Originally published in "The North Shoreian," Volume II, Issue 4 - May 2009
Ernie Byrd has been singing for over 50 years. He’s played both Carnegie and National Halls, and now he’s playing the North Shore as Music Director for Grasso’s restaurant in Cold Spring Harbor, a comfortable and intimate setting perfectly suited to this jazz great.
Ernie performs every Wednesday and Saturday evening at Grasso’s. Wednesdays, he is joined by Wayne Sapella on piano as they experiment with show tunes, older songs, and jazz treatments of songs by the Beatles, Ray Charles, and more. Saturdays, the pianist is Dr. Dave LaLama, a professor at Hofstra University who has influenced many up-and-coming jazz musicians. Both evenings Noriko Ineva rounds out the trio on bass. Ernie beams that Noriko is “an old soul” who “plays standards like she wrote them.” Byrd, LaLama, and Ineva have been playing together for six years and their familiarity allows them great musical freedom as they perform. Ernie enjoys the spontaneity of playing with these and other musicians. The creative dialogue that unfolds between the players, each song a unique experience, is what brings him the most satisfaction.
Ernie cites a litany of influences. “I’m in awe of the ladies: Tony, Frank, Billie - I appreciate their accomplishments,” he says before continuing,” Carmen McRae, Ella, Sara Vaughan, Gloria Lynne, Etta James, Nancy Wilson.” Phrasing and storytelling are a hallmark of these ladies’ style, the way Ernie sees it, and his style is built on emphasizing those qualities, too. “Lyric is more important than the song,” says Ernie, and the lyrical narrative is what attracts him to songs. Like a stage director finding the through-line in a play, Ernie makes decisions with every phrase, trying to tell the story of the song. At times he gets visibly lost in the words and in the moment.
Ernie’s ecstatic expressions and lost-in-a-dream stage presence demonstrate that he enjoys singing as much for himself as for the audience. “For the love of the music” is not far off in describing his approach. Ernie takes you on a journey, word-by-word, to a place populated by you and he. The familiar and personal way in which he handles musical phrases, punctuated by cadences that are like a slow-motion moment in film, make the listening experience a guided tour through an emotional landscape.
Ernie’s voice sometimes gets lost in the din for a short while and, though it might not be possible to make out his voice audibly, in those times it seems as though it can still be felt. Music making is such an intense personal experience for Ernie, and his intensity engages the audience so, that at times it does seem that his performance is felt rather than heard. Ernie’s audience gets immersed in the story with him as he shapes the phrases and explores the lyrics of each song. In a sense every song is uncharted territory – the land both familiar and new at the same time.
“The familiar and the new” would be a great subtitle for Ernie, as he greatly enjoys introducing musicians to new audiences and to other musicians. “I love making musical introductions,” he says with a smile. Each player brings their own style to the performance and Ernie gets no small enjoyment from hearing how different musicians combine to make a unique sound. Grasso’s is very good to their musical guests, Ernie says, and so it is wonderfully suited to make these acquaintances. “Musicians love the way we treat them,” says Ernie. He gets calls from musicians from all corners of the globe letting him know that they’ll be in town and would like to drop by. Old friends and new, Ernie enjoys having musical guests. Some of his old acquaintances are regulars at Grasso’s now. On Tuesdays, he invites Lou Messana, a solo guitarist who, Ernie explains, has “been around forever but hasn’t made a mark.” Ernie gives the stage to former high school classmate and pianist/singer Frank O'Brien (with Bass) Thursday nights. And, of course, each Friday evening Ernie invites a different world-class musician to perform at Grasso’s.
There’s an irreplaceable quality that Ernie lends to the setting at Grasso’s. A familiar face, he’s greeted and hailed by patrons the night through. And his performance, while not stealing your attention away from your plate or your guests, seems to round-out the dining experience. A thoughtful and enthusiastic performer, Ernie’s satiny-smooth voice and lyricism make dinner at Grasso’s in Cold Spring Harbor a relaxingly intimate event.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
"Fixing what might be broke and just embracing what you can't fix"
Originally published in "The North Shoreian," Volume II, Issue 3 - April 2009
Seldom have I been more excited about a musician than the music they perform. I was introduced to Claudia Jacobs through Charlie McKenna and, at that point, knew nothing of her. After our conversation I found myself raving about her to my friends, even though I hadn’t yet heard any of her music. Her personality, warmth and optimism, seems to circumvent social boundaries and personal walls to forge an immediate connection with her audience.
