April 11, 2008
Just a quick update that I'm suffering from pneumonia, so I had to cancel the next show I had scheduled for April 19, but I'll be back in gear soon. I'll have photos posted from the last show at Toad's Place shortly, and will have more shows and studio time booked as soon as I'm better.
March 12, 2008
Okay, so I just can't let the Superbowl go...I wore a different Giants jersey or shirt for ten days afterward. I'm still getting voice mails and emails from my friends - nobody can stop talking about it. The love is BIG for our team!
Magic is happening in the studio - there is no other word for it. It seems that I'm making something wonderful happen, and I am enjoying every second. I'm not going to say that I can't wait for it to be finished, because the entire process is one that I truly enjoy, like everything else connected to making music. I'm sort of in awe of the drum tracks as well - my drummer Dave Puzzo has amazing timing and he just put everything he had into it, and Chris Bickley is adding his lead guitar tracks shortly. I'm not done with my vocals yet, still have a bit more to do on the first five songs, but three of them are 'in the can'. I'll be hiring a gospel choir for at least one track, because I think it'll be beautiful to have them on it, and I've also got to get a a couple of other voices in there to add a few more background vocal tracks to mine. After all the overdubs are done, we'll mix, and then these tracks will be made available to the world.
I'm working on a bunch of other things, but if you know me, you know I won't say anything until it's reality.
I had the honor of seeing Johnny Winter live again - this time I got to be a spectator at Toad's Place in New Haven after opening for him to an almost sold-out crowd there, and I've made some new and wonderful friends in the process. Scott Spray, Johnny's bassist, will do me the honor of playing on my CD at some point this summer when I am working on the next batch of tracks. I've also made the acquaintance of his manager and guitarist Paul Nelson, who has the sweetest Strat sound I ever heard. After that show, I was put on the guest list for their next show at Mohegan Sun's Wolf Den, and wow...like I said before, if you haven't seen Johnny lately, go before this legend stops hitting the road for good.
February 3, 2008
How can I describe the feeling - even though I spent thirteen hours in the recording studio yesterday making absolute magic happen, and knowing how blessed I am to be where I am and to be able to see my dreams coming to life - that still cannot top the joy, the happiness, the absolute LOVE I have for my New York Giants team - for having the heart and soul of champions - they are now THE WORLD CHAMPS!!! This night my best friend and guitarist Chris and I watched Superbowl XLII with about 150 other Giants fans as well as a good number of Patriots fans at The Blue Turtle, and we experienced the total domination of the Giants, taking apart the team that was 18-0 with an ALMOST perfect season - "all together as one", to WIN SUPERBOWL XLII and become SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!
Those last two and half minutes were pure agony - I myself was in tears and shaking from the emotions of it, but play after play, they got it done, even after New England scored a touchdown and it seemed we were doomed - but we had three timeouts left and a helluva quarterback - and this game is now the biggest upset in Superbowl history. When Plaxico Burress scored the game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds to go in the game, the Blue Turtle erupted - and we were screaming and hugging and jumping up and down with everyone - and there were some tears of joy. In that final possession by the Patriots, the defense foiled them again - Tom Brady threw hail mary's to no avail. And once that 4th down play was over, bedlam ensued, and I was picked up by so many people and swung around over and over again - crying, laughing - hands on our heads in total disbelief that our team - who nobody believed had any shot at all - made it happen. FINAL SCORE: NY GIANTS 17, NE PATRIOTS 14.
I was born a Giants fan, my family all came here from New York City as immigrants, and my love for the G-Men is beyond words, as well as for the great city they represent. This game of football, like most sports, is just a heartstopping, moment to moment game where anything can happen. But one thing I have always believed and quoted are the words of the legendary Terry Bradshaw - DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. Doesn't hurt to have a great offense either, and a great quarterback, and great coaching...
My love to all the Giants fans out there - this is a joyous day for us all!
January 20, 2008
My New York Giants are going to Superbowl XLII - WAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Almost gave me a heart attack, but I LOVE THEM - birth to earth!!!!!
