Gonna be crazy! Be there. No cover, no minimum to experience the baddest music in Vegas.
POST GIG REPORT: IN HIS OWN WORDS
"I have to say, I am stunned. Not just the sheer amount of work, but the talent on this stage. You people are privileged to witness this band."
- Tom Scott, speaking to the crowd after he grabbed Jerry's mic when they asked him to come back up to the stage and sit in a second time. _____
Y'know, Tom, that's exactly how I felt the first time I ever heard them.
Gotta get this posted quick. Time for more codeine, LOL! (Impacted wisdom tooth gone bad, can't get it cut out till next week. Ugh)
The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler was in the audience tonight with her entourage, sitting in the rear just in front the board. They asked that we not call attention to her, a request we all respected (no pics, no props from the stage). I checked her reaction repeatedly. She was digging it big-time.
A magical evening, this was. The band was again ramped up, you could tell, right from the first measure. Opened with "Love is Gonna Find You," then right into "Ain't That Peculiar?" And Tom Scott was simply awesome (and, what a nice dude! A class act, this cat). He took Jamie's solo section in "Take My Heart Away" and blew it out to shrieks from the crowd. The second time he got up on stage, he joined in and played from within the Fat City Horns, reading Phil's charts and soloing just like he'd been with them from the start. It was totally badass. The house roared repeatedly. The looks on Phil's and Rob's faces were priceless.
Fat City Horns -- you deserve these kinds of nights. Your ensemble work on those neural overload charts, and your solos, are just endlessly jaw-dropping.
I'll post shots I got of Tom first.
Below: Tom Scott, esteemed Honorary Member of The Fat City Horns!
Below: other selected shots from the night.
Below: Robert Conti at the bar with Tom Scott.
Above: Sari and my Danielle, the mutual speed dial sistahs. Below: Elisa Furr couldn't get enough last Monday. She's b-a-a-ack. Hanging with her friend Tal. What delightful people.
Above: The cast of Menopause couldn't stand it, and soon about had the whole room dancin' during the second show. Somebody joked "BobbyG's sittin' there gettin' lap dances!" and my daughter is waggin' that finger at me, goin' "Daddeeee! I'm tellin' Mom!"
Below: our brother Ron Camire and his wife Renee. Ron, great to see you up and around, man.
Above L-to-R: Daniel De Los Reyes, renowned A-List percussionist, our homie Tim Lienhard (Santa Fe alumnus, and the fabulous Michito Sanchez, who once again graced us with his presence onstage with the band. Below: Tom Scott and Linda Griner, and below that, once again herding cats for final pics.
Cuz Jojo called my attention via email: "Where's Wigfall"? Duh. I never even noticed. I may fix that via Photoshop, LOL!
Howzit Bobby! I gotta play you some HCLV trax next time we hang. Gabriel takes us to another level rhythmically, and the recording results are better than I could have imagined. Sorry but I never get excited about any recording project I endeavor, I start turning on myself!
Anyway here's the poster for our "Orchestra" gig this Monday. If you'd like to throw it on your blog we'd appreciate it! I hope you get enough kudos for your passionate blog. It's such a great Santa Fe/Vegas Music hub for us local musicians and fans. Thank You!
OK, first of all, Jerry said I could release this information. Dr. Lenny The Lopez will soon be heading off to the mountains to engage his other passion of serving as a fly fishing guide. Our awesome bro' Michael Grimm will be stepping up to fill in for him. Wow, that will be way cool. If you've yet to hear Michael sing, you are missing out on a major, major talent.
Next, Dave & Steve (ACTA.TV) sent me this video link. Another Bad Boy. "Extraordinary fingerpicker Pete Huttlinger performs Superstition on All Star Guitar Night at the Ryman in Nashville."
OFF-TOPIC: "THE QUEEN"
I bought the DVD of the movie "The Queen" and watched it last night. It was excellent. And, Helen Mirren is hot (beyond her acting chops, which are right up there with Dame Judi Dench. Yeah, of course she's appropriately dowdy in this "Her Majesty" role, but she's a hottie). I gotta give props to Miramax, they fund and produce some great stuff.
Yummie.
EUGENE BALOG
Eugene gave me a couple of DVDs Monday night, one of him appearing with the Arnie Webster Big Band, and one of him alone doing a very nice drum solo. Wish I could figure out how to translate the files into a format I could upload to YouTube via iMovie. It's cool stuff. Eugene is a fine jazz drummer and a very nice cat.
FRIDAY: EMAIL FROM MY BRO' KURT KOLSTAD
Hey Bobby,
I don't know if I ever sent you this little tune (mp3). I wrote it and recorded it clear back in 1995. It went into rotation on Musak and XM and still is in rotation to this day. Just got another royalty check last week. This little tune has made me over $20,000. Man, ya just never know about a tune and how it will touch people. I'm playing acoustic guitar (all the finger pickin' on it ) and my friend John Morton is playing all the lead guitar stuff. So simple--but guess it touches people. I've gotten checks from all over the world on this little puppy.
Too Cool !!!! Really old drum synths on it.
Boy, pennies from heaven.
Peace,
Kurt
O/T UPDATE: ANOTHER KICK-ASS MOVIE
Wow. Just got this movie and watched it. Totally fine acting. Judi Dench is just amazing. Likewise Cate Blanchett (I really dug her small role in "The Shipping News"). Wild, taut story. Highly recommended if you just dig great acting chops.
SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE
OK, I'm multitasking today (with what I'm starting to conclude is a root canal job in waiting. I'm up to about an "8" on the 1-to-10 subjective-experience-of-pain thingy in my jaw). I think there's a dental chair in my immediate future.