The Claudia Jacobs Band recently released “Makin’ Lemonade”, a 5-track EP that Claudia calls a “surprise” album. The band had intended to release an LP, but a month-and-a-half before its début at the Patchouge arts theater there was a catastrophe and all their tracks were lost. They still wanted to give their fans something, though, so they got right back in the studio and started “Makin’ Lemonade”. “The support and talent of the guys in my band have been very moving and inspiring for me,” Claudia says. Helping with “Makin’ Lemonade” as well as the full-length CD are fellow guitarist Greg Galluccio (who engineered the tracks at his studio, Sound Surfr Studios), the exiting chair of Stonybrook’s music department Dr. Dan Weymouth on keys and organ, well-known Long Island drummer Mark Portugal, and Tristan Eggener, doctoral student at SUNY Stonybrook, who plays upright & electric bass and tuba. Claudia confesses that she’s recently begun a love affair with the tuba. “I don't think even the tuba guy likes the tuba as much as I do,” she laughs.
“My music encompasses a lot of different styles,” she says, “I was raised on a lot different sounds.” Growing up, she heard David Bromberg, Frank Zappa, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Todd Rundgren emanating from her teenage brother’s room, while being raised on her father’s folk LPs and her mother’s original Broadway cast recordings. She later discovered Joni Mitchell on her own. These diverse influences are all evident at different times as Claudia moves freely among styles and genres. Her vocal quality is often described as soulful and bluesy, though I think that’s a limiting classification. Claudia's scratchy, taught alto languidly parades through each of her songs. Her vocal quality malleable, Claudia flirts with folk, rock, blues, funk, and country. Her musical identity undergoes countless mutations. Like a child's blanket that becomes a tent, a pillow, a curtained stage, so Claudia reinvents herself with changing instrumentations and styles. There’s an intuition which guides her musical choices. This is perhaps best illustrated by her decision to include the tuba on the track “Come on Sunshine” from Makin’ Lemonade. The tuba summons up the joyful, bluesy quality of New Orleans Jazz, which suites the lyrics beautifully. Claudia just says that she likes the sound.
Claudia writes, sings, and plays guitar, but doesn’t like being labeled a singer/songwriter. “It sounds so cold, cut and dry,” she says. She’s been writing since she was eleven years old, when, “something crazy happened down my street and I wrote a song about it.” Her creativity “comes like a spark,” with the first verse or line and its music coming together quickly. “Some of my best songs are often the ones that came the quickest to me. They were not necessarily overly crafted from the beginning.” Claudia’s music is often an expression of her thoughts on everyday life and living and the candor of her lyrics reveals a deep honesty in her songwriting. “I'm not a read between the lines kind of person,” she confesses. She is unwilling to categorize herself, but when pressed explains that, “my music is about communication or the lack thereof.” She describes her perspective thus: “Everyone has their issues and their dysfunctions. I wasn't raised to live in a glass house; I'm down in the mud with everyone else.” It’s this essential, human connection that permeates Claudia’s work, and it is what I find so compelling. "I wear my heart on my sleeve. Not that I'm vulnerable; I'm just honest. They used to call me honest Claude.”
After graduating from Stonybrook University, Claudia “made her way directly to Greenwich Village where she passed her days amongst the many talented Fast Folk singers and songwriters, performing at the Clearwater Town House Concert series, Central Park Band Shell, The Speakeasy, and even Folk City near the end of its days with artists such as Christine Lavin, David Massengill, Suzanne Vega, Dave Van Ronk, and Cliff Eberhardt.” She was immersed in the musician’s life through her twenties; until she settled down to raise a family on Long Island. Her thirties brought her three children and it was then that Claudia, “began a parallel career as a natural childbirth instructor and Doula helping women and couples give birth safely, and as comfortably as possible.” Three years ago, a friend asked Claudia to come out to an open mic night to sing a song. She hasn’t stopped performing since. “I can look at my hiatus from heavy music playing and say that I'm a better musician for my life experience.”