January 14, 2008
I've just booked new studio dates for February and March to continue tracking the first five songs for my solo CD. I also have more live shows in the works, and am a very happy New York Giants fan, so 2008 is getting off to a great start!
December 26 , 2007
Just confirmed a new show...hoping for more to report soon. Happy Holidays to all!
November 7 , 2007
So much is going on I can hardly keep up, or keep standing up for that matter (nyuk nyuk) - the first five basic tracks we put down were quick and easy, except we are redoing the rhythm guitar tracks because the sound wasn't right, so that is on the horizon. Then I'll do overdubs, vocals, etc. Aside from that I'm busy booking more live shows, some of which will be video-recorded for a future DVD release, getting healthier, and announcing that Ron Keel has finally released 'Ron Keel - The Ultimate Video Collection' on DVD as well as 'Ron Keel - The Ultimate Collection Double CD', both of which I make appearances on, including videos for IronHorse that you have never seen. I'll give you some inside info on the one I'm in - I had NO idea it was going to happen and I'd been out late doing the town in Nashville with RLK and a bunch of really awesome musicians, went into the studio the next morning, with Kevin Beamish at the controls, totally bleary-eyed and having a bad hair day (HA!) - and NOT expecting a friggin' camera to be stuck in my face for the whole day - lights, camera, ACK!!!!! Even funnier, the video producer, who has produced tons of videos you know very well from MTV/VH1 Classic and beyond - said "you have incredible lips". Well, gee, thanks? Actually, I thought it was great. The CD collection has a previously unreleased IronHorse track that I have had being previewed on my Tunes page, so now you can get it and all the other cool stuff from Mr. Keel in one 'ultimate' package. I'm actually waiting for my copies to arrive...
So although I've been rather quiet...I've not been idle!!!! I wish I could tell you everything, but some things need to stay hush for now...
July 22 , 2007
Where have I been? Recuperating! Yes...I had been travelling, was very run down, caught a virus that wreaked havoc on my body and lungs, so I've been down for a while, but I'm completely well now. Was a bit nervous there, it got pretty bad, but luckily I had a great doctor treating me, so I'm done with it. However, while the meds did make me well, they also had a negative effect on me so that I have to work hard to get my body back into the condition it was in before I got sick. I also could not speak with more than a croak for a while and that had me worrying on whether or not I would get it back. I did, but again, I have to get everything back into tip-top shape.
In the meantime, I may as well let the cat out of the proverbial bag - I will be heading into the studio August 25 to begin recording my FIRST SOLO CD!!! I can finally say that and it feels wonderful...I played to an almost sold-out crowd in January at the legendary Toad's Place here in New Haven, and there were also some key previous shows, which led me to being able to make that announcement. There are other plans in the works with relation to the record and it's distribution, but I am in the beginning stages and would rather say more when things are more solidified. I plan to release a live concert DVD as well. The album will be called "The Truth", after the title track (go to my Tunes page for the demo of that song if you haven't heard it already).
My band will begin pre-production rehearsals shortly, so no gigs for now. In the meantime, I'll be hard at work in the gym and at home getting myself back into perfect form, and ready for anything and everything to come my way (and yours)!
February 19 , 2007
The photos are up from the Johnny Winter show - the best show we have ever had! This was a night to remember, and it will give birth to a major announcement in the coming months. Sign up on the Contact page so you can be the first to hear the exciting news when it's made public.
January 9 , 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Where did 2006 go? I feel like I made some strides this past year, but nothing ever moves fast enough for me in regard to production and making things happen in my music life. It's not an easy thing being a solo artist, but I will keep soldiering on in the hopes I can finally get a CD out this year.
I've been doing more background vocal sessions during the holiday hiatus, and am working on a full-length CD with artist Eric Herbst of ERX Rapture. Some great players are on this CD, including Bobby T, Johnny Winter's former drummer from the 70s. Bobby's drumming on this CD may be the best ever, so when it's all said and done I'll let you know where you can buy it. It is a rock record with some Frank Zappa and Grateful Dead influences, but rocks on the hard and flavorful side. The bass player on this recording is Joel Lee, who is now the bass player in my band, and he's incredible. I'm lovin' it.
