with gusto. Brian Scanlon grabbed his clarinet out of his back pocket and it was an instant party!

Grant said.

            “Here’s one for the old bebopper guys. They have their own lingo. If they wanted to go listen to music they’d say, “Let’s go dig some sides.” That’s the name of the tune, ‘Dig Some Sides’ (Cool Man Cool CD).

We had some, fun, fun, fun on this one.  Brian outdid himself on alto sax. This guy had an amazing amount of rabbits in his jazzy hat tonight! The band was in sync, the audience was lovin’ it and I was a chair dancin’ maniac!

Grant reintroduced the band and said.

            “Depending on your point of view, it’s either rum in your drink or your political statement. ‘Cobra Libre?’” Emelio Palame on piano stole the show on this one and earned a triple wow! The audience went crazy and so did I!

Thanks guys!  What an honor to experience the music of the infamous Grant Geissman and The Cool Man Cool Band. We all hope you’ll be back to Spaghettini’s soon! By the way, thanks so much for the CD, we’re all still listening to it. And, it is most definitely on repeat!

© April 2010 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Global Kiss CD release party, Steve Oliver

Spaghettini:  Seal Beach, CA

Guitar: Steve Oliver

Bass:  KT Tyler

Percussion:  Humberto Vela

“Good evening, everybody!  How’s, everybody? As always, welcome to Spaghettini.  If you’re wondering what this bald guy is doing up here, I’m Greg Cozzo, from the morning show, Smooth Jazz in Temecula, with the one, the only, with his brand-new album, Steve Oliver!”

Steve pounced on stage with energy to spare!  He began playing with his eyes closed, and it was Steve Oliver magic time.  ‘Stevo’ bliss blanketed the venue.

We all shared an ‘ah’ moment.

Steve said.

“Good evening, how’s everybody doing?  We’ve got a lot of new songs to play for you tonight! He introduced, ‘Barcelo’ (Global Kiss CD).”

Steve kicked it up and out, earning a triple wow for his new music!  KT and Steve offered a double dose of jazzy fun.  Guitar and bass rocked it like crazy.  They tore the place inside out.  I immediately thought to myself.  Where’s the CD table?!  My fingers tightened around the double sawbuck as I earmarked it for a signed version.  I sat back thinking, this one is a must have!

Steve proudly concluded.

            “Ah, a little ‘Barcelo’.  That’s a new song off the Global Kiss project.  Tonight we have two amazing musicians here; KT on bass and Humberto Vela on percussion.  I’m gonna be making some sounds on my guitar.”  Steve gave a short demo of his piano, flute and orchestral sounds.  “I did bring my flute,” he joked.  “These are some Brazilian words I came up with while I was writing this song called, ‘Ba Aye’ (Global Kiss CD). I found myself lost in his tune, frozen pen in hand.  Humberto enveloped the entire audience.  Hats off to a stellar finale on this one!

Steve announced.

            “Humberto Vela, on drums and percussion!  That was a new song from Global Kiss!  We’re gonna merge a couple of songs.” Steve expressed his gratitude to Spiro Gyra and Marion Meadows.

They married ‘Angel Amore’ and ‘Fearless’.  From instrumental to vocals, the lyrics expressed Steve’s style and attitude perfectly.  He approaches his genius fearlessly, and it shows.  KT thumped this one out while Steve’s unique trumpet mimicking, created a finale that blew the tune out of the water.  I was left wondering. Did he have a horn in his back pocket?  He was truly amazing!

Steve quipped.

            “Let’s hear it for the trumpet!  I had a trumpet on the album, so I figured I’d bring it with me.  So, are you in the mood for ‘Chips and Salsa’? Com’on, Spaghettini!”

His hands went straight up, and a full audience clap began. It was time to grab a salt-rimmed glass and join in!  Oliver served the ‘Chips and Salsa’, hot, hot, hot!  If I didn’t know better I’d swear I was under a palapa on the beaches of East Cape in the Baja!