As an artist, Claudia radiates feelings of acceptance and wisdom. “[Artists] are the mirror to society. They say things that others aren’t willing to.” Her message is often more social than political and never accusatory. “My music tends to be about the hope and confidence that things change; that things grow and can get better; that things are not static.” That hope and confidence is infectious and listening to her perform is a genuine and uplifting experience. Claudia’s live performances, especially, are a very intimate experience. “[Right now] we really like playing in venues where people really listen. We're all in the second part of our lives and we're kind of treating ourselves.” She has an upcoming performance scheduled on April 18th at the Congregational Church of Huntington in Centerport. It’s part of the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s “Hard Luck Café”. More concert info can be found at her website www.claudiajacobs.com as well as information about ordering her CDs. The Claudia Jacobs Band is also currently working on their next CD, as well as a track for an upcoming tribute CD to The Kinks. It is to be distributed by Paradiddle Records in late spring of 2009.
Seldom have I been more excited about a musician than the music they perform. I was introduced to Claudia Jacobs through Charlie McKenna and, at that point, knew nothing of her. After our conversation I found myself raving about her to my friends, even though I hadn’t yet heard any of her music. Her personality, warmth and optimism, seems to circumvent social boundaries and personal walls to forge an immediate connection with her audience.
The Claudia Jacobs Band recently released “Makin’ Lemonade”, a 5-track EP that Claudia calls a “surprise” album. The band had intended to release an LP, but a month-and-a-half before its début at the Patchouge arts theater there was a catastrophe and all their tracks were lost. They still wanted to give their fans something, though, so they got right back in the studio and started “Makin’ Lemonade”. “The support and talent of the guys in my band have been very moving and inspiring for me,” Claudia says. Helping with “Makin’ Lemonade” as well as the full-length CD are fellow guitarist Greg Galluccio (who engineered the tracks at his studio, Sound Surfr Studios), the exiting chair of Stonybrook’s music department Dr. Dan Weymouth on keys and organ, well-known Long Island drummer Mark Portugal, and Tristan Eggener, doctoral student at SUNY Stonybrook, who plays upright & electric bass and tuba. Claudia confesses that she’s recently begun a love affair with the tuba. “I don't think even the tuba guy likes the tuba as much as I do,” she laughs.
“My music encompasses a lot of different styles,” she says, “I was raised on a lot different sounds.” Growing up, she heard David Bromberg, Frank Zappa, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Todd Rundgren emanating from her teenage brother’s room, while being raised on her father’s folk LPs and her mother’s original Broadway cast recordings. She later discovered Joni Mitchell on her own. These diverse influences are all evident at different times as Claudia moves freely among styles and genres. Her vocal quality is often described as soulful and bluesy, though I think that’s a limiting classification. Claudia's scratchy, taught alto languidly parades through each of her songs. Her vocal quality malleable, Claudia flirts with folk, rock, blues, funk, and country. Her musical identity undergoes countless mutations. Like a child's blanket that becomes a tent, a pillow, a curtained stage, so Claudia reinvents herself with changing instrumentations and styles. There’s an intuition which guides her musical choices. This is perhaps best illustrated by her decision to include the tuba on the track “Come on Sunshine” from Makin’ Lemonade. The tuba summons up the joyful, bluesy quality of New Orleans Jazz, which suites the lyrics beautifully. Claudia just says that she likes the sound.
Claudia writes, sings, and plays guitar, but doesn’t like being labeled a singer/songwriter. “It sounds so cold, cut and dry,” she says. She’s been writing since she was eleven years old, when, “something crazy happened down my street and I wrote a song about it.” Her creativity “comes like a spark,” with the first verse or line and its music coming together quickly. “Some of my best songs are often the ones that came the quickest to me. They were not necessarily overly crafted from the beginning.” Claudia’s music is often an expression of her thoughts on everyday life and living and the candor of her lyrics reveals a deep honesty in her songwriting. “I'm not a read between the lines kind of person,” she confesses. She is unwilling to categorize herself, but when pressed explains that, “my music is about communication or the lack thereof.” She describes her perspective thus: “Everyone has their issues and their dysfunctions. I wasn't raised to live in a glass house; I'm down in the mud with everyone else.” It’s this essential, human connection that permeates Claudia’s work, and it is what I find so compelling. "I wear my heart on my sleeve. Not that I'm vulnerable; I'm just honest. They used to call me honest Claude.”
