Sid Blair Interview - Happy Life of a Freelancer (Podcast)

 This post is to accompany our interview with woodwind extraordinaire - Sid Blair. The pictures are in chronological order - when possible. You can listen to (or download) the podcast here, and also at Itunes.

1948 - Sid Blair in Wayne State University Band.

1950 - Tom Houghton Band with Sid Blair on Alto -
At the club Pandora's Box - dig the real piano bar!!

A young Mr. Blair conducting in 1951.

Grant Jr. High School band that Sid built from scratch!
photo taken 1956

Arch Richards (L) & Sid Blair (R)

1962 Downbeat article
about Tom Houghton band.

1971 Program from Carnegie Hall
concert with Sid on alto.

1971 photo of Carnegie Hall rehearsal -  Detroit Symphony
taken by Sid during 1st half.

1972 gettin' around in the Austin Moro band.

Bob Durant Band - 1970s

John Trudell Band date unknown

1981 with the Glen Miller Band

1982 pay stub from session at Motown Records

1984 - just a few lightweights on the resumé...

Sid in the Frank Roberts band 1990s

1996

1998 Sid Blair in St. Augustine
photo taken by Fred Carle.

1998 - Sid & Helen board the SS Norway
to play with Tex Benecke

2000 - Sid & Helen Blair on another
big band cruise.

2003 NEFJA concert
with the Three Blairs + Two

2008 - program from concert featuring
Sid on clarinet at
Stetson University

local music happenings in Daytona Beach...

Sid and grandson Christopher spend the holiday jamming.

2011 Sid with Jim Miller in Big Band America
Photo courtesy of Hometown News.

Sunday Afternoon Jazz!

Here are a few pictures taken at the Oct 30th Jam Session held by the St. Augustine Jazz Society. There were a bunch more musicians and players, but most were up when I was behind the piano!

Swingin', solid beats from Bill Doyle (Palm Coast)

L-R: Ed Herson, Gil Surette, Jack Pierson

Eddie "T-bone" Herson was seriously rockin'!

 

My first time hearing the amazing Bill Prince. L-R:
Bill Doyle, Bill Prince, Jack Pierson, John Pellegrino.

  

Jack Pierson, who just released a cd recorded
in NYC with Julian Lage & Marcus Gilmore!

L-R: Bill Doyle, Guest Vocalist, Rocky Ray & Bill Prince

L-R: Gil, Jack, Bill now on Cornet & Rocky

There were plenty of other performers including Eddy Tresta, Greg Wier, Cindy Pierson, Joyce Lundgren,  Scott Mariash Wanda, & Palm Coast's own Dan Burns. Outside of an unfortunate political incident that lasted way too long (the only one I've seen), this was pretty happenin' and the room was filled with jazz lovers! Next year it will be in a bigger room, so don't be bashful, come down bring your horn, (we could use some more 'young lions') and make it even better! Membership not required - KM

ps - there are more pictures of the musicians who played while I was at the piano over on the
St. Augustine Jazz Society's blog, on the bottom. :)

November Podcast! John Ricci, George Grosman, Cook Trio...

Exiting Jazz and relaxing blues & latin make up our latest edition of the Palm Coast Jazz podcast, with music from  Click here to listen.

Hosts: Allison Paris and Kenny MacKenzie

Music in order played:

"Mode Time" - John Ricci (Jacksonville, FL)
from album "Holding Time"
click to buy at CD Baby
John Ricci website

"Delphie" - The Cook Trio (Orlando, FL)
from album "Moonlight"
click to buy at Itunes
and also at the Cook Trio website.


"Mambo" - Jim Bryer (Ponce Inlet, FL)
Jim Bryer website

"Little Darlin'" - George Grosman (Orlando, FL)
from the upcoming album "Water and Wine"
click to buy George's cds at CD Baby
Many more albums available at George's website.


Live recording from Abe Alam (Orlando, FL)
Abe Alam website


Live recording from Sid Blair & the St. Augustine Jazz Society All-Stars
recorded Labor Day 2011 at the Plaza de la Constitucion
St Augustine Jazz Society website

"Frank's Waltz" - Frank Capek Trio (Palm Coast, FL)


(Palm Coast Jazz Closing Theme by Seven Octaves)

More details including band member names are included on the playlist at podomatic.

DeLand's Thin Man Watts Jazz Festival 2011

First thing we heard when we pulled up to unload was the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mass Community Choir, performing on the steps of the Volusia Historic Courthouse! Big uplifting sound, great way to start the day.

Above is Matt Ward Miller - a drummer in his own right who was running sound for the shows in Chess Park. Matt did a great job achieving the delicate balance of volume and finesse needed for outdoor jazz. Kudos!

Pictured from left to right, event host & singer-songwriter Tony Amadore, Matt Miller & Thom Chambers.