October 22, 2006
I attended the Obsession CD release party on October 13 for Carnival of Lies. I've got memories of this band going back to the 80s and was a huge fan. They've become my friends over the years, and if you've read past news posts, you would know that Jay Mezias was my drummer for a short time and ranks as one of my favorite drummers of all time. Mike Vescera is of course not unknown to the world, and he was having a blast while proving that his pipes are still in killer form. I had a chance to preview "Carnival of Lies" before its release and now I've heard it live - it's a killer old school metal CD and I love it. Click here to view some photos of the show, and to get the CD.
I've done another background vocal session for a young and very gifted artist named Tucker Jameson, and the first track I've completed with him is now available for you to download on his MySpace page. It's called "The Sexy Song". I also appear on Tucker's first CD "Roses 'Cross the Sky". You can hear more of his tunes on his web site.
Sepember 21, 2006
The good people at MUSIC MATES have elected me BEST FEMALE VOCALIST IN CONNECTICUT. I am both surprised and touched by this honor. If you would like to add your vote, here's the link. Be sure to come out to one of my SHOWS and see if it's true! And thanks.
I've a piece of geography out at MySpace now, and I've begun to keep a blog out there, so you can find out what is in my head. I've a lot on my plate these days, and I've only just begun to let it out, so stay tuned if you care to get a little deeper into it. I'm stoked that some of my favorite artists in the world have added me to their Friends list already, and I'm hoping to spread some good vibes out there with the music world. There are more technical problems out there than guns in Iraq it seems, however...
The other night I was at Toad's Place to hear and see one of my favorite musician buddies do his thing. It was electrifying to watch him play his guitar into a frenzy and the interaction between he and the other great guys in his band. We are most uninspired by the local music scene, so this night was truly special. The shots of J.D. later were most delicious and satisfying as well, especially because I got to enjoy them with some really good musicians. How fortunate that they are also my friends. Let's do it again soon, guys.
July 14, 2006
I've booked another SHOW. The rest is just a rant.
As I drove home from rehearsal tonight, the moon was rising. It was enormous. Funny how that can be startling even after having seen it as many times as I have in that state. It was nice to see, but it brings me to a point - that I wish I could get out of here and go somewhere else and see things because I am a traveler...(I wrote a song with a lyric about that in it; it sits in my 'Waiting to Be Discovered' bin)...I'd even fly to the moon if I could...my band makes me want to do many things, but alas, the only thing that I could ever despise keeps me wanting - M-O-N-E-Y. It is that evil thing that keeps me from doing many things to take myself and my incredible band to the places we need to go in our careers and in our lives. Our souls are forever wanting. Mine is experiencing torture at the moment, and so is my body. I want so many things...and there is the eternal lesson in patience being taught. I am a doer, I hate to wait for anything, especially something I want so badly it makes me ache.
We have so much fun in rehearsal; there is always this insane laughter going on, the silliness, the ease of which we do what we do. I have a lot to be thankful for, I know this...but still I am not satisfied because there is still so much more I could do, and so much that I want. If only...
June 25, 2006
New shows are finally on the horizon; please check the GIGS page often for updates.
February 13, 2006
We got socked with a major blizzard here in the northeast this weekend, so there was nothing to do but stay indoors, bake cookies... and work on some PHOTOS! I finally got the Neal McCoy shots up, and they were taken by a road crew guy with my soon-to-be-discarded cheap-o 35mm camera. I have to say after looking at that photo with Neal - I got a very nice feeling - because he is a wonderful person, and we have some nice memories from that night - he put on such a great show and was so very gracious to us. A person could get used to this very easily...
Someone I know says I don't update my site enough...perhaps he can't get enough of me?? It's true...there has been some down time lately, but it was truly necessary, as I was 'toast'. But things are in the works - more shows will be booked, and I'm planning on getting back into the recording studio before the summer arrives, and it could be that a CD will come out of those sessions, I HOPE!