Steve added.

“Spaghettini, sing with me!” The venue rang, “Oh, say oh!” Steve exclaimed, “You’re hired!  Once again, we’re gonna keep it in Spanish mode.  Do we have any Spanish flamenco guitar lovers out there?” The crowd roared.

Steve opted for full-audience participation and revved this one up.  Everyone was having a blast with his “Ole…Ole…Ole…,” when a pleased Steve commented, “NICE!” Again, I was in awe, a perfect flamenco riff.  Thanks, Steve! The ‘Ole’ slowed a bit and Steve said, “We’re losing it, huh?” KT held up a paper ‘Ole’ sign.  Steve warned, “KT Tyler, behave!”  Humberto turned the place on its ear with his cajon drum solo (cajon: wooden box sit-on drum).  Humberto was undeniably in the zone and everyone there joined him.  He was off-the-chain, playing before a pin-drop silent crowd.  I have to say…no one does that like Vela!

Steve said.

            “Humberto Vela!”

KT jumped in while Humberto was still at it.  His deep, throaty bass resonated through every inch of the venue.  Steve turned to KT in a muted tone, and said, “Just me and him.”  The Vela-Oliver volley that followed was phenomenal!  Steve popped his guitar strings while Vela blew everyone away on the cajon drum.  The ‘Ole’ again, and we were wowed once more!

Steve said.

            “Once again, ladies and gentlemen, Humberto on the cajon! NICE!  You know Global Kiss isn’t coming out until March 30?  But, we’ve got some here at Spaghettini, if anyone is interested. All the songs on Global Kiss are my babies, this is a tune called, ‘Take Me Away.”

A smooth chill engulfed the crowd.  Everyone melted to mellow, nice and easy.

Steve said.

            “Take me away, here’s another new one.  This one’s called ‘True Vision’.”

This song exploded on stage and Oliver reinvented music!  KT’s solo carried this one home to mama.  They coached, “Let’s see some hands!” We joined in another overhead clap.  “Now, that’s the spirit!”  Steve electrified the house.  “Keep it going, NICE!”

Back to Oliver.

            “’True Vision’, off the new album.  Are you guys feelin’ good?”  He repeated, “Are you guys feelin’ good?  This one got most added on Smooth Jazz this week!  Vienna, Mike from WineandJazz.com and Smooth Jazz are all in the house tonight. Next up is, ‘Fun in the Sun.’ Are we havin’ a little fun in the sun tonight?”

Steve’s finger work was second-to-none. He owned this one. His outstretched arms and rockin’ music transformed the crowd into a boiling pot of toe tappers.

Steve concluded the first set.

            “Thank you, so much to everybody, KT on bass, Humberto on percussion. We’ve got a whole ‘nuther set.”

Second set took us from ‘First View’, ‘Good 2 Go’ to my all-time favorite ‘I Know’.  ‘Global Kiss’, final song for the night, had Steve bunny hoppin’, Humberto spicing up percussion while the pulse of KT the bass delivered the Asian-flair of this lick to jazz heaven.  A mix of stellar vocals ended the night with the finesse and style only Mr. Steve Oliver could pull off.

Thanks to Steve and the band, for a sparkling night CD release party. Steve Oliver, your infectious energy awestruck every inch of this venue and not one of you guys never missed a beat!

© March 2010 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Friday, November 13, 2009
Lao Tizer with Karen Briggs
Spaghettini:  Seal Beach, CA

Keyboard:  Lao Tizer
Electric Violin:  Karen Briggs
Guitar: Jeff Kollman
Guest on Guitar:  Jeffrey Marshall
Bass:  Andre Manga
Drums:  Drew Megna

Lao Tizer hit the stage and warmed the crowd to simmer.
“Ladies and gentlemen, how’s everybody doing?  Come on, you can do better than that!  Welcome to Spaghettini, we have CDs for sale and we haven’t been here for a while.  We’re gonna start off with a tune called Flow off our first album (Diversify CD).”
The opener was a mellow mix of chill music.  Jeff Kollman gave us a rockin’ jazzy-style solo then passed it to Lao Tizer on keyboard.  They’d barely started playing when Tizer entered his zone, eyes closed, talent box wide open!  We all indulged and the hang smoothed over us like creamery butter.

