Blog/News Headlines:

Funksgiving 26 Goes Back to Bellmore

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:21:41 -0500

It all started 26 years ago in Bellmore, NY… and this year they brought it back to Bellmore. Funksgiving 26 took place at the Bellmore Movies & Showplace on the day after Thanksgiving and it was a blast! Although it’s a theatre and lacks the dance floor one would find in a club, the audience came prepared to work off their Thanksgiving dinner and party like rock stars…. Aisles were made for dancing….
Funk Filharmonik’s history in Bellmore goes back to The Brokerage where they played on the last Thursday of the month for quite a few years and built the following that they have today. Each year was capped with the “Funksgiving” show which quickly became a tradition and a big annual event. In those days, they were playing music from Tower of Power, Earth, Wind and Fire and other funk/soul artists. And then, after 24 years, they finally released their own CD of original music which has been received quite well by both old and new fans alike.
And that brings us here, 26 years down the road, to the Bellmore Movies and Showplace where both long time and new found fans could “get their funk on”… The band played the music from their CD, Everybody Get Down and added some tried and true fan favorites from TOP and EWF to which the crowd fervently sang along. It seems as though they had done their homework.
There was no shortage of energy in the band either and they added to the excitement with some new arrangements to the music. They also added, as a special treat, a trio of background vocalists who brought some extra UUMPH! to the mix and sounded phenomenal… and on top of all that, they did it all with only ONE REHEARSAL… not an easy task by any means… so a special thanks goes out to Kristine Bogan, Abby Burke and Stephen Tyler Davis for a remarkable job on background vocals! All in all, the evening was a total blast from start to finish and everyone left the theatre with that “happy exhaustion” that one gets from a night of great music...
And so Funksgiving 26 is now a memory… to the fans, thanks for the support for the past 26 years and here’s to seeing everyone again further on down the road…

Onward and upward...

Funk Filharmonik 25.5 Years Later

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 15:04:51 -0400

Well neither rain, nor sleet, nor touring schedules could effectively stop Funk Filharmonik from celebrating 25 (… and a half…) years together. It took a little bit of work after the Anniversary cancellation back in December but the party finally happened at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale on April 22nd… and the house was packed!
The band was present in it’s entirety, which is a difficult thing to accomplish these days as a lot of the guys are on the road with other artists. We played some of our songs from the CD Everybody Get Down as well as some time tested favorites from Tower of Power and Earth, Wind and Fire… and somewhere in the middle we even took the time to say “Funk You” via Cee Lo… which seemed to be a crowd favorite. All in all it was a wonderful night, a great show and a great way to celebrate our 25.5th birthday.
A big “Thank you!” to everyone who worked to make it possible… from publicity to tee shirt and CD sales along with hospitality at the venue. Also a really BIG “Thanks!” to the fans who have stuck around for over 25 years and who come out show after show and support the band! We wouldn’t be doing this at all without you!
So I suppose we’ll see you all in 6 months for our 26th Anniversary… after all, this WAS technically the 25.5th… we’re going to have to start planning NOW… Thanks again!

Onward and upward....

A Legendary Tribute

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:43:01 -0400

They billed as “Living Legends Tribute” and that’s exactly what it was… and what a tribute! Four great bands came together at the NYCB Theatre in Westbury, NY on April 8, 2011 to pay homage to four legendary rock bands and wow the audience with some of the most well known music in the world. Big Shot (a Billy Joel tribute), Beginnings (a Chicago tribute), Stealin Dan (a Steely Dan tribute) and Hotel California (an Eagles tribute) gave the crowd an exciting evening of music and memories,
Big Shot started off the concert with a set of chart topping songs from Billy Joel. Fronted by multi-instrumentalist Michael DelGuidice on piano and vocals, along with special guest Richie Cannata on sax (Billy’s original sax player on so many of his hits), the band worked the crowd to a frenzy right from the jump. What a way to start a night!
Next on the revolving stage was Beginnings, who brought the audience to their feet with some of the best loved, classic songs of the legendary band Chicago. With a smoking horn section, tight band and great vocals, they had the crowd singing along and screaming for more by the end of their show. I found myself singing along as well at the back of the theatre and remembering a wonderful musical period in my life. I dig these guys!
After a short intermission, the room full of rock music fans were treated to the sounds of Steely Dan by Long Island’s own, Stealin Dan. I have the pleasure of singing with these guys and let me tell you, it’s a gas! (...to use an old but appropriate phrase) That night, the horns were blazing, the guitars were rockin’ and the harmonies were sailing through the theatre, much to the love of ticket holders who stood up in their seats. Once again, their was much singing along by the crowd, a theme for the entire evening as it turned out. It was a set of Steely Dan’s classic rock music with that Donald Fagan jazz influence tucked right in there…. Very cool.
Last but certainly not least was Hotel California. They took the stage and brought back the sounds and spirit of The Eagles, much to the delight of rock fans throughout the theatre. As a singer, I’m particularly keen on vocals and harmony and let me tell you, these guys not only play their asses off but they can SANG! You couldn’t ask for a better way to finish off such a wonderful night of classic rock. Outrageous!
The only drag of the night was that it had to end. This was one of my favorite shows both as an audience member and an honored participant. I could have gone on for a much longer time and I think that the audience would have agreed with me on that note. All in all, it was an inspiring evening of song and memories. I only hope we get to do it again.
Well that’s all the news that’s fit to print so until next time… onward and upward...

