A return home from the Big Apple pleases CNY jazz fans

It’s been awhile since he’d played his saxophone in his hometown, Paul Carlon said while we corresponded about his trip up from New York City with his band La Rumba Is a Lovesome Thing to perform Friday night at Jazz-N-Caz. Yes, Carlon grew up in Cazenovia. Well, to be technical about it, his family’s home…

A return to OCC for Corea sounds great forever

The last time Chick Corea played on the campus of Onondaga Community College some three years ago the American jazz legend was on a huge stage with one of the world’s biggest band’s headlining an enormous free jazz festival. Yes, that night in June 2011 was hugely memorable for all that saw that tingling set…

I did pick the best seats for Train

Back when I got up early to make sure I was one of the first people in line on the first day tickets to see Train in concert at the New York State Fair Grandstand went on sale, I must admit I did a bit of second-guessing when I was quick to the window and…

The biggest gathering in our city is worth a long look

When I worked for the big daily in the 1990s, I came home pretty dusty every night during a 12-day stretch that started in August and ended on Labor Day. Part of my beat covering music and entertainment was reviewing concerts. And, yes, the New York State Fair threw a concert or 23 that I…

With only old-school songs, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ tracks to No. 1

The last movie soundtrack to it No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart featuring a very big brand new song, song by that great woman singer who has the name that John Travolta mangled on the big awards show on national TV. Yeah, “Frozen,” performed so well by Idina Menzel. Now the soundtrack for…

A show for the ’80s in 2014

Organizers said the gates to the Benny’s Lost 80s Bash would open at 4 p.m. last Saturday at Onondaga Community College. It was held inside instead of outside. It did rain that night, so that was a great move. But they made us stand in line until 5 before opening the doors. I’m at the…

The night before the Bash, fans and bands meet and eat

While putting together today’s Benny’s Lost ’80s Bash fundraising concert for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of Central New York, Syracuse native Greg Ross came up with a different wrinkle. Fans of Benny Mardones were able to purchase tickets for last night’s Eat and Greet at the Gem Diner to meet the…

One-hit wonders? No, they have more to deliver

Oh, the world of the one-hit wonder. How many bands would have killed for that single hit, that taste of fame, the bucks that may have come along with it. How many bands wave their hands at that notion, saying, we don’t measure our worth in mass popularity, maybe even making a bit of fun…

What’s that sound? A little dance, a little jazz

The second Friday night departure from my reentry into the 40-hour weekday working world saw me rushing out of the building to find my dear wife Karen waiting patiently around the corner, watching the traffic go by. Again. We chatted about our day as we walked the short way to the car up at the…

A good time on the rolling hills

My posts Saturday and Sunday about the M&T Syracuse Jazz Fest concentrated on the music. Big time, big fun for the 32nd edition of the free-admission event. For my weekly community blog for Syracuse public media site waer.org, I commented about how the return this summer to the rolling hills of Onondaga Community College brought…