2008 Rosemary Clooney Festival, Maysville KY

The 2008 Rosemary Clooney Festival was a lot of fun. The 10th annual event was held this weekend. I certainly enjoyed playing sax and the people of Maysville absolutely loved Grammy award winning vocalist Michael Bolton. Many celebrities and friends were there, including Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo, Jerry Lundergan, Steve Henry & Heather Renee French Henry, Mark Wallingford, Nick Clooney, Mayor David Cartmell, Joel and Jessica Lavinder, and many others.


With Michael Bolton

At noon on Saturday, Michael decided that he would like to get in 18 holes of golf at Maysville Country Club before the concert. Not only is the guy a fantastic singer having sold over 53 million records, but he is a scratch golfer. He seemed to enjoy his time at the festival and Maysville certainly appreciated him and his talent.

Looking Forward To Rosemary Clooney Day 2008

I'm especially looking forward to playing in Maysville this Saturday during the Rosemary Clooney Festival. Vocalist Michael Bolton will be there. It should be a lot of fun.

Facebook

Many of my friends have been using and enjoying Facebook. I have now joined and have found it to be a great tool for networking and finding old friends. I hope to see you there!

Playing The Fall Fashion Show At Lexington Country Club

On Thursday I played for the 2008 Fall Fashion Show at Lexington Country Club. The show featured clothing inspired by New York City's famous fashion industry. The crowd enjoyed the stylish clothing provided by several of Lexington's finest boutiques.


I set up my bandstand between the large main entrance door and the stage to be used by the models. This location allowed me the opportunity to see the models and their wardrobe up close so that I could better choose the appropriate music to play for each presentation. It was tough job, but someone had to do it.



The event was well attended and everyone had a good time. The grand ballroom looked great and Jessica and the LCC staff did an excellent job with all of the arrangements.

Good Crowd Last Night At Signature Club Of Lansdowne

When I first arrived at my Signature Club gig last night, I was a little irritated that the lower parking lot was closed for repair. I generally park and unload my equipment in that lot and then have easy access (no steps) to the bandstand on the patio. Last night I had to park in the upper lot and move my equipment down the stairs. With some help from a friend at the club, I was able to get everything down the stairs and set up.

I had a pretty large crowd. Former UK football star and Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Tim Couch came by for dinner. I've always been a fan and followed his career closely. He is now a broadcaster and is the football analyst on the local Wildcat games.

I don't know how much longer these patio gigs will last, as cooler weather is approaching. It certainly has been fun working them during the nice weather this summer.

A Rendition Of The National Anthem Like I've Not Heard Before

This was "performed" before last night's game between the Eagles and Cowboys. They introduced her as a "20 year old pop sensation". I just don't quite know what to say.

Giuseppe's Ristorante Italiano Photo Slideshow

This is a slideshow of some of the photos taken on my gig nights at Giuseppe's over the years. There are many photos included in the slideshow and may be a few short pauses during the viewing. A message will appear at the end of the show letting you know the last photo has been shown.

This a great and fun place to work!

Bengals Get Blown Away

Michelle and I went to Cincinnati yesterday to watch the Bengals. They were pushed around the field all day long by both the Titans and the wind. We had a good time anyway and were thankful that we didn't get hurt by flying debris during the game. I heard on a Cincinnati television station that winds were gusting in the area up to 74 mph.

After the game, we returned to the Bengalmobile and found uprooted trees and broken limbs everywhere. Luckily, our vehicle escaped damage. We had to alter our route back to I-75 due to blocked streets. We stopped in Florence at Shakey's Pub & Grub hoping to have a fish sandwich (voted several years as Cincy's best fish sandwich) and to watch some of the Jets game. Unfortunately, Shakey's and all restaurants in the area were closed due to downed power lines.

Despite the Bengals' loss and missing out on the fish sandwich, Michelle and I had a great day together. We hope the football team improves, but our Sunday afternoon fun times together are always a winner.

Lots Of Friends At Giuseppe's Ristorante Italiano Tonight

We had a great crowd tonight at Giuseppe's. Friends Crystal, Nicky, Tom, Deb, Joe, Kyle, Paula, Steve, Jim, Sarah, Walter and many others came out to hear me play jazz and to enjoy the fantastic food. Gigs are always fun when my friends are enjoying themselves.

Kalimba & Sax

What a treat it was last night to play music with Kevin "KalimbaMan" Spears. Kevin came by Giuseppe's during my gig. He had his kalimba and equipment in his vehicle, so I asked him to bring it inside and join me for a set.


We had a good time and played some pretty neat stuff. I look forward to the next time we get together for a good jam.

Meeting "KalimbaMan" Kevin Spears

Last night I met Kevin Spears, a master of the kalimba. His sister Joyce is a very good friend of mine and brought him to Giuseppe's so that we could talk about music.

Kevin lives in Atlanta and was visiting Kentucky this week. He has a gig this weekend in Lexington. He is a beautiful cat and I enjoyed hearing him talk about music and the kalimba. Kevin provided me one of his cds and I have been checking it out closely. He is a soulful player and produces some exceptional sounds of beauty from this unique instrument. He plays with an interesting and wonderful, almost hypnotic at times, tonal quality and style.

I was honored when he offered to let me play with his band should I visit the Atlanta area. It would certainly be a thrill to jam with him and explore the sound of a kalimba and saxophone being played together.

Missing Maynard Ferguson

I've been revisiting my Maynard Ferguson recordings recently, so Maynard has been on my mind. I woke up early this morning, made coffee, and searched youtube.com for Maynard videos. His performance of "Maria" on this video showcases his power and brings back great memories of the MF concerts I was fortunate to attend.


Man, how I miss that guy!

Swinging At McCready Manor

Yesterday afternoon Dad and I played big band and swing music at Richmond's McCready Manor. Songs we played included In The Mood, Woodchopper's Ball, Tuxedo Junction, Jumpin' At The Woodside, Little Brown Jug, and I'm Beginning To See The Light. Everyone had a wonderful time.

McCready Manor is a retirement community. Dad is always very popular there and draws lots of attention from the ladies. They are particularily impressed with his rendition of "My Way". During the last chorus of the song, Dad will generally drop down to one knee and really bring the song home. The pure power, relentless energy, and stirring emotion he brings to the bandstand must be experienced in person to fully comprehend. When folks at McCready Manor think of "My Way", they don't think of Elvis or Frank. They think of Carroll.


Frisch's Big Boy was in attendance. He brought plenty of Frisch's pies for everyone. I enjoyed a slice of cherry and Dad went with pecan. What's your favorite thing?

Gatorade, Schmaderade...Give Me A Coca Cola

Why bother with a Gatorade, PowerAid, or an energy drink if a Coca Cola is available? If legendary coach Adolph Rupp endorsed Coke, it's good enough for me!


Coach Rupp's Wildcats and Coca Cola were the real thing!

Kentucky 27, Louisville 2

Matthew and I went to Papa John's Stadium yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the whipping that our Wildcats administered to the Cardinals. We went early, found a parking space beside a shade tree, set up the grill, and hit our ribeye steaks (marinaded overnight with Dale's seasoning) hard. They may very well have been the best tasting steaks ever produced from our trusty Coleman's portable grill, if I do say so myself. That's really saying something, as that grill has produced some outstanding grub over the years.


Matthew Enjoying A Ribeye Steak Sandwich
We had time to mingle with other fans before game. Though the Louisville team did not show much energy during the game, the tailgating fans exhibited a high level of excitement that really needs to be experienced to fully understand.




We agreed that the pole dancing (shown below) was a bit much. For what it's worth, Kentucky fans were not participating, only Cardinal fans.


Our favorite play of the game is when 310 pound defensive lineman Myron Pryor picked up a fumble and ran it back for a touchdown. Matthew and I can actually be seen in the crowd when viewing the ESPN broadcast on a big screen television. Matthew spotted us when we were watching the dvr recording we made of the game. He was pretty excited about it.



"Myron Pryor...310 Pounds Of Glory"