The state of the music industry makes for a lot of interesting conversation off-line. I often wonder what you musicians out there think of it all. I recently answered an email from a very special guy named Michael Laskow - if you don't know, he runs TAXI - one of the greatest sites on the web as far as I'm concerned - and he is starting a musical revolution. I'm planning on being a part of it, and I hope you will be, too. I've already seen it happening out there at my shows - so we must be doing something right, because it seems you love what we are doing - which is just doing what we love and letting you know it, and bringing you some great songs - must have great songs!! But the key to it all is L-O-V-E.
Tomorrow is February 14. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
January 20, 2006
Happy New Year! I'm finally developing the many rolls of film I've had laying around here since the summer and adding them to the page. The Neal McCoy show pictures should be up soon. I don't even remember what photos were taken at this point! Also, new gigs are beginning to take shape for the new year, so keep checking the GIGS page for updates.
December 14, 2005
BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!
It is my good fortune to be able to announce to you that my guitarist, Chris Bickley, has just been signed to an endorsement deal with ZION GUITARS. As I write, they are building his first guitar, and as soon as it is delivered to us, we will have a special photo shoot so that Zion can add us to The Players section on their website and you can see this beautiful guitar. Chris had the pleasure of playing one of their guitars on a loan this summer, and he knew he'd found the guitar of his dreams. I was amazed that he was able to still get that precious 70s sound I crave, and this was after he had tried out many guitars this year. This one was IT. I can't wait to show you the first one, it's so hot!
I want to send a big hug and hello out to Dale Brown. It is an honor to be endorsed by such a prestigious company.
There will be more news along this front sometime next month; stay tuned...
My goodness, it's been a while since I've written! My apologies...after our last show we all needed a break. We've had quite a busy year, and burnout is always the end result, but I'm not complaining, I can truthfully say this has been the best year of my life, the absolute best! So I've gotten a bit behind (again). I've many rolls of film to develop and lots of photos to get up on here, especially those from our last show with NEAL MCCOY. I will work on all of this over the next month and start 2006 off with lots of new goodies.
MORE BIG NEWS TO ADD - IRONHORSE has just inked a licensing deal with Rock Candy Records in the U.K. Rock Candy will be re-releasing a special edition of the Bring It On CD, and on it will be two additional tracks not found on the original. Those tracks will be one that did not make the record from the Bring It On sessions in Nashville, called "Follow Your Heart". The other, I'm very psyched to say, will be the duet that I recorded with Ron that did not make it onto the first IronHorse record, and which has been available on my TUNES page - "Take Another Shot". This special edition CD will be released across Great Britain, Europe and Asia, and I am very proud of Ron and the boys for getting this deal. We all hope a major tour will follow to promote it.
In between all of the crazy rock and roll happenings, I was able to grab some much needed face time with my "homies", and I will also have pictures from those personal times in my life. I have the best friends a person could have - they are my extended family, and I don't know what I would do without each and every one of them, because they keep me grounded and sane.
I have also met some pretty great people at my shows. I cannot express what all their support means to me, because without all of you, I would not be doing what I do. It is because of you that I love singing so much - it is my life's breath, and there is nothing like the feeling of a live performance. I love to perform, and I know it shows, but the way people respond just makes me go crazier up there - so keep it coming!
We will have lots of new shows next year, and over the holidays we will be working on a few covers that we are adding to the set along with all my original music. We are having a blast learning these songs because they are songs from some of the bands I absolutely REVERE.
As of now, there are radio stations across the U.S., Europe and Australia that are playing my music, and I am also happy to say that I've been getting some good feedback from the people at ISOUND.com, as I am one of their featured artists. Much to my surprise one day, I found a very special person wished to have himself added to my artists list - his name is now SANANDA MAITREYA, but you all knew him as Terence Trent-d'Arby. I have always dug this guy's music, and I must say I am happy to hear what he's doing now after he'd been on hiatus for a good while.
I'm going to close with a heartfelt HAPPY HOLIDAYS wish to you all - see you in 2006!!!!