Cleaned out and re-did the Category-5-crapped-up utility shed in the yard this afternoon. What a mess. Also been 'shedding my workup of Loggins' "Heart to Heart" on 12-string. It's about 95% ready to go. My living room is a complete mess of new PA gear ("...Honey, while you've been gone, I spent the tax refund on a PA..."). Watched Miami get spanked this morning in the NBA playoffs by Da Bulls. Wow. Also started reading the new Einstein biography, and a book called "Persuasion" I just bought.
Watching the movie "Blood Diamond" tonight on DVD. Bloody flick. Well done, but gruesome.
Also, the Pacific Grove Report from 'Cuz Jojo. He sent me this video clip. Cat has great taste in music, Enjoy. Badass stuff. The Mike Stern Band.
Jamie was not well tonight, and struggling to sing. Jerry was in fine form as usual overall, but was also straining at the pipes after a week of gigging every night with Michael Grimm. I feel ya, my brothers. Back in the days when I was gigging (prior to the invention of indoor plumbing and cigarette ventilation, Old School cat that I am), I kept a sore and tight throat all the time, it seemed (I got to be borderline nodal right before I hung it up). I used to tuck a Hall's menthol/eucalyptus cough drop back in the corner of my jaw to help my pipes get through singing on the gigs (always kept packs of 'em in my guitar case).
Dissolved a lower molar. Dentist just ended up pulling the cratered stump that was left.
So, I was empathically wincing tonight. Ya gotta give it up, though, they sucked it up and threw it down. The musical energy was again just stoooopid. Man! Those charts! And, that hump! We were SRO and howling again. Another healing night. Lotta enthusiastic (and deserved) standing-O's. The new arrangement of Gino Vanelli's "Brother to Brother" was again just off-the-scale thunderingly, numbingly fine. Nathan's chart just blows me away.
One upshot of Jamie's struggle was a to-the-rescue guest vocal stint by the awesome Abe LaMarca. Wow.
Abe and his wife Christine. Thank you, bro', that was really, really fine. Below, some more pics from the evening:
Above: my best shot of the night, I think. This wasn't my best night behind the lens overall.
Above: Our good bro' and A-List cat Joe Bergeron jumped up to add some percussion.
Above: props and thanks to Eric Tewalt for subbing for Phil Wigfall tonight, in blazing fashion!
Above: Sonny, of New World Audio, running the front of house.
Above: the beautiful (and incredibly talented) Elisa Furr and Taylor Michaels in the house. Elisa and I have been trading MySpace emails for quite a while, but had never met prior to tonight (Taylor, we gotta get you up on MySpace). My total pleasure. Wish Cheryl was here to meet you (she's off back east on bidness for the next 3 weeks, bummer).
Below, Taylor with "Menopause the Musical" star Sandra Benton.
Below: heading home to do the blog thang (put the camera down, Gladd). I love it here. I am blessed to have come to know this incredible band and their many friends and fans, and all the rest of you great performers. I am continually humbled and grateful.
OK, it's 3:45 a.m., gonna finish my glass of Pinot Noir and crash. BTW- Steve Tuminello's MUSIC SEEN column over at Dave Siefkes' Las Vegas at its Best site catches a lot of nightlife stuff I'll never have time to keep up with. And Dave's ABOUT TOWN updates are equally cool. Keep up the great work, my friends.
TUESDAY UPDATE
OK, John, my Dad's roomie in the nursing home down in Florida is a quadraplegic cat that operates a laptop with a pointer he holds in his teeth (very inspiring dude). He sends me humorous emails all the time. Just sent me this funny cartoon. I may have to put this tune in my acoustic book, LOL!
NURSIN' MY LOGGINS JONES
I just bought another 12-string acoustic axe, a huge black Fender D16.
Lovin' it. Big, fat, full sound. Been workin' on a solo arrangement for Kenny Loggins'"Heart to Heart" today. Gonna be interesting to pull this one off credibly. This is one badass tune. Check the video clip below, from Kenny's 1991 Grand Canyon concert DVD. That's Herman Matthews on tubs and Marc Russo (formerly of the Yellowjackets) on alto. The chick percussionist is Vickie Randle of The Tonight Show band. The clip below that one is "Sweet Reunion." (same show) Man, those vocals! A few years back Kenny opened his evening outdoor show at Green Valley Ranch with it, came out from the rear, singing in the crowd as he worked his way to the stage, slappin' 5's all the way (I got mine). I will never forget it.
I make no apology for my Loggins Jones. Cat has been seriously throwin' down for decades, fluff pop hit rep notwithstanding.
Jerry just confirmed to me that Tom is coming.
Gonna be crazy! Be there. No cover, no minimum to experience the baddest music in Vegas.
The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler was in the audience tonight with her entourage, sitting in the rear just in front the board. They asked that we not call attention to her, a request we all respected (no pics, no props from the stage). I checked her reaction repeatedly. She was digging it big-time.
Below: Tom Scott, esteemed Honorary Member of The Fat City Horns!
Below: other selected shots from the night.
Below: Robert Conti at the bar with Tom Scott.
Above: Sari and my Danielle, the mutual speed dial sistahs.
Above: The cast of Menopause couldn't stand it, and soon about had the whole room dancin' during the second show. Somebody joked "BobbyG's sittin' there gettin' lap dances!" and my daughter is waggin' that finger at me, goin' "Daddeeee! I'm tellin' Mom!"
Above L-to-R: Daniel De Los Reyes, renowned A-List percussionist, our homie Tim Lienhard (Santa Fe alumnus, and the fabulous Michito Sanchez, who once again graced us with his presence onstage with the band. Below: Tom Scott and Linda Griner, and below that, once again herding cats for final pics.
Cuz Jojo called my attention via email: "Where's Wigfall"? Duh. I never even noticed. I may fix that via Photoshop, LOL!
