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?