Tizer added.
“We’re gonna bring up a special guest!  Please welcome, Miss Karen Briggs to the stage.”
Karen quipped.
“Always great to play with these amazing players.  We’re gonna play Olivas Adobe, (Diversify CD).”
Karen grabbed hold of her electric violin and reinvented music!  This latin-flavored tune had the entire audience in awe.  Her finger work is beyond phenomenal and has a sassy flair.  She volleyed to Lao whose raindrop-fingertip style blew us out of the water.  The entire band joined in for an amazing collaboration of rockin’ jazz.  Lao’s head was swayin’ and his eyes were closed while he offered us his heavenly Tizer-style keyboard.  Lao and Jeff joined as a duo of sorts while the entire band backed them up with an incredible beat.  Karen continued to play, adorned by the satisfied smile of an artist in love with her instrument and music.  Kollman and Tizer teamed up once more while flanking the keyboard.  Tao leaned back and mouthed to the music director with a finger popped in the air,
“Up a little bit.”
He never missed a beat!  They were not done with us yet, the volley was endless; Tao to Jeff to Karen, back to Tao, then to Jeff and finally Karen.  The solos were all laced with a volley so intense my pen could barely keep up.  What an incredible song.  Lao was in his element!

Lao announced.
“Miss Karen Briggs on electric violin and Jeff Kollman on guitar!  I mentioned Chieli Minucci before.  Well, he couldn’t be here tonight, but we’re gonna do a song off his called, Bodyheat (A Night with Chieli Minucci and Special EFX DVD).”
Jeff Kollman opened on vocals and owned this one!  From there the Lao-Kollman team took guitar and keyboard to the moon.  Lao’s outstretched hand prompted a full audience clap and the jazzy games began!
Jeff added.
“Mr. Lao Tizer on piano!”
Lao was foot tappin like a drumbeat.  Karen hopped in with lightening speed sailing across her violin strings.  What an amazing artist!  I was, again, awestruck!  She shook her head from side-to-side and her blissful smile filled the venue to overflowing.  Drew Megna’s fiery drum solo led us straight to the band’s synchronicity, timed perfectly.

Lao said,
“Drew Megna on drums!  Is everybody havin’ fun?  We’re gonna change the pace right now.  We’re doing an opening track called To Touch the Sky, (Passages CD).”  Karen on electric violin and Andre on bass sat this smooth tune out.  Lao and Jeff paired up again.  It was head turned to the side with eyes closed and intense keyboard from Tizer.  His finale sparkled.

Jeff added,
“Lao Tizer on piano!  We’re gonna feature Miss Karen Briggs on this next one.  She’s gonna crush it and she’s gonna own it!  You can tell she’s shy by the way she plays!”  He quipped.  “She lets her fiddle do the talkin’!  This is off Karen’s CD (Soulchestral Groove).  This is Loving You.  And, you’re gonna recognize this one!”
Karen, nailed, owned and rocked this one home!  No kidding, we’d recognize it, at least I did!  She displayed some of the finest finger work I’ve ever seen.  The violin was buzzing like an angry swarm of bees around a hive.  She was off-the-hook!  Andre Manga grabbed his bass solo, prompting Jeff to holler, “I love bass, yeah!”  Karen and the band took this one to an entirely new plane.  The Briggs-style electric violin matched this tune perfectly.  At song’s end, Karen offered her double outstretched hands to Manga silently saying, ‘Great job!’