Musicians 4 Haiti

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 17:08:29 -0500

On the last day of February, a group of phenomenal musicians got together at Mirelle’s in Westbury, NY to raise money in support of the survivors of the Haitian earthquake. I was fortunate to be a part of the evening and honored to have been invited to participate. Organized by talented vocalist, Maag Stanley and the Haitian American Emergency Relief Committee, this event was filled with love and great music. Those who came out to listen not only showed their support with their applause but with their pocketbooks as well… which is not an easy task given the economic situation a large number of us are facing these days.

It was an A list of some of Long Island’s best artists… The Mark Newman Band, Cemaara, The Other Shoe, The Joe Vicino Band, Herve Jerome, Mike Cummings Acoustic Trio, The Jim Pin Band and others who sat in and offered their talents in support of this cause.

It was my first time actually hearing many of these artists though I’ve heard OF them for some time now and I must say that it was a real treat listening to some truly inspirational music. I made sure I got there early so that I could hear everyone and I’m glad I did. From acoustic folk to some hard driving rock & roll, it was a night to remember…. some serious playing and some ridiculous harmonies kept me fired up for the entire night… then it was my turn…

I was invited to sing with The Jim Pin Band and we proceeded to play our way through the book of Steely Dan, which is not necessarily an easy task. The band also performed some of their original work which was totally cool. I enjoyed listening as much as singing! It was my first time hearing the band all together although I have heard the players individually over the years in one venue or another.

All in all it was an inspirational night of music and I was so proud to be involved. Much thanks to Maag and the guys in Jim Pin for inviting me out… I’d gladly do it again anytime!

Well that’s all the news that’s fit to print for now… see you all further on down the road… onward and upward...

From Mexico to Bay Shore...

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 14:02:48 -0500

Well it’s been quite a while since I’ve made an appearance here… it’s not that there’s nothing happening… in fact, it’s quite the opposite and life rolls along quickly and suddenly you’re trying to catch up. That would be me right about now so here are a couple of very cool highlights of the past month…
First off, I got the chance to perform with jazz trumpeter, Carl Fischer and his band Organic Groove Ensemble earlier this month in Mexico… not the country but the town of Mexico, NY… that’s right, I said Mexico, NY… who knew? I made the long drive up north past Syracuse… past Oswego and into a lovely little town where we held a clinic for some really talented music students at the Mexico High School. Later on that night we played a concert, which was opened by the high school band and chorus. They did a great job and as a finale, the band joined Carl and the guys for the last song. It was a wonderful cap to the evening.
Let me tell you, Organic Groove Ensemble is one phenomenal group of musicians. The who’s who of artists these guys have worked with individually runs from Maynard Ferguson and Billy Joel to Blood, Sweat and Tears, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion and others. I had a great time and I want to give a big “Thank you!” to Carl for inviting me and to the music staff and students of the Mexico High School band and chorus for a fun afternoon and an inspired performance later on in the evening. For more information on Carl Fischer and the Organic Groove Ensemble you can visit Carl’s website by clicking HERE…
More recently, last night as a matter of fact, I was part of what seems to be a rare show these days with Stealin Dan at the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore, NY. We haven’t played much as of late but that didn’t seem to matter last night as the band took the stage in front of a packed house of fans who were ready for good time. We blazed through the 2 hour show playing both the hits of the legendary Steely Dan as well as some of the more obscure songs in the book. It was a pleasure to get together once again and play some truly great music. As a special treat we were joined by Funk Filharmonik guitarist Dave Lavender, who was sitting in for Steve Briody for the night. Dave is an extremely talented guitarist who has graced the stage with artists such as Patti Austin, David Foster, Nuyorican Soul (Featuring George Benson), Tito Puente, Roy Ayers, Jocelyn Brown, India, Hilton Ruiz and others. He played the gig with his usual finesse and was an awesome addition to the band.
On another front we have the 25th Anniversary of Funk Filharmonik which we will celebrate with a show at Mirelle’s in Westbury, NY on December 27th. You can get details on the Gigs page of this site or by going to Funk Filharmonik’s site. Tickets are going fast for this milestone concert so be sure and get yours now… See you all there… onward and upward…