Sybil Gage's Top 10 Jazz Albums

One of the many fortuitous things about living in Florida: you get to catch Sybil Gage live. She's a Cocoa Beach resident, from New Orleans via New York City. A powerhouse performer, she takes elements of nostalgia and jazz history and manages to make them current, relevant and personal - like you are living them with her. Her shows and albums combine classic New Orleans blues, boogie and second line with r&b soul, contemporary jazz ballads and jump swing; those in the know have compared her to Dinah Washington, Eartha Kitt, Pearl Bailey and Janis Joplin. Voted best musician in Brevard County for 2008 by Space Coast Magazine; she's the recipient of three ASCAP awards for Excellence in Performance and Songwriting.

Sybil performing live with Leon Olguin on piano

You can catch her live on Tuesday nights at Heidi's Jazz Club in Cocoa Beach; and you can pick up a copy of her latest #1 cd "NOLA Calling" on both cd baby and Itunes.

Her List! Sybil was one of the only vocalists to take part in our recent Top 50 Jazz Albums poll. Her list is fascinating, full of overlooked or forgotten jewels, along with a few refreshing surprises!

1. Al Jarreau - Look to the Rainbow (1977)  a turning point for me in my Jazz incubation, have not been the same since hearing this when it was first issued.

2. Aretha Franklin - Jazz to Soul recordings from 1960 to 1964 This is a delight to listen to , especially people who "don't like" jazz. This will bring you in.

3. Nancy Wilson - Live at the Coconut Grove (1965) A one woman show....stopper! It's all about Miss Wilson, not about the exercise of scatting , solos or the band.

4. Thelonious Monk - Misterioso (1958) Pure and simple Monk.

5. Carmen Mc Rae - Live at Bubba's (1981) Love this live CD because she is older, wittier and display's a devil may care attitude that is just right.

6. Rickie Lee Jones - Girl at her Volcano This is a pretty expensive Japanese import, well worth the 45 bucks, though. Jones presents quirky twists on standards and soaks them in melancholy.

7. Joni Mitchell - Mingus (1979) A beautiful abstract Mitchell interpreted with and for Mingus.

8. Carla Bley - Dinner Music (1977)  I only learned of Bley a few years ago and I am thrilled to be introduced to her music and talent.

9. Dave Frishberg - Dave Frishberg  I guess it's obvious by now I am a vocalist as well as a songwriter with a penchant for piano. Frishberg is among the superb.

10. James Booker - New Orleans Piano Wizard Live (1977) If you have never seen the divine madness of James Booker live, you missed it , but you can get a really good sense of his uncommon gift on this album.

You can also catch Sybil on the radio: her "Stormy Monday Show" airs on Saturday nights - streaming live on WMEL 1300 AM. Thank you Sybil for sharing your list with us!! - PCJ





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Palm Coast Jazz Episode 5 - January 2012

All-music episode featuring Florida's finest jazz artists from Melbourne, Jacksonville, Cocoa Beach, Boynton Beach & more - straight-ahead, smooth, big band, contemporary & blues!

Right-click the title and select "open in new tab" so you can continue browsing here or elsewhere while you listen! (To download - right-click and select "save file as" or "save target as")

Allison Paris was under the weather during production and unable to host this month's episode - but she'll be back next month!

Host -  Kenny MacKenzie


1 - Introduction ~  Kenny

2 - "Bounce" - The Rainmakerz (Melbourne) website


Richie Mola - drums, Kenny Clarke - keyboards,
Dextor Wilborn - alto sax, Scott McGill - bass,
Dan Wilbourn - tenor & soprano saxes, Tom Heuston - guitar
from the cd "The Rainmakerz"
click to buy at Itunes

2 - "The Ensouled Ones" - Raymond Guiser (Daytona Beach) website
Raymond Guiser - flute, vocals, drum & keyboard programming;
Lawrence App - bass, guitar & percussion; Robin Clarke - vocals
from the cd "Macroism"
To Buy send a check made out to Ray Guiser for $12.99 to
Palm Coast Jazz - 101 Bressler Ln - Palm Coast, FL - 32137
or order by paypal from our store!



4 - "Happy Thoughts"  - Bill Prince (Jacksonville) website
Bill Prince - all instruments except drums
Rick Kirkland - drums
from the album "Happy Thoughts"
album currently unavailable


5 - "Ghost Town" - George Grosman (Orlando) website
George Grosman - electric guitar, Ian MacGillivray - trumpet
Brandon Walker - baritone sax, flute, keyboards & drum programming
Palm Coast Jazz exclusive!
buy George's latest downloadable cd "Water and Wine"


6 - Announcements, Kenny

Sybil Gage

7 - "Ding Dong Blues" - Sybil Gage (Cocoa Beach) website
Sybil Gage - vocals, Leon Olguin - Piano,
Dennis Thompson - Drums, Jerry Hoff - Clarinet,
Joe Caruso - Guitar, Stoney - Harmonica
from the album "NOLA Calling"
click to buy at CD Baby



8 - "Live in St. Augustine" - Bill Doyle Quartet (Palm Coast) website
Don Durkee - piano, Frank Capek - bass,
Bill Doyle - drums

Greg Diaz

9 - "Circadia" - Greg Diaz (Boynton Beach) website
Greg Diaz - tenor saxophone, Eero Turunen - piano,
James McCoy - bass, Rodolfo Zuniga - drums
from an upcoming release
more music by Greg

10 - Closing Announcements - Kenny

(Palm Coast Jazz Closing Theme by Seven Octaves)

If you are a jazz musician in Florida with quality recordings of your original music and would like to submit for future podcasts, please contact us at palmcoastjazz@gmail.com

All recordings and compositions are the property of their respective performers and composers, all rights reserved. This podcast copyright 2012 Kenny MacKenzie. All rights reserved. Please contact for broadcast version.

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