They went straight into St. Stephens Golden Soul CD. 
Lao said to Jeff,
“You take the first solo.”
We enjoyed the mellow for a while until Jeff’s solo rocked it up several notches.  He took this one home to mama.  From there, the hand off went to Lao and snagged a cut in by Karen.  Lao was standing on one leg, playing like a madman, while Karen stroked her fingers along the neck of the violin, emitting one of the most unique sounds I’ve ever heard. Wow, they ran away with this one, simply genius.  Lao’s proud smile ended the song.

What It Is (unknown CD) was next.
Karen and Jeff offered.
“We wanna bring a good friend up, Jeff Marshall.  We call him Big Red and you’ll see why in a minute.  We saved the best for last and hope you’ll stick around.  He’s big and he’s red.”
The double guitars were a treat and what a team these two were!  We were in guitar bliss early on with this cut.  They passed the tune briefly to Tizer, then back to our double Jeffs.  Kollman soloed and showed us his chops with unplugged and crazy good!  Andre on bass sauntered to the corner pocket, thumped, bumped and paddled his way into every jazzy soul in the place.  The spotlight was on him.  Bass strings radiated to glowing under his guidance, stellar!  Right in the middle of the solo Lao started an overhead clap, taking the experience to mind boggling.  The crowd loved him.  His stellar bass fade with Jeff slipping into the chill factor and a slowed version of the overhead clap was nothing but a blast.  Andre’s eyes were closed as the audience joined his zone.  Lao was snapping his fingers lightly.  Andre owned it.  The volume came back up and so did the full clap.  Jeff and Karen offered a jazz-crazy assist, a triple wow!  They had the audience howling when two guitars and the entire band went nuts.  Tizer accompanied their intense battle of the strings and started the finale.  Both guitars cut back in and played it hard.  Lao proudly introduced his band.

Set 2

Lao said.
“Some verve on the violin.  Alright, how’s everybody doing?  Okay, we’re all liquored up and ready, especially Andre.” He laughed.
This is called Uptown (Diversified CD).”
This song was one great big volley festival.  Everyone was warmed up and offering their finest.  From Lao to Karen, to Lao and back to Karen, the two Jeffs had their way with it, passing it around like a jazzy hot potato!  It was just, plain fun!

No intro needed for, Fire and Ice (Golden Soul CD).  Drew hit the drums and before long both Jeffs were dueling again.  Tao put his finger in the pie while racing across his keyboard.  Andre and Karen kicked up this salsa-flared tune to chili pepper hot!  They all played this one like wild fire!

The title track for the Diversity CD had Tizer reintroducing his great band.  He offered this one and featured Karen on electric violin.  Jeff Marshall left for a moment and Kollman hit the vocals.  Karen went off!  This was one of the best songs of the night.  We were again, awestruck!

Lao joked.
“After that she gets a break!  And, we get to sweat some more.  We’ve got Jeff’s song up next, Greasy Louise.  This tune had a great beat.  An overhead clap started it rollin’ then a drum solo took it around the corner to another overhead clap.  Lao got down and showed us his chops.  We had another string battle, fabulous!

Jeff said.
“Give it up for the lovely Jeff Marshall!  Thank you, and good night.  I’m kidding!  We’ve got a few more.  Big Red, if you will!”
Lao added,
“This is a song I wrote after the first time I went to Kauai.  Anyway, it is inspired by my trip there.  How many of you have been to Kauai?  That’s more than usual.”  He chuckled.  “We played in Alaska and like two hands went up.  Anyway, A Hui Hou means until we meet again (Diversify CD).   Kollman hit the vocals and we enjoyed some mellow yellow.

Lao exclaimed.
“One more time, please welcome Miss Karen Briggs!   Thank you all for coming out and thanks to Q.  We haven’t been here for a while and hope to see you again!  This is called West Side (Golden Soul CD).”  He reintroduced the band and reiterated, “We hope to see you again.  We hope to see you next time!”
The finale was amazing.  Kollman was all over the stage.  They heated up the song and Jeff started flitting around like an electric butterfly.  From Karen to Andre to Marshall, he played with them all.  Karen Briggs reinvented genius here.  Her bow wailed along the strings with the speed of light.
Kollman added.
“Karen Briggs on the violin, give it up for her!”