After graduating from Stonybrook University, Claudia “made her way directly to Greenwich Village where she passed her days amongst the many talented Fast Folk singers and songwriters, performing at the Clearwater Town House Concert series, Central Park Band Shell, The Speakeasy, and even Folk City near the end of its days with artists such as Christine Lavin, David Massengill, Suzanne Vega, Dave Van Ronk, and Cliff Eberhardt.” She was immersed in the musician’s life through her twenties; until she settled down to raise a family on Long Island. Her thirties brought her three children and it was then that Claudia, “began a parallel career as a natural childbirth instructor and Doula helping women and couples give birth safely, and as comfortably as possible.” Three years ago, a friend asked Claudia to come out to an open mic night to sing a song. She hasn’t stopped performing since. “I can look at my hiatus from heavy music playing and say that I'm a better musician for my life experience.”
As an artist, Claudia radiates feelings of acceptance and wisdom. “[Artists] are the mirror to society. They say things that others aren’t willing to.” Her message is often more social than political and never accusatory. “My music tends to be about the hope and confidence that things change; that things grow and can get better; that things are not static.” That hope and confidence is infectious and listening to her perform is a genuine and uplifting experience. Claudia’s live performances, especially, are a very intimate experience. “[Right now] we really like playing in venues where people really listen. We're all in the second part of our lives and we're kind of treating ourselves.” She has an upcoming performance scheduled on April 18th at the Congregational Church of Huntington in Centerport. It’s part of the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s “Hard Luck Café”. More concert info can be found at her website www.claudiajacobs.com as well as information about ordering her CDs. The Claudia Jacobs Band is also currently working on their next CD, as well as a track for an upcoming tribute CD to The Kinks. It is to be distributed by Paradiddle Records in late spring of 2009.
"The pipes, the pipes are callin'…"
Originally published in "The North Shoreian," Volume II, Issue 2 - March 2009
Performing hither and thence on Long Island, John Corr brings traditional Irish melodies to audiences young and old.
John Corr grew up hearing the traditional songs and melodies that would stick with him throughout his life. His parents, originally from the emerald isle, and he spent many of his childhood summers there with their extended family. Having no formal musical training, John learned to play by ear, the way his father had. And when he, at the age of nine, got his first instrument (a Hohner harmonica which he still has) it was both the beginning of a life filled with music and a continuation of an ages-old musical legacy.
Traditional Irish music has its roots in rural Ireland and comes to contemporary performers primarily through oral transmission. Nicholas Carolan, writing for Oxford Music Online, describes that, "[T]he reasons for the strength of Irish traditional music are partly historical and social: political conditions have fostered the oral arts of song, instrumental music, dance and storytelling rather than the visual and plastic arts; traditional rural society, non-industrial and conservative, survived longer in Ireland than in western Europe generally; and the relative smallness of the country and its population enables easy access to all varieties of live performance. There seems also to be a particular affinity to music in the Irish national character." The majority of the traditional Irish musical canon is not learned from notated music, but rather by listening to and learning from other players.
The 1960's and 70's saw a resurgence of folk music in America and artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, and the Clancy brothers were the standard by which the coming generation of musicians, Corr among them, would model their musical concepts. For John, in the 1960's, the Clancy bros. were the archetypal Irish folk music performers. He modeled his playing after them and admits to learning many songs by listening to their albums and reproducing what he heard. By the 1970's John was an English teacher at Longwood High School in Middle Island. There, along with fellow teachers Stephen Sanfilippo, and John Trubisz, he formed the Longwood Folk Music Workshop. John and his workshop students performed regularly. "We took them camping at the National Folk Festival in Vienna, Virginia, the Hartford Folk Festival, and the Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival)."
