Finnegan's Birthday Party 2008 with Big 12

Sixteen of the seventy-five crazy kids that packed the Studio

Correction: Finnegan informs me that this pic is from an earlier Summer eve, not the night of his infamous birthday party.  Regardless, given the usual suspects, I suspect that the caption above is still accurate.   So... when exactly is Finnegan's birthday?

Photos by Reitman

When he's not playing blues in drop D or leading the Studio 12 Midnight Ramble,
Michael, the Right Man, Reitman is taking pictures.  Here are a few....

Takeo Shugihara

   

 Acoustical Guys

Fine Grinders

Tele Tele

Back Story, Part 3: Cookin' in the Kitchen

Carrie Cantor & Greg Spinelli

After Jan Loe pulled her Johnny Appleseed routine, Carrie & I were the gig at (pre-Studio) 12 Church Street.  We started out playing on the first floor in front of the northeast window of the restaurant crammed in between the booths.

One night, a year or two later, Cheryl gave her blessing to moving the furniture in the northwest window to make a more spacious performance area.  Not to miss an opportunity, I showed up at 7 am, power tools in hand & re-configured the dining room.  I was the recipient of a serious WTF when Cheryl arrived to open lunch.

The larger "stage" created a much more appealing performance space & opened the door to an expanded cast of characters, i.e.musicians, to join in on the fun.  At about that point, the music / jam night seemed worthy of a name & was thusly dubbed Cookin' in the Kitchen.

Photo by Michael (The Right Man) Reitman....

PS - Desperately Seeking Susan.... Meg has loaned a Yamaha PSR-4000 to Studio 12.... Help!!!  We need a tutorial.  all replys confidential....

Brett Calls the Tune

    (L-R) Tim Tansey, Bob Cannon, Andrew Klewan, Greg Spinelli, Brett Vallone & 
    Pancakes O'Malley rocking out to Bob Dylan's 'Isis'


Drummer Brett Vallone is a Rocker.  He's also a nice guy, so nary a peep as he plays along with whatever  blues, shuffle, folk, country, jazz or reggae beat that emanates from Studio 12.  Once in a while, though, he puts his feet down (hi hat & bass) and leads us into the promised land of Rock n' Roll!

Check the comments section below for this week's Rock n' Roll birthdays.

Photo by Michael Reitman (otherwise he would have been playing).

Special Guest Host Tonight!

Jan & Bob at Jiggs

Jan Loe will be the special guest host tonight as I will have a late escape from my "new" job.  Jan who, as noted in an earlier post, is the Godmother of Studio 12 has graciously agreed to to cover for my tardiness.

Come hell or high water, I'll be back to Studio 12 while there is still plenty of time to play in the sandbox & enjoy the vibe...

Cheryl is covering the food so, of course, we'll be fed with Mama's TLC...





 

Iris at the Steinway

 
I'll be meeting with a sweet young couple, booking them the hottest band on the East Coast for their wedding.

Yep, at my advanced age, I'm learning another business - booking major bands.  I am working for IGMC (no, it's not Indira Gandhi Medical College, nor is it Inspector General of the Marine Corps).  It is a full service event & entertainment company owned by an old friend of mine, Iris Gillon.

Maybe we'll get Iris out to play one night....






Just in case you need inspiration for material.... Rock & Roll Birthdays...

This week... Paul Simon, Cliff Richard & Bob Weir

Next week... Chuck Berry, Laura Nyro & Manfred Mann

2nd Annual John Lennon Tribute

John Lennon's Birthday is October 9....

This week at Studio 12 will be our
2nd Annual John Lennon Tribute....

All performers should include at least one of John's songs tonight

The 1st annual John Lennon tribute was
last year outdoors on the late, lamented
Montclair Center Stage...

Who knew then that it would be
the final show on "our" outdoor stage?        

Notes from the Old Northwest

Adam Turbiner, architect of the Summer of Ovation
here at Studio 12 just checked in....

"I've been  thinking about all of ya’ll over these few weeks out on the road.  I’m at a nice RV park in Wisconsin…. I’m just outside of Dubuque, Iowa which is just across the Mississippi River.  Things are good, but I miss home and all you really groovy-cats at Studio 12.  Say hi to everyone for me and hope to see you in about another 60 days…" Adam 

And we miss you, too!
 
Hmmmm... 60 days.... Sounds like a Thanksgiving bash on November 24. 

Farm Aid - It Was 25 Years Ago Today

Farm Aid came about when Bob Dylan (who else), performing at Live Aid, commented, "... maybe they could take a little bit of it, maybe... one or two million, maybe... and use it, say, to pay the mortgages on some of the farms and, the farmers here, owe to the banks..."


Willie Nelson, Neil Young & John Mellencamp
picked it up from there...












Live Aid was big. I had just moved from Philadelphia to Boston & Philly was one of the epicenters of that global event.... I was bummed that I had just left the home of the hoagie.














Farm Aid kinda crept up on me. I think I noticed it when
it was on one of the UHF stations for hours & hours.
(UHF... quizzical look from those born after Farm Aid)







In retrospect, Farm Aid was a direct descendant of the brand of liberalism that arose from the North Central states a hundred years ago. La Follette, the Progressives, the Wobblies and their ilk (as John Dos Passos informed) disabuse the notion that we in the cosmopolitan Northeast and our left coast brethren possess a monopoly on enlightened social values













A month or two ago, I referenced
the younger performers at
Studio 12 as being born
after the first Farm Aid.









Lou Reed
was at Farm Aid



all pics except Dos Passos from Farm Aid 1985

Tuneful Weekend

Wow! Whatta great weekend for local performers & music lovers.
So many shows that I've lost track....

Three that I managed to attend:

Friday night - Jan Loe's Birthday Jam at Jiggs in Butler
Jazzy Jan hosts Jiggs open mic Thursdays & Fridays











Jan & Bob

Saturday afternoon - Parents Who Rock's annual Outdoor Fundraiser

Alma Schneider is the straw that stirs the drink!
... apologies to Reggie Jackson




Our Hosts....
Alma & Brian

You guys Rock!!!




















Ed Carine who, in addition to performing, engineered the sound.

Also, as the T-shirt says,
Ed is the advisor to
Terry's Serendipity Cafe.










Studio 12
road trippin'












Sunday night - the Indie Music Circus at Luna Stage
Hosted by Michael Aquino



Andrew
Klewan

Meg
Beattie
Patrick

Laree
Hakeem
Cisco






Kudos to Jan, Alma & Michael for rockin' the weekend!
photo credits: Jiggs, Meg; PWR, Brian; IMC, Greg

Bazingen 5771!

No tsuris here....

No tref on the menu....
(salad, chicken & parve brownies)

Zukhn all klezmers & muzikers!

Parents Rock Again!!!!

Alma says, "Brush off your lawn chairs and pack up your picnic basket! The artists are all lined up for Parents Who Rock’s Annual Outdoor Festival."

Money raised will go to Youth Consultation Service, which helps to give more than 400 Essex County kids in group homes support so they can have a better chance at life. The fundraiser will help raise money to provide each child with a birthday gift card.

The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 11, at 72 High Street, corner of Cedar and High Streets in Montclair.

Jerry Lewis Show Cancelled

Jerry is a last minute scratch from his Studio 12 debut tonight due to an emergency tumblerectomy. Our thoughts and prayers go out.









Filling in will be Jerry's Kids aka 7 Circle Tangent