My heartfelt thanks goes out to Lao Tizer, Miss Karen Briggs and their incredible band.  The soul-altering music they played left me breathless.  I hope we’ll meet again on a not-too-distant shore very soon.

© November 2009 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Spaghettini, Friday, June 21, 2009

6:00 AM to 9:00 AM

Wayman Special Event:  The 94.7, The WAVE, 94.7 live broadcast

Die-hard jazz fans lined the Spaghettini in the wee hours Friday morning, June 21, 2009, for an invitation-only live taping of 94.7, The WAVE’s Wayman Tisdale tribute.  Wow, what a spread!  We all shared spectacular food and jazz fellowship.

Q talked fondly of his nine years at Spaghettini and announced, “Right now, we’re gonna warm you up with a little DW-3, our most requested band here at Spaghettini.”  He proudly referred to them as the boys from LA.  Eric Mondragon said, “We’re gonna start out with a little Sam Cooke.  Is that ok?”  They definitely brought their sweet lovin’ on home to Spags with this tune.  “How ya feelin’ out there, feelin’ good?”  In reference to the six AM start time they joked, “We gotta play somethin’ to keep y’all awake.”

“Alright, we’ve got a little technical issue.  We’re workin’ it out.”  A good morning was offered to the WAVE’s morning DJ, Pat Prescott.  “You’ve got it,” Eric commented, confirming their sound snafu was rectified.  They smoothed in some more mellow with ‘I Got a Thing For You’.

The beautiful Pat Prescott said, “Morning everybody, we’ve got four minutes.  I wanna hear lots of excitement from Spaghettini, okay?”  The ON AIR light was on and we were up!

Brian Mcknight said, “Um, yeah, let’s get rollin’.  I had no idea we had such a good looking audience!”

Pat quipped back, “I had no idea we had so many fans that would be willing to get up at o’dark thirty!”  She talked about the celebration of the live and music of our dear friend, Wayman Tisdale.  They both joked about being up to their usual on-air shenanigans.

DW-3 was back up with ‘Lovely Day’.  They encouraged their semi-awake fans, “Come on, we gotta make some noise Spaghettini.  Come on, everyone clap your hands.”

Pat let us know today’s guests would include Eric Marienthal, Dave Koz, Peter White, Marcus Miller, Karina Nuvo and Ramon Islas.  They were all on stage when Brian went back on the air saying, “We’re Smooth Jazz 94.7, the WAVE.”

Pat hinted of a Talaya Trigueros citing and joked, “Amazing, what happens when you offer a free breakfast.”  They cut to a pre-recorded Father’s Day dedication Brian Mcknight sang.

Between the live cuts, Brian referenced a Tisdale tune they were playing.  He said, “We’re here to celebrate his life and he’s blowin’ it down!”  Spaghettini owners, Cary Hardwick and Laurie Sisneros, came forward to say a few words about their fondness toward Wayman.

Lori commented, “At 3:45 AM people lined up for this event and I find that heartwarming.”  Cary talked about Wayman’s dedication to a Cerebral Palsy Golf Event years ago and shared how Tisdale stayed there until the tournament was completely over, raising nearly 100K, the most ever.

Lori added, “Everyone thinks of Wayman as a big man because of his size, but it was because of his heart.  We really miss him.”

Eric Marienthal and Peter White were following Prescott cues while we all looked on.

Brian said, “Looks like Eric Marienthal has made it here.”

Pat retorted, “Who’s that guy on your left?”  She joked in a deep voice, “Mr. Peter White.”  They talked about the Saturday Afternoon Live Show from days gone by and how sweet Wayman was.  Marienthal added that he and Wayman were among the first to grace the stage at Spaghetti.  Eric warmed up to accompany Mcknight on his solo.

Pat warned, “A minute and a half.  “You can stay there to do your thing,” she said to Brian who was poised at the keyboard.