October 16, 2005
This is going to be a great update, so I'll get right to it...Chicago was amazing. I did the whole tourist thing while I was there, and fell in love with the city and its people. On my last night there, I made my way down 'Blues Alley' and to Kingston Mines, a club I was told I had to visit, and I'm so glad I did.
As I approached the club, I was greeted by two guys standing outside, and they struck up conversation with me. Once they discovered that I was a blues rock singer/songwriter, they escorted me in and became my friends. One of them was the piano/keyboardist for the legendary EDDIE SHAW, and the other was incredible bluesman LINSEY ALEXANDER. As I walked in, I found to my surprise that the great Eddie Shaw was performing with his "Wolf Gang" (Eddie was the bandleader for blues legend Howlin' Wolf), and he had his son with him, and I happen to be a fan of his. His name is EDDIE VAAN SHAW, and he smokes on guitar! Linsey's band was playing on the other stage that night, and I got to see them both do alternating sets, which just blew me off my bar stool. I met so many wonderful people that night. I also met J.P., one of the managers of the club, who served me some very nice tequila throughout the evening. As the night wore on, I got to know Linsey, and before I knew what was happening, he had invited me up on stage to sing a tune with him and his incredible band. We did a kickass version of "Proud Mary" and I must say the crowd response was killer - they were going wild, and so was I!!! It was a night I will never forget, and I know I will be back (especially because I now have a V.I.P. pass, thanks Frank!!!). I also want to thank Eddie Vaan Shaw for accompanying me for part of the way on the train ride back to my hotel.
And the news just keeps getting better...
Opening for NEAL MCCOY was a gig that musicians dream about - from the moment that I arrived at the venue, myself and my band were given the royal treatment. Neal McCoy is a true gentleman, and his band is so good we were all awestruck. The hill overlooking the main stage continued to fill up as I took the stage, and I was sure they would not be into my "rock thang", but I was happily wrong, as more and more people were getting into it, and by the end of my set they let out a roar I have not ever heard in my life. There were a couple thousand people there and many more thousands showed up by the time Neal took the stage. Neal even moved his fan meet and greet so that it would not interfere with my set, and so that he could check out my performance. I met most of the guys in his band, and they all were so full of compliments after my show - I was walking on air. All of the people involved with putting on this show have my love - especially Hans Pedersen. That guy was up in the lighting booth rocking out when I was performing - pumping his fists in the air. He is just the coolest guy, and I am grateful to him and all of the folks at the Durham Fair who worked so hard to make it so great, and to have invited me to perform. I will never forget their generosity, and you can bet I will be back there next year - that's a promise!
Everyone knows I'm not a fan of country music, and when I met Neal he told me that they did a little of everything. And he wasn't kidding - they really rocked the place! My band and I had the best seat in the place to see his show - from the side of the stage, and we found ourselves laughing a lot at Neal's "schtick". He is just a great performer, and we had a night to remember.
I'll be in rehearsal for several weeks with my band as we prepare for lots of new shows, so expect an expanded set and more music for you to enjoy! Till then...
September 6, 2005
I've had a good rest and the band is back in action. This week I will be in Chicago for business and pleasure, and I'll probably drop in on a some clubs there and check out a few open mic jams so I can sing in the city of the blues...anyway, I've written a new song and we worked on it last week, and we also had a lot of fun jamming on some covers. I'll be a adding a few more of those to my set as we prepare for some longer and higher-profile shows. My main objective right now is to get a lot more exposure, and I hope to have a deal as we head into 2006, so I can finally release my first solo CD. What a journey this has been, and it just keeps getting better.
We are really looking forward to the gig on September 24, should be a great crowd!
July 6 , 2005
I've played some incredible shows, made a lot of new friends, and have been working so hard that it is now time for me to take a break and get some rest. Before I do, I'm uploading photos from shows we recently did, so check out the LIVE SHOTS page to see them. I have the first set up now and will have the rest up within the week.