In 1981, in response to budget cuts, all school clubs were cancelled at Longwood High School. The Longwood Folk Music Workshop was discontinued, but Corr, Sanfilipo and Trubisz continued to play and, with the addition of Larry Moser, formed "Paddy Doyle's Boots". "We played all over Long Island for 26 years. We were the perennial opening concert for the Islip Arts Council's summer series, and we were regulars at the Brookhaven Town Fair, Riverhead Fair, Sayville Seafood Festival, Kings Park Day, Greenport festivals, Stony Brook evening concerts on the green, and at practically every library in Nassau and Suffolk. We also played in dozens of bars and for years we were the house band at The Quiet Man Inn in Southold and at The Printer's Devil in Port Jefferson." They were joined by (and learned many songs from) top-notch Donegal fiddle player Ed Keeney and the renowned button accordion player Eugene Kelly, and they had the privilege of performing with Mike McCormack, who Corr describes as, "a marvelous raconteur and bodhran player." Paddy Doyle's boots continued to play until 2008, when Sanfilipo and Trubisz moved upstate. Since then John has done more solo work and occasionally performs with Larry Moser's band "Fiddler's Green". He maintains a busy performing schedule and has two CDs (Tappin' the Boots, and Come 'Round Ye Northeast Mariners) which are available at several Long Island Merchants.
Corr sings as well as plays and is accomplished on the guitar (6- and 12-string), banjo, tin whistle, Irish wood flute, bamboo fife, bodhran, and the spoons (you try to play 'em!). His style is traditional but he welcomes more contemporary instruments in his performances. Traditional Irish music employs a small group of instruments, not all of which are Irish. The harp, although not as popular in contemporary performance, is closely tied to the music of Ireland, as well as the fiddle, bagpipes and the bodhran (a circular, hand-held drum). The tin (penny) whistle, accordion, and concertina are widely accepted as traditional instruments and are regularly employed. The banjo, mandolin, guitar, and Greek bouzouki make up a group that is not considered traditional by all, but are nevertheless popular with contemporary performers. In his solo performances, as well as with "Paddy Doyle's Boots", Corr regularly includes the banjo, guitar, jaw harp, spoons, and harmonica, which are more closely associated with American folk music and emphasize the American influence on Irish music. Despite his 20th century influences, his performance practice remains more traditional than contemporary.
Corr holds to the monophonic (only one note sounding at a time, no harmony) melodies that are essential in traditional Irish music. He includes the prose preamble, or údar an amhráin (the story of the song), to several songs which supplies material relevant to the song. The accompaniment on his CD Tappin' The Boots does get quite busy at times but, to his credit, Corr retains the conversational and everyday language of the songs, allowing the beauty of the text and the music to convey the emotion. He has also written dozens of songs, including The Ballad of Moby Dick, The Flying Dutchman, Shoals, Paddy Doyle Ah Ha Ha, The Ballad of the Baymen, The Wreck of the Louis V. Place, John Stone the Hijacker, and Lumumba. In writing these new songs he demonstrates the same understanding of form and tradition that is evident in his performance of traditional repertoire and on his CDs these songs fit seamlessly with the traditional tunes.
John Corr is uniquely poised to deliver traditional Irish music to contemporary audiences. Having grown up immersed in the music and culture of both Ireland and America, a product of the folk resurgence of the 60's and 70's, he offers a true representation of traditional Irish music both as it was and as it is.
Performing hither and thence on Long Island, John Corr brings traditional Irish melodies to audiences young and old.
John Corr grew up hearing the traditional songs and melodies that would stick with him throughout his life. His parents, originally from the emerald isle, and he spent many of his childhood summers there with their extended family. Having no formal musical training, John learned to play by ear, the way his father had. And when he, at the age of nine, got his first instrument (a Hohner harmonica which he still has) it was both the beginning of a life filled with music and a continuation of an ages-old musical legacy.
Traditional Irish music has its roots in rural Ireland and comes to contemporary performers primarily through oral transmission. Nicholas Carolan, writing for Oxford Music Online, describes that, "[T]he reasons for the strength of Irish traditional music are partly historical and social: political conditions have fostered the oral arts of song, instrumental music, dance and storytelling rather than the visual and plastic arts; traditional rural society, non-industrial and conservative, survived longer in Ireland than in western Europe generally; and the relative smallness of the country and its population enables easy access to all varieties of live performance. There seems also to be a particular affinity to music in the Irish national character." The majority of the traditional Irish musical canon is not learned from notated music, but rather by listening to and learning from other players.
The 1960's and 70's saw a resurgence of folk music in America and artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, and the Clancy brothers were the standard by which the coming generation of musicians, Corr among them, would model their musical concepts. For John, in the 1960's, the Clancy bros. were the archetypal Irish folk music performers. He modeled his playing after them and admits to learning many songs by listening to their albums and reproducing what he heard. By the 1970's John was an English teacher at Longwood High School in Middle Island. There, along with fellow teachers Stephen Sanfilippo, and John Trubisz, he formed the Longwood Folk Music Workshop. John and his workshop students performed regularly. "We took them camping at the National Folk Festival in Vienna, Virginia, the Hartford Folk Festival, and the Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival)."
In 1981, in response to budget cuts, all school clubs were cancelled at Longwood High School. The Longwood Folk Music Workshop was discontinued, but Corr, Sanfilipo and Trubisz continued to play and, with the addition of Larry Moser, formed "Paddy Doyle's Boots". "We played all over Long Island for 26 years. We were the perennial opening concert for the Islip Arts Council's summer series, and we were regulars at the Brookhaven Town Fair, Riverhead Fair, Sayville Seafood Festival, Kings Park Day, Greenport festivals, Stony Brook evening concerts on the green, and at practically every library in Nassau and Suffolk. We also played in dozens of bars and for years we were the house band at The Quiet Man Inn in Southold and at The Printer's Devil in Port Jefferson." They were joined by (and learned many songs from) top-notch Donegal fiddle player Ed Keeney and the renowned button accordion player Eugene Kelly, and they had the privilege of performing with Mike McCormack, who Corr describes as, "a marvelous raconteur and bodhran player." Paddy Doyle's boots continued to play until 2008, when Sanfilipo and Trubisz moved upstate. Since then John has done more solo work and occasionally performs with Larry Moser's band "Fiddler's Green". He maintains a busy performing schedule and has two CDs (Tappin' the Boots, and Come 'Round Ye Northeast Mariners) which are available at several Long Island Merchants.
Corr sings as well as plays and is accomplished on the guitar (6- and 12-string), banjo, tin whistle, Irish wood flute, bamboo fife, bodhran, and the spoons (you try to play 'em!). His style is traditional but he welcomes more contemporary instruments in his performances. Traditional Irish music employs a small group of instruments, not all of which are Irish. The harp, although not as popular in contemporary performance, is closely tied to the music of Ireland, as well as the fiddle, bagpipes and the bodhran (a circular, hand-held drum). The tin (penny) whistle, accordion, and concertina are widely accepted as traditional instruments and are regularly employed. The banjo, mandolin, guitar, and Greek bouzouki make up a group that is not considered traditional by all, but are nevertheless popular with contemporary performers. In his solo performances, as well as with "Paddy Doyle's Boots", Corr regularly includes the banjo, guitar, jaw harp, spoons, and harmonica, which are more closely associated with American folk music and emphasize the American influence on Irish music. Despite his 20th century influences, his performance practice remains more traditional than contemporary.
Corr holds to the monophonic (only one note sounding at a time, no harmony) melodies that are essential in traditional Irish music. He includes the prose preamble, or údar an amhráin (the story of the song), to several songs which supplies material relevant to the song. The accompaniment on his CD Tappin' The Boots does get quite busy at times but, to his credit, Corr retains the conversational and everyday language of the songs, allowing the beauty of the text and the music to convey the emotion. He has also written dozens of songs, including The Ballad of Moby Dick, The Flying Dutchman, Shoals, Paddy Doyle Ah Ha Ha, The Ballad of the Baymen, The Wreck of the Louis V. Place, John Stone the Hijacker, and Lumumba. In writing these new songs he demonstrates the same understanding of form and tradition that is evident in his performance of traditional repertoire and on his CDs these songs fit seamlessly with the traditional tunes.
John Corr is uniquely poised to deliver traditional Irish music to contemporary audiences. Having grown up immersed in the music and culture of both Ireland and America, a product of the folk resurgence of the 60's and 70's, he offers a true representation of traditional Irish music both as it was and as it is.
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