“Pat and I are broadcasting live from Spaghettini.  We’re here to celebrate the life of Wayman Tisdale.”  They talked about the many cruises they enjoyed with Tisdale and offered up his hit, ‘Come On, Cruise With Us’.  It couldn’t have been more appropriate.  My first-hand experience has me agreeing wholeheartedly with all the lovely things that were said about our favorite giant bass player.

Brian announced, “Peter White on guitar.”  Peter offered up some of the best guitar playing I’ve heard in a long while.  Always-stellar Eric Marienthal joined in and blew it out!

It was back to Pat on the air.  “Thanks, so much for joining us.”  Between songs Brian talked about hearing from Wayman’s family.

Brian continued, “We’re joined b y Wayman’s brother Danny.”  He asked him for a few words of wisdom.”

Danny said, “Well, you know there was so much wisdom from Wayman at a young age.  Even when he was battling his sickness he always made you smile.”  He shared that the last text he received from his brother said, “Bro, I’m alright.”

During downtime between the live, on-air sets Pat asked, “Aren’t you guys eating?  Do you feel sorry for us because we’re up here and can’t eat?”  A pre-recorded Father’s Day sunrise serenade of, ‘Ordinary Love’, played.

Off air, Pat made mention of a Dave Koz citing.  Wayman’s, ‘Way Up’, played via the live broadcast.  She talked about a fund raiser for the Wayman Tisdale Foundation and offered some clothing items Dave donated to have auctioned off for the cause.  When Dave joined in the banter, the crowd roared.  He joked about seven AM being an ungodly hour.  He and Peter White kidded back-and-forth.  Peter lowered the microphone and joked about Dave’s height, the crowd again bellowed.  Dave talked about the wonderful work the Tisdale Foundation was doing for cancer victims and amputees.

Pat mentioned Brian and Dave would be staying for an autograph session after the broadcast.

She said, “We need more noise when we go on the air, alright?”

Brian announced Dave Koz and Peter White.

Peter quipped, “I’m usually asleep right now!”  He shared a fond memory from a cruise he took with Wayman.  They were each supposed to play a song they don’t normally play.

Tisdale said, “Cruise directors know about cruises, not about music.”  He talked him into playing, ‘Bueno Funk’.  The two joined in that night and wowed the audience with the tune.

While Peter warmed up on stage, we grabbed a little extra bueno funk of our own.  DW-3 asked, “Y’all going to put your hands together for Peter White?”  White and Marienthal blew the lid off the venue with ‘Bueno Funk’.  Everyone loved it.

Marcus Miller came forward with a story about helping Wayman get started in his music career.  Miller recounted their meeting in 1987 and said Tisdale asked for his help.

Tisdale said, “I play a little bass.  I just need to know what I need to do to be successful.”

He joked with him, “Play a little bass?  You play a whole lotta bass, this is good!”  He told him, “If you can let people know who you are in three notes, better yet, two, you’ll be successful.  As soon as you heard his bass, you could see that big smile!”  They played a Waymans favorite, ‘Ain’t no stoppin’ Us Now’.  Miller thumped and bumped this one in the spirit of their camaraderie.  The moments were heartfelt and the music, stellar.

The talent that filled the stage was overwhelming.  Brian Mcknight said, “Mr. Dave Koz everybody!”

Eric from DW-3 said, “Break it down.”

Pat chimed in, “Celebrating the incredible spirit of Wayman Tisdale.”

Brian added, “In just a few minutes, we’ll be hearing from the Tisdale family.”  He introduced Tisdale’s daughters Tiffany and Danielle, wife Regina.  He talked about Tiffany’s sociology major and Danielle’s personal shopper business.  Brian reminisced about the times he visited the Tisdale house.

When Danielle was asked for an antidote from her dad she said, “Never give up, quitting is not an option.  You must fight until your very last breath.”