The waterfall made things interesting sonically, Mr. Amadore joked that it sounded like applause! It did make for very nice picture taking: above is drummer Jay Messick - performing with the Kenny MacKenzie Trio.

Another nice waterfall shot of bassist John Pelligrino - great guy and always a smile!

Kenny MacKenzie Trio - photo by Arnette Sherman.

All the bands had a special guest performer - the clock tower. I was disappointed it did not sound in the one number we do that could have used bells ("Song One"). Thom Chambers was appreciative to have any one playing with him, but complained about the clock's "short solos".

Bringing some authentic New Orleans to DeLand was Sybil Gage. Sybil captivated the crowd with both her voice & her stage presence - an indescribably engaging energy the audience and I couldn't get enough of.

Leon Olguin is Sybil's long-time accompanist - and boy, can she pick 'em! Leon was phenomenal, always apropos, marvelously full-sounding and at times lightning fast. I was impressed. They did a great show!

Rhythm Phocus layed down the funk at Chess Park. Big band - had to combine photos to get Demetrius Garner the bass player in there! Other musicians include Roland Brawner - guitar/leader, Deanna Hall - vox, and Byron Marquese Garner on drums. If I find out the other musicians names (Les Macquarrie does not appear to be there) I'll post them.

This festival was one of the most well organized events I'd ever been to. Running like clockwork with friendly staff/volunteers everywhere - nothing was overlooked. The musicians had a 'green room' in the West Volusia Beacon building - where I met some very cool people and enjoyed the fare and a chair with a back. But I ate my Nutella sandwich in my car and observed some very neat things about DeLand - like the guy on the giant big-wheeled bicycle (sorry no pic), the "penny cabs" that whisked organizer Jeff Shepherd's charming wife Barb away somewhere - perhaps to the Sam Rivers show; and I was parked across from this fun mural celebrating the Deland Naval Air Station for WWII.

Just Jazz took the stage in Artisan Alley and provided a lighthearted, upbeat "cool" mood, playing bop and post-bop jazz favorites like "Mercy Mercy Mercy" and enjoying the late afternoon sun.

Just Jazz - Lloyd Hoppe - Bass, Geno Valet - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Mel DiLorenzo - Drums, Ernie Lombardi - Trombone, Bill Lewis - Piano.

Thom Chambers' show at Chess Park was a lot of fun. Thom played sax, flute and even a little keyboard, and hopped off stage to serenade the audience.

Thom taking a flute solo in a great song I hadn't heard in a while - "Morning Dance" - hailing from back a few years when it wasn't unusual for a jazz instrumental to be on pop radio. Also played was a fine rendition of "Just the Two of Us" and some tunes by Sting.

That's me - one of a few pianists closing out the evening in a DeLand venue. I'm looking a little tired, but I had a lot of fun here at the Elusive Grape - a big, friendly crowd rolled in for my last set and we all had a blast! Thanks to Arnette Sherman for the informative conversation and for taking this picture; and to Tony (and a few others, I'm beyond terrible with names - thank God for business cards!) for the good company!



Residents of Palm Coast - DeLand is less than an hour away, an easy trip (and scenic if you take route 11) and filled with opulent displays of fine culture everywhere you look (and a real neat record store!) - if you didn't make the festival this year, plan to go next time. This festival is in good hands! I'll be there next year - one way or another... :)   - KM

Gers Yowell Interview

Gers & Myra - Sept 15 2011

I met Gers and Myra at a gig, and immediately felt that bond of friendship that happens now and then. He invited me over to jam. After hearing him play (at age 88) and listening to him share some amazing tidbits about his past (musical and otherwise), I knew that others would like to know about  him, would love him just as quickly as I did and love to hear him play. We were scheduling a recording session at his condo in Ormond Beach when he badly injured his hand on a storm door. We went ahead with the interview, and we'll get to the recording in another week or two when his hand's all better.

Below are some pictures with captions that follow the progression of the interview. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for links to the websites of his musically gifted children, and feel free to leave him your thoughts & regards in the comments section.  - Kenny

Gers playing his Yamaha EWI.

Ger's Uncle, Israel Yowell, who gave Gers his first clarinet.

Gers Playing his first clarinet!

Gers in the Navy!

One of the album covers for "Apartment Sessions" - Charlie Parker

Gers hanging out at Rudy Van Gelder's house.

Gers Yowell with Joe Cinderella.
Gers is playing the saxello, and Joe is playing his custom Koontz 8-string.

Joe Cinderella & the Koontz he designed himself.

Gers's Handcrafted Instrument Miniatures. The detail is astounding!

Hand Sign Jewelry created by Gers - his first piece was for his sister, who is deaf.

Landscape photography by Gers Yowell.

Gers at his 83rd birthday.




Websites of Gers's musical children:

Drew Yowell

Gina Yowell-Gerszberg

Doug Yowell