During the break, I will be writing a few new songs, and the band will be busy learning them; then we will be scheduling some more shows, some of which may take us on the road. The focus from now on will be major exposure for me, so I'm going to take advantage of what time I have right now to have some fun and kick back in a major way. If you are in the area, I will be hanging out at two shows in August at the Webster Theater in Hartford, CT - Whitesnake on August 5, and revisiting my buddies in Danger Danger there on August 25.
One last thing - I must take the time once again to thank all of you that have come to my shows and have given me such wonderful support - especially at the INCREDIBLE Foreigner show - I am so grateful to you for all your beautiful compliments, and for just making my time on stage the best time of my life over and over again. There is no way I could ever thank you all enough - you've made each night a night to remember for all of us.
May 9, 2005
There are some good gigs on the horizon, best of which is the appearance of myself with legendary blues rock band, Foreigner. Go to the GIGS page for all the details, and to find out how to get your tickets for $14.75 off the regular price!! There will some very special musicians playing with Foreigner on this tour - Jeff Pilson of Dokken fame, Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham) and Kelly Hansen, a well-known metal singer who is killer on vocals. If you are familiar with the movie "Rock Star", you are definitely not going to want to miss this show because this line-up includes half of that band!
Back in April, I played a gig, then made a quick change and drove like mad over to The Downtown in Farmingdale, Long Island for a visit with the band Danger Danger, and the former guitarist for IronHorse - Robert Marcello, who replaced Andy Timmons. They put on a fantastic show and seeing Robert in his element was fantastic. Robert even pulled me up on stage near the end of their set and 'forced' me to sing along! Sorry, there are no pictures - in my haste to get there I forgot my camera - damn! But we will see them again and I'm sure it will be a night to remember, as this one was. I must not forget to say hi to Robert - HI ROB!!
March 21, 2005
SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!!!
So, is it any wonder that I'm so spoiled? I have so many wonderful people out there saying such incredibly nice things to me via email, and then I go out into the public domain and you shower me with more of your affections and praise. I tell you, I am truly one of the luckiest people on the planet to be able to sing for you all, and I am going to keep on keeping on.
The reason I am so full of love is because my producer, who is the "da bomb", let me in on a huge secret a couple of weeks ago, and this past Thursday night (which was also St. Patrick's Day) I got to enjoy it - it was The Black Crowes playing a secret gig at Toad's Place (where else?)...where the legends come to play. My whole band got to see this show, along with 700 or so very lucky peeps, and it was a huge lovefest, and for me and some of my mates, a Tequilafest as well. The Crowes billed it as their old moniker, Mr. Crowe's Garden, and it was a dream to see them in a club. This will be the start of what will become a world tour, and it would be a dream come true for things to work out so I can open for them someday on some part of that tour. Oh, what dreams have I...Anyway, a few of our very close friends were there, as well as some we haven't seen in a bit, and weren't we all just feeling fine. I also want to say a big hello to those of you from WPLR who were on hand making me feel like a million airplays...here's to ya!
My band's waistline will be expanding a bit very soon; more on that later. Things just keep getting more and more interesting...
March 1, 2005
We have been enduring a very snowy winter here in the Northeast, and worse are the constantly fluctuating temperatures, which have your immune system going up and down, and up and down, battling to get used to something that won't remain stable. So what happens? You get sick, that's what happens. That's been my M.O. for the past two months, as well as almost everyone I know. I caught strep throat in January, and a few weeks ago it came back with a vengeance and had me laid up for a week. Being that I've been so busy for so long, I almost didn't mind having to stay put for a bit. But I'm much better now.
I have a few GIGS booked, with one very special performance on the horizon to be announced as soon as it's made official. We are merrily rolling along on the music train, and I will keep you posted with any news, of course! Until then my friends, be well, and stay in touch.
January 15, 2005
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
There has been a huge response to the airplay I've been getting on WPLR, and the station has been plugging my name repeatedly over the last month. In addition, a recent article appearing in the New Haven Register focused on the station's best Connecticut artists of 2004, and I am very happy to tell you that they have named me as one. We have started scheduling some new GIGS as well.
That's it for now. Stop back anytime for updates.