Pat and Brian’s third, and final, sunrise serenade was a request from Pat for her dad.  “Losing your dad is a club you don’t want to be a member of.”  She lost her dad when she was just nineteen.  “The greatest thing you could ever learn it to love and to have it returned.”  Brian did ‘Nature Boy’, live.  His performance was amazing, everyone went crazy!  The audience joined in to sing the WAVE jingle.

Back up live, Brian reintroduced, Music Director, Q.  Q talked about the many great times he spent on the high seas cruising with Wayman.

“He always made everyone feel like a kid.”  We all laughed at Q’s retell of a boat story about Wayman knocking him down after talking him into shooting hoops onboard.  Tisdale just picked him right up.  He talked of a personal call Wayman made to him when his own father passed away recently. Tisdale sang him, ‘It’s Alright’, over the phone.

On the air again, this time with Dave Koz.

“It’s great to see so many people and family members here today.  Wayman was like a brother to me.  The first time I met him was at the Wave of Peace after 911.  Some guy walked on stage with an American Flag tee shirt.”  Dave joked about never having seen anyone so big in his life before.  “I come from a family of small people.”  His nickname for Tisdale was Wayzilla.  “He was bigger on the inside than the outside and reflected the world in his smile.” Regina asked Dave to say something at Wayman’s memorial.  He shared, “It’s not the number (year) on the left or the number (year) on the right.  It’s all about the dash in the middle, (years spent on this earth).”  These powerful words seeped into the souls of all fortune enough to attend.

They announced thirty seconds to air and Pat was up.  “We’re here with a tribute to the life of Wayman Tisdale.  Dave just talked about his memories of the Wave of Peace and everyone’s joined in to play a song from it.  Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Marcus Miller, Karina Nuvo, Ramon Islas, Peter White and Karina Nuvo shared in the moment.  ‘You Can’t Hide Love’, brought us to our knees.  Marcus Miller played his love for Tisdale, each moment was spectacular.  Koz did a beautiful solo.  His love was apparent and the music was fantastic.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Dave Koz.”

Pat was up, we were back on the air.

Mcknight said, “This has been one of the most fun things I have done since I have been here.”

Pat thanked everyone, especially his family.  “We know there ain’t no stoppin’ us now!” she exclaimed.  They played the song live.  Wayman was most definitely in the house.  His smile and spirit attended the entire event.  We miss him, but were thrilled to have just a few more minutes to share with him.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved for one of the most spectacular memorials I have ever attended.  “We’re all smilin’ Wayman and we miss you!” © June 2009 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Spaghettini, Saturday, June 6, 2009

Joyce Cooling Special Event

Keyboard:  Jay Wagner

Guitar:  Joyce Cooling

Bass:  Victor Little, from Chicago

Drums:  Billy Johnson

Percussion:  Roberto Quintana, from Puerto Rico

The excitement of the crowd pushed an ‘Oooh’, through the room.  Music Director, Q, reassured an anxious crowd, “Music fans, Joyce will be along a bit later, but first, give it up for my boys from DW-3.”

They opened with, ‘Amazing Love’, reminding us of our love for the incredible, Luther Vandross.  They joked around about being Latin Luthers.  “Alright, is everybody doin’ good?”  They gifted a little Marvin Gaye and we were all getting into it.  ‘Georgie Porgie’ led to ‘Me and Mrs. Jones’.  Everyone was having a rockin’ good time with these familiar tunes.  “Are there any Stevie Wonder fans in the house?”  Nice set guys!

Q commented, “You gotta thank the owners of Spaghettini, Cary Hardwick and Laurie Sisneros.”  He went on to introduce tonight’s special guest, Ms. Joyce Cooling.  “You’ve got a great new CD out called Global Cooling.  I just got a call from Peter White saying your new CD is some of your best work!  Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the Joyce Cooling Band.”

Joyce put her hand to her heart and said, “You guys are the best jazz audience.  You guys look marvelous!”  She tore it up with, ‘Mildred’s Attraction’ (Revolving Door CD) and ‘Daddy O’ (Third Wish CD).  Her drummer shone brightly on the opener.  Cooling had the audience fully-engaged and lovin’ it, ending with a mini bunny hop.

