I was rooting for Dan to help make magic with Gretta’s songs

When Gretta, Dan, Violet and the rest of the band were really cranking on Gretta’s song up there on a New York City roof in the middle of the movie “Begin Again,” I knew I loved this film. I neighbor opened up a window and shouted at them to shut that loud music up. Three…

A King can still count on his court, B.B. shows

When they gingerly walked B.B. King out on the stage to join his big orchestra who’d been entertaining the five-figure crowd for the closing set Saturday night at the 32nd M&T Syracuse Jazz Fest for a good while, everybody stood and applauded as the American music legend took a seat. The 88-year-old King worked hard…

Funk Trombone, Good Voodoo, Guitar Noir, New Voice

The first day of the 32nd edition of the M&T Syracuse Jazz Fest was all that in the headline above plus a shining sun, silvery moon, cheering thousands and a damned good beef quesadilla. From night to day: Headliner Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue drew the big free-admission crowd forward and into the aisles and…

Two days of music, capped by Mr. B.B. King

I recall being pretty excited placing the call to a certain Riley King. Goes by the initials B.B. Stands for Blues Boy. And B.B. King comes on the phone, starts talking, and I knew why I liked that job writing about music for the big daily so damn much. In fact, the American blues legend…

Paul Russo was a jazz guy who wanted everybody to be, too

If jazz music in Syracuse was part of your life, you knew Paul Russo. The man made certain of that. The Syracuse native loved the style of music to its heart and his core. His son Craig played Latin jazz, put out albums. His brother Victor taught jazz, won awards as educator of the year.…

Bernie Williams, at the park and in the theater

Bernie Williams would rather talk about his current pursuit as a guitar player than his past career as an all-star center fielder with the New York Yankees, publicist Steve Fortunato said while setting up my phone interview two days ago. I can respect that. During a very invigorating phone conversation yesterday, Bernie Williams told me…

A Taste of Syracuse in various bites

It’s called Taste of Syracuse, and the name of this June festival could not be more appropriate. For two days, tens of thousands of people flock to the blocks that surround Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse. They get to sample much music. Three stages worth, in fact. Around noontime Friday, three Syracuse music veterans played…

Listen to music, watch the people, taste the food

For more than two decades, when I went out to hear music, music was my sole focus. My job was to review concerts for the big daily in Syracuse. Hey, people, I’m trying to hear a band here. Even when I went to local series and bars and such, I knew I’d be writing about…

I dig sharing Cat Stevens and the E Street Band’s special night

Something I thought I’d lost forever: I watched Cat Stevens perform three of his songs that marked my introspective teens on stage with a big and great band to celebrate his induction into the Rock Hall of Fame. Yeah, I know, the event happened in April, in Brooklyn. But the four hours of acceptance speeches…

A Saturday night party sounds good

With all the digging in the garden dirt my dear wife Karen and I have been doing of late, we figured a Saturday night trip to the Syracuse neighborhood of Tipperary Hill would do us well. Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub was throwing its kickoff edition for its weekly outdoor block party. Yes, thank you, said…