Saturday, December 04, 2010

Jeneane Marie benefit show Sunday Dec 5th

I'm gonna cut to the chase and swipe some copy written by my friend Johnny Kats at the Las Vegas Sun:
Entertainers in Las Vegas are doing what entertainers in Las Vegas often do by their very nature: helping one of their own through health problems. Set for Dec. 5 is a fundraiser for longtime Vegas performer Jeneane Marie, who is suffering from avascular necrosis, which is a lack of blood flow to her hip that has caused constant pain and as a result requires hip replacement surgery. Marie has no medical insurance (sound familiar?), so to help pay for her surgery and care, Grant Griffin and The Showbiz Society are putting on a show at Las Vegas Rocks Cafe at Neonopolis.

Marie has opened for some of the biggest stars ever to take the Las Vegas stage, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Don Rickles. She has toured with Wayne Newton, too. Celebs announced as those taking part in the show, which runs from 2 to 4 p.m., include Steve Rossi, Newton, Rich Little, Clint Holmes, Babe Pier, Denise Clemente, Laurie Caceres and Griffin. The Jerry Lopez Band will provide the musical healing. Tickets are $22 at the door.

Lopez and Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns also are donating their take from their shows at The Lounge at the Palms to help fight Marie’s plight... 10:30 ... next Monday [Dec 6th]. Tickets are $7 and $15.

I'm gonna go, and exhort everyone else to do likewise. I hate to see anyone going through the misery this woman is dealing with. Below, a clip of her work during happier times.



Wow. Let's see if we can get this lady her hip job.
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POST-SHOW PHOTO REPORT

I am so glad I went to this. Pretty nice turnout. Major props to the folks who put it on, and to those who performed in the show. A random photo essay follows. I don't know who most of these performers are (and I may have missed one or two, it was all movin' pretty fast).
I wasn't carryin' a pen or notepad.

Suffice it to say that it was top-shelf without exception. Old school Vegas was present in spades.

Below, the inimitable Vegas showman Tony Sacca.

Above, Steve Rossi. Cat is funny, man! Below, my diva friend Paris Red. Paris, you ragged me about how I owed you a shot after that candid I took of you at the Santa Fe Labor Day gig. Debt paid, m'dear... :)


Below, Lani Misalucha. Yikes!

Above, our bro' the elegant Bill Fayne.

Above, Sonny Turner singin' and huggin' Jeneane.

Jeneane came up to sing the last song of the show. Hobbling painfully on crutches, she mowed the house down.

It was all pretty inspiring.

OK, Jerry and the cats are again giving their entire Palms gig gate tomorrow night to Jeneane's cause. Please go hang so you can both get blown away and contribute to a good thing.
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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Dave Richardson's "New Things" concert

Wow. Top-shelf artistry and elegance. What a great afternoon.

Dave's conversations with the audience were as revealing as his great music. Below, Larry Esparza on Flamenco guitar.

Above, Tyler Williams on double bass. Excellent. Below, our homie Phil Wigfall lit it up!

Below, Jerry Lopez and Lion King star Kissy Simmons doing Dave's Si Te Vas in duet. OMG! You gotta be kidding me...

Below, Lion King vocalist Vusi Sondiyasi sang a new Dave Richardson original.

Dave did a segment of the show comprising several tunes totally improvised. He said it was based on his admiration of the works of legendary pianist Keith Jarrett, who he said would sometime just show up in concert with no advance composition list and simply play.

Dave, you really pulled that off. Below, again, Vusi Sondiyasi, Tyler Williams, and Larry Esparza.

I felt constrained so as to not make myself a distraction, so these are mostly from close to my seat next to my bro' Jerry Jones, who was diggin' it all as much as I was.

Thank you Dave Richardson, you are a credit to the profession, and a good friend. I am blessed.
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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Great concerts by our bro's this Sunday, but a with a schedule conflict

OK, I need to be cloned. Dang!

(Click the images to enlarge to better view the details) On balance (and this is very tough to decide), I've covered Nathan's Las Vegas Jazz Connection concerts multiple times already (including also here and here), so I guess I gotta opt for Dave Richardson's show this time. I have to support everyone's work the best I can. Lenny's goin' with me.
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CODA

Some of you may have noticed that I took down last Friday's blog post reporting on the show at The Cannery. The acrimony that ensued, originating with the promoter of the event (who, it must be noted, has yet to contact me directly), has become bizarrely pointless, and is contrary to the core purpose of this blog, which is solely to support all musical artists with whom I come into contact, out of simple respect for their artistry and their struggles.

- BobbyG

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Some recent shots of some of my friends

I am blessed to have many good friends. These are but a small handful, shot recently...

Not pictured (just yet), my friend Ric Ulsky.
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