“We haven’t been to Southern California in a long time.  Where’s my set list?  I don’t know what we’re playin’ without my set list.  I turned it over and don’t know what we are playin’ without it,” she joked.  Joyce was strutting her stuff and having a ball while playing ‘Come & Get It’ (Revolving Door CD), on her silent guitar (unique open-body guitar).  Her vibe is sensational.  The crowd adored her.

“Thank you so much.  We’re gonna do a tune called, ‘Cobra’.  It’s got an Eastern vibe to it.”  The congas were exceptional on this cut.  Roberto on percussion was off-the-chain!  His expertise on the chekere (African beaded gourd-like instrument) was amazing.  Jay Wagner’s keyboard solo had everyone boppin’ in rhythm.  At song’s end she asked, “Now, you don’t know that song do you?  Yes, you do, bless your hearts.  Radio people, they know everything!”

‘Expression’ (A Girl’s Gotta Play CD) and ‘Batucada’ (unrecorded), had Joyce making her guitar moan beautifully.  She started an overhead clap that was contagious.  Her chemistry with Roberto was out-of-this-world.  She was kinda scattin’ with a mouthpiece and the two really got into it.  Their rockin’- and percussion-style was genius.

“Hey, we have some folks here from KSBR.  They said they’re playin’ our single!”  Vienna was, of course, close at hand thumpin’ to the beat.  A guy from KUCI 88 came forward, presented his card and clarified, “They’re not the only ones that are here!”  She answered, “We’ve got a lot of celebrities in the audience!”

“This is from my Global Cooling CD.  She introduced, ‘Grassroots’.  “I have my ear monitors in.  So, I can’t hear you, but you’re smiling, so it must be good.”  Her vibe was bluesy.  The rhythm section really pumped it up on this one!

Set II

“Thank-you, alright, we’re gonna attempt something brand-new.  It’s got a lot of words.”  ‘We Can’, was up next.  She shared someone wrote her and said she was getting’ political.  She commented, “This came before the presidential inauguration.  What can I say?”  She repeated, “Lot’s of words.”  The back and forth from bass to percussion, bass to percussion was awesome.  She chuckled, seemingly tickled by their expertise.

“Thank-you!”  She talked about her dedication to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, and how some of the proceeds from her CDs are earmarked for the cause.  She elaborated saying, “There are no words, so I put it into a song.  The title track, ‘Revolving Door’, told all.  “Thank-you, thank-you!  I haven’t introduced the band yet.  We’re gonna do an oldie next.”  She introduced the band and joked she was going out of order just in case she finds her set list.  “Here’s an oldie, hopefully a goodie.”

When she introduced Jay on keyboards she referred to him as her partner in crime.  “Okay, here’s the oldie-but-goodie.”  ‘South of the Market’ (Playing It Cool CD), displayed amazing band cohesion.  Everyone was in sync, smiling and playing.  A keyboard solo by Jay put the place on its side, everyone was clapping.  She hollered out while he was tearin’ up the keys.

“We’re gonna do a brand-new one from the first time.  We appreciate the Seal Beach crowd taking the time to come out and spend your hard-earned money.  We haven’t been to Seal Beach for a long time and we thank everyone who’s treating us so nice.  Here we go, we gotta wing this!”  There was no evidence of newness on, ‘Save This Dance For Me’ (Global Cooling), they played it like it was a standard.  Everyone was rocking out to the Latin flavor of this cut.

The final song was, ‘Callie’, (Keeping Cool CD).  Percussion was a triple wow again!  Victor Little on bass hit it hard and showed us how it was done.  Joyce voiced a long, “Ough”, in answer to the band’s perfection.  She reintroduced the band and Jay on keyboard added, “Joyce Cooling on guitar.”  Q thanked Joyce again and asked, “So, what do you guys say, wanna come down from San Francisco again?” © June 2009 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED