randissimo

well, there's always the Kerrytown Concert House.... Kerrytown Concert House is actually a very hip place to play...

I'm wondering if you perhaps played there once or twice..

They were however contributing factors nonetheless to the room's demise... As I'm sure you recall, Ron was often calling around for musicians and acts at the very last minute.

A lot of it had to do with Ron Brooks and the fact that most of the local musicians as well as many employees did not like the way they were treated and exploited by Ron Brooks. He took advantage of a lot of people and burned a lot of bridges.. ....... Like firing Paul Keller's band which had become an institution on Monday nights @ the Bird.. It pissed Paul off enough to change the name of his band & record label from "Bird Of Paradise" orchestra to the "Paul Keller Orchestra" & "PKO" records...

A lot of it had to do with Ron Brooks and the fact that most of the local musicians as well as many employees did not like the way they were treated and exploited by Ron Brooks. He took advantage of a lot of people and burned a lot of bridges..

The problem we have is that very few of these type of venues are willing to take a chance on an unknown act without a reputable agent or agency.. We need to focus as well on getting an agency to rep for us.. It's often futile for the musician(s) of a band to try and do the booking & networking biz themselves. Too often the people we're dealing with assume that we must not be very together if we're doing our own legwork. The reality is that many in this biz won't even return a call or an e-mail to a band or artist without representation.

What are the dates and who's all playing?

Jeez... You missed a dandy little tour... You could have been sitting on the deck in Pentwater enjoying great food & music... From Toledo to Pentwater would have been a 41/2 hour drive...

Sorry Lazaro, I had no time to get you a copy after Pops arrived .. I'll make sure you get a copy tonight ...

Pops is playin' things I've never heard him play before !! Gull Landing Sunday night was our best night so far. Lots of creative moments.. Waterfront stadium, Grand Haven, Mi Monday @ 7pm, 1st st. Beach, Manistee, MI on Tuesday @ 7pm, & back to Gull Landing, Pentwater MI, on Wednesday.

The band was Chris Bickley on sax & flute, Henry Johnson on guitar, Greg Rockingham on drums, and Mr. Chris Foreman on the Hammond B3. Foreman plays regularly around Chicago with the drummer & guitar player, so they were very together as a musical unit and everything they played grooved . In fact the interplay was quite impressive and they were all very dynamic and obviously listening carefully to each other. Chris Foreman is truly a master on the organ. He soulfully swings with energy, style and effortlessly, and he had a really great bass sound. Foreman is blind and somewhere between 55 & 65 in age and I understand he has been playing the B3 for a long time.. I especially loved the way he would build his solos, always telling a story and gaining momentum on each chorus, making you want more and more, so by the last chorus he'd be groovin' hard. He had the audience on their feet several times after solos! The drummer & guitar are also outstanding musicians. The sax player who normally overplays with tasteless abandon even sounded good that night! He had met the trio on a business trip to Chicago last January at Andy's and hired them to come up to Grand Rapids, MI to play the Jazz Zoo hit with him.. It was a great show and an inspiration. 3 thumbs up for this show! By the way, I understand this trio has a steady Tuesday night @ The Green Mill in Chicago for anyone interested..

It'll be BIG FUN! ... We just have to try and ignore Bickley's tasteless "Kenny G-esque / too many unneccesary notes" approach to playing.. The drummer & guitar player I have heard before and they are BAD ASS....

In the thread about the Chicago Jazz Festival, I mentioned I had never heard of him and Chuck related that he is a great player. In the same thread I think jazzypaul, who lives in Chicago, said that he smokes everyone, not only in Chicago but the country. Obviously with a statement like that, I gotta go see the guy! I am done with drum lessons @ 6pm.. I will then go straight to John Ball Park.. This would be an excellent opportunity for Allison to pack a picnic basket unless you want to hit a restaurant after the concert which ends @ 8:30pm..

Amazingly, there is no mention of this on the zoo's website. This is all I can find on the web: They use my favorite phrase. All that jazz. I think the West Mich Jazz Society has a website. There would be more info there...

Unfortunately we don't have the connections or resources right now to gig in NYC... In fact, if you know of any management or booking agencies we'd be interested. We've been trying to book and promote ourselves and haven't yet been able to get much beyond local & statewide gigs.. The highpoint of our career so far has been a jazz festival last October in Clearwater, Fla that was very well recieved.. We would love to get out there and play on a larger scale.. If I come up with anything to get you out on a larger scale, I would sure to foward it to you. I know of musicians that have used this site to get more gigs. http://www.gigmasters.com/liveband/ Thanks Hard Bop.. Your interest and suggestions are much appreciated.

Unfortunately we don't have the connections or resources right now to gig in NYC... In fact, if you know of any management or booking agencies we'd be interested. We've been trying to book and promote ourselves and haven't yet been able to get much beyond local & statewide gigs.. The highpoint of our career so far has been a jazz festival last October in Clearwater, Fla that was very well recieved.. We would love to get out there and play on a larger scale..

It'll be an interesting tour...

Here's a link to the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Joe Siegal has a nice lineup which includes Lou Donaldson & Dr. Lonnie Smith... http://www.jazzshowcase.com/shows.html

If anyone is planning to be anywhere near or in Michigan during the period from August 12th - August 18th, you can check us out in a concert setting with special quest, my father, tenor legend Arno Marsh... Thurs, 7 till 9:00pm - Rotary Pavilion, Downtown Cadillac - "Upbeat Cadillac", Fri, 7 till 9:00pm - Rambadt Park, Reed City "Crossroads Picnic Showcase" 1/2 mile E of 131 & US 10 - Sat, 7 till 9:00pm - Wenger Pavilion, Baldwin - "Sounds from the Forest" Sun, 2 till 4:00pm - Waterfront Park, Ludington - "Ludington WaterFront ShowCase" ( This gig is tentative and may not happen ) 7 till 11:00pm, - Gull Landing, Downtown Pentwater Mon, 7 till 9:15pm Waterfront Stadium-Grand Haven - "Stompin at the Stadium" Rainsite @ Grand Haven Community Center Tue, 7 till 9:15pm, - First St Beach, Douglas Park - "Manistee ShoreLine ShowCase" Wed, 7 till 11:00pm, - Gull Landing, Downtown Pentwater - "We’ve Got the Hump Day Blues & All That Jazz"

Because it's also a food establishment, minors are allowed as long as they are with an adult...

Thanks Lazaro, I sent Steve an e-mail. The date that might work would be the 19th of August..

Thanks you guyz! Organissimo is playing tonight at a new venue in Grand Rapids, "Club North".. It'll be a party

Pops has some funky solos on "Senior Blues", "Stompin' At The Savoy" and "Perdido"..

My pops played on a lot of the Mars recordings...

Pops says the Cds will be ready the